City Continues to Make Improvements With the Help of Grants

The City of Sallisaw has received a $450,000 grant for Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, City Manager Clayton Lucas announced Thursday.

Lucas said the Oklahoma Department of Commerce recently announced a grant award of $450,000 to construct a new flow equalization basin at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project will be completed in-house with the assistance of Neel, Harvell & Associates, saving $769,000 over contracting the project out.

“This grant brings the total grant funds awarded to the city in the past two and a half years to $1.9 million. Seeking outside funding continues to be a focus of the city to leverage the existing funds available and minimize the need to raise taxes or utility rates,” Lucas said.

Lucas said that, in that same time, the city has accomplished several innovative and exciting projects, including:

· Received Oklahoma Municipal League’s award for Innovation in 2016; 

· Built a new animal shelter in-house;

· Partnered with Cherokee Nation’s On the Job Training Program;

· Created a new Tree Trimming Department that works all year, rather than contracting these services for a few weeks each year at a higher cost;

· Expanded DiamondNet wireless internet services to several areas of Sequoyah County;

· Obtained contracts with private refuse companies totaling more than $2 million;

· Constructed a new leachate lagoon at the city’s landfill, which was constructed in-house, saving the City of Sallisaw about $900,000 over contracting the project out; and

· The city is in the process of constructing a new landfill cell in-house, saving the City about $500,000 over contracting the project out.

Contingent upon city council approval, the following projects are planned for 2018:

· New splash pad (grant funded);

· New playground equipment (seeking grant funding);

· Shade structures at the Sports Complex (existing bond funds to be used);

· Expand Brushy Lake Campground to include sewer hookups and 220 outlets at each site (FEMA funded);

· New Sidewalks (seeking grant funding);

· Walking trail at the Sports Complex (grant funded);

· Stickball Court; and

· North Substation electrical system improvements.

For information about any city projects contact city hall at 918-775-6241.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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