City Council prepares for upcoming bond election, discusses new roads and economic incentives

The Sand Springs City Council met in a regular meeting earlier this month and discussed proposals for an upcoming General Obligation Bond Election. All of the proposals are still in their early stages and will likely be reworded, reorganized, and tweaked before being presented to the public. Council will hold public hearings on the proposals before they are finalized.

Proposal One relates to streets and roadways and in its current form would total $3.565 million. $1.445 million would be directed towards street overlays and repairs, while $2.06 million would be used to construct a new roadway over the levee separating River City Parks from OmniTRAX. 

The new road would help alleviate traffic delays along Wilson Avenue between Morrow Road and US-64. Proposal One would also provide the City with new equipment for overlays, as well as street sign production.

Proposal One passed unanimously, minus Councilman Brian Jackson, who was absent.

Proposal Two relates to Public Safety equipment and software and would total $2.27 million total.

$1.137 million would be used to acquire new safety computer equipment and software. According to Police Chief Mike Carter, the SSPD are having frequent failures with the current software used for recording criminal activity.

The other $1.133 million would be used to replaced a 27-year old ladder truck. According to Fire Chief Mike Wood, the current vehicle is an open cab truck which is unsafe and no longer produced, and only has single-point seat belts. The truck has continued maintenance issues, the internal waterway is extremely corroded and could cost $50,000 to $100,000 to fix. The Aerial Master Stream failed at a mower shop fire a few years ago, there was a motor failure in 2006, and pump failures have also plagued the vehicle. The water tank is too small, the truck is crowded and poorly designed, and it's the only ladder truck in the department. The SSFD has applied for federal grants to replace the truck annually for the last decade but haven't received one yet.

Proposal two passed unanimously.

Proposal Three would provide for a renovation of the clubhouse at the Canyons at Blackjack Ridge golf course. The clubhouse would be redesigned to a more open event center concept. "We're doing well at the golf course and we want to maintain that reputation as one of the better golf courses in the Tulsa area," said Mayor Mike Burdge.

The proposal would also provide for parking lot lighting and electrical work at the Jerry Adair Baseball Complex, as well as Museum improvements, neighborhood park improvements, a new playground at Angus Valley, and neighborhood trail improvements around Pratt Elementary and Clyde Boyd Middle School. 

Part of the funding would be used to build a visitor's center at Keystone Ancient Forest. According to Parks Director Grant Gerondale, current guided hikes are ran off a truck tailgate. The only bathrooms on the premises are port-o-johns. An observation tower would also be built in the forest.

One point of contention around the proposal was $3 million to be used for building a memorial for military, police, and fire. The proposed memorial would include the names of more than 5,000 Oklahoma servicemen and women with a water feature and a fire feature for retiring flags. The memorial would be built in the OmniTRAX development area next to the new City Public Safety facilities. 

While all six council-members were in favor of building a memorial, debate arose surrounding how much should be spent and whether the memorial should stand as an individual proposal.

Ultimately, Councilman Jim Spoon moved that the proposal be approved with the memorial limited to $1 million instead of $3 million. The measure passed 4-2 with Councilwoman Patty Dixon and Councilman Phil Nollan voting against.

Proposal Four totaled $3.2 million and relates to equipment, building upgrades, and software. The funding would provide for the purchase of a commercial track hoe, a bulldozer, a Vactor truck, and city-wide beautification and landscaping. The City's water-treatment facility in particular would receive substantial landscaping improvements. 

Proposal Five regarded economic incentives and land acquisition. Previous economic incentives provided for through bond issues led to the recruiting of Reasor's, Webco, and Wal Mart. 

Proposals Four and Five were passed unanimously, though Councilman Spoon noted that they should consider separating the beautification aspect of Proposal Four into its own item. 

Sand Springs bans electronic-cigarettes on City property, approves purchase agreement with OmniTRAX

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council unanimously voted Monday evening to ban the use of electronic cigarettes on all City property, including public parks. Ordinance No. 1290, presented by City Planner Brad Bates, amends the existing City of Sand Springs Tobacco Free City Properties and Buildings Ordinance to include vapor-based products that have gained popularity in recent year. 

The City of Sand Springs has been a "tobacco-free" city since 2009 in an effort to alleviate public health concerns and promote a healthy public environment. The City qualifies as a Certified Healthy Community and Certified Healthy Business through the State of Oklahoma's Certified Healthy program, entitling it to certain grant funding through the State Health Department. To-date, the City has received $50,000 that have been used toward healthy living and improvement studies. This new amendment is a step toward Gold Level recognition from the Health Department that would qualify the City for an additional $50,000 grant.

In other news, the Council unanimously approved the Consent Agenda, which is made up of items considered to be "routine," including:

• Approval of Resolution No. 17-07 for the 2017 City Council Election.
  • Mayor Mike Burdge (Ward 3) and Vice-Mayor (Ward 4) will both be up for reelection in 2017. Citizens do not vote for Mayor or Vice-Mayor, but vote only on City Council positions. The Council itself elects a Mayor and Vice-Mayor from within.
  • The filing period will open December 5th, 2016 and will close December 7th, 2016. Candidates must reside within the Ward they are running for election in, and must be at-minimum 25 years of age by May 1st, 2017. If more than two candidates file for an office, a primary election will be held on Tuesday, February 14th, 2017. The general (runoff) election will be held April 4th, 2017. City Council elections are non-partisan. 
• Approval of a Traffic Enforcement Agreement between the City of Sand Springs and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office for reimbursement of overtime and operating expenses incurred for the grant period October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017. 
  • The Sand Springs Police Department will receive a $50,000 grant from OHSO for the purpose of reimbursing overtime and operating expenses resulting from the targeting of impaired and aggressive drivers. It will also allow for a designee to travel to the Lifesavers Conference in Long Beach, California. 
• Approval of an Emergency Management Performance Agreement between the City of Sand Springs and the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management providing a 50/50 sub-grant portion of funds to develop comprehensive emergency preparedness for all hazards.
  • This is a routine fund-matching grant that the City has taken advantage of for nearly two decades. The City allocates $20,000 for emergency preparedness each year, and FEMA matches with a contribution of $20,000.
• Acceptance of $20,090 from Sand Springs Park Friends, Inc.
  • This is the final portion of the $70,000 pledge by the Sand Springs Rotary Club for construction of the Rotary Super Splash Pad in River City Parks. 

