CITY OF NICHOLS ILLS 2009Annual Report annual report.pdf · City Council Page 3 Nichols Hills 2009 Annual Report $3,450,000 for Wilshire Blvd from Western Avenue to Dorset Drive $2.450,000

MISSIONTo serve the people of the City of Nichols

Hills by providing efficient, responsive andeffective services and infrastructure.

VISIONRealizing people are our most valuable

resource, we will build a comprehensive teamof citizens, merchants, elected officials and

employees.Trust, open communications andrespect will be the foundation of the team.

We will effectively utilize ALL teammembers; training, educating and empoweringthem to accomplish the mission and vision.

We will develop a plan that provides forfinancial stability, high productivity and qualityservices through innovation and the use of

appropriate technology.

C ITY OF N ICHOLS H ILLS

2009 AnnualReport

City Hall6407 Avondale Drive

Nichols Hills, OK 73116

Phone: (405) 843-6637Fax: (405) 842-8409

Webpage: www.nicholshills.net

INDEX

City Council Administration/Finance Municipal Court Police Department Fire Department Information Systems Risk Management Public Works Community Events City Staff

Page 2 Nichols Hills 2009 Annual Report

City Council

Mayor Peter Hoffman Vice Mayor John Lippert Councilwoman Sody Clements

A LETTER FROM YOUR MAYOR

Dear friends:

Happy New Year everyone! I hope thisletter finds you in good spirits and goodhealth. We are truly blessed to live in ourwonderful community of Nichols Hills,and, as we begin a new year together, Ithought I would take this time to highlightsome of the many good works broughtforth by the hardworking and committedindividuals of our City during the recentpast. Many thanks to all the employees ofNichols Hills, Commissioners, Committeemembers, the City Council, and numerousvolunteers that work so diligently on be-half of our citizens.

I. HOMESSize and envelope ordinance changed toreduce maximum home size in R-1-60and R-1-75 residential zoning districts/Dec 2006

Drainage/management ordinance ofstorm water and other surface water/May2008

Eliminated secondary buildings in R-1-60and R-1-75 residential zoning districts/Aug 2008

New residential landscape ordinance/Dec2008

Extensive review of housing ordinancesby Architect Jay Yowell and OU graduatestudents/Aug 2009

Building Moratorium on Estate lots (E-lots) to study, review, and recommendchange in order to ensure appropriatefuture house sizes in E-lots/Dec 2009

II. PUBLIC SERVICES POLICEPatrol officer added/2009Community policing initiative to educatepublic about locking car and home doorsand activating home security systems inorder to reduce crime

Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) installed inpolice vehicles for additional citizen andofficer safety

Night vision gogglesProtective vests and rifles donated

FIREApr 2009 Bond Issue funded $750,000for a new 75’ ladder fire truck

Infrared sensing devices for added fire-men safety

III. TRAFFICApr 2009 Bond Issue funded $100,000for electronic speed indicator signs/2010

Lowered speed limits around Kite Park,Davis Park, and Grand Boulevard Parksto 20 mph/Sep 2009

Continuing to study traffic calming &traffic reduction issue

A LETTER FROM YOUR MAYORIV. SAFETYUpdated 911 systemReverse 911 calling system (CityWatch)in place for resident alert notification

New citywide EMSA emergency servicesavailable to every resident/Oct 2009

V. MUNICIPAL SERVICES CITYMANAGEMENTCitywide software system to facilitateinterdepartmental communication

Charter Revision Committee proposed 6changes. All changes passed in specialelection/Sep 2009

Bond Oversight Committee membersappointed/Oct 2008

Investment Policy Committee membersappointed for in-depth review of invest-ment policy guidelines

New City Clerk/Finance Director em-ployed/Nov 2009

PUBLIC WORKSApr 2009 Bond Issue funded $1.6M fornew complex. Construction to begin2010/2011

SOLID WASTETwo recycle bins added to the 4 originalbins: Type 1 & 2 plastic and mixed paper/

Jan 2009Recycle center expanded and improved.Moved to Public Works/Feb 2009

Private contractors approved for privatehome recycle pick-up/Apr 2009

Recycle center now open 7 days a week,7AM - 7PM/May 2009

WATERRemote automated water meters installedat each residence for greater accuracy andspeed of data acquisition

Inclining water rate structure to promotewater conservation & improved home usepractices/Jun 2009

Apr 2009 Bond Issue funded $5,700,000 forthe water system of the City:

$3,000,000 for additional water wells$1,700,000 for 20,000 linear feet ofwater lines

$500,000 for 7,000 linear feet of waterwell collection lines

$500,000 for other related and neces-sary improvements to water system

State-of-the-art water blending system forimproved water quality/Spring 2010

Installation of 4M-gallon water storage tankAddition of 4-complex booster system,ensuring more reliable continuous watersupply and conserving energy

Variable speed water well pumps installed,improving constant water pressure

Remote water well monitoring system foroptimum well operation and most reliableservice

Real time alarm and notification system ofany major water problem

Multiple water system remote generatorunits to ensure continuous water supply inevent of power outage or disaster

STREETSStratford Drive comprehensive drainageimprovement, street widening, and re-paving/ began Jul 2009

