City of Perry, OK

**OUTAGE ALERT** We are aware of the electric outage from around the area of the new Dollar General to west of I-35. The electric crew will begin assessing the cause and affecting repairs as soon as it is safe to do so. More updates as they become available.

Did you know the City of Perry partners with OMPA to provide free energy audits to City of Perry electric customers? Energy Audits are a great way to see the areas that would be most cost effective for homeowners to make improvements and save energy, in turn, also saving money on the monthly utility bill. The City of Perry also provides an online virtual energy assessment tool, located on the City of Perry website at www.cityofperryok.com.

**IMPORTANT** It has come to our attention that some appliance venting may have been compromised during roofing repairs or replacements done as a result of the hail damage from the storms this spring and summer. If you had a roof repaired or replaced, please take the time to check that the appliance venting from your gas appliances was not damaged or compromised during these repairs. If you are unsure of what this may look like, please contact a licensed plumbing or mechanical contractor. This issue was noticed during the routine maintenance of a resident's central heat system prior to potentially incoming cold weather. Please be advised this may also apply to compromised hot water tank venting. Improper venting of gas appliances may result in carbon monoxide (CO) build-up in the home leading to carbon monoxide poisoning and potentially death. This is a very serious matter. Please do not ignore this. This is also a good time to remind you to check the batteries on both CO detectors and smoke detectors. CO poisoning can often present as flu-like symptoms without fever. If you begin to experience these symptoms, please do not ignore them as seasonal illness and consult a medical professional. We don't want to sound alarmist, but the safety and well-being of our citizens is very important.

City of Perry utility customers can sign up the for Average Billing Program are October, November, and December. The City of Perry offers this program to help customers budget for utility expenses by allowing customers to pay a monthly payment based on average annual billings. If interested in signing up for this program or to see if you qualify, visit us in person at City Hall, 622 Cedar Street or email us at city.hall@cityofperryok.com.

We're trying something new! The cost of refurbishing streets is astronomical, and it's only getting worse. The most recent round of major street overhauls cost upwards of $400,000 per block and, while they're very nice, it's an approach that just isn't sustainable for our community in the long term. So instead, we plan to do the work in house. We've consulted with "the other Maroons" in Blackwell that have been running a similar program with great results, and we believe we can implement the same process with the same results. We'll be testing the waters with 5th street between Noble and Otoe. This particular street is looking pretty worn and in need of some attention, but it's also off the beaten path enough for us to learn the ropes at a more comfortable pace. With some hard work and determination, and cooperation from Blackwell to help us refine the process, we believe this will usher in a new era of street projects in Perry. This is only the beginning! Stay tuned for more updates!

Perry PD is hiring certified officers! Starting pay: $18.96/hour (certified) | $17.96/hour (uncertified) Outstanding health insurance: Includes free mental health visits* City-issued: AR, Glock 17, iPhone 14, Uniforms, Vehicle and more! Uniform allowance: $183/month Take the next step in your career and serve with a community-focused team. Apply today at https://www.cityofperryok.com/page/employment-opportunities. *Mental health visits are part of the full-time benefits package. Inquire for details

Did you know? The City’s utility services help fuel our community’s growth and well-being! While our rates may be slightly higher than those of providers like CREC or Central Rural Water District, there’s a big advantage: every dollar we generate is reinvested right back into Perry. Your utility payments help fund essential services that make our city a great place to live, including: -Our Fire Department -Police Department -Library -Street improvements -Parks and recreation -And so much more! By supporting public power, you’re helping to build a stronger, safer, and more vibrant Perry for everyone!

Are you ready for a parade? We are! The 131st Annual Cherokee Strip Parade will kick off at 10am tomorrow, September 14th and we'll be broadcasting it again this year! The show will start between 9:30am and 9:45am (depending on hosts Phil Salvati and Danny Shade) and will be available on channels 14 and 16 on Optimum, as well as our YouTube channel and right here on Facebook. Even if you can't be here in person, you can still feel that connection to Perry!

