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July 8, 2010

City OKs land lease for gas project

By BOB GIBBINS Press Staff Writer

TAHLEQUAH — Compressed natural gas sales may soon be on their way to Tahlequah after action Tuesday night by the city council.

Councilors voted 3-0 to approve a proposed land lease between the city and Northeast Oklahoma Public Facilities Authority for the purpose of constructing and operating a compressed natural gas station. Ward 4 Councilor JoAnn Bradley was not at the meeting. Mayor Ken Purdy said Assistant City Administrator Kevin Smith and NOPFA have been working on the lease agreement.

Purdy said NOPFA has attained nearly $1 million in grant funding, and will be using some of its own money for the project. He said the lease is for 1.58 acres across the road from the NOPFA offices in the Industrial Park.

He said plans are to build a similar station in Stilwell. Purdy said NOPFA will construct, operate and maintain the station.

“Our [city] job is simply to make the land available,” he told the council. “We believe it will be good for the public in general.”

He said Cherokee Nation is planning to build a similar plant for the tribe’s use. It is believed the station will be used to fuel the city’s vehicle fleets as well as NSU and private use.

The council also gave its approval to Tahlequah Recycling Inc., to provide private curbside recycling on a city-wide basis.

Dale Hutchins said TRI will start by doing the curbside pick up on the same days as the trash routes.

“Our pilot program went really well,” Hutchins said. “We’re ready to expand and we’ve had a lot of requests.”

Hutchins said residents need to remember the service is in addition to city sanitation service and is not being done in lieu of the service the city provides.

“We’re trying not to interfere with the city,” Hutchins said.

“We’re trying to eliminate any confusion.”

He said TRI is looking at starting its program in August.

Approval was given to block Keetoowah Street from Muskogee to Water Avenues on Sept. 4 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a celebration to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Independent Free Press Act.

The request came from Brian Pollard, publisher of the Cherokee Phoenix.

A site plan for the new elementary school at Southridge was approved.

The council also approved allowing county and Tahlequah firefighters to collect money on the street for annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Boot Drive Sept. 4.

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