Apr 2009 Bond Issue funded $9.510M forresurfacing streets and repairs/2010

$2,060,000 for Penn Avenue from NW63 rd Street to Wilshire Blvd

City Council


$3,450,000 for Wilshire Blvd fromWestern Avenue to Dorset Drive

$2.450,000 for Grand Blvd from NW63 rd Street to Dorset Drive

$550,000 for 1800 & 1900 blocks ofElmhurst Avenue

$1,000,000 for other necessary streetimprovements

Continuous accelerated street pavingaddressed on yearly basis

Best paving surfaces continuously studiedand analyzed

SEWERApr 2009 Bond Issue funded $1.140M for11,000 feet of sewer lines

Continuing sewer line replacement with60-70% completed

Addition of remote video scanner tomonitor sewer lines

Acquisition of jet rodder for sewer cleanout

VI. ENERGY/FUELStudy City fleet conversion from gasolineto compressed natural gas

VII. PARKS & OPEN SPACESPARKSNew remote SCADA (Supervisory Con-trol & Data Acquisition) irrigation systemapproved and budgeted for testing at 2parks for better measuring and managingwater/Fall 2009

KITE PARK$800M total redevelopment of Kite Parkcompleted that has increased park usageand citizen physical activity/May 2008

$100K Kite Park maintenance endow-ment secured

GRAND BOULEVARD PARKSVarious renderings and conceptual ideasfor total park improvement and redevel-opment plan presented to the NicholsHills City Council/Jun 2008

WESTERN AVENUEBEAUTIFICATION

Various renderings and conceptual ideasfor improved, uniform landscaping andnoise buffer along Western Avenue be-tween Nichols Hills Plaza & WilshireBoulevard, completed and presented tothe Nichols Hills Planning Commission/Aug 2007

CYCLETRAIL/ODOT GRANTODOT Enhancement Grant applicationto connect Nichols Hills with OKC TrailSystem along Grand Boulevard/resubmitMay 2010

VIII. CUMBERLAND DRIVEDEVELOPMENTOngoing discussions with primary land-owners regarding various developmentideas

IX. TOWN HALL RELOCATIONOffer from Chesapeake to exchangecurrent Town Hall property (less than 1acre) for First Church Christian Scienceproperty (3+ acres) located at SherwoodLane & Grand Boulevard/Jul 2007

Town Hall Relocation Committee Studycompleted with Committee recommen-dation that Town Hall move to ChurchSite if City Council deems appropriate/May 2008

Preliminary Town Hall complex concep-tual architectural drawings & cost analysiscompleted/May 2008

Continued Town Hall complex redesignby architect and engineers with ongoingproject cost analysis/2009

X. NICHOLS HILLS PLAZATown Center Overlay District modifiedto include Nichols Hills Plaza as well asNichols Hills Manor, Sherwood ArmsCondominiums, Grandmark, Out Parcel,Nichols Hills Executive Building, andKing’s Court Condominiums. This modi-fication provides an extra layer of devel-opment protection for the City, over &above the underlying zoning require-ments/Jan 2009

XI. QUALITY OF LIFENew communication and television sta-tion for community updates and informa-tion

All commercial construction and com-mercial landscape related activity bannedon Sunday

Garage and estate sales banned on Sun-day/Jan 2008

Home office occupation restriction ordi-nance/May 2008

Creation of Environmental, Health, &Sustainability Commission/Aug 2008

New automated utility billing system withcapability of informational inserts/Oct 2009

New citywide EMSA emergency servicesavailable to every resident/Oct 2009

2nd annual City of Nichols Hills LandscapeForum/Feb 2010

3rd annual Nichols Hills Earth Day/Apr 2010Annual Fourth of July ParadeAnnual Pooch ParadeAnnual Garden Tour by Parks, Inc.

So, these are some of the important thingswe have been doing on behalf of our resi-dents. Now, let’s look at some of the keyissues we are addressing as we go forward.

XII. LOOKING to the FUTUREExcellence and timeliness on implementingthe 2009 $18.8M Bond Issue projects

$ 750,000-New 75’ ladder fire truck

$ 100,000-Traffic control system forelectronic speed indicator signs

$1,600,000-Public Works facility im-provement

$5,700,000-Water system of the City

$9,510,000-Street improvements

$1,140,000-Sanitary sewer system

Further study and evaluation regardingTown Hall relocation idea

Ongoing study and design modifications forGrand Boulevard Park makeover

Additional new water wells

Remote video cameras installed in waterwells

Study ways to increase City revenues

ODOT Enhancement Grant proposal forGrand Blvd trails and sidewalks to link withOKC Trails System

Support Nichols Hills Plaza retailers

Western Avenue beautification for uniformlandscaping, noise reduction, and attractivebuffer

Accelerate pace of street resurfacing

Continued analysis and possible implemen-tation of value-added environmental tech-nologies

Further study regarding traffic calming andnoise and traffic reduction

Nichols Hills 2009 Annual ReportPage 4

The Administration/Finance Departmentovercame many obstacles in 2009. Ourever faithfully and diligent Cathy Kellerretired in the fall. Our utmost apprecia-tion goes to Cathy for the many years ofservice to our community. Cathy has beena stable force in carrying out the duties ofFinance Director/City Clerk’s office forapproximately 18 years. Cathy will bemissed here at City Hall, as well as, in thecommunity.

Cross training became an important taskduring the course of the year. With en-couragement David Poole, City Managerthe Court Clerk and Accounts PayableClerk began cross training. This projecthas proven to be extremely successfullyand beneficial. The utility billing clerk hasreceived cross training to assist in thecourt clerk area as well. During 2010, wewill strive to continue the cross trainingthroughout all areas.