Following the Consent Agenda, the Council also unanimously passed Resolution No. 17-08, with the purpose of informing Sand Springs citizens of potential impact of State Question 777 on the ability of the City to to regulate land use activities and other potential effects. 

SQ777, also known as the "Oklahoma Right to Farm Amendment," will be on the November 8, 2016 ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment. The specific text of the question can be viewed here. Resolution 17-08, drafted by Vice-Mayor John Fothergill, reminds citizens of the role local government plays in regulating land usage and zoning according to the community desires and needs. The full resolution can be read here.

City Council unanimously approved a resolution concerning the location of the future public safety facility for the City. Resolution 17-06 was unanimously passed, authorizing the City to purchase 10 acres at a cost of $1.00 per foot from OmniTRAX. The current planned location of the facility is on the South side of Morrow Road, across the street from the Walmart Supercenter. The transaction will cost the City approximately $435,600. The purchase is not final yet, but the terms of the agreement are not expected to change. 

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Stone Villa Second addition.

Council unanimously approved the final plat for the new Stone Villa addition in South Sand Springs. The addition will include 87 lots on 19.8 acres.

In Council Correspondence, Pogue Airport and Airport Supervisor Ken Madison received praise for the quality of the airport and the hospitality of the administration. 

Boy Scout Troop 507 was on hand to observe the City Council meeting and get a taste of local government.

New Public Safety facilities to be built at former Gerdau site alongside retail development

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council unanimously approved a development agreement with OmniTRAX, Inc. Monday evening. Two weeks ago OmniTRAX announced their acquisition of the 146-acre site formerly owned by Sheffield Steel, then by Gerdau Ameristeel. OmniTRAX plans to demolish portions of the Steel Mill and develop the property for industrial and commercial use. In addition to developing a 25-acre retail area, the property will also be the home to the new City of Sand Springs Public Safety facilities. 

Tony Manos, Senior Vice-President of Industrial Development at OmniTRAX, provided a presentation on the project at the City Council meeting. 

OmniTRAX is the owning entity of the Sand Springs Railway, which was acquired in 2014 from Gerdau, and has been leasing portions of the Gerdau property since that time. The company maintains 20 short-line railroads in 9 states and 3 Canadian provinces and works in rail services, terminal services, logistics services, and industrial development. 

"We are a very invested company in our communities," said Manos. "(City-Manager) Elizabeth (Gray)'s team and the two Chiefs (Police Chief Mike Carter and Fire Chief Mike Wood) have been incredible, as well as City Council. This has been the smoothest transition I've ever been a part of in the real estate business."

The Steel Mill is expected to be demolished sometime next year and the new City public safety facilities will be built directly across from WalMart. OmniTRAX is also looking to bring quality jobs to the Sand Springs community, and announced that a new tenant will be moving into a 20,000 sq. ft. facility by April of next year, and will create approximately 50 new jobs for the community.

"We are so proud to bring something back to a site that has been so important to our town throughout its history," said Councilman John Fothergill.  "It really does mean a lot to our city." 

The effort to relocate the current public safety facilities began in 2013 when voters approved a proposition to demolish Fire Station 1, but voted against the corresponding proposition to build a new one. Luckily, there was no timeline for the proposition, and Sand Springs has retained their north side Fire Station. The proposition that failed would have been funded through a property tax increase that could amount to as much as $100 a year for homeowners.

The City gave the project another go in October of last year, when citizens overwhelming voted in favor of extending current sales tax levels. The tax money would be redirected from the previous allocation to a new building for police, fire, and dispatchers. This vote also nixed the decision to demolish Fire Station One, and called for a remodel of the facility to give the Sand Springs Fire Department three stations. 

The City purchased property from the Sand Springs Home in 2014 at the corner of 129th West Avenue and Wekiwa with the intent to build the facilities there, but was met with public concerns that the area was too far outside of town. 

At their last meeting, City Council unanimously approved a contract with Dewberry Architects for design of the new public safety facilities. Their construction will take approximately one year from the completion of the new designs. 

OmniTRAX to present plans for Gerdau property to City Council Monday

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Sand Springs, OK- The Sand Springs Railway Company (SS), a managed affiliate of OmniTRAX, Inc., announced on September 1, 2016 that it is acquiring the Gerdau mill site in Sand Springs. Representatives from OmniTRAX will present preliminary development plans to the Sand Springs City Council on Monday, September 12th.

“For many years, this property was underutilized,” said Sand Springs Mayor Mike Burdge. “The City of Sand Springs is excited to see it become a vibrant and bustling area of commerce, trade and industry. We believe OmniTRAX has the expertise and resources to make that happen. The City looks forward to partnering with OmniTRAX on any future projects.”

Sand Springs Holdings, LLC., an OmniTRAX affiliate, purchased the Sand Springs Railway Company from Gerdau in 2014 and has since been leasing portions of the 146-acre site. Part of the steelmaking operations on the site will be demolished and the property will be developed for mixed-use, including industrial, retail, office and transportation/logistics.

For more updates on development and City happenings, please visit www.sandspringsok.org.