The Cherokee Strip Celebration is just around the corner! It's our biggest event of the year bringing in thousands of people from around the state and even out-of-state. It's also our biggest opportunity to show people what an amazing place Perry is, but to do that effectively we need to put our best foot forward as a community. To that end, we're asking everyone in town, but especially homes and businesses in high-visibility and high-traffic areas, to spruce up their properties. We're not talking about a full makeover, just simple things like a neat and tidy yard, orderly porch, and some well-groomed bushes. Thank you for helping us make sure that Perry shines like a diamond on the prairie!

Tonight's city council meeting has been cancelled because there are not enough members available to form a quorum. The next regular meeting will be held on Monday, August 5th at 6:15pm.

Contractors working on the line replacement on the south side of the railroad on 7th Street will be connecting to the new water line on Monday, July 15th. To complete this repair, the water will need to be turned off on South Boundary, between 8th and 12th Streets. This shutdown will affect only a few residents and is scheduled to begin around 8:00 AM on Monday, July 15th. The exact duration of the water outage is unknown.

**Electricity Update:** As of 7:45pm, our crews have restored power to 99% of residents. We are deeply grateful for the patience and kindness shown by the community who have provided food, posted encouraging messages, and supported our crews throughout this emergency. Our crews have achieved extraordinary results, restoring power from 0% to 99% in just 24 hours, but they now need to rest. If you are among the 1% still without power, please call us first thing in the morning. Let us know 1) that you don’t have power and 2) if you see any issues on your property, such as branches in power lines, that could be causing the outage. Again, thank you all for being so supportive and understanding during this emergency.

Davis Sanitation will be opening the Convenience Center at around 11am this morning for people who are wanting to haul off their own branches and debris. It's totally free for utility customers with garbage service. Please take a copy of your city utility bill or have the Xpress Bill Pay app to show that you are a current customer.

Crews are continuing to work on restoring power throughout the city. Many parts of town should be restored by now. The area around the square and parts of the east side of town are the primary areas remaining. Crews will continue to work throughout the night to get power restored. If you are still without power by 8am, please contact City Hall.

The city administration, emergency services, and the emergency manager are gathering together to assess the damage. There are many trees and branches down around town. At least half the town is without power. We are working to get electricity restored and to start the clean up process. Emergency dispatch was down but is back up now. Please be safe. We will post more information as it becomes available.

We are currently working an electrical outage in the area of North Brookwood Dr. The outage was caused by a vehicle hitting an electric pole and causing significant damage. The Electric Department is currently working to restore service, but the restoration will take several hours because of the damage to the pole.

Summer Fest is just two days away! The festival, which is organized by Main Street of Perry, will take place on June 20th from 5pm to 8pm on the square. There will be vendors, food trucks, carnival rides, and more! To make it the best experience possible, we'll be closing some streets to vehicular traffic on the day of the event: • Courthouse Drive will close at noon • Cedar St from 7th to Gene Taylor will close from 2pm to 9pm • 7th St from Cedar to Delaware will close after 5pm We hope you'll come out and have some fun family time on the square. For more information, visit Main Street's website at https://www.mainstreetperry.com/summerfest.

Water Plant Operator applications being accepted at City of Perry. Duties include operation, maintenance, inspection and repair of water treatment and water distribution systems; collection and testing of water samples, accurate regulatory reports, and adjusting chemical feeds; capacity to lift/carry 50 lbs., work from ladders and in confined spaces, and to wear a respirator as required. Must have high school diploma or GED and valid driver’s license. Must have ability to get Oklahoma State Water D Certification. Successful applicant must be able to work nights, holidays, weekends, and emergencies. For more information, or to apply online, go to https://www.cityofperryok.com/page/employment-opportunities

As a reminder, today is the last day to collect items from gravesites at Grace Hill Cemetery. Starting tomorrow morning, cemetery staff will begin removing items. If you wish to collect your own items, please do so today.

The water department is working a major leak in the vicinity of 13th and Delaware. The leak is in an old and rusted pipe, not something related to ongoing system upgrades. In order to make the repair, the water tower will need to be disconnected from the system. This will likely cause low to no water pressure throughout the city. The shutdown will occur around 10:30pm and should last for around an hour.