Nichols Hills utility billing customers re-ceived the new billing statements in letterstatement format. Through the hard workof Sarah Grissam, Utility Billing and NeilGray, Information Systems Manager, thisproject came to fruition. This project coin-cided with the process of outsourcing theprinting and mailing process of Nichols HillsUtility bills along with past due notices. Thisproved to be a cost savings for our city, aswell as, significant time savings. Numerousresidents have enthusiastically expressedtheir appreciation of these letter statementswhich are easier to read and understand.

Additional streamlining of the billing processwill be completed in early spring of 2010with the mailings of utility services “turn off”notices being outsourced and notices sentvia mail to residents rather than consumingthe public works employees time to manu-ally hang door tags.

The City of Nichols Hills annual audit for theFY 2008 – 2009 is near completion. Wereceived an extension of time to file for theCertificate of Achievement for Excellence inFinancial Reporting. This is the distinction ofachieving the highest standards in govern-ment accounting and financial reporting.

Administration/Finance

David Poole, City Manager; Lindy Stormont, Court Clerk; Neil Gray, Information SystemsManager, Sarah Grissam, Utility Billing Clerk; Brandy Pelton, Accts. Payable Clerk; CathyKeller, Finance Director/City Clerk; and Frank Finley, Risk Manager

The Honorable Judge Charles Lutz presidesover the Municipal Court of Nichols Hills,and in his absence, the Honorable JudgeStephen Sherman presides over the court.Both judges are residents of Nichols Hillsand are appointed by the Nichols Hills CityCouncil. The city’s prosecutor is Pope Van-Cleef. The city’s Court Clerk is Lindy Stor-mont, who performs the daily administrativefunctions of the court.

Court is held the first and third Wednesdaysof each month; traffic dockets are held at10:00 a.m. and trials and juvenile cases areheard at 1:00 p.m.

The Nichols Hills Municipal Court is a court

not of record. That simply means no re-cording is made of the court proceedingsand any appeal from the court is a trial “denovo” (from the beginning) in the DistrictCourt of Oklahoma County.

The Nichols Hills Municipal Court hears allcases involving violations of Nichols Hillsordinances including traffic offenses,neighbor disputes, animal violations, codeviolations, and juvenile matters. The courtis particularly proud of its juvenile jurisdic-tion in that it allows adjudication of thosematters informally and in many cases, with-out the more serious repercussions to first-time youthful offenders.

It has been said of municipal courts that

many times it is the only time most citizensare involved in judicial proceedings. Thisbeing true, Municipal Court should beconducted in a dignified manner, hopefullygaining the respect of citizens yet withenough formality to allow their position tobe heard. Our experience is that mostpeople are grateful for an opportunity toexpress their views concerning the offense.

During the calendar year 2009, 3,102 cita-tions were filed in the Nichols Hills Munici-pal Court. Of those cases, 2,057 fineswere paid and 120 cases were heard bythe Judge. Judge Lutz issued 545 warrantsfor failure to appear in court and of those305 were paid.

Municipal Court

Nichols Hills 2009 Annual Report

Ongoing study of home related ordinancesconcentrating on home size, ensuringopen space and the pastoral quality of ourcommunity

In closing, let me again thank everyone fortheir hard work and dedication on behalf of

the City of Nichols Hills. I am both gratefuland honored to be part of this most excel-lent team, and I am looking forward to con-tinuing to serve you in the future.

Your friend and Mayor,

Peter HoffmanP

P.S. As a friendly reminder, a copy of thisletter and other information about ourCity can be found in the Nichols Hills E-News @ www.nicholshills.net.

OperationsThe Nichols Hills Police Departmentprides itself in maintaining one of thelowest crime rates in the state. We rec-ognize that the test of police efficiency isthe absence of crime and disorder, andnot the visible evidence of police actionin dealing with them.

To better protect the residents of Nich-ols Hills, the Police Department is alwaysstriving to keep our equipment updated.This year we have installed new digitalvideo systems in our patrol cars. Thiswas accomplished by the generous dona-tions from our citizens through the Nich-ols Hills Crime Preventionorganization.

To provide the highest level of profes-sionalism and performance; Officers par-ticipated in excess of 563 total hours ofcontinuing education training to improvetheir knowledge and abilities. Areas ofstudy included firearms proficiency andjudgmental shooting, domestic violence,standardized field sobriety training, andvarious investigative techniques.

The police department maintains a 24-hour dispatch center that receives anddispatches calls for service for the Police,Fire and Public Works Departments, aswell as receiving 9-1-1 calls, calling inambulance services as needed, and oper-ating a computerized teletype terminal.This integral part of the departmentreceives radio, phone and 9-1-1 calls.

A full-time investigation division is also anintegral part of the department. Thisallows the patrol officers to stay on pre-ventative patrol instead of getting tootied up on follow-up investigations. This

division responds to all significant crimi-nal investigative scenes, and is able tofollow up on reports that might not re-ceive as much attention at a larger de-partment with a higher crime rate.

Ongoing Programs &ProjectsIn the Police Department’s continuingeffort to provide better levels of serviceto the community, several programs havebeen developed. These programs cover abroad spectrum, but all are designed toenhance police services and make theprevention of criminal activity more ef-fective.

