PC Commission meeting minutes Aug. 24

To watch the meeting video visit the City’s Facebook page.

PONCA CITY — The Ponca City Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Aug. 24. Mayor Kelsey Wagner called the meeting to order, which was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Commissioners Stephanie Austin, Robert Bodick and Garrett Bowers attended and commissioner Annette Newcomb was absent.

CONSENT AGENDA

Under the Consent Agenda, the City Commission approved the minutes of the Ponca City Board of Commissioners regular session held Aug. 10 and work session held Aug. 17; a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the City of Ponca City; and a resolution designating certain City Employees as Purchasing Officers with authority to make purchases against City and municipal trust appropriations.

CEREMONIES AND PROCLAMATIONS

Under Ceremonies and Proclamations, Return of Spontaneous Circulation Recognition was presented from Heartland Medication Direction.

REPORTS

Under Reports, City Manager Craig Stephenson reported on upcoming events.

Labor Day Holiday

City Hall, Landfill, Library, Marland’s Grand Home, Marland Mansion, RecPlex, Senior Center and Landfill will be closed and there will be no residential refuse service on Monday, Sept. 7 for the Labor Day holiday. Wentz Golf Course will be open on Monday, Sept. 7.

Seasonal Changes

AMBUC Pool and Wentz Pool will be open the following dates before the end of the season:  Aug. 29 and 30 and Sept. 5, 6 and 7, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Ponca City Library will be open on Sundays, beginning Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Splash pads will be open thru Sept. 30.

Summer Concert Series

The season’s final summer concert series at Lake Ponca will be held Sunday, Sept. 6 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Free Movie on the Lawn

The movie Hamilton will be shown for free on the RecPlex west lawn beginning at dusk on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Community Assistance Fair

The Community Assistance Fair will be held at the Ponca City Library on Thursday, Sept. 24 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Connect with local community resources to access essential support services, including housing, food, employment, mental health, transportation, emergency relief and accessibility services.

NEW BUSINESS

Depot District

Commissioners approved a resolution designating a portion of downtown Ponca City as the Depot District. The Santa Fe Depot constructed in 1911, played an important role in the growth and development of Ponca City, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. 

The City of Ponca City acquired the historic Santa Fe Depot and has invested approximately $2.7 million in its renovation and preservation, returning this important community landmark to productive use. The renovated Santa Fe Depot is being developed as a multi-modal transportation hub, with Cimarron Transit offices located at the facility and a future passenger rail stop for Amtrak expansion. The Depot District extends from Fourth Street west to the Santa Fe Depot and from Central Ave. south to Walnut Ave.. The Depot District will complement and connect with the adjacent Arts and Culture District, further strengthening Downtown Ponca City as a destination for residents and visitors.

Traffic Signals

The City Commission awarded the bid for installation of new traffic signal controller assemblies and replacement of wiring at 10 signalized intersections to TLS Group of Oklahoma City in the amount of $230,376.50. This project is the third phase of a multi-year effort to upgrade the City’s traffic signal infrastructure to the latest national standards. Controller assemblies include the cabinet, controller, malfunction management unit and all other peripheral equipment necessary to operate the traffic signal. All underground wiring and pole wiring will also be replaced. Locations of work include: 14th Street and Bradley Ave., 7th Street and South Ave., 5th Street and Prospect Ave., Hartford Ave. and Waverly Street, Highland Ave. and Waverly Street, Harding Ave. and Standing Bear Parkway, 7th Street and Highland Ave., Grand Ave. and Waverly Street, 14th Street and Harding Ave., and 14th Street and Hubbard Road. 

Invitations to bid were sent to the three main traffic signal contractors in the state. Bid advertisement began on July 16 and two bids were received opened on Aug. 6. TLS Group has done various projects with the City since 1986. Start of construction for this 75-calendar-day project is anticipated in mid-October. The individual intersections will operate under a 4-way stop for a period of three to four days during the installation of equipment and wiring. Funding for this project is through the Street Improvement Sales Tax. After the completion of this third-phase project, 24 of the 36 intersections will have be updated. Only 12 downtown intersections will still need to be updated; the downtown intersections will only require new cabinets and controllers.

Christmas Tree

The City Commission approved the purchase of a 40-foot multi-colored programmable LED lighted Christmas tree and 5-foot 3D tree topper from Creative Displays Inc. in the amount of $134,051.32 and authorized an initial payment in the amount of $67,025.66 to facilitate the order. The current static display Christmas Tree installed at City Hall during the Christmas season is beginning to show signs of degradation on the frame and related components and needs replacement. A multi-colored programmable LED tree can project customized light shows synced to Christmas music enhancing the display, elevating community Christmas celebrations, and serving as a driving attraction to Ponca City’s Downtown. Staff received quotes from Mosca Design for $95,098.80; Creative Displays, Inc. for $134,051.32; and The Christmas Light Co. for $161,769. Staff recommended Creative Display, based on its competitive price, ability to integrate the City’s existing audio system into the tree’s programming, and  expansive content portfolio that includes on-site installation support. Lead time to receive the tree and topper is six to eight weeks, allowing time for staff to install the tree at City Hall for this coming Christmas season.

Executive Session

An Executive Session was conducted for purposes of discussing negotiations with the International Association of Fire Fighters. No action was taken.

PONCA CITY UTILITY AUTHORITY

PCUA CONSENT AGENDA

The PCUA Trustees approved the minutes of the PCUA regular session held Aug. 10; a resolution appropriating money for the payment of claims against the PCUA of Ponca City, Oklahoma; a resolution amending the CBD Adaptive Reuse Incentive Program by changing the eligibility time period for participating in the program; a resolution amending the Central Business District Code Compliance Program by changing the eligibility time period for participating in the program; and receipt of Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality construction permit for the construction of sanitary sewer line serving the Osage Street Phase III Project.

NEW BUSINESS

Sewer Improvement

The PCUA Trustees approved a construction contract with Krapff-Reynolds Construction Company of Oklahoma City, for the Osage Street Phase III Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project in the amount of $816,827.50. This project will perform trenchless rehabilitation of 3,747 linear feet of 8-inch and 10-inch sanitary sewer and an anticipated 15 manholes. This basin was studied in detail as part of a 2020 Inflow and Infiltration study, and these lines and associated manholes were identified as being major contributors to the area’s intermittent overflow problems. This is anticipated to be the final project resulting from that 2020 study. Four bids were opened on August 6, 2026, with Krapff-Reynolds recommended as the lowest, most responsible bidder.

HIP 2.0

The PCUA Trustees approved a HIP 2.0 financial incentive for KTE, LLC to construct three new apartment units on the upper story of the former Caboose building located at 110 South First Street in the amount of $52,500 and a HIP 2.0 financial incentive for OKCO Properties, LLC to rehabilitate three single family homes located at 1003 South 8th Street, 735 North Pine Street and 600 North Osage Street in the amount of $52,500.

The PCUA Trustees approved a HIP 2.0 development agreement extension to T-Town Homes, LLC for an additional period of 180 Days to complete the construction of twelve new apartment units in the former Wilbanks Apartments located at 201 North 3rd Street.

The PCUA Trustees denied a HIP 2.0 development extension to Crossfire Construction, LLC for an additional 180 days to complete the construction of eight new housing units in the 3500-3600 block of Frontier Avenue in the Ranchwood Manor subdivision.