Winter weather delay

Friday’s planned ground-breaking for the new Purcell Municipal Hospital won’t come off as planned.

Purcell City Manager Dale Bunn said the event will be rescheduled.

That won’t stop site work on the location, however.

The ground-breaking delay was deemed necessary because a winter storm was expected to dump several inches of snow on Purcell this week.

Bunn said weather permitting, the ground-breaking could be as soon as two weeks.

The time and date will be announced later.

The council and Public Works Authority approved engineering services agreements for the new hospital with Glenn Sullivan & Associates.

Kenny Sullivan, the city’s engineer, told the council that paving and drainage estimates at the site are between $1.2 and $1.3 million.

Water system upgrades are estimated to run $962,000.

Sullivan told trustees that the city will have to install a 12-inch water line to accommodate the hospital’s need for 3,000 gallons per minute for fire fighting.

The existing water lines can provide just 700 to 800 gpm.

Additional work approved for the engineering firm include upgrading the sanitary sewer infrastructure downstream of the site and for a road around the new hospital and improvements to the Green Avenue and North 9th Street intersection.

Trustees also approved new monthly rates for collecting solid waste in the city.

The new monthly rates, which will go into effect July 1, are as follows:

Residential, single family, one 96-gallon polycart picked up once a week, $16.60. Each additional polycart will be $8.86.

Commercial, polycart picked up once a week, $22.12; each additional polycart, $18.81.

Commercial, 2-yard container, once a week, $54.22; twice a week, $84.06; three times a week, $107.29; four times a week, $130.54.

Commercial, 4-yard container, once a week, $84.06; twice a week, $132.70; three times a week, $176.98; four times a week, $212.33.

Commercial, 6-yard container, once a week, $106.16; twice a week, $203.52; three times a week, $234.50; four times a week, $250.12.

Commercial, 8-yard container, once a week, $129.41; twice a week, $215,68; three times a week, $310.73; four times a week, $398.18.

Trustees also directed Bunn and city attorney Ted Haxel to negotiate an agreement to supply water to a planned housing development at Washington.

In other business, the trustees approved a mutual aid agreement with the Oklahoma Municipal Alliance and agreed to write off unpaid utility bills totaling $42,882.74.

The city council approved the cemetery board’s plan to purchase a 48-niche columbarium for cremains from Boadie Anderson Quarries.

The columbarium will cost $9,285, plus a $1,000 delivery and set up fee and $800 for crane rental.

Niches will be priced at $700. The cemetery board hasn’t yet determined the cost of opening and closing the niche and engraving the plaque.

Council members approved a resolution to dedicate the State Highway 74 bridge over I-35 the Staff Sgt. Cecil Wellman Memorial Bridge.

Cody Penner, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, told the council that Purcell doesn’t spend enough to have Independence Day fireworks on July 4.

Instead, this year’s fireworks show at the lake will be on July 3.

In other business, the council:

• approved local funding of $284,570 for the Purcell Lake Trail Phase 2. Total amount of the project will be $524,579; and
• heard a report Darran Scott, senior landscape architect with Guernsey, on the Lake Trail project.