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that Steve Barnes, executive director of the Expo Center, sees the project as beneficial for Enid. Barnes does not know how much duplication to expect, however he says they (the Expo Center) often receive calls looking for meeting space. “There are events better suited for downtown and some better suited for the fairgrounds,” he said. “I don’t think there will be major competitiveness between us and downtown, because they are two separate venues for two separate needs.” THE TIME FOR GATEWAY ENID IS NOW. “To have a city step up and say we are equal partners in this is unheard of,” said Ritchie. “It is not to our (commissioners) credit that the funds are available, it is to the city staff’s credit and their due diligence that the city is in the financial situation to af ford to help fund the project if the bond passes.”
CITY EMPLOYEES’ SAFETY AND WELL-BEING COME FIRST with the Safety Department
By Trina Walker
At the City of Enid, there are many issues the citizens hear about on a r egular basis, but sometimes it is what is behind the scenes that keeps things r unning smoothly. The safety of city employees and helping them to r eceive proper care when an injury occurs is a high priority. Safety Director Billy McBride has spent the past two and a half y ears working to build and implement safety protocol for the City of E nid and its 503 employees. With City Manager Eric Bensons’ backing and promotion of safety in the city offices, the safety department has been improving each year. Cooperation between Autry Technology and Safety Coordinator/Trainer Lance Pendergraft has helped in making the city ’s safety department a success. This partnership keeps the training classes updated with the ne west information. “The fantastic thing about par tnering with Autry Tech is that we get the most recent, high tech training available,” says McBride In 2009, there were 172 train7