[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6553581,"mediaKeyId","5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2","parentId",5066496,"title","McAlester water superintendent reports compliance gains, new pumps and SCADA upgrades","audioSeconds",152,"startMs",3333000,"endMs",3485000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2&start=3333&end=3485","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2/thumbnail_3333000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6553581/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/McAlester-water-superintendent-reports-compliance-gains-new-pumps-and-SCADA-upgrades","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553581-29b02c07d8a51d3df3f5a3af50e68250/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448472&Signature=CR5Qo67qdcxhBIXLqp7~S2F9S6QMNiMT~9szX3Jn4w0dnW1bTiYoz3MYNVI6pm1oT82jpnAPwG85-c0NR4WOpWw2SM6-5YGXSLhC2yT-y1Gn~gKh2l1OHeT8722rdYHA5pc50MbXO5OGywB29WQ3fz9TkOX1JrkRM4zDCkPmYYWZeD2SYo7TpNBk0b7SGg2sIzGy5jcI0lr2fQyGwQiGV8zpiT7l9ERvAgJlL8G8tVP6zago1TcLOd-BDIEQPpFzm4dRAitlpyQv3u-q7DqxP1ZAiY7vorXD4MXT09uvzccp~f89zZjHOpmaAEft9ZxP64Az3teqISs7T1JrOln6YQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mcalester","date","2025-06-25T13:00:57Z","article","Lucky Huff, McAlester’s water treatment plant superintendent, briefed the council on operations and capital improvements, saying the plant has made measurable progress toward compliance and reliability.

Huff said staff implemented a flushing program, completed remedial work on towers and discharge meters, and expects to have two new high-service pumps operational by mid to late August; once the pumps and variable-frequency drives are online the city will begin demolishing and rebuilding the remaining two pumps. He said the upgrades contributed to eliminating a long-standing consent order for disinfection byproducts by increasing circulation and reducing residence time in the distribution system.

Huff described other upgrades under way, including filter rehabilitation, a new mixer at the tower, and a phased move to flow-paced chemical feeds, all intended to reduce chemical use and operating costs. He said the plant is also planning SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) improvements to automate monitoring, integrate the new pumps and controls, and improve response and efficiency.

Huff asked residents to consider a plant tour to see operations firsthand and highlighted that the plant’s generator backups had successfully maintained service during a recent dual failure at the lake and pump-house site. Councilors commended the operations team for training, technical gains and cost-saving measures including switching to more standard power service that could reduce annual electric bills.

Huff closed by noting workforce training and certifications have been a priority, and that continued rehabilitation projects will be budgeted and scheduled in the coming year.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New - Regular Council Meeting, June 24th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Water treatment plant superintendent Lucky Huff told council the plant has achieved compliance goals, eliminated a consent order for disinfection byproducts through a flushing program, and is installing new high-service pumps and SCADA controls to improve operations and reduce chemical and power costs.","taxTitle","McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma","taxId",53915,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553586,"Forensic audit finds only minor issues in McAlester review; council and staff dispute broader claims",1064,2066000,3130000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2&start=2066&end=3130","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2/thumbnail_2066000.jpg","/articles/6553586/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/Forensic-audit-finds-only-minor-issues-in-McAlester-review-council-and-staff-dispute-broader-claims","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553586-dc8ede16686ff8a811b65f11cb5d2fba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448472&Signature=oBaXIMYhdxooKmt~KEogTHsfPQv94fTBfzpYPHfIBNE0DQNjSHCoyvubIWkg0H5IQoTWz~1pvG~VFqs5pbZiBBQkRCxZCP52-m1tdxi-1-31SETdf0eyv3n-dGec7Kwr3fzYDcBTYjxOq5GAKMMDJO3ZPi82-mtvHHJDjKpLT5SDaG3avCdRsDc~IqPL7KmFxFQC0tR4NniyLZ59F4NbRYx7~V6z9UwvPja4x5nV3k3BLpd6kbxwCT5oMmD1MVWKVJWjjtG1ZbrT5AvaJQJFpaYQFOnAfCB58nbnt-bbbe6RCgbaaV5mCFqYF-vlobsqQNoAE8WC0g6N34bAqHXw4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City leaders presented a forensic audit at the June 24 council meeting and described the auditor’s key findings as limited and minor.

City staff said the audit covered the period July 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2020. The auditor found six instances in which open-records requests were not fulfilled within a 30-day benchmark the auditor used because statute does not define \"reasonable\" timing. The audit also flagged a single emergency meeting during the COVID period in which councilors conducted regular business instead of limiting the agenda to emergency matters.

The audit examined a program called \"Share With a Neighbor\" that originated in February 2010 and found the city still holds the program funds in an account; the auditors noted the city had not adopted rules or procedures to spend the funds and that no transfers had occurred. City staff told the council the balance is a small amount — they estimated it is less than $1,000 — and that funds remain available if the council decides on a use.

