City Board of Commissioners Meet in Regular Session July 26th

The Ponca City Board of Commissioners met in regular session on July 26, 2021. Mayor Homer Nicholson called the meeting to order, which was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Commissioner Taylor, Commissioner Bodick, and Commissioner Chapman were present; Commissioner Scott was absent.

Consent Agenda

Under the Consent Agenda, the City Commission approved the minutes of the Ponca City Board Of Commissioners regular session held July 12, 2021; a resolution appropriating money for payment of claims against the City Of Ponca City; a resolution amending the operating budget of various funds for Fiscal Year 2021-22; a resolution appointing members to various boards and commissions and establishing the terms of office; an agreement with the Ponca City Public Schools to receive reimbursement for providing School Resource Officers for the 2021-2022 school year in the amount of $107,555.00; and an application and interlocal agreement by the Police Department for grant funds from the Fiscal Year 2021 Edward Byrne Memorial JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) in the amount of $15,275.00.

An executive session was held for purposes of discussing negotiations with the International Association of Firefighters.  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 PCUA Regular Session Held July 12, 2021; a resolution appropriating money for payment of claims against the Ponca City Utility Authority; a resolution of the PCUA amending the operating budget of various PCUA funds for Fiscal Year 2021-22; and the purchase of a John Deere 310SL Backhoe Loader from Yellow House Machinery in the amount of $110,957.00.

New Business

Under PCUA New Business, the PCUA Trustees approved an agreement with S2 Engineering for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge Dewatering System Rehabilitation Project In the not-to-exceed amount of $147,400.00. The agreement between the City of Ponca City and S2 Engineering proposes a full range of engineering services (design, preparation of bidding documents, bidding phase services, construction administration and partial construction inspection, startup, and one-year warranty follow up services) for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge Dewatering System Rehabilitation Project. The sludge dewatering system uses two belt filter presses to dewater solids generated at the plant during the treatment process. The presses were put in service in 1998. After almost 24 years, the system has accumulated approximately 30,000 service hours. In 2020, plant staff and S2 Engineering completed a thorough evaluation of the entire system and determined the major tasks to be completed in order to rehabilitate this critical unit. The project elements include: replacement of two existing belt filter presses; replacement of the sludge storage bin; replacement of the screw feeder; and sand blasting and new coating for the interior roof trusses in the Sludge Processing Building.

The PCUA Trustees also approved an agreement with Freese And Nichols, Inc. to prepare an emergency response plan for the Ponca City Water System in the not-to-exceed amount of $46,000.00. President Trump signed the American Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 and made it Public Law No. 115-270. Per this law, all municipal water systems must complete vulnerability assessments and an emergency response plan once every five years. PCUA completed the Risk and Resilience Assessments in June of 2021. PCUA must complete an emergency response plan for its water system by December 30, 2021. This plan will include strategies and resources to improve the system’s resilience. It will also include procedures for responding to natural hazards and malevolent acts that threaten safe drinking water.