By Tom Fink
March 18, 2009 — After the removal of a deal-tabling provision within a land purchase agreement, Claremore City Council members Monday night approved a revised agreement between the City of Claremore and Rogers County Youth Services in a unanimous vote.
In the original agreement, RCYS was to purchase 4.1 acres of property which had been declared surplus by the city for the sum of $84,922.73 — the property’s fair market value.
Under the previous terms of the contract, the city was to have provided certain provisions, including vacating the property, granting road access and extending the street 400 feet into the property — the site of the future Rogers County Youth Services center.
The road extension, which was estimated to have cost the city between $90,000 and $150,000 became a key point of discussion as some council members had not been aware of the land purchase stipulation prior to its presentation at the March 2 meeting.
“Following the previous council meeting and concerns expressed about the road extension provision, it has been removed from the agreement,” said Randy Elliot, attorney, City of Claremore. “Although there are still normal expenses involved in a land sale, such as providing the abstracts and the clearing of land, which Rogers County Youth Services will be assisting with, the stipulation regarding the city’s added cost of the 400-foot road extension has been removed.”
Council members approved the land purchase in a vote of 6-0, with Deputy Mayor Flo Guthrie and councilwoman Paula Watson recusing themselves from voting.
In other actions, Council members:
•Approved the waiving of Expo Center facility usage fees for the upcoming RSU Regional College Rodeo at the Expo Center. RSU Assistant Athletic Director Eddie Jackson told Council members event co-ordinators would handle set-up and that it could bring as many as 7,000 persons into Claremore for the event.
•Accepted a bid for sanitary sewer flow monitors from Automatic Engineering Inc. in the amount of $18,985.43.
•Heard a presentation by Richard Smith of INCOG regarding Claremore’s Stormwater MS4 Permit and the City of Claremore’s requirements under this permit.
•Approved the purchase of a 2009 Honda utility vehicle for the School resource officer from Eskridge Honda in the amount of $20,200.
•Approved the contribution refund payment to Scott Stephens from Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund (OMRF).
•Accept the Electric Line Easement from Travis Terral and Christy Terral allowing City to supply electrical service for proposed construction of new house.
•Approve agreement with SignalTek, Inc. for maintaining City’s traffic signals — $640 per month, plus $75 per hour for technicians, effective July 1, 2009
