Meeting Summary
This special city council meeting served as a Town Hall to discuss proposed general obligation bond projects for an upcoming August election. Department heads presented detailed plans for improvements across parks and recreation, public safety (police and fire), and infrastructure (streets and water). The discussion focused on the necessity, scope, and financial implications of these projects, with an emphasis on quality of life and economic development for Midwest City.
Financial Matters
John Conrad Golf Course Renovations and Equipment
Improvements to the golf course and purchase of new maintenance equipment.
Purchase of Aerial Fire Truck
Basic cost for a new aerial fire truck with necessary equipment.
Purchase of Fire Engine
Basic cost for a new fire engine with necessary equipment.
Fire Department Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Replacement
Cost to replace aging SCBA equipment.
Outdoor Warning Devices Project
Total project cost for new tornado sirens, supplemented by grant money.
Residential Street Rehabilitation
Proposed budget for city-wide residential street repairs.
General Obligation Bond Repayment Structure
Bonds to be sold in series and paid back over a 25-year timeframe, maintaining a 10 millage cap on the city's sinking fund.
Estimated Monthly Tax Increase for Homeowners
Projected monthly increase for the first year of the bond issue for a $100,000 home (net assessed value $10,000).
Public Comments
Citizens provided feedback and asked questions primarily regarding the proposed locations for the animal shelter and police/fire training facilities, the economic impact and necessity of the golf course and sports facilities, and the financial structure and duration of the bond repayment. There was significant discussion about the need for a centrally located, welcoming animal shelter and the benefits of in-house training facilities.
Coming Up
Deadlines
- August 28 election date for general obligation bond proposals
Watch For
- Council to prioritize bond proposals for the ballot (likely 4-6 propositions)
- Identification of exact locations for the new animal shelter and police/fire training facilities prior to the August election
Agenda Summary
John Conrad Golf Course Renovations
Proposed renovations to the 18-hole facility, including rebuilding greens, bunkers, new irrigation, and new maintenance equipment.
Reed Baseball Complex Improvements
Renovations to convert the high school-size field into four smaller fields for various age groups, including synthetic surfaces, drainage, and paving.
Midwest City Soccer Club Additional Fields
Adding two additional multi-purpose fields with lighting to accommodate various age groups.
New Multi-Purpose Athletic Facility
A fully synthetic surface facility designed for adult softball, flag football, and lined for macro/micro soccer, baseball, softball, and lacrosse, intended as an economic engine.
Mid-America Park Additions
Renovating the park with new amenities like sand volleyball, paved trails, community gardens, fitness stations, and an 18-hole championship disc golf course, utilizing recently donated land.
Town Center Park Improvements
Master-planned improvements for the old bomber water tower property, including a Greenbelt area, walking paths, a mall area connecting to Town Center, and potential splash pad and pavilions.
New Animal Welfare Center
Proposal for a new state-of-the-art facility with improved HVAC, easier cleaning, nearly 200% increase in capacity, and a more inviting design for public adoption.
Police and Fire Training Facility (Classroom Space)
A shell building to provide larger, shared classroom space for police and fire department training, addressing current limitations.
Purchase of Two Fire Trucks
Proposal to purchase an aerial truck and another fire engine to meet current needs and adhere to a 15-year replacement cycle, with basic necessities.
Fleet and Other Police and Fire Training Facility
A metal structure building with reconfigurable partition walls for apartment/house style living, a four-story design for live burns, repelling, and tactical maneuvers.
Fire Department Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Replacement
Replacement of SCBA bottles and equipment reaching their useful life, to meet NFPA standards and ensure firefighter safety.
Hose and Nozzle Replacement
Replacement of aging fire hoses and nozzles to maintain effectiveness and meet NFPA standards for water delivery.
Shift Commander Vehicle
Acquisition of a new vehicle for shift commanders.
Mobile Breathing Air Unit
A mobile unit to bring air to fire scenes for refilling SCBA bottles, improving efficiency and safety.
Fire Station One Headquarters Remodel
Remodeling of the 1976 Fire Station One building to address crumbling infrastructure, plumbing issues, and improve living conditions for firefighters.
Fire Station Exhaust Removal System
Installation of exhaust removal systems in fire stations to capture diesel emissions and prevent them from entering living quarters, improving air quality.
Police and Fire Handheld and Portable Radio Replacement
Replacement of aging handheld and portable radios for police and fire, including a secondary tower site for increased coverage and redundancy.
Public Safety Technology Improvement
A conglomerate project including an upgrade to the 911 CAD system, mobile devices for police cars and fire trucks, mobile ticket writing, and SAN/servers for data storage (e.g., body camera footage).
Outdoor Warning Devices Replacement/Upgrade
Replacement of 18-year-old tornado sirens with new 360-degree projection sirens on concrete poles, and adding two repurposed sirens for a total of twelve.
Residential Street Rehabilitation
A $15.9 million project for rehabilitating residential streets identified through a city-wide survey and detailed assessment.
Above-Ground Water Storage Tank (Phase 1)
Construction of one large above-ground water storage tank to replace aging underground concrete tanks from the late 1940s/early 1950s, with a future Phase 2 for an additional tank.