City Budget Approved by Commissioners

Sallisaw City Commissioners, at their regular meeting Monday evening, approved the city’s budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

The total budget appropriations and transfers, according to the agenda, is $51,536,940.

During the meeting City Manager Clayton Lucas also announced that one lane on J.T. Stites Street has been reopened. The street, on the city’s west side, was closed last week after heavy rains washed away the fill around two tin horns under the street. Lucas said the street should be completely repaired and reopened by next week.

Also at the meeting the commissioners: 

-approved a statement of support for Pafford EMS, which is now required by the state;

-approved resolutions authorizing a law enforcement mutual aid agreement between the city and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office;

-approved a $6,300 contract with Neel, Harvell and Associates P.C for engineering services for a sewer line extension along Drake Road to the new Aviagen feed plant;

-approved a contract for $175,725 with Mahan Construction Inc. of Wagner for the relocation of the I-40/Delaware waterline, for which the city is to be reimbursed by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation;

-approved a contract with attorney Bryce Kennedy to provide legal representation and consulting in matters related to the Upper Payment Limit Funding Program, which is a plan to provide additional funding to Sequoyah Memorial Hospital;

-approved naming the streets in Tsalagi Apartment Complex for emergency services as Tsalagi Lane and Gist Lane, both of which were suggested by the Cherokee Nation, owner of the complex;

-approved a $189,776 contract with Vance Brothers Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., to repave the runway at Sallisaw Municipal Airport and authorize the city manager of accept a Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program Grant for $222,998, with matching funds of $24,778; and

-after an executive session, approved the re-employment of the city manager for another year with a 3 percent cost of living raise.

In the Sallisaw Municipal Authority meeting, the commissioners, acting as the authority, approved the setting of an internet pole in the Blackgum area that will provide Diamond Net internet services to the Gore and Webbers Falls area, and approved a purchase order to Parrish Electric Inc. of Perry to replace 17 wooden electric poles.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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