Improvements are being made all across Guthrie. From trash waste to electricity to Lime scooters, Guthrie is growing at an exponential rate and with that growth, comes the cost.
The Blowin’ Smoke BBQ bash raised a grand total of $3,067 for Hope House with this year’s event.
At last week’s City Council meeting the council heard multiple proposals.
Change order No. 1 to the 2022 Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project for ORR Construction Inc. added 15 days and $430 to the original contract was passed unanimously.
Waste Connections of Oklahoma Inc. submitted a contract renewal to extend trash services from Oct. 2023 until Sept. 2028. The following resolution number 2022-05 amended the fees associated with trash collection. Currently, the City has a five-year contract with Waste Connections that expires Sept. 30, 2023.
The contract shows a 15.15% residential increase to the City of Guthrie. In the previous contract, Waste Connections was locked in at a maximum 2% rate increase. According to city officials, Waste Connections was unable to keep up with inflation costs.
Special Use Permits for manufactured homes were passed unanimously for both properties in Forrest Hills. Both application 22-005 and 22-006 are requests to place manufactured homes on the properties in question, however they must comply with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act commonly known as the HUD code.
Ordinance No. 3371, a rezoning request for 706 South Capitol Street, requests the rezone from Single Family Dwelling to General Residential District to be made in order for duplexes to be put on the property. The ordinance passed unanimously.
Electricity is being voted on due to the unanimous passing of Resolution 2022-19, a call for a special municipal election to decide whether a franchise agreement with Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) should be put in place. Ordinance 3370 for OG&E would allow them the right to produce, transmit and distribute electricity for the next 25 years.
Under Oklahoma law, after the elected officials approve a proposed franchise, the franchise is submitted for a vote, and must be approved by an affirmative vote at an election called for that purpose. City Manager Leroy Alsup warned citizens that customer rates with OG&E will not be factored into the vote, but simply allow OG&E to provide the service.
“If there are issues relevant with the rates, those should be addressed through the (Oklahoma) Corporation Commission process not on a vote whether or not we want to have somebody supply electricity,” Alsup said.
Lime scooters, seen across downtown Guthrie as a cheap and easy source of transportation, received a 12 month extension on their Memorandum of Understanding between Neutron Holding Inc. and the City of Guthrie. They have been an effective way to travel quickly across town and there hasn’t been any major discussion either for or against the Lime scooters, thus the extension passed unanimously.
Photo by Aaron Ryburn/City of Guthrie