The “R-U-OK” program was devel-oped out of concern for those residentsof the community who are elderly orhandicapped and living alone. In manyinstances, these residents do not haverelatives living nearby to look after theirwelfare. This program works to assistthese residents by making regular contactwith them and through education regard-ing available services and personal safety.

House Check is a program that encour-ages residents to notify the police de-partment whenever they are going to beaway from their homes, whether for anextended period or for a few days.

Extra Watch is a similar program, butdeals with special problems, temporary innature, such as a family member homealone or other safety or security relatedconcerns.

S.T.O.P. programs - Special TrafficObservation Programs are initiated torespond to specific traffic problemswithin the city. When a resident callsconcerning speeding motorists or othertraffic problems, the Patrol division as-signs officers to focus special attention tothe problem area. This may include un-marked surveillance, radar surveillanceand visual observation to monitor thenumber and average speed of vehiclespassing through the area.

General DutiesDuring 2009 the Nichols Hills Police

Department performed many general

duties. These would include 14,306 Callsfor service. Officers received 442 reportson incidents. They issued 3,097 citationsduring 3,828 traffic stops. They checkedon 4,326 houses that had requestedhouse checks and 1,191 businesses dur-ing the evening and night shifts. Officersdrove approximately 142,000 miles in thecity limits while on patrol duty.

Notable Incidents and ArrestsDuring 2009 there were several notableincidents that occurred and investigationsthat were completed.The investigation of the murder thatoccurred in December of 2008 wascompleted and charges were filed onthe suspect.

The Nichols Hills Cleaners in the Plazawas robbed by an armed assailant thattied up the clerk before he left. Thissuspect was identified and charged withthis crime and several robberies in themetro area.

Patrol officers recovered stolen prop-erty that was found while they werechecking a suspicious vehicle on Wil-shire. This led to the prosecution ofthree burglars that had taken the prop-erty from a home in Gallardia.

A burglary of All Souls church wascleared and a confession obtainedwithin 24 hours of the break-in.

The murder of a nine year old victimwas investigated and charges were filedon the suspect.

In December a blizzard hit Nichols Hills.Officers worked 12 to 18 hour shifts,and used personal 4X4 vehicles to re-spond to calls for assistance.

Two suspects from Florida that wereinvolved in national ID theft ring werearrested at the Bank of America. Theywere turned over to the Secret Serviceas part of a national investigation. TheSecret Service advised that the lossesattributed to this group are in the mil-lions of dollars.

A case of defrauding an elderly residentwas investigated. Charges were filed andthe suspect was arrested. Approxi-mately $200,000 in funds and propertywere recovered and returned to thevictim.


Police Department

Crime

There was one murder investigated by the Nichols Hills Police Department this year.This was the second murder recorded in theCity’s history.We also experienced the first officer involved shooting in many years.This type of incident is very unusual for Nichols Hills.The crimes that occur are mostly property crimes and very few are crimes against persons.

Violent Non-Violent

Drugs & Alcohol Traffic Accidents Investigated


Police Department

0

2

4

6

8

10

Murder Rape Robbery Assault

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

0102030405060

Drug Offenses DUI Arrests

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

0

2 0

4 0

6 0

8 0

PropertyDamage

Injury Fatality

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2009 Nichols Hills Police Department

0

20

40

60

80

Burglary Larceny Auto Theft

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Several years ago the Fire Departmentestablished a self imposed benchmark. Thisbenchmark is a way for the fire departmentto measure itself against itself mixed withindustry standards like NFPA 1710. Thefire department is not able to meet theindustry standard due to the lack of man-power, but we do use this measurement todetermine our performance levels and ourpotential.

The following benchmarks are standardsthat we have established for our overallresponse time which is to be met 90% ofthe time. The response time is measuredafter the responding units have been noti-fied by dispatch and shall end when theunits arrive at the scene. Turnout time ofone minute is included in the responsetime.

Structure fires in Nichols Hills, 5 minutesStructures fires in The Village, 5 minutesEmergency Medical Calls, 5 minutes forFD and 7.59 minutes for Paramedic trans-port agency (EMSA).Rescue/special operation calls NicholsHills and Village, 5 minutes or hybrid ofdepartments at 30 minutes. The OKTF-1may be used with a response time of 120minutes.Wildland fires in response district, 5 min-utesService calls, 10 minutes.

Mutual Aid calls are not subject to the re-sponse time benchmark.If the event is a structure fire, mutual aidcompanies will be requested based uponthe needs assessment and/or the emer-gency at hand. The benchmark is to estab-

lish a minimum of 14 personnel on thescene in 9 minutes of the dispatch time.

The benchmark from call answer to unitsdispatched shall be one minute or less. Wehave not measured this on a consistentbasis due to the fact we must go back andreview every individual call. We have beenworking with dispatch to develop a policywhereby times are recorded to help usmonitor each stage of the response proc-ess. A policy has been adopted but it is tooearly to determine if it will accomplish ourgoals.

Structure fires in Nichols Hills andThe Village

We will measure all fires that were dis-patched as structure fires or fires inside ofstructures even though there was no firepresent. With this criteria, our averageresponse time was 3:51. This time doesreflect a few outside fires due to our soft-ware pre-established reports. Our averageresponse time for all calls in Nichols Hillswas 3:50.

Our overall response time to the Village forfire related calls was 5:46. This is a littleabove our goal of 5 minutes but this can bea place for improvement in the future.

Our average personnel responding to allcalls in Nichols was 3.19 compared to 3.46responding to the Village. The most likelyreason for the average while responding toThe Village is due to the fact almost all ourresponses to the Village are fire related andour chief officers generally respond.

