By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
EL RENO – More than one-third of $2.9 million that has accumulated in Canadian County funds has been earmarked for a Banner Road project.
The current balance of the County Bridge and Road Improvements (CBRI)-D123 account for all three districts is $2,903,270.99.
“It’s been accumulating for quite a while,” Canadian County Commission Chairman Dave Anderson said. “Over the years, we’ve used the money from time to time and I wanted to start a plan of how we’re going to use it going forward.”
Canadian County Commissioners, at their weekly meeting March 20, agreed to use $1 million of that amount for a mill and overlay project on Banner Road from Reno to State Highway 152.
This five-mile project will be in Chairman Anderson’s District 2, and he received the OK from Canadian County’s two new commissioners to proceed.
“I plan on using $1 million of the $2.9 million,” Anderson told District 1 Commissioner Tom Manske and District 3 Commissioner Tracey Rider.
The four-term District 2 commissioner hopes to have the Banner Road project finished this summer before the Oklahoma Department of Transportation closes a section of SH-152 for a paving project.
Traffic will be diverted to S.W. 59th from Highway 81 into Mustang during the SH-152 construction.
“I expect there will be an increased amount of traffic on Banner Road during that time,” Anderson said.
District 2 will hire an engineer to design plans and conduct geotechnical work on the planned Banner Road project.
Canadian County Commissioners have been collecting money in their combined CBRI account over the past 13 years to spend on county road and bridge projects.
“It started out being around $20,000 (monthly),” Chairman Anderson said. “With gross production, it has gotten higher. We currently receive $40,000 to $50,000 a month.”
Commissioners Manske and Rider also have unspent CBRI funds that already have been allocated to their districts – $50,692.41 for District 1 and $32,101.56 for District 3.
As gross production revenues accumulate, those monies are invested in interest-bearing accounts.
When District 2 is ready to spend the $1 million for the Banner Road project, Canadian County Commissioners will transfer the funds from the CBRI-D123 account to the district-specific account.
“It will be several months before we touch the money,” Anderson told Manske and Rider. “I just wanted to give you a heads-up.”
CBRI funds must be used for road and bridge improvements – and not for vehicle purchases, for example.
“It’s from a specific source for a specific purpose,” Anderson added.
JAIL REPAIRS
Repairs are needed at the Canadian County Jail, 304 N Evans.
To help with the project, Canadian County Commissioners on March 20 approved renting a scissor lift from WBC Tool Rental.
Tiles must be replaced on the high ceiling of the jail’s open dormitory, according to Canadian County maintenance director Jason Acuff.
Security camera and fire suppression repairs also are needed, he told commissioners.
WBC’s weekly rental rate is $618. But the cost is $480 if the equipment is returned within two days.
Commissioner Manske believes county officials should consider purchasing a scissor lift instead of renting one.
“We could use it at the expo center; we could use it at the jail,” Manske said. “It’s something to think about in the future.”
Among other business at their March 20th meeting, Canadian County Commissioners approved:
- An agreement with ZFI Engineering for a structural condition assessment of county buildings, specifically the Canadian County Health Department’s El Reno building and the Canadian County Jail’s sallyport connection.
- Opening bids submitted by four companies for a new or used snow blower machine for District 2. The bid award was tabled for Commissioner Anderson to review the proposals.
- Resolutions to declaring county equipment as surplus for the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office – two, 2009 Chevrolet Tahoes and one 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe.
Canadian County Undersheriff Kevin Ward presented the weekly county jail report showing 219 inmates in custody, with 188 prisoners at the El Reno detention center and 31 others in outside contract counties.
