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Connie Burcham | Watonga Republican
Watonga City Council, when it met July 7 in regular session, dealt with a full agenda of weighty items.
One such item was the bids for an agricultural lease the city owns adjacent to Huff-Lorang Park. That lease was let to Brian Sawyer who has held it for several years. He offered $35 per acre, while Wilkinson Investments LLC offered $52 per acre. However, Jared Harrison, the city attorney was of the opinion it was not a valid bid because the LLC had lapsed.
Another topic discussed was the CT project for Mercy Hospital going to bid. That bid is due back on or around Aug. 6. The new building is necessary because modern CT units will not fit in the original building which was demolished several years ago.
City Manager Larry Mitchell told council the board of adjustment had met and approved variances on a property that formerly housed Dairy Cream. A setback and parking space variance to city codes was approved for a company that will build a dollar store in that location. The city has not received a set of building plans as yet, but Mitchell said once a building permit is issued and construction gets underway, the shop could be opened in four to five months. However, he also noted the company could decide not to begin building right away, considering the economy’s current state.
The city is working to accommodate growth by addressing issues with the waste treatment plant. Michael Niblett, an engineer for Garver, a civil engineering firm, addressed the council about its plant. He had been to the plant and was ready to offer potential solutions his firm could develop.
Niblett suggested the city explore other, less expensive options before investing in a new digester. Garver would study the plant, develop a baseline and a checklist of steps the city could take at little or no cost right away. The company would evaluate existing equipment and determine whether replacing obsolete pieces would improve the plant’s efficiency. It would look at the existing capacity to determine if a new tank is needed. A growth plan would be developed with alternatives for handling added capacity should the Diamondback Correctional Facility be reopened, with the caveat it provide its own lagoons.
But beyond that, Garver has the capability of developing a capital improvement plan with a laundry list of solutions and the cost of each proposal. It could then help prepare grant applications for CARES Act and Community Block Development Grants as well as state revolving loan funds to help pay for the work.
Mitchell pointed out to the council that the company has much experience dealing with regulations and enjoys a good relationship with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. Niblett, when asked said it would be about four months from the time council hired the company until the study was completed and presented.
In the round, the council agreed to use Garver for the project at a cost of $48,000
Connie Burcham can be reached at Editor@WatongaRepublican.com