City officials said the auditors found no other significant problems. The mayor and other elected leaders emphasized that standard financial audits and the city’s award-winning accounting office have confirmed the city’s financial records and that the forensic review did not uncover evidence of missing or misappropriated funds.

City staff also told the council they have spent approximately $28,000–$30,000 on the forensic audit to date and that the audit request originated from a citizen petition and related complaints that rose during the COVID period. Staff said the audit’s timing was delayed because the auditor's office was handling a large statewide caseload and several large school-district audits during the same period; the city said it repeatedly requested release dates and that the auditors completed the fieldwork in 2023 and early 2024 but the state review and sign-off took additional time.

Councilors and staff urged residents to read the audit document and noted the report characterizes the issues as minor. \"If you read this document and you read what's in it, we didn't do anything wrong,\" the mayor said during the meeting. City staff offered to invite the auditors to a future meeting to present the report in person if the council requests it, but noted that would carry additional cost.","A forensic audit covering July 1, 2018–Dec. 31, 2020 found several minor issues — six open-record requests outside a 30-day benchmark, one instance of regular business conducted during an emergency meeting, and incomplete procedures for a small neighborhood program — but no major financial discrepancies, city officials said.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553591,"McAlester approves $91,250 change order for AMI grant project to add transmitters and installs",208,1832000,2040000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2&start=1832&end=2040","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2/thumbnail_1832000.jpg","/articles/6553591/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/McAlester-approves-91250-change-order-for-AMI-grant-project-to-add-transmitters-and-installs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553591-940f56692ff15be0c5a0fe2fc19f2d9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448472&Signature=nBWbEL1WJxRcAtC-5K0Jja8gss0acv7FpoOAGQnsTEHosATnbaA-mRlGLPn8yI4p0tx66Lhfadx~iW8dBM-LYJ5RTTQr9ZCL9b~zsVaAu9REVAFpyoyf1ZhJEn5qUbVvOQpnFj5VR0xgT28XWXu7hBawSKB~Na5leuf6hbfBKw37iugMNOrjJmtuoN5Y5v4t3Yr79r1I4AKMcwo1NpPjGPaGzAOaAeh3l~ikaSHS8APb~NLsTHm0ATsEclrqO~x1CW6XUkh8Y6mMtjWe~IFf~5o41kH0-Lk58iQxlRBu7nI7jKZZWpg32RXAoNAYBLsv2yNKTVZsxplp27xnGKTIqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The McAlester City Council approved a change order authorizing the mayor to sign a $91,250 addition to the city's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) grant project, city staff said.

Staff said the change order to Utility Technology Services adds 400 transmitters, 350 cables and 400 transmitter installs. The project is funded as a 50/50 match under a Bureau of Reclamation grant: the grant totals $1 million, with $500,000 expected from the city. City staff said the initial contract bid came in under the grant amount and that this change order will not increase the total awarded grant dollars but will extend the project schedule.

The utilities coordinator explained the additional units will convert “stale” digital meters — meters physically in place that currently cannot be read because they were installed during a supply shortage — into fully read meters and will cover the remainder of residential meters. The coordinator said large commercial meters remain for a later phase because those replacements generally require business shutdowns and larger crews.

Councilor Beatty moved approval and Councilor Woodley seconded. The roll call recorded yes votes from Vice Mayor Beatty, Councilor Woodley, Councilor Gilmore, Councilor Stone and the mayor.

The change order includes a remobilization fee because installers may finish their current workload and need to remobilize for McAlester. Staff said they expect the work to be completed under the grant and that the added transmitters will allow meter readers and the city to close the outstanding residential-reading gap.","Council authorized a $91,250 change order with Utility Technology Services to add transmitters, cables and installs under the city’s AMI grant project; the work is a 50/50 match and will add residential coverage, not commercial meters.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553596,"McAlester approves Cree Oaks contract to manage opioid-abatement funds; plan includes clinic, housing assistance and prevention programs",720,1013000,1733000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2&start=1013&end=1733","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2/thumbnail_1013000.jpg","/articles/6553596/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/McAlester-approves-Cree-Oaks-contract-to-manage-opioid-abatement-funds-plan-includes-clinic-housing-assistance-and-prevention-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553596-53f978576ce08a987a68c53a2c1f4e8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448472&Signature=ad39urCqPtr3kQtd9r3cmp9pxVKKr9dBF0TAKkfQtnk3kbVZc33H31zgm5xHOXEK1bSgiYUVeHdQEFo65C9nf9n7DFb30jxtosSLziyUPBuwwWd~GMmGCyE9f8rqn5NgPU-QAI0Clnl8Pto0WqxRaoHRxKSin9j1HTV7nhkwVAIJM70lpSKUBxhqqXoPmtns8Th~VjvPxAT~a8vvQ7~SUgYk9wXjmcKaEgEHrFuQm7O0LfHKaqiLunMdNQdwYrvkJDMPVYY4iYKQBxE1NDw2IjhWCgKaBhqK8T3qW62giBslyPQ5tXv5UtmPzAE63aTOeZRacn~0w2o2Jl8S2iG9UA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The McAlester City Council on June 24 approved a contract for service with Cree Oaks to manage the city’s opioid-abatement settlement funds and deliver locally-based programs, including a medication-for-opioid-use-disorder (MOUD) clinic, housing assistance, and prevention education.

