Monday’s monthly City Council meeting had only two items on the agenda, besides the routine items on the consent agenda.

What would have been a routine item – the annual approval of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Eufaula Public Works Authority and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services – turned into a lengthy discussion and a decision by the Council to strike the item from the agenda and to re-set it for the next regular meeting on June 3.

The agreement is a long-standing contract between the city and DHS for a city-owned building at 25 Hospital Dr. that has routinely been approved for years.

The city owns the building and leases it to DHS.

However, DHS no longer uses the building because employees work from home or work out of the Pittsburg County office in McAlester.

For the past two years the DHS has sub-leased the building to the Work Ready program, an employment service.

Roger Barton, retired director of the DHS, noted that the building was constructed by the city in 1982 and was paid off by 2000.

He questioned whether DHS was making a profit by subleasing the building to Work Ready, money that should be going to the city and not to DHS.

The Council agreed to postpone a decision on the agreement until the City Manager and City Attorney can examine the contract.

New old city hall

City Manager Jeb Jones informed the Council that the re-furbished city hall is almost ready for occupancy.

“Just a few minor details,” he said. He said the temporary city hall at 17 Hospital Dr. will be closed on May 23 and 24 for move.

The next council meeting, June 3, should be held at the new old city hall on Memorial Drive.