Emergency Medical Calls

We responded to 154 medical related callsthis past year which is about a 13% reduc-tion from previous years. I was unable toproduce an average response time reportfrom our software for theses calls. Butlooking at our overall average of 3:50 I canconfidently say it is less than 5 minutes.

I receive a monthly report from EMSA thatshows their average response times forwhat they consider Priority one and twocalls. The priority one calls are consideredlife threatening emergencies while the pri-ority two calls are nonlife threatening

emergencies. Their reports reflect thatthey have been responding regularly withinthe industry standards of 7:59 for Priorityone and 11:59 for priority two calls. Byagreement they are required to meet thisstandard 75% of the time for non-beneficiary cities such as Nichols Hills.

Special Rescue

We did not face any special rescue situa-tions in Nichols Hills or The Village thatwarrant reporting.

Comments on Service Calls and Mu-tual Aid

As mentioned above our overall averagefor our first arriving unit was under fourminutes for responses in Nichols Hills.

This past year we made several assist out-side of our jurisdiction to places such as;Watonga, Stillwater, and Midwest City.These incidents were high profile incidentswhere grass fires were devastating thesurrounding communities and the arearesources were exhausted. During thesecalls we reported no injuries and no lost ordamaged equipment. We were also reim-bursed from FEMA for some of our ex-penses.

This past year we worked diligently on aplan for a new fire department with thedevelopment and presentation of a grantapplication. To date we have not beenrejected but we have not received anycommunication that we are still being con-sidered either. There is still a very remotepossibility that we could be receiving favor-able news on the grant request.

In addition, we have submitted a grantrequest to add one additional firefighter toour ranks which would open our trainingofficer position that we lost several yearsago. This grant is known as the SAFERgrant and is a three year grant where theFederal Government pays the cost of anew position for two years with the Citypaying the third year. There is no obliga-tion to continue the position after threeyears but it is highly expected for that posi-tion to be continually funded.We are also waiting on the delivery of aLight Rescue Truck that was awarded to


Fire Department

the City of Nichols Hills through the UASIgrant. This was awarded to our city be-cause of our training levels as well as theequipment that we currently possess thatwill support rescue operations. The ap-proximately value of this project is$134,000.00.

We are currently working on the specifica-tions for the new fire apparatus. We havefour personnel that have been researchingthis project since October. Our goal is tohave a set of specifications ready to adver-tise for bids at the July City Council meet-ing. Should this happen we expect it totake approximately one year before we willreceive delivery of the unit.

After we receive this unit we then have thetask of deciding what we are going to dowith our current units. Engine one hasbeen in the shop since October 19 withmultiple maintenance needs. Most of theproblems are due to electrical shortsthroughout the unit. Engine 33 is burningoil and needs the motor overhauled. Weare currently evaluating which unit will havethe best long term value to the City ofNichols Hills.

This year and next we are facing severalissues with the physical structure of the firestation. We recently replaced a portion ofour sewer line under the slab of the firestation that had just corroded away. Wehave issues with our duct work on the A/Csystem. The front drives of the fire stationare beginning to fail and the addition of a

ladder truck with additional weight will nothelp matters. We have developed severalwater leaks over the years and we are fac-ing the replacement of parts of our ceilings.Painting and other general maintenanceneeds are also looming. Our clothes dryerand station compressor are on their last legalong with our dishwasher and refrigerator.

Our call volume was down for 2009. In2008 we responded to 520 calls for help. In2009 we responded to 438 calls with 159,or 37% being Emergency Medical calls.

In addition to running calls we performed116 Fire Safety Inspections. We inspectevery business, school, and church in Nich-ols Hills every year. Inspectors sometimesmust re-inspect a second and third timebefore all violations are corrected.

We also pressure test every foot of hose(thousands of feet of hose) we own everyyear. All hose that fails is either repaired ortaken out of service and replaced. We alsoflow test every fire hydrant in the city everyyear. We always find fire hydrants withproblems ranging from minor to major thatare quickly rectified by the Public WorksDepartment.

One of our major goals is to have everyNichols Hills Fire Fighter certified to thelevel of Fire Fighter 2. There are many skillsthat must be mastered to attain Fire Fighter1 certification then many more advancedskills must be mastered to attain FireFighter 2. All of the Nichols Hills Fire Fight-

ers are certified to Fire Fighter 2.

Another major goal is for every fire fighterto maintain National Certification of atleast an EMT Basic. All of our fire fightershave successfully maintained that certifica-tion and two have advanced to the level ofEMT Intermediate.

In addition to the hundreds of man-hours ayear we spend training to maintain theknowledge and skills we already have ourfire fighters take outside classes to achievecertification in other areas such as FireInstructor 1 and 2, Fire Officer 1 and 2,Leadership 1, 2, and 3; Confined SpaceRescue, Trench Rescue, and EmergencyVehicle Extrication to name a few. Theseclasses have to be taken when they areavailable which means fire fighters oftenattend classes on their days off.

Another major goal is to obtain a dedi-cated, appropriately equipped trainingroom/facility. It is very difficult to conduct aclass in the fire station with the distractionsthat take place almost continually. In addi-tion it is difficult to do practical exerciseswithout doing damage to our property.Another reason for a training room/facilityis our ISO rating. Valuable points areawarded to fire departments that have adedicated, properly equipped trainingroom/facility.


