The City of Kingfisher is going to split the cost with the Chamber of Commerce to provide an upgraded sound system for the annual Christmas parade.

City commissioners voted Thursday during a special meeting to make the move.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shauna Rupp and board member Heath Redwine addressed commissioners during Thursday’s meeting.

They were requesting the city pay $4,700 to split the costs of a new audio sound system to be installed for the annual downtown Christmas parade.

They commented that the parade brought upwards of 5,000 people to Kingfisher for the event and a new sound system was a high priority as the old one had failed on numerous occasions over the past few years.

Commissioners had high praise for Rupp and the chamber board of directors for the efforts made on the community’s behalf and Rupp said chamber membership was at an all-time high, as well as fundraising projects, but the full price of the speaker system was more than the chamber could afford at this time.

The quote from Miller Pro AVL of Oklahoma City is $9,407. The company will install the system and take it down.

It will include wired speakers above the crowd’s head along the entire west side of Main Street downtown.

Commissioner Debbie Burpo made the motion that the funds be made available, Kyle Mecklenburg seconded the motion and the motion unanimously passed with Mayor Geoff Covalt, Commissioner Dawn Taylor and newly-installed Commissioner Kaci Farrar also voting in favor.

Rupp and Redwine commented that the 2023 Christmas parade would add a “spectacular element” of a choreographed laser light and music show to go along with the fireworks display.

In other reports, City Manager Jim Thomas commented that he planned for a long range strategic facilitator to “help navigate the process of designing a playbook” that would be an in-depth plan for streamlined operation and improvements to the city’s infrastructure that would carry into the 2030 year.

He also said the out-ofdate bathrooms at Shaw Park had been demolished and the city planned to have new and improved facilities in place by the spring of next year to facilitate the splash pad water feature there.

He said a grant for $2.7 million was approved for funding for the extension of the airport runway as well.

Mecklenburg, who is a pilot, commented that the $2.7 million would not cover all the costs of extending the runway to 4,000 feet, which was the desired end result.

“We’re hoping this will cover the extension of another 1,200 feet to the north,” he said.

He said a 4,000 foot runway would be of direct economic benefit to the community, as larger corporate aircraft would then be able to fully utilize the local facilities.

“Right now, those planes have to land at Watonga, Wiley Post in Oklahoma City or Sundance Airport east of Piedmont,” Mecklenburg said.

“It will be a while before we can get to that 4,000 foot mark, but we’re going as far as the funds will allow. We also plan on added hangar space in the future as well.”

In other business the commissioners approved the purchase of a new transformer from T&R Electric for $15,959 for the Electric Department, and also the expense for repairs of a 2016 bucket truck by Palfinger for the cost of $15,449.

The board also authorized Police Chief David Catron to proceed with the sale through auction of a 2016 Dodge Charger cruiser that has been replaced with a new SUV that recently arrived and is now on patrol duty on the streets of Kingfisher.

The board also approved the city’s annual property liability policy through OMAG, a municipal insurance carrier based out of Edmond for the amount of $72,064.

Also approved were the terms of use of facilities by Kingfisher Winter Nights at Kingfisher Park during the Christmas season. There were no changes to the terms from last year.

The next meeting of the city commission is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13.