Dec. 7 – Council members plan to discuss submitting a grant application to rebuild more than a mile of Electric Avenue at its next regular meeting.
Items scheduled for the McAlester City Council include an agenda item for discussion and possible action on a resolution supporting a U.S. Department of Transportation plan for the “Electric Avenue Multi-modal Project.” City staff recommends adoption of the resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application. The discussion item was prepared by Michael Allen of the city’s Finance and Grants Department.
According to the agenda package, this will be the city’s fourth attempt to secure funding for this project. Although last year’s application was not selected, feedback from USDOT was encouraging.
The project aims to address critical issues including road width, utility damage, safety concerns and lighting improvements.
The resolution states that the city has identified the improvements to Electric Avenue as critical and has included this project in its 20-year comprehensive plan, which was adopted in 2019, and its five-year capital improvement plan. And the city is preparing a proposal for USDOT’s RAISE program for up to $25 million for the entire project.
Council will also consider signing the first-year contract and other required documentation for a five-year wildfire mitigation project.
In May, the city received $5,842,630 through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program to help at-risk communities protect their homes, businesses and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfires.
According to the agenda package, implementation was delayed as federal authorities worked to develop the necessary processes and procedures in coordination with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, which will be discussed in the coming days.
Council members will meet at McAlester City Hall at 28 E. Washington Ave. on Tuesday, December 10 at 6 p.m.
Residents can contact the Council about a subject that is not on the agenda. Residents must provide their name and address and speak for up to five minutes.
For a preview of other topics not included in the McAlester City Council agenda packet, visit www.cityofmcalester.com and find agendas, packets and minutes under the Government tab.
