Sale of Share Convalescent property will likely go to a citizen vote

“Have any idea what the holdup is with the sale as far as what the legal reason is?” asked Alva City Councilmember Troy Brooks at Tuesday’s city council meeting. He was referring to the sale of Share Convalescent Home to the Beadles Nursing Home owners.

City Attorney Drew Cunningham said the hospital board (Alva Hospital Authority) hired an attorney to handle the sale on that property. As Cunningham was reviewing everything (he also serves as AHA attorney) he saw that the land was originally given to the city to lease to the hospital. “That is likely something that we would have to put forward to a vote of the people,” he said. There are procedures to get such an election scheduled with the state. The earliest likely date will be in June.

Finance Committee Chair Daniel Winters gave a brief “financially positive” report. At the close of January, the city had collected 51.53 percent of budget revenue and expended 56.05 percent of budgeted expenses for the fiscal year. He said the finance committee continues discussing certificates of deposit. In the current financial climate, the CDs are invested for shorter periods of time so come up for renewal more frequently.

City Business Manager Stephen Ford reported the Locust Street project is ongoing with digging on the 600 block. The city is moving and replacing waterlines that had been in the middle of the street. Ford said an action on the night’s agenda would pay a contractor to extend that project to 11th Street where the water line starts going down the alley. He said a third crew is in town handling installation of water meters with 135 left. He’s given up making predictions about when they will be finished.

All the big demolition work has been done at the swimming pool, and the company responsible for the actual pool have been surveying and staking. Ford said a Land and Water grant is pending for renovation of the bathhouse.

Two bids were received on providing IT services to the city. Ford said the plan is to have both bidders make presentations to the city council.

The usual Saturday for the city’s budget retreat falls on Easter weekend so that will probably be changed, he said.

City Council Action

All councilmembers were present for Tuesday’s meeting with the exception of Joe Parsons.

Councilmembers voted to accept the results of the special franchise election for Oklahoma Natural Gas. Mayor Kelly Parker said Alva has the distinction of being the only municipality in Oklahoma with a zero rate franchise with ONG.

Dr. Stephanie Widick, the city’s grant writer, applied for a grant from Municipal Road Drilling Activity Funds to resurface streets damaged by oilfield traffic. The city received a $100,000 grant to resurface Flynn Street east from Highway 281 to County Road 460 and then south on CR 460 to Highway 64. Mayor Parker described it as going from Roger’s Car Wash past BJCC to Fechner Supply and then south past The Bull. The city will solicit bids for the project and must provide $33,000 matching funds. Parker said the city has money in the street and alley fund to provide the match.

Councilmembers approved Resolution 2024-005 to approve the $100,000 grant and execute the application for the project with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

A capital improvement plan which was approved by council in 2022 has now been finished. Gail Thomas with OEDA worked with the city on mapping infrastructure and making a five year plan. The cost of $40,000 will be refunded to the city by a CDBG grant. Since the council can’t commit for more than one year, this city council had to vote to approve the expenditure again. The motion carried.

The local president of the firefighters’ union asked to begin negotiations for next year’s contract. Usually two councilmembers, the mayor and city business manager represent the city in negotiations. Winters made a motion, seconded by Dr. Garrett Lahr, to appoint Greg Bowman and Bier as representatives. They represented the city last year and agreed to do so again. The motion carried.

In the consent agenda, the council approved minutes of Jan. 16 meeting, claims of $270,006.76 and payroll expenses of $239,083.71.

An executive session was held to discuss the purchase of real property, but no vote was taken after return to open session. Ford said he has been instructed to obtain more facts.

Alva Utility Authority

The same members met as the Alva Utility Authority (AUA). The consent agenda including minutes of the Jan. 16 regular meeting and Jan. 25 emergency meeting, claims of $393,715.44 and payroll expenses of $59,480.16 was approved.

Six companies bid on the Locust Street project, but the lowest bid was disqualified because no bond was provided. As recommended by Myers Engineering, the trustees voted to accept the next lowest qualified bid from Jackson Civil of Enid for $193,782.05. The money for this project will come from the OWRB loan obtained by the city.

Only one bid was received for the new wellfield telemetry system, also a part of the OWRB loan. That bid was about double what the engineer estimated for the cost. The AUA trustees voted to reject the bid. The city will seek bids again, hoping to have more competitive bidding.

Alva Economic Development Authority

In the Alva Economic Development Authority (AEDA) meeting, trustees approved the consent agenda including minutes of the Jan. 16 regular meeting and Jan. 30 special meeting, claims of $24,072.81 and payroll expenses of $18,918.54.

The city has received enough restricted donations to cover all the alternate bids by Ascend Construction on the swimming pool project. The Alva Parks and Recreation Board voted to approve these alternates, and recommend approval by the AEDA. Bier made a motion, seconded by Bowman, to approve the alternate bids. The motion passed 5-2 with Brooks and Taylor Dowling voting no.

A video of the meeting may be viewed at http://www.AlvaReviewCourier.com by clicking on the Videos tab.