Sand Springs City Council meeting focuses on pandemic

The Sand Springs City Council met in a regular meeting Monday evening at the City Municipal Building to approve city contracts and discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Councilman Brian Jackson requested that Council discuss a resolution concerning a COVID-19 Emergency Plan. At the July 27 meeting Council instructed City staff to prepare a detailed plan of safeguards that should be considered by Council if the Oklahoma State Department of Health designates either the city or county as being in the “High Risk Phase,” or if the city should reach 500 active cases.

That plan was presented at the August 24 meeting, but no action was taken by Council to approve it. The proposal would have included the following guidelines:

• Mandate the wearing of masks for all citizens in public business establishments.

• Close all dining areas of restaurants, limit purchases to take-out or curbside services.

• Close all bars and clubs.

• Close schools to on-site instruction.

• Close hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, exercise facilities, tattoo parlors, etc.

• Close entertainment venues.

• Hold a virtual meeting with local religious leaders regarding the current dangers of public gatherings.

Council once again took no-action on the resolution, but could do so at a future meeting should case numbers continue to rise in the city. Police Chief Mike Carter stated that his people are monitoring infection levels at the city, county, and ZIP-code level.

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As of Wednesday, there are 70 active cases in Sand Springs. That number reflects an increase of 14 over the past four days, but is still below the all-time peak of 74 on September 8th. Five Sand Springs residents have died from the virus.

There are 1,583 active cases in Tulsa County. It holds an Orange Alert Level from the OSDH with 18.3 cases per 100,000 citizens. However, Sand Springs only accounts for 4.3% of those cases.

“I think this is very important to keep in front of us,” said Jackson. “Our chief responsibility is to protect the citizens.” Mayor Jim Spoon expressed a desire to revisit the topic monthly for however long the pandemic continues.

In other news:

Council unanimously approved the Sand Springs Pogue Airport Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. The Federal Aviation Administration requests a five-year plan each year in order to receive FAA and Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission grants.

Council unanimously approved a Vacation of Deed and Release of Restrictive Covenants for a property that was recently sold to WEBCO.

Council unanimously approved a Right-of-Way contract with Phillips 66 for a new pipeline project. An existing 12-inch pipeline that predates - and is located beneath - the Keystone Lake needs to be replaced and relocated. The City of Sand Springs has agreed to grant an easement through undeveloped park property in the Country Meadows Estates subdivision. The easement will total 1.27 acres, and the total park property is nine acres. The parks department believes that the easement will not interfere with any future park development.

Council unanimously approved a Professional Services Agreement with Craig and Keithline, Inc. for infrastructure design on a nine-acre lot in the Sheffield Crossing development. The City purchased the land from OmniTRAX and recently completed demolition of an old Sheffield Steel Mill building to make room for commercial development and a new roadway over the Arkansas River levee into Case Community Park.

Council also approved an amendment to an existing agreement with Craig and Keithline for the original 18-acre tract of the Sheffield Crossing Development that has already seen roadwork and the construction of a Chick-fil-A. They recently completed preliminary infrastructure designs for the area along Morrow Road, west of the Ascension Medical Clinic. The new amendment will focus on two parcels of land along Highway 97, north of Chick-fil-A, as well as a 2.5-acre plot south of Chick-fil-A but north of the railroad tracks.

Council unanimously approved the acceptance of $101,994.52 in Tulsa County Community Development Block Grant funds for the replacement of a water line along the west side of North Lincoln Avenue between 6th Street and 8th Street. The deteriorated line will be upgraded from 4” cast iron to 8” PVC, and will cost an estimated $168,021.

Council unanimously approved a 15-day extension to the deadline for awarding a contract on the Keystone Ancient Forest Tower project. The City is looking to relocate an existing 100-foot fire lookout tower from Cookson, Oklahoma to the KAF hiking trails.

Council unanimously approved a supplemental appropriation of $20,720 for Parks Maintenance Facility Security. The Parks Department has reported increased criminal activities at the maintenance facility, with multiple break-ins of vehicles and storage containers, stolen vehicles and equipment, and broken windows on vehicles and equipment. The funds will be used to purchase security cameras, perimeter fencing, and a gate.

Council unanimously approved final acceptance of golf course renovations at the Canyons at Blackjack Ridge. While the clubhouse renovations are ongoing, the course itself has been completed and will host the Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce annual tournament this Friday as its first event. The course is not yet open to public play, and the Chamber event has sold out. The $2 million renovation project was approved by Sand Springs voters in a 2018 General Obligation Bond election.

Council unanimously voted to appoint Justin Sean Tockey to serve the remainder of Merle Parson’s unexpired term on the Sand Springs Board of Adjustment through May 2021. Tockey previously served on the Sand Springs Development Authority and was required to vacate that seat.

Council unanimously approved an update to the Floodplain Management Plan. The plan is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for participation in the Community Rating System program. Because of the City’s participation in the program, residents are provided a 15% discount toward the purchase of flood insurance. The Meadow Valley neighborhood in particular has been designated as a Repetitive Loss Community due to multiple floods within a 10-year period, but the Town West and Candlestick Beach neighborhoods are also at-risk and suffered damage during last year’s spring flooding.

Council unanimously approved an update to the Emergency Operations Plan. The plan is required for State and Local Assistance (SLA) grants from the State Office of Emergency Management.

Council unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tulsa Community College Campus Police. The Sand Springs Police Department has agreed to investigate any serious offenses that occur on TCC property, as well as any officer-involved shootings or in-custody deaths where a campus officer is a suspect.

Council unanimously voted to approve a zoning amendment for Sullivan’s Body Shop at 20 West 41st Street. The property was previously zoned Commercial Shopping, but was changed to Commercial General to allow for automotive painting.

Council unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the transfer of real property from the City of Sand Springs for the purpose of economic development and redevelopment. A Charter Compliance for Disposition of Property ordinance is required for the City to sell any real estate. This ordinance applies to a 14-acre plot of land along Wekiwa Road that was purchased from the Sand Springs Home in 2013 as a potential site for the Billie A. Hall Public Safety Center, as well as the nine acres recently purchased from OmniTRAX in the Sheffield Crossing Development. The ordinance does not necessarily indicate that the City is currently negotiating the sale of either property, only that they now have the freedom to do so if an opportunity should arise.