Bids for StreetScape expected

Purcell’s City Manager Dale Bunn told the council bids will be going out for the Main StreetScape project.

That was the word at the Community Room of the Purcell Police Service Building at the council’s regular monthly meeting Monday night.

Bunn said the bid will be awarded in April.

Bunn reported the Medical Office Building at the new hospital is scheduled to open March 20.

At the hospital site, progress continues on the retention pond and work is underway on the roadway on the east side of the hospital.

Bunn said he expects letters to go out next week for the I-35 and OK-74 new interchange right of way purchase.

Rehab continues on the South Canadian lift station and an 80/20 grant is being applied for support signage, turn lanes, sidewalks and more at Green  Ave. and Hallmark Blvd.

Bids for the Green Avenue lighting project are expected Thursday. Bunn said pending items at the trails at the lake include lighting, backfill, parking, sponsor signs, benches and trash cans.

In his report, City Treasurer Victor Lohn said sales tax through December of 2022 is up 6.98 percent over last year, or $251,500, and is up 10.07 percent over budget, or $352,532.

Use tax for the same time period is up 13.16 percent over last year, or $45,893, and above budget by 12.75 percent, or $44,615.

The tobacco tax is down 12.58 percent over last year and down 12.60 percent over budget.

Electricity had a positive variance of $102,209 over the previous year. Lohn said water has a positive variance of $175,404.

The general fund in December showed expenses above revenues by $200,658. Year-to-date expenses were above revenues by $240,480. Public works expenses were above revenues by $27,512 in December but the YTD expenses are below revenues by $105,614.

City officials are continuing to outsource utility billing. Information was provided January 27 and mailed January 30.

Officials said the inclement weather slowed delivery of the statements to customers. Officials said they have narrowed problems down to 38 water meters. Thirty-six of them are waiting on parts to repair so they can be programmed correctly.

The city expects the remaining two wells to be reprogrammed and read correctly by the March 1 utility billing.

The city made the second of six $100,000 monthly payments to the hospital.

In routine matters the city:

• approved the annual resolution for mutual aid with Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma  (MESO).
• approved a resolution for the Plan to use Coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds to pay $900,000 of the Canadian Avenue Sewer Lift Station upgrade.
• approved the update of Life-Threatening Situation Collection Policy and Procedure. That defines what is considered life-threatening equipment and the procedures to follow to avoid utilities cutoff. The last update was in 1995.
• approved denial of a tort claim upon the recommendation of OMAG insurance carrier for the city.
• approved the write off of bad debt on unpaid utility bills in the sum of $68,506.
• approved submission by Sullivan and Associates of plans, application and permit fee to ODEQ for new water well and 12” collector line at the Lexington Wellfield.
• approved the creation of a committee to create guidelines for a Short Term Rental Ordinance consisting of councilmen Allen Eubanks and Jay Tate, one representative from law enforcement, one representative from code enforcement and one or two citizens at large who are familiar with real estate.
• approved June 30 as the Independence Day Celebration at Purcell City Lake.
• approved Serena Melton to fill a vacancy on the Parks & Recreation Board.
• approved upfits for three new police department vehicles for $80,712.
• proclaimed February 17 as United Acts of Kindness Day.

Ariel Anglin gave a presentation about Safe Routes to School Resolution and Complete Streets Resolution requested by TSET.

Eubanks said he has had requests from citizens to placed a “Dead End” sign at the entrance to the road to the East side of the lake.