After months of discord surrounding the Coffeyville Fire Department and City Manager Mark Hall, last night's Coffeyville City Commission meeting seemed to be a turning point. Several public comments were made, including from Fire Captain Pete Caresio who apologized to the mayor for his comments made after the previous meeting. Caresio says he'd like better communication and asked for Hall to come and speak with the department.
Peggy Steele shared a presentation on the renovation work done on West 9th Street and how a small project to fix a couple of houses utilizing revitalization loans turned into a critical mass. Steele also shared her own thoughts on the controversy surrounding the city manager and says while she might not necessarily agree with Hall's leadership or communication style, she thinks he is doing work that needs to be done in Coffeyville.
House Representative Ron Bryce also spoke during public comments and says that while starting an initiative or business may be hard, there are many people in town willing to help and who deserve thanks.
In other business, three Dodge Chargers were approved for purchase for the police department using American Rescue Plan Act money, A resolution was approved for the purchase of electric switchgear totaling $1.365 million, and the city manager mentioned briefly a plan to remove the concrete awnings on 9th street between walnut and maple.
