The Ponca City Board of Commissioner met in regular session on August 9, 2021. Mayor Homer Nicholson called the meeting to order, which was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Commissioner Chapman and Commissioner Scott were present; Commissioner Taylor and Commissioner Bodick were absent.
Ceremonies and Proclamations
Under Ceremonies and Proclamations, the Character trait of Loyalty was introduced for the month of August.
In addition, the City of Ponca City received the 2021 National Recognition Award for Lake Ponca Dam Spillway Improvements Project from the American Council of Engineering Companies. The award was presented to the City of Ponca City by Jennifer Wasinger, Associate and Account Director for FNI (Freese & Nichols Inc.). In May of 2020, the City of Ponca City worked with FNI and completed the Lake Ponca Dam Spillway Improvements Project with a total construction budget of $1.4 million. Major tasks of the project included: demolition and removal of the existing concrete overlay on the crest section; installation of bar anchors to resist uplift force during flood loading; construction of a reinforced concrete wall against the upstream side of the spillway’s vertical face and placement of a new concrete overlay on the crest section; and incorporated the use of a temporary Cofferdam during construction, so that lake lowering was avoided and recreational activities were never affected.
Consent Agenda
Under the Consent Agenda, the City Commission approved the minutes of the Ponca City Board Of Commissioners regular session held July 26, 2021; a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the City Of Ponca City; a resolution appointing members to various boards and commissions and establishing the terms of office; a final change order acknowledging the final acceptance and authorizing the final payment for Princeton Avenue Street Improvements project in the amount of $126,260.14.
City Manager’s Report
Under the City Manager’s Report, City Manager Craig Stephenson reported that vaccines are available for no charge at the Kay County Health Department and many other locations; AMBUC and Wentz pools will be open through August 15, and then open only on Saturdays and Sundays until Labor Day; and that a public meeting has been scheduled to gather community input for inclusion within the City of Ponca City’s HMP (Hazard Mitigation Plan). The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires that all communities have a Hazard Mitigation Plan before they can apply for most FEMA disaster relief funding. To date, the City has received more than $1.6 million in federal disaster funds, for which we would have been ineligible without a HMP. By design, these plans expire every five years and must be revised to meet current standards and to make sure they match the needs and capabilities of Ponca City. As an elite member of the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System, the City of Ponca City’s HMP has additional requirements, including heavily weighing community involvement in every step. The City, in conjunction with Meshek and Associates, will host a public meeting on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Chamber to receive the community’s concerns and to provide information.
New Business
Under New Business, the City Commission approved a contract award to Allstate Tower, Inc. for a new Public Safety Center communications tower in the amount of $122,323.00. The project will build a 150-foot, self-supporting tower to hold all radio communication antennas for the Ponca City Police Department Communications Center. The project includes construction of a base/foundation, erection of the tower, installation of all grounding, installation of all antennas and offset arms, and installation of cable for the antennas. The tower will be constructed on the site of the new Public Safety Center at 300 East Oklahoma Avenue.
An executive session was held for purposes of discussing negotiations with the International Association of Fire Fighters. No action was taken.
PONCA CITY UTILITY AUTHORITY
Consent Agenda
Under the PCUA (Ponca City Utility Authority) consent agenda, the PCUA Trustees approved the minutes of the Ponca City Utility Authority regular session held July 26, 2021; a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the Ponca City Utility Authority; and a resolution amending the operating budget of various PCUA funds for Fiscal Year 2021-22.
New Business
Under PCUA New Business, the PCUA Trustees approved a resolution authorizing the City Manager to secure a Class C block of IP addresses to service the Fiber to the Home network project and authorizing the Finance Director to make payment of said purchase up to $340,000.00. The City of Ponca City has completed Phase 1 of the Fiber to the Home network project, has nearly completed Phase 2 and Phase 3, and is preparing to begin construction in Phase 4 and Phase 5. IP addresses provide a unique and separate identifier for each customer of the utility service and are necessary to provide each customer a separate path to and from the Internet form each other. There is a finite number of public IP addresses available and the time required to purchase, register, and officially mark the IP addresses requires the City to make this purchase 6 to 12 months before the addresses are actually needed.
The PCUA Trustees also approved tree and brush trimming contracts, in order to reduce electrical hazards and improve system reliability. Ponca City Energy has divided the distribution system into 22 geographical tree trimming areas and has established a four-year trim cycle for the system. The contract for area trimming requires results before payment, instead of paying the contractor hourly. The contractor is paid an additional amount for removing trees, but must seek permission to totally remove problem trees instead of simply trimming them. A single hourly crew is still maintained, year-round. This crew performs work orders and assists the line crews when necessary. They may also do clearance trimming in selected areas to help complete the four-year cycle. The trustees awarded the following: a contract award with Arbor Masters for tree and brush trimming of areas 4, 5, and 11 In the amount of $237,960.00; a contract with Davey Tree Surgery Co. for tree and brush trimming of areas 8 and 15 in the amount of $86,913.00; a contract with Asplundh Tree Expert Co. for tree and brush trimming of area 12 in the amount of $60,000.00; and a contract with Asplundh Tree Expert Co. for hourly tree and brush trimming.
