Published: November 18, 2009 08:35 am      

MESTA board reviews 2010 budget

MESTA board members were given a proposed 2010 budget by Director Rick Langkamp during their November

meeting. The 2009 budget total is $2,046,342.00. The proposed budget for 2010 is $2,177,740.00. The budget proposal will be reviewed and will be discussed and voted on in a later meeting.

“MESTA collections for the month of October 2009 were $115,208.29,” Langkamp said in his director’s report to the board. “This is down some from our average but reflective of our run volume in August.”

He projects that November should end with higher numbers as the collections over the first five days of the month exceeded $43,000.

MESTA is working with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office dispatch on a grant thru the O.D. “Jock” Mayor Foundation.

“The grand would be for police dispatching software,” Langkamp said. “Mayes County 911 would assist in the installation of the new 911 equipment.” This would allow the data to be transferred with the call to the Sheriff’s office.

In other business, the Chouteau station closed and the building sold

recently.

“I want to thank Harriet (Dunham) and Century 21 for the work they did selling that station for MESTA,” Langkamp said.

Langkamp has been meeting with area mayors and Fire Chiefs from northeast Mayes County.

“We are trying to develop a program where the fire departments can combine efforts with MESTA to provide emergency protection in that NE corner of Mayes County,” Langkamp said. The project is in the “brainstorming phase,” he said.