Fire Department

Nichols Hills Firemen in action.


Use of City’s Website EmailSubscription Service Increases in2009:

The number of residents subscribing to thewebsite’s automatic notification email sys-tem increased and new subscribers areconstantly being added. Those residentsand business owners that have not sub-scribed to the service are encouraged todo so by going to www.nicholshills.netthen clicking on the “Notify me by Email”button in the upper right-hand portion ofthe City’s homepage.

Use of City’s WebsiteIncreases in 2009:

The number of visits to the City’s websiteincreased slightly in 2009. The most popu-lar sites visited on the website were petadoptions, meeting agendas and employ-

ment listings.Other Projects and Achievementsduring 2009:

Mobile data terminals were installed inPolice vehicles and the Police Departmentis now using mobile computers in patrolvehicles to access their Police Records,Management Software and the OklahomaCounty Sheriff’s Department’s mobile LawEnforcement software called “MobileCop”.

Mobile data terminals were setup to accessthe Fire Department’s “Fire House” re-cords management software. This willallow firemen mobile access to crucialrecords management information throughmobile wireless computers.

The Police Department’s Detective wasadded to the wireless network. This willgive him the ability to have wireless mobileaccess to State and local law enforcementinformation as well as mobile access to thePolice Departments records managementsystem.

New video equipment was installed on theCity’s local government television channelthat will give the City new broadcast capa-bilities.

A total of ten computer workstationswere replaced in 2009. These replacementcomputers were part of the City’s annualcomputer replacement program and wentto various departments throughout theCity.

Local talent manager Gary Good providedthe City with music from local artists toplay on our local government channel(Cox Channel 20). This provided the Citywith music to play on the channel that isfree of copyright issues while also show-casing local music talent.

The telemetry system’s main computerwas replaced. The telemetry system (orSCADA system as it often referred to)provides automated management and su-pervision of the City’s water system.

Cox Wireless, a division on Cox Commu-nications, signed a contract to lease spaceon the City’s water tower on Westmin-ster. This lease provides additional revenueto the City while providing residents withan additional choice in cellular phone ser-vice.

The redesign of the City’s utility bills pro-vided a more modern looking easier toread utility bill that will be more “customerfriendly”. It also streamlined the printing,processing and mailing of utility bills. It alsoprovided the City with the capability ofadding flyers and letters as inserts in utilitybills.

A software upgrade to the City’s Emailserver provided the capability for Citypersonnel to receive synchronized emailservices through their cellular smartphones. Several City Staff members nowhave the capability to send and receive cityemails through their cellular smart phones.

Work has begun on a GIS project that

Information Systems

Website Statistics for 20092008 2009

Total Number of Visits 27,819 29,981New Visitors 19,768 20,314Returning Visitors 8,051 9,667

Pages Viewed 92,052 108,267Most Commonly Viewed Pages

Pet Adoptions 7,490 9,590Agendas 6,306 6,236Employment 5,057 7,703


would give employees the capability toview all past and present AutoCADdrawing files across the City’s networkusing a simple web browser. The CityEngineer has been included in this pro-ject and is in the process of providing uswith all the various infrastructure pro-jects.

The focus of the City’s document imag-ing system was expanded in 2009. This

effort, led by City Manager David Poole,will expand the use of the documentimaging system to all departmentsthroughout the City. The goal of thisfocus is to improve the organization,access and storage of all the variousdocuments and files maintained through-out the City.

The first utility bill “billing insert” was in-cluded in the December’s utility bill. The

insert was produced by the Public WorksDepartment and reminded residents of theannual “Animal License Renewal Drive”which occurs each January. The insertincluded a message reminding residents toregister their dogs and cats along with aregistration form.

Information Systems

Risk Management’s primary focus is toprotect the City’s human and financialassets. The department, in collaborationwith the City Manager and staff, identifies,analyzes and evaluates risks to City assetsand how best to eliminate or minimizethose risks.

Risk Management formulates and recom-mends policies with a view to reducinglosses and insurance premiums. This in-cludes general safety policies and proce-dures to be followed by city personnel incompliance with local, state and federalregulations including safety training. Thedepartment investigates accidents andinjuries involving employees and/or cityequipment and conducts accident reviewmeetings.

In 2009, three (3) employees sustainedOSHA recordable on-the-job injuries: Sanitation carrier, contusion/infection

ring finger with no time lost and norestricted duty.

Water department employee, sprain/strain shoulder and 94 days restrictedduty.

Police officer, sprain/strain ankle, oneday off duty.

Our 2008-2009 workers compensation“premium” was $124,198 of which$66,646 was refunded to the City at theend of that fiscal year. “Cost” of coveragefor the year was $57,552.

Risk Management also investigates tortclaims against the City, working with theCity’s insurance carrier to defend and/orsettle claims.The City had three liability/tort claimswhich were denied by City Council andforwarded to our insurance carrier. Allthree were denied by the insurance com-pany.One of the claimant’s filed suit in districtcourt and is demanding $150,000 in dam-ages as a result of a sewer backup in theirhome.The other claim involves the shooting aburglary suspect by a Nichols Hills policeofficer.Our insurance carrier has retained attor-neys in both instances.

Risk Management is responsible for theCity’s drug testing and training programsfor all City employees. There were nine-teen (19) random drug tests in 2009. Noemployee tested positive.In addition, the City makes available to allemployees, free of charge, an EmployeeAssistance Program (EAP), which providesanonymous alcohol, drug and mentalhealth counseling.

