The Ponca City Board of Commissioners met in regular session on March 28, 2022. Mayor Homer Nicholson called the meeting to order, which was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Commissioners Bodick, Chapman, Scott and Taylor were in attendance.
Consent Agenda
Under the Consent Agenda, the City Commission approved the minutes of the Ponca City Board Of Commissioners regular session held on March 14, 2022; a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the City of Ponca City, Oklahoma; a resolution designating certain fund balance accounts of governmental fund types and directing the Finance Director to implement the terms of the resolution; an agreement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. to provide collection and disposal services during the April 23, 2022 Household Hazardous Waste event; and authorization to advertise for bids for a street and water line improvement project on Third Street, between Walnut Avenue and Oklahoma Avenue.
City Manager’s Report
Under the City Manager’s Report, City Manager Craig Stephenson wished Environmental Services Director, Dr. Hong Fu, well in her next adventure. She will be retiring at the end of March and has been a tremendous asset to the organization and community. Dr. Fu is very well respected by the state agencies she has worked with that regulate the City’s utility system.
Stephenson reported that a City Commission Work Session will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022 and City Commission Budget Meetings with Department Heads will be held on April 18 and April 19.
Stephenson reminded the public that last year, the City of Ponca City, in partnership with NERA (New Emergency Resource Agency), was approved for the Rent and Mortgage Assistance and Utility Assistance grant program made available by the CDBG CARES ACT through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. These programs provide assistance to income eligible residents who reside within the city limits of Ponca City and are delinquent on their utilities, rent, and/or mortgage accounts. To be eligible, all potential applicants must have incomes at or below the Housing and Urban Development’s Income Guidelines for Kay County, Oklahoma. The intake procedures have been adapted to help as many people as possible and better fit the needs of the community. Applications for rent/mortgage assistance and/or utility assistance are available at NERA, located at 112 South 1st Street. Grant funds are being expended on a first-come first-serve basis, until the grant funding is depleted.
Stephenson also reminded the public several upcoming events:
• Ponca Politics will host a School Board Election Forum, on Wednesday, March 30, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Commission Chamber of City Hall. Nancy Zimmershied and Traci McCloud are running for the Ward #2 seat and Anna Roland and Amanda Porter-Cain are running for Ward #4 seat.
• A Listen and Learn presentation, “Marland’s Stone Barn – Where the Stone Was Quarried, Cut and Shaped for the Marland Estate,” will be held Saturday, April 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in the Marland Mansion Ballroom. Reservations are required by March 31 by calling 580-767-0427. There is no admission charge.
• The City of Ponca City will celebrate Earth Day 2022 on Friday, April 22, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Unity Gym, located at 1908 E. Woodland Road. Citizens are invited to attend and receive educational information about composting, recycling, energy savings and stormwater pollution prevention. Residential safe document shredding will be available between 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. And, free trees will be available on a first come basis.
• The City of Ponca City and Phillips 66 are sponsoring the 2022 Household Hazardous Waste Day on Saturday, April 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in the Phillips 66 north parking lot at South Avenue and Oak Street. Items accepted include: used oils, filters (no drums), antifreeze, car batteries, old paint, solvents, pool chemicals, household cleaners, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, wood preservatives, drain cleaners, electronics (tv/pc), rechargeable batteries, ammunition, and medication. Items NOT accepted include: medical wastes, radioactive materials, compressed gas cylinders, commercial wastes, tires, kitchen appliances, containers over 5 gallons, explosives, hypodermic needles, or dynamite.
