The Duncan Banner

Local News

August 23, 2010

Council revisiting items from past meetings

Council considers bids for water line improvements

Kevin Kerr The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — City Councilors will be revisiting several items from both recent and not-so-recent council meetings, including two items from the last Duncan City Council meeting.

The consideration of an amendment for professional services with Crafton Tull Sparks & Associates, Inc. involving the pump station improvements project that was tabled from the Aug. 10 city council meeting will come back to the forefront. This project is behind in completion time due to a stipulation with the project that requires to buy American products. This stipulation has backlogged the manufacturing companies which has in turn delayed shipment and delivery of needed parts for the Duncan pump station project.

This item was tabled so the council could consider the amendment to the contract with Crafton Tull Sparks & Associates, Inc.

Also in Duncan Public Works, the council will be considering bids for the Water Line Improvements ’09-’10 project. This item was also tabled from the Aug. 10 council meeting. In a memo released by city manager Jim Frieda suggested that all bids be rejected due to the competitive nature of the market at this time and because all bids exceeded the approximately $480,000 budget for the project.

From one of the not-so-recent meetings, councilors will hear an update from Dave Taylor of the Waurika Conservancy District regarding the purchase of the remaining portion of the Waurika Reservoir and the schedule of bond sales. This item was first brought to the council’s attention in May by Taylor.

The council will also be dealing with FEMA again during Tuesday’s meeting, however, on a much more positive note as compared to recent dealings with the organization.

Duncan has participated in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) since at least 1974, according to a memo released by Frieda. Since June of 2007, staff members have been working with FEMA and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) in an effort labeled by FEMA as Map Modernization. Its main purpose is an effort to modernize the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM’s) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) by producing digital versions of these items. In addition, the FIRM’s will now have aerial photography background to assist in floodplain management efforts. This will allow for the modernized maps to be incorporated into a Geographic Information System.

FEMA has notified the City of Duncan that these documents will become effective Sept. 29 and in order to maintain good standing in the MFIP, Duncan must adopt a revised ordinance, which includes the adoption of the new FIRM’s and FIS, and notify FEMA of the same before Sept. 29.

The council will end Tuesday’s meeting with an executive session to discuss confidential communications between a public body and its attorney. This items is concerning a pending investigation, claim or action if the public body, with the advice of its attorney, determines that disclosure will seriously impair the ability of the public body to process the claim or conduct a pending investigation, litigation or proceeding in the public interest.

Frieda was unable to be reached for comment on this issue and no further details are available at this time concerning who or what this item is pertaining to.



— Kevin Kerr is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354 Ext. 147 or by e-mail at kevin.kerr@duncanbanner.com.

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