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Kingfisher city commissioners approved a conceptual master plan for the Newfield Community Park, presented by Kingfisher Trails Inc. President John Gooden at last week’s monthly city meeting.

Gooden asked for approval of the tentative plan as Kingfisher Trails prepares its application for a second round of federal grant funding for the park, to supplement a half-million-dollar donation from the charitable foundation of the former Newfield Exploration Co.

Designed to incorporate portions of 13 city blocks located immediately west of Main Street and north of Broadway, the park’s master plan includes water features, a band shell and amphitheater, open parklands, a natural wetlands area and more.

“What the Trails and I have come up with is a really nice park for the West Bottom,” he said.

Much of the property to be utilized in the park was purchased by the city through its ongoing three-phase voluntary flood buyout financed by Federal Emergency Management Administration hazard mitigation funds.

Once purchased from owners seeking to relocate out of the floodplain, the properties are cleared of structures and are only available for “open uses,” such as a park or ballfield.

Several additional properties were purchased by Kingfisher Trails utilizing funds from private donors.

Gooden told commissioners that Kingfisher Trails Inc. commissioned the master plan, designed by CLS Landscape Architects because that’s the level of detail that makes for winning grant applications.

“As I’ve told you, and I hope you appreciate, I play to win,” Gooden said at the meeting. “In order to get the next grant, Kingfisher is going to have to be number 1 or 2 – maybe number 3 – in the whole state. Only a few points will determine the difference between first place and maybe fifth place.”

Gooden said approval of the master plan does not serve as actual authorization for the park’s construction.

“We still have to go through the whole grant process and the city still has to approve what we actually do,” he said.

While intended as a stand-alone recreational facility, plus concert and festival venue, Newfield Community Park also will serve as the centerpiece of Kingfisher Trails’ years-long project to circumnavigate the city via a connected series of walking and biking trails.

Gooden said he and Kingfisher Trails are still working on a final budget and plan for the park.

Dilapidated Properties

In other business, commissioners voted to declare several local properties as dilapidated, one of which may become absorbed into the community park.

Jim Schwartz, owner of a vacant duplex located at 314 W. Miles Ave., told commissioners that he has an agreement to sell the property to Kingfisher Trails Inc., which also will share in the cost of demolition, but he’s having a hard time finding a contractor to do the demolition work.

Commissioners voted to give Schwartz an additional 90 days to find a contractor to remove the structure.

Two fire-damaged structures also were considered for condemnation and abatement.

•115 N. Sixth St. – Commissioners voted to give the owner an additional 90 days to bring the structure into compliance at the request of the owner, who was present at the meeting.

•403 W. Toronto Ave. – Commissioners voted to declare the property dilapidated and institute abatement proceedings. City staff member Jon Friesen reported that the owner had received notice and had not responded to city letters.

Commissioners voted to declare another home dilapidated at 524 E. Robberts Ave. and delay summary abatement proceedings for 90 days. Another home is being constructed at the same location and property owners requested time to remove belongings before pulling the existing structure down.

Commissioners also approved a $12,000 demolition of a structure at 419 S. Second St. which had been declared dilapidated at a previous meeting.

In other business at last week’s nearly three-hour meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to:

•Approve a five-year lease of a portion of the former National Guard armory to Pioneer Telephone Coop at a cost of $500 per month plus property improvements, including new lighting and a concrete drive and repairs to the overhead doors.

•Approve a facility use agreement with Stingray Swim Team for a one-hour daily practice session at Vernie Snow Aquatic Center, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on weekdays.

Leslie Alvarez, one of the city’s current lifeguards, serves as coach of the Stingray team, which is not affiliated with any school.

•Approve the annual auditing contract with CBEW.

•Declare the horse swings at Kingfisher Park as surplus, allowing them to be donated to Ambucs to be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the all-accessible playground to be constructed at the park.

•Approved a capital improvement plan for Fiscal Year 2020. City Manager Dave Slezickey said the plan, which includes an estimated total of $23 million in capital improvements is intended to help prioritize capital needs during the budgeting process but does not commit the city to any particular expenditure.

•Approved the purchase of two Dodge Chargers for police cruisers from Bob Howard Auto Group at the state bid price of $24,170 each.

The vehicles were included in the police department’s 2020 budget and will replace the last of the Ford Crown Victorias in the department’s patrol fleet.

•Approved the purchase of a new flatbed truck for the street department at a cost of $76,150 for the truck and $12,540 for the flat dump bed, prices that are at or below the state bid.

•Approved a modification of Ordinance 2019-9 Flood Damage Prevention to require new construction to be two feet above base flood elevation. Commissioners also voted to declare an emergency, making the new ordinance immediately effective.

Commissioner Comments

Several commissioners expressed concern that the city’s newly opened convenience center hasn’t entirely resolved the trash problem.

A number of business owners have complained about an uptick of unauthorized dumping in their commercial dumpsters.

City staff are advising business owners to purchase locks for their dumpsters, which would prevent unauthorized access but still allow them to be collected by Oklahoma Environmental Management Authority’s trucks, which empty the dumpsters through a hydraulic process that is not impacted by a lock on the lid.

Slezickey reported that the city is working on a grant through the Department of Environmental Quality for a recycling container and can also request additional roll-outs at the convenience center.

Commissioners said the limited hours at the collection center have been an issue with their constituents.

“We got a rate increase and then we can’t use the convenience center when we need it is what people are saying,” Commissioner Tammy Mueggenborg said.

Commissioner Wendell Prim also noted that OEMA’s limited schedule for replacing full rollouts also causes a problem when residents try to dump their trash and rollouts are all full.

“I think people would pay more if they could actually get the service,” Commissioner Roxie Alexander said.

“We’re not opening a landfill,” Slezickey said. “The cost of building it is not worth it.

“We’re going to get it figured out.”

Under Kingfisher Public Works Authority’s agenda, commissioners approved the following items:

•Lease agreement with Ervin Young on the Throckmorton property for $10,101 for the year.

•Repair to the pump at the underpass in the amount of $10,743.02.

•Declare as surplus old water and electric meters (about 2,000 of each).

•Declare an emergency to allow repair of a sewer main at North Second Street after damages from the flooding in May.

Estimated cost is $45,000 to $65,000, with reimbursement expected from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

•Purchase a bucket truck for the electric department from Equipment Technology LLC in Oklahoma City at or below the state bid price of $101,246.08.

Slezickey said the actual cost may be less than that since the truck is the last on the dealer’s lot.