Residents of the Town of Forest Park
Greetings! On behalf of the employees and elected officials, I welcome you to the first version of the Town of Forest Park website. As our motto states, “Multum En Parvo” meaning “a great deal in a small space” there is a great deal happening in Forest Park.
Under leadership from Trustee Darlene Davis – (Ward 2), the Trustee Board approved GOVOFFICETM as the town’s website designer, developer and content manager. Included in this plan is updating all computer hardware and software. Formed in 2018, the website committee was comprised of residents Ronald King, Daniel Hardcastle, Kevin Hill, Leonardo Mendoza, and Teresa Fife.
Included in the offerings on the website are the ability to watch live trustee meetings, obtain building permits, burn permits, garage sell and other permits, report code violations, report downed street signs or malfunctioning traffic signals. The town’s history is included.
Future versions will include the ability to pay your court fines, town bills, and permits and license fees online. Town ordinances, trustee agendas, trustee minutes of meetings, and public notices will also be included. A FAQ (frequently asked questions) section will be included.
Recently Forest Park was awarded a $54,000+ REAP (Rural Economic Action Plan) grant from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to purchase a brand new, fully equipped patrol vehicle. Along with that, the board also approved the addition of three reserve officers and added three new low mileage vehicles to the fleet. Body cameras are part of each patrolman’s equipment.
Looking for ways to engage the residents of Forest Park, the board formed three citizens advisory committees/taskforces. That resulted in forming the Economic Development Council, Ecological/Environmental Taskforce (EET) and the Annexation committee. Both groups recently held their first meetings. Annexation has been actively working for the past 5 years.
I want to extend my gratitude for the many hours of volunteer time spent in getting these projects off the ground. It is because of the service of these volunteers that we can move Forest Park forward. Special shout out to the Neighborhood Association that has been an active presence for years.
As mayor, I challenge us to keep the “pedal to the metal” as we identify areas of growth and improvement and execute the changes that are needed.
Yours truly,
Mayor George H. Smith