(Cushing, Okla.) It was a busy night for Cushing Board of Commissioners as they met Monday at City Hall for their regular monthly meeting.
First up – a special presentation to honor four city employees for their 25 years of service. Those honored were: Ronnie Smith, Franklin Reed, Wayne Hartley and MIke Starks. Hartley was not present for the presentation. Chairman of the Board Joe Manning thanked them saying, “On behalf of all the citizens, we appreciate your service.”
Members of the Geographic Club presented a check in the amount of $10,000 to assist in funding bleacher canopies at the sports complex.
“It’s an honor to be able to give this to provide shade,” Sharon Kerr said on behalf of the Club.
Manning thanked the Club for their donation, saying, “It really does take a community.”
In other business, commissioners voted to approve a resolution regarding a grant in the amount of $10,000 for assistance with the City of Cushing’s Emergency Management program. City Manager Steve Spears said the grant helps to offset budgeted items such as training and other specific projects. Emergency Management Director Bob Noltensmeyer said training/projects are set out by the state. The funds help defray the cost of exercises, drills, etc. to comply with the state.
Commissioners also approved to appropriate $2,000 from the unobligated general fund balance to be used to purchase shelving in the juvenile room of the library as well as a resolution amending the budget to accommodate library state aid grant revenue in the amount of $476.
The 5-year review of a conditional use permit for a mobile home on West Pine was approved with a vote of 4 – 1, with Manning casting the lone no vote.
City Hall got a little livelier during the discussion of rezoning. Several properties – 301 W. Broadway, 601 E. Pine, 706 E. Pine/831 E. Leland and 520 E. Pine – were included in the discussion. The rezoning of the West Broadway property was unanimously approved to go from I-1 (light industrial) to C-5 (central business).
The rezoning of the properties on East Pine was met with some resistance. Local resident Earl Wooten returned to last night’s meeting to reiterate his concerns and displeasure of having businesses – specifically AKL – “destroy” his neighborhood and “quality of life.” Wooten asked commissioners to delay their vote until they could “come out and see” for themselves. Wooten also asked “Why wasn’t this [AKL] stopped before? They should not be here.”
After hearing from Wooten, as well as proponents of the ordinances – including AKL’s lawyer Jim Ferris and Roadrunner Well Service manager Maria Sweet – commissioners approved the rezoning for 601 E. Pine and 520 E. Pine properties. The property at 601 E. Pine was changed from A-1 (rural agricultural) to I-2 (heavy industrial), while the property at 520 E. Pine was changed from A-1 (rural agricultural) to I-1 (light industrial). The 601 E. Pine property belongs to AKL.
Commissioners decided to table the ordinance to change the zoning of the 706 E. Pine/831 E. Leland property belonging to Roadrunner Well Service until a covenant involving a greenbelt along the north side of the property is filed.
In Cushing Municipal Authority business, commissioners approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with the school district to share in the construction cost of the enlargement and reconstruction of an existing sewer line to serve the new middle school. Spears said the line will be able to accommodate future construction plans as well as the new middle school. The Board approved to execute a contract with Duncan & Sons, LLC to enlarge and replace approximately 5,100 feet of line at a cost of $723,700.00.
The Board also approved a resolution authorizing a purchase order to North Central Pump in the sum of $8,631.98 for material and labor to complete the rebuild of a pump at the wastewater plant.
In his City Manager’s report, Spears mentioned the splash pad project needs to be revisited quickly to allow time for the bidding process and work to get underway in order for the splash pad to be completed by summer. A study session is scheduled for Jan. 30th at 6 p.m. in City Hall.
The next regular monthly meeting of the Board of Commissioners is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 18th instead of Monday, Feb. 17th due to observance of Presidents Day.
Meetings are open to the public.
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