The Ponca City Board of Commissioners met in regular session on April 26, 2021. Mayor Homer Nicholson called the meeting to order, which was followed by the pledge of allegiance.
Consent Agenda
Under the Consent Agenda, the City Commission approved the minutes of the regular session held on April 12, 2021, a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the City of Ponca City, and a resolution amending the operating budget of various funds for Fiscal Year 2020-21.
City Manager’s Report
Under the City Manager’s Report, City Manager Craig Stephenson reported that staff will be publishing the City of Ponca City and related authorities budgets in the May 1, 2021 Ponca City News, along with notice of a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget on May 10, 2021. The proposed adoption of the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget will be on the May 24, 2021 City Commission agenda, and the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget will become effective on July 1, 2021.
New Business
Under New Business, the City Commission approved a contract for the Community Development Block Grant Program to the Oklahoma Department Of Commerce for Coronavirus Response (CDBG-CV) funding in the amount of $612,680.00. Grant Administrator, Rhonda Skrapke reported that the City of Ponca City’s grant application to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce CARES Act grant funding to provide public services that meet the National Objective of the Community Development Block Grant – CARES Act Program has been approved. These grant funds are intended to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to Coronavirus and cannot be used for any other purpose. The funds are intended to benefit low and moderate income persons.
The following projects have been developed as a result of the guidelines set forth in the CDBG-CV Application Guidelines and have been approved for funding.
- Rent & Mortgage Assistance – $300,000.00. The purpose of the Rent/Mortgage Assistance Program is to provide assistance to income eligible residents who reside within the City of Ponca City and are delinquent on their rent/mortgage accounts. Assistance will be provided to eligible applicants in the form of a grant in an amount not to exceed $1,500.00 per household per year to bring their account current. This amount may be made in multiple monthly payments, but shall not exceed $1,500.00. All payments will be made directly to landlords and/or mortgage companies.
- Utility Assistance – $200,000.00. The purpose of the Utilities Assistance Program is to provide assistance to income eligible utility customers of the City of Ponca City, as well as other utility providers, who are subject to a disconnect notice/or have been disconnected and need financial assistance to restore utility services, and keep/get their account active and in good standing. Assistance will be available in the form of a grant in the amount of $500.00 as a one-time payment to bring the account current. Applicants will be eligible for this assistance two times a year, if needed.
- Food Bank – $78,000.00. This activity will assist income eligible applicants in the City of Ponca City who are in need of groceries to eliminate food insecurity.
- Activity Delivery Costs – $34,680.00
The CDBG-CV Program allows activity delivery costs of 6 percent of the total amount requested. These costs are allowable costs incurred for implementing and carrying out the eligible activities. Examples of eligible activity delivery costs include personnel costs, materials, office supplies and other expensed required to implement and manage the projects. The City of Ponca City will be partnering with NERA (New Emergency Resource Agency) to provide these public services to the citizens of Ponca City. Certified CDBG City staff will be overseeing the grant administration portion of the project and NERA will be providing the delivery of the services set forth in the approved grant application. A contract between the City of Ponca City and NERA will be brought to the City Commission at a later date. The Contract period for the purposes of this program are April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2023. City staff will be working on the release of funds component of this project as required in the contract. These components are required to be completed within 120 days of the start date of the contract.
The City Commission also approved authorization of the Mayor to execute the contract documents to Evans and Associates, for Princeton Avenue Street Improvements, in the amount of $117,636.60. Traffic Engineer Manager, Mike Lane reported that this project is to mill and overlay Princeton Avenue, from 14th Street to approximately 670 feet west of 14th Street. The existing asphalt on Princeton Avenue has extensive cracking throughout most of the project area. A three-inch mill and overlay is planned to mitigate these failures and restore a sound driving surface. Total project area is approximately 2,001 square yards. All asphalt millings will be retained by the City and used primarily for alley maintenance. The contract time for this project is 20 calendar days and will be funded by the Street Improvement Sales Tax.
And, the City Commission approved authorization of the Mayor to execute the contract documents to Highpoint Partners, for Highland Avenue Sidewalk Construction, from Airline Drive to Waverly Street, in the Amount of $32,558.00. Mike Lane reported that this project is to construct a new five-foot-wide sidewalk along the south side of Highland Avenue from Airline Drive to Waverly Street. The purpose of this new sidewalk is to provide a safer route to school for children living in the Highland Estates Subdivision. Currently, the students who walk to West Middle School or Lincoln School must sometimes use Highland Avenue after inclement weather. The new sidewalk will provide a hard-surface connection from the existing sidewalk at the northeast corner of the subdivision to Waverly Street. Invitations to bid were sent to seven contractors. The contract time for this project is 20 calendar days and will be funded by the Street Improvement Sales Tax.
PONCA CITY UTILITY AUTHORITY
Under the PCUA (Ponca City Utility Authority) consent agenda, trustees voted to approve the minutes of the PCUA regular session held on April 12, 2021, a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the PCUA, the authorization of the chairman to submit the monthly operating statement to OWRB, and the acknowledgement of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality construction permit for the construction of 2,051 linear feet of 16-inch PVC potable waterline, 32 linear feet of 8-inch PVC potable waterline, 20 linear feet of 6-inch PVC potable waterline, and all appurtenances to serve the 6th Street waterline replacement.
