Transcript Staff Writer
MOORE -- City councilmembers endorsed a new contract for city firefighters, changed a municipal ordinance governing oil and gas storage wells, and approved more than $1 million in spending during a meeting Monday evening.
Voting unanimously, councilmembers approved a new contract with the international Association of Firefighters, Local 2047.
That contract, Mayor Glenn Lewis said, would give Moore firemen a 3 percent pay increase.
"Basically it's a 3 percent raise," he said. "This is the second year of a two-year contract and it was very easy to work with the firemen."
Lewis said city officials use the 2007 Oklahoma City firefighters' contract as the baseline for Moore's pay schedule.
"We stay one year behind Oklahoma City's contract," he said.
In addition to the firefighters' contract, Lewis said councilmembers endorsed changes to a city ordinance requiring sightproof fencing on oil and gas wells.
"People from three different oil companies attended the meeting," he said. "And this a nice compromise with them."
Under the ordinance, Lewis said oil companies would be required to screen pumps and storage tanks with fencing and landscaping.
"We want them (the storage tanks) to be secure," Lewis said. "We don't want solid fencing, because you can't see if kids sneak in there to play. Those things can be dangers and we want to secure them."
Companies who use "chain-link" fencing will be required to landscape the area around the tank, he said.
"We're working with the oil companies to clean up the sites. They are painting tanks, cleaning up and keeping them beautified."
The effort, Lewis said, makes a good partnership. "We're working with them instead of fighting," Lewis said. "We all want to make sure the areas are secure so no kids can get in there. We want to clean them up and make them safe."
Monday evening councilmembers also heard a report about the city's proposed new wastewater treatment plant.
A new plant originally was planned on land near the intersection of Indian Hills Road and south Pennsylvania Avenue.
However, the facility drew the complaints from landowners in the area and city officials eventually shelved the idea.
Monday evening, councilmembers heard a report from Eagle Consulting about alternative sites for the plant.
"We're going to build a new facility on the same land that our old facility is on," Lewis said. "We will build the new plant first, then tear down the old one."
Lewis said the new plant would be "state of the art" and would be funded by a construction loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
"We'll be holding a public hearing soon," he said. He said construction costs are expected to be between $28 million and $35 million.
"We're going to do it as quick as we can. We're trying to get more capacity and take out the odors."
In other action, councilmembers:
Approved a $500,000 budget supplement to the General Fund Street Department.
Accepted a drainage easement from Richard Montgomery in lots 10, 11 and 12 in block 8 of the Lockhoma Estates Addition.
Approved a lot split in the Westmoore Business Park.
Endorsed a $3,000 contract with Cleveland County Rebuilding Together for low-income repairs.
Approved the preliminary plant of Old Town Square.
Approved spending $101,277 for the purchase of three one-ton Wildland Grass-Bursh apparatuses.
Acting at the Moore Public Works authority, the council approved:
A contract with the Great Plains Coca-Cola Bottling company.
Claims and expenditures totaling $119,126.
Acting as the Moore Economic Development Authority, the council approved:
A report from the city's economic development director.
The council's next meeting will be 6:30 p.m. April 7 at Moore City Hall, 301 N. Broadway Ave.
M. Scott Carter 366-3545 scarter@normantranscript.com
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