WAURIKA — Waurika city commissioners addressed two longstanding projects during a regular meeting May 5, and were able to report some progress was being made on one.

More than two years ago, the Department of Homeland Security mandated that the City of Waurika build a security fence to enclose the Waurika Water Treatment Facility on U.S. Highway 70.

No federal funds were made available for the project and, over time, city funds earmarked for fence construction were used on other projects.

During a report at the May 5 meeting, City Manager Chuck Brown told commissioners only one bid was received for installation of the fence, and he will present that bid to the commissioners and Waurika Public Works Authority at their June meeting.

Following the meeting at City Hall, Brown said the bid came “from a company in Walters, who will first erect the rolling gates and the front part of the fence. The gates will be an additional $3,500, which is going to push the cost of the total package for the first part of the project to about $11,800.”

Noting that only about $15,000 is currently available for the fence project, Brown said, “The Walters company will do the job in sections. They’ll do the front side and gate first and, eventually, they’ll enclose the entire water plant.”

In his manager’s report, Brown also told the commissioners he and Chamber of Commerce President Brad Scott met recently with District 31 Sen. Don Barrington to discuss the D Street renovation project. D Street is a main entryway into the city, and for some time, city officials have felt repaving the east end of the street was a needed city improvement that would also help Waurika attract new businesses.

Brown turned the floor over to Scott, who said he met with Bob Rose, engineer for Field Division 7 of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

“Bob said $25,000 is available through ODOT, but that wouldn’t be enough to complete the project,” Scott reported.

Scott noted that Rose will soon meet with Brown, Mayor Gayle Johnson, Chamber officials and David Morris, acting Jefferson County commissioner for District 1, to discuss options for the project.

During his manager’s report, Brown also said a project to repair potholes in streets was being slowed by a lack of required material.

“We’ve tried to get some ‘cold lay’ to patch the streets, but there’s no ‘cold lay’ available anywhere around us,” he told the commissioners. “We’ve called all the way down to Fort Worth (Texas), and the other day (Street Superintendent) Bill Ray went to two places in Lawton, and we can’t find ‘cold lay’ anywhere.”

A presentation from Dave Taylor of the Waurika Lake Master Conservancy was on the agenda for Monday’s meeting. Taylor was going to discuss the conservancy’s plan for selling the remaining storage water at Waurika Lake.

However, because Commissioners Chris Watkins and Carole Eakin were absent, Taylor’s presentation was bumped to the June regular meeting.

The three commissioners present did award bids on four old city vehicles that had previously been declared surplus.

Smith & Sons’ offer of $400 was the winning bid on a 1988 Chevrolet pickup truck used by the Waurika Volunteer Fire Department. Jerry Wallace bid $161 on that vehicle and Jim Breitigan made a bid of $157.

Wallace was the only bidder for three other vehicles. He obtained a 1991 Crain Carrier garbage truck for $1,101, a 1978 International 10-wheel dump truck for $561 and a 1975 International 10-wheel dump truck for $801.

In other action, the commissioners unanimously approved:

n A proclamation issued by Johnson that the “City of Waurika supports and encourages fair housing practices,” and that the City affirms it will “follow concepts and practices and intent embodied by the federal, state and local laws in regard to the Fair Housing Act.”

The proclamation was in response to a requirement attached to the Community Development Block Grant the city received.

During new business, Commissioner Scott Cathey told Ray that he had received complaints about Department of Corrections workers riding in the back of a city pickup while working for the Street Department.

Cathey noted that the city had purchased a panel van to safely transport DOC workers, and some citizens wondered why the workers were still being moved in the pickup.

“Let’s face it,” Ray replied, with some irritation, “you can’t haul guys and lawn mowers in the van. And, as long as (DOC workers) are sitting in the bed of the pickup, it’s legal to move them that way.”

Ray explained that the van is used each morning and evening to transport all the DOC workers who perform tasks around the city, and that large groups of workers are also transported in the van, but small groups of workers and their equipment are being moved from job to job in the pickup.

Jefferson County Sheriff Michael Bryant noted that having “two or three workers sitting in the bed of the pickup is legal. It’s when you get 10 or 12 guys in a pickup, and some of them are hanging out of it, that it becomes illegal.”

Cathey said he felt the explanations from Ray and Bryant justified use of the pickup.

Also during new business, Johnson complimented Ray for work his street crews have accomplished in Centennial Park “and for getting the planter boxes on Main Street cleaned up, so the Chamber (of Commerce) can put out new plants.”