New Business
Under New Business, the City Commission approved a resolution superseding Resolution 6626 outlining the expenditure categories of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for Non-Entitlement Units of Government (ARPA Funds) in the amount of $4,132,344.84. The City of Ponca City was allocated by the State of Oklahoma Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the amount of $4,132,344.84 as outlined in Department of Treasury 31 CFR Part 35. On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) was signed into law by the President of the United States. On November 8, 2021, by Resolution 6619, the Mayor and Commissioners approved the expenditures of year one ARPA funds based on the Interim Final Rule issued by the U. S. Dept. of Treasury on May 17, 2021. In January 2022, the U. S. Dept. of Treasury adopted the “Final Rule” for the use of ARPA funds setting forth that the Interim Final Rule published on May 17, 2021, with amendments, constituted the entirety of the established uses of ARPA funds. One of the amendments to the Interim Final Rule now offers a standard allowance for revenue loss of $10 million, allowing the City to select this “standard allowance” and agree that these ARPA funds will be used for “general government purposes.” Inasmuch as the City’s total allocation for ARPA funds was less than the $10 million threshold for revenue loss, the “standard allowance” for general government purposes should be selected as the category within which the City wishes to allocate and fund projects utilizing ARPA funding. The projects outlined within Resolution 6626 shall remain the same. All the projects previously approved fit within the category of “general government purposes.” The projects for year 2 funding have not been identified at this time, but will also be projects eligible under the “general government purposes” category when they are selected and approved.
The City Commission also approved a contract and authorized the Mayor to execute contract documents with K & R Builders, Inc. for the rehabilitation project on Union Street Bridge over Highland Avenue in the amount of $917,270.46. This project was recommended by the City’s bridge inspection consultant in 2019, after the uppermost layer of the bridge deck crumbled during a planned mill and overlay project. At that time, the consultant recommended deck replacement within the next several years.
The City contracted with MKEC Engineering Inc. in December of 2020 to prepare plans and specifications for the deck replacement project. Those plans were completed in May of 2021. Construction of the project was approved in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget, and is now scheduled to begin in May of 2022 after school is dismissed for the year. MKEC will perform construction oversight and inspection during the project. Items of work include: removal and replacement of the bridge deck; adding shear connectors to the bridge beams to increase the load rating of the bridge; construction of new bridge rails; replacement of deteriorated bearings and diaphragm beams; cleaning and painting bridge beams and diaphragms; concrete repairs to abutments, piers, and slope walls; and construction of new approach slabs and sidewalk approaches. Invitations to bid were sent to 12 contractors. Bid advertisement began on February 10, 2022 and bids were opened on March 10, 2022, with the bid committee and MKEC recommending award of this project to the lowest, most responsible bidder, K & R Builders of Oklahoma City, in the bid amount of $917,270.46. The contract time for this project is 90 calendar days, and will be funded by the Street Improvement Sales Tax.
And, the City Commission approved an ODOT (Oklahoma Department of Transportation) maintenance, financing and right-of-way agreement for the Ponca City Standing Bear Trails Welcome Center beautification project. In 2014, Standing Bear Foundation submitted a grant application to ODOT requesting funding for renovations at Standing Bear Park, specifically, the Welcome Center. At that time, the City of Ponca City was requested to act as “Sponsor” of this project, pursuant to ODOT’s guidelines. The City of Ponca City, acting as Sponsor of Design JP No. 28822(05) and Construction JP No. 28822(04)(05)(06)(07) on behalf of Standing Bear Foundation, have been awarded grant funding for completion of renovations at the Welcome Center of Standing Bear Park through ODOT. These renovations include dredging the existing clay-lined pond and reforming the existing pond edge with reinforced shoreline wall block, as well as construction of a clay pond liner; removal of a section of worn colored asphalt trail and replacement with new Class “A” concrete trail along the east side of the Welcome Center parking lot; the addition of a prefab pavilion or shelter structure to be placed on the west side of the Welcome Center parking lot; and a new 6’ wide concrete sidewalk constructed along the west side of the North/South parking lot, including all grading, drainage and permanent erosion control measures. Additionally, amenities such as benches, picnic tables and litter receptacles will be included, as well as planting, design and material summary. All pond excavation operations will be coordinated with P66 environmental department, due to the monitoring wells in close proximity. The total grant award for this construction contract is now $618,936.00 with Standing Bear Foundation responsible for the match in the amount of $154,734.00. The City has requested and received a commitment letter from Standing Bear Foundation for this project including both design and construction match funds. The City of Ponca City is only acting in its capacity as “Sponsor” and is not committed to any match requirements as it relates to this project.
PCUA (PONCA CITY UTILITY AUTHORITY)
PCUA Consent Agenda
Under the PCUA Consent Agenda, the PCUA Trustees approved the minutes of the Ponca City Utility Authority regular session held March 14, 2022 and a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the Ponca City Utility Authority of Ponca City, Oklahoma.