Nichols Hills initiated an employee well-ness programs as a benefit to employeeswith the long range goal of reducing healthcare costs. The City made free bloodscreening available. These blood tests

screened; lipids, thyroid, prostate, liver func-tion, kidney, anemia, homocysteine levels,and others. Employees receive monthlynewsletters addressing various health issues.Employees are encouraged to utilize theCity’s fitness room or adopt a type of exer-cise program that fits their life style.

For the past 6 years Risk Management hasbeen taking an active role in the sales anduse tax remittance by retailers and suppliersin other cities that make deliveries intoNichols Hills. Sales tax collected from resi-dents on products and materials delivered totheir home are to be credited to the City ofNichols Hills not the municipality where theretail business is located.As can be noted, ’04, ’05, and ’06 showedsignificant increases. Residents as well ascontractors and retailers responded to theCity’s efforts to get sales and use tax cred-ited to the point of delivery (Nichols Hills).In ’07 and ’08 collections flattened out asmost of the businesses outside of our corpo-rate boundaries had come into compliance.While the ’09 figures don’t reflect a down-turn, they may not accurately reflect theChristmas retail sales which might show inthe January 2010 sales/use tax collections.

Risk Management

Year Sales Tax % Change fromPrevious Year

2007 $2,563,641 - 1.91%

2006 $2,613,519 +11.43%

2005 $2,345,529 +13.05%

2004 $2,074,807 +15.85%

2008 $2,657,172 + 3.65%

2009 $2,665,563 + .32%


Public Works

Operations

The Public Works Department providesdaily utility services and maintains thecity’s infrastructure. Services that fallunder Public Works Department are:SanitationStreetsWaterSewerCodesBuilding PermitsAnimal Control

The Public Works Department has beenworking on a new computer generatedwork order program. When it is com-pleted work orders will be sent directlyto employees in the field. This systemwill help us monitor and track calls. Thisprogram will also assist us on any futuretask.

Sanitation

Our sanitation employees go beyond the“usual” curbside service offered in mostcities. Our workers start their day at7:00 am Monday through Friday. To ef-fectively accomplish this task, sanitationutilizes two drivers and eight carriers.The Sanitation Department collects from1682 residences twice a week. The totalvolume of garbage collected this year was

7154 cubic yards, this equates to 2388tons.

Well Division

The Water Well Division is responsiblefor the production of a safe and pleasantdrinking water. The twenty four waterwells drilled into the Garber /Wellingtonaquifer produce an abundant supply tomeet all demands and provide fire pro-tection for the City of Nichols Hills. Wa-ter quality is monitored and treated so asto meet state and federally mandatedregulations. Many of these tests areanalyzed ‘in house’ by our operators / labtechnicians.

The wells and equipment are operated24 hours a day.

Line Maintenance

The Water Line Maintenance Division isresponsible for the city’s water line dis-tribution system. This includes:Fixing water main breaks (7 main

breaks for 2009) Installing new water meters Fixing leaking water metersReplacing or repairing water valves and

fire hydrants.The Wastewater Line Maintenance

Division is responsible for the city’s

sewer lines. This includes: Maintenance and repair of sewer

main lines Clearing blockages and backups

(5) Maintaining problem areas on a

monthly basis

Street Department

The Street Department’s daily dutiesconsist of filling in pot holes, sealingcracks, and replacing sections of roadsand curbs.

Bond Projects

The Public Works Department was keptbusy this year with several ongoing bondprojects.Stratford drainage and street replace-ment (PC-0701)Four million gallon water storage tank(WC-0801)New booster house (WC-0802)Well line movement –east of the city(WC-0901)

Stormwater Program

On December 8, 1999, the EPA pub-lished final regulations that address urbanstormwater runoff from cities under100,000 population and counties that liewithin the Urbanized Area as defined bythe latest US Bureau of Census designa-tion or otherwise designated by theOklahoma Department of EnvironmentalQuality (ODEQ) as being required toobtain coverage under the State’s PhaseII Stormwater program. The ODEQ hasprimary jurisdiction over permitting andenforcement of the Phase II StormwaterProgram for Oklahoma. On February 8,2005, the ODEQ finalized their GeneralPermit (OKR04) for Phase II Small Mu-nicipal Separate Storm Sewer SystemDischarges Within the State of Okla-homa. Nichols Hills was designated as a“Phase II” city and had to develop a com-prehensive five-year Stormwater Manage-ment Program. The Nichols Hills Storm-water Program Administrator is PublicWorks Director Charles Hooper. En-forcement and Inspections of Construc-

2009 Nichols Hills Public Works Department

tion Site Stormwater is covered by CodeEnforcement. Primarily any constructionimpacting greater than one acre is re-quired to obtain a State StormwaterPermit.

Building Inspections

The Inspections and Permitting Divisionsprovide for community safety and wel-fare through electrical, plumbing, me-chanical, and building permits followed byinspections. The building inspectiondivision reviews construction plans andconsults with homeowners, architectsand others. This division provides infor-mation for the Planning Commission andBoard of Adjustment, provides adminis-trative and control services for city per-mit and license programs. During thiscalendar year, this division issued 500Building Permits and 675 Licenses.

Code Enforcement

The Nichols Hills Code EnforcementDivision enforces city ordinances andfunctions to abate nuisances and pre-serve our quality of life.

Animal Control

Total animal registrations during 2009were 167. There were 125 animalsimpounded with 120 citations issued.

Ongoing Programs

The Public Works Department is con-tinuously striving to streamline and im-prove daily operations and the infrastruc-ture of the city. Currently there areseveral projects and programs underway.

2007 G.O. Bond Drainage Projectalong Stratford from Westminster toWilshire. The building of a new 4 mil-lion gallon water tank is near comple-tion.

Recycling: A recycling center is lo-cated at Public Works (1009 NW75th.). It is available to our citizensdaily 7am to 7pm. This year a total of119 tons were recycled.

Hazardous Wastes: Another wayNichols Hills is protecting the environ-ment is by offering a hazardous wastecollection service. Collection is cur-rently at Midwest City Public WorksDepartment located at 8730 SE 15th

street. Nichols Hills citizens may dis-pose of paint, pesticides, flammablechemicals, and toxic materials at thatlocation free of charge. To date 113Nichols Hills citizens (24 this year) haveutilized this service.

Animal Rescue Friends

Animal Rescue Friends of Nichols Hills(ARF) is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organiza-tion, dedicated to helping pets impoundedby the City of Nichols Hills. Reuniting petswith their owners or finding them newhomes is the primary goal.In addition, ARF assists Animal Controlstaff in resolving the fate of impoundedanimals and educates pet owners aboutresponsible pet ownership.

This year’s annual Pooch Parade raisedover $23,000.00 to help support ARF’sspaying, neutering, vaccinating and board-ing costs. Volunteer high school studentsfrom McGuiness and Casady assisted ARFin setting up pets for adoption at PetsMartfrom 12:00 to 3:30 PM on Sundays. Overthe last 9 years ARF has rescued over 702animals.

Parks Inc.

Nichols Hills Parks, Inc. was created in1983 as a non profit organization for thepurpose of planning and implementing thelandscaping of the parks, playgrounds andother common areas within the City ofNichols Hills. There are 38 parks adding tothe beauty of our city. We urge all citizensto support these parks that make our cityso unique. The expense of planting andmaintaining each park is paid totally bydonations.

Nichols Hills Parks, Inc. fund raising andcommunity projects include:

The Redbud Classic donated $2,000.00to Nichols Hills Parks Inc.

The Nichols Hills Directory, publishedby Parks Inc. and delivered free to allCity residents, generated additionalrevenue through advertising and direc-tory sales.


Public Works

The Redbud Classic is a Nichols Hillstradition. The Redbud Classic has beencommitted to its mission for over twodecades. Throughout the years, the Red-bud has offered opportunities for fami-lies, friends and the entire community tojoin together in an exciting event, gearedfor all ages and fitness levels.

Nichols Hills 4th of July Parade isheld at Kite Park. Family and friends ofour residents participate in this uniquecommunity celebration. Decorated bikes,costumes, antique and classic cars arehighly recommended and encouraged.

The Donya Dunn Memorial SpookySprint mile run/walk begins and ends atBixler park. Children are encouraged tocome in costume and walk the route.Proceeds benefit the preschool andmothers’ day out programs at First Pres-byterian Church of Oklahoma City, andgo toward erecting a bronze angel statuein Bixler Park in Dunn’s memory.

The Oklahoma City MemorialMarathon is not about running, it isabout life, honoring the memory of lifelost through tragedy, celebrating the giftof life given equally to each person, andreaching forward into the future to lifeyet to be lived.

Sponsored by ARF - Animal RescueFriends of Nichols Hills. The PoochParade is a benefit for FREE TO LIVE, anon-profit animal sanctuary.

The annual Nichols Hills GardenTour promises vibrant colors, earthydrama, rich fragrances and edible gardensecrets. The public is invited to share inthis event that offers variety and surprisefrom six Nichols Hills residents who aregenerously opening their backyard gates.

The annual Nichols Hills KitchenTour is a fund-raiser for the OklahomaCounty Medical Society Alliance whichspotlights the latest in kitchen design andshowcase cooking demonstrations byleading chefs, floral displays and tablesettings.

Now in its 23nd year, and promising asummer of entertainment. The NicholsHills Band performs in Kite Park fromJune through August, with a special per-formance at the 4th of July parade.

Flaming Festival is an annual fund-raiser sponsored by the Oklahoma CityAlumnae of the Kappa Alpha Theta so-rority. The majority of the proceeds willbenefit the University of Oklahoma Insti-tute for Breast Health, a comprehensivebreast center.


Community Events


City Staff

David PooleCity Manager

Cathy KellerFinance Director /

City Clerk

Richard MaskPolice Chief

Keith BryanFire Chief

Charles HooperPublic Works

Director

Frank FinleyRisk Manager

Neil GrayMIS Director

Terry HamiltonAsst. Fire Chief

John WilliamsCity Attorney

Charles LutzMunicipal Judge

Steve ShermanAssociate Judge

Pope VanCleefCity Prosecutor

Randy SmithAsst. Public

Works Director

Les ArnoldAsst. Police Chief

Feedback

We would appreciate receiving any comments you might have regarding this report.

You may email us at [email protected] or drop off any comments at any city office.

Thank you for your response.

Documents

CITY OF NICHOLS ILLS 2009Annual Report annual report.pdf · City Council Page 3 Nichols Hills 2009 Annual Report $3,450,000 for Wilshire Blvd from Western Avenue to Dorset Drive $2.450,000