Cree Oaks representatives outlined a multi-year implementation and sustainability plan that the organization said fits within the permitted uses of the opioid settlement money. The packet distributed to councilors detailed program elements, annual costs and a 10-year sustainability plan. Cree Oaks staff said the program is structured so funds go directly to vendors (for example, landlords or housing providers) rather than to individual clients.

Ashley Ridge, opioid-abatement project manager for Cree Oaks, told the council the plan includes a clinic that would initially operate \"one day a week\" in McAlester, with the city covering a portion of the nurse's time. Ridge said that medication and clinic services would be provided at no cost to clients enrolled through the program.

Cree Oaks also proposed a Housing First Assistance Fund intended to help people experiencing homelessness or housing instability who also have substance-use issues. The contract packet included application and eligibility procedures and a multi-step approval process that Cree Oaks said is designed to produce auditable records so the city can document compliance for the Attorney General and local audits.

Cree Oaks presented a community-education series option for multiple audiences—city employees, first responders, teachers and parents—as well as a school-based prevention curriculum (the packet cited an evidence-based program and included start-up training and supplies). The organization said it has run similar programs in nearby counties and provided results, including a report that its Housing First pilot helped 22 people stay housed and engage in recovery.

Cree Oaks staff said the city will receive five tranches of settlement funding under the agreement — they listed expected payment years as 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2032 — and that the total projected receipts used in the plan equal $569,000 over the term. Cree Oaks said it structured the plan so the fund balance would not be exhausted before the end of the 10-year plan and that quarterly invoices and annual audits would provide reporting to both the Attorney General and the city.

Councilors asked about oversight and sustainability; Cree Oaks said they will provide regular status updates and that the program is intended to be auditable and to allow the city to seek additional funds in later grant cycles if the city produces strong outcome data. The council voted in favor of accepting the contract; roll-call recorded yes votes from Councilor Delmore, Councilor Woodley, Vice Mayor Beatty, Councilor Stone and the mayor.

The contract language, budget pages and the 10-year sustainability table are part of the public meeting packet and will be available through the city clerk’s office for anyone seeking details.","The council authorized a contract with Cree Oaks to administer the city's opioid abatement settlement funds, approving a multi-year plan that funds a weekly medication-for-opioid-use-disorder clinic, a Housing First assistance fund, community education and school prevention programs.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553601,"McAlester council approves developer agreement for TIF district; ordinance vote postponed",449,570000,1019000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2&start=570&end=1019","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066496-7082279c0f8c12b9098a3de28eb611a2/thumbnail_570000.jpg","/articles/6553601/McAlester/Pittsburg-County/Oklahoma/McAlester-council-approves-developer-agreement-for-TIF-district-ordinance-vote-postponed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553601-8dcd7835bc6c81ece91962a454dca17e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448472&Signature=NiktIatzH-Mx0Y7gBtbn6mVkWzHDQ7OWk0D3e8VQFUSY~NCzNVXXnZ7ZvCsPgwcVQuiXTBrR1H2b1KDrN3G3pVUnm-Nw1xwu-inzgQGVIeHG4b7RaqafSzDajud0fDE7n455Ho4ymcHP4J-o4hofBVGRsfqM47kTpueYpEq8tAykMluMRA7CJj-KqNxdIw1lDjrzVi9fbZrBnSjoRY~DDPqrjg7qdd5G-gtkoM3f7iBeVHG2fwZxbEjmoyAwsGk-wtY7wqCviECZAFnUDJpQVDcXnVMFpBXCwz0krF015FpkDRibTTIm8RMOp6VoMsVqsbEUSmqXp1bh6PbfZ8k07g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The McAlester City Council on June 24 approved a developer agreement with Wallace Family Properties LLC for the Mid McAlester Fifth Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District while postponing a separate ordinance vote tied to the district until a special meeting.

Councilors approved the developer agreement by roll call after staff and the city attorney described a minor correction to the contract and said the ordinance vote must wait because the council did not have the six-member supermajority required to adopt an emergency amendment. Councilors Beatty, Gilmore, Woodley, Stone and the mayor voted yes on the agreement.

City staff said the ordinance language as currently posted contains a scrivener’s error that does not change any substantive term — \"nothing that will change in the TIF district language in the ordinance is anything more than a scrivener's error,\" the mayor said — but that the error is large enough to require an amendment and a supermajority vote. The public hearing on the ordinance was held, but council members said they would take the formal vote at a special meeting scheduled for Friday.

The city attorney described the developer agreement as the contract that outlines what the developer must do and how the city will reimburse incremental revenues. The attorney said the agreement states reimbursement payments will equal 90% of all sales-tax increment and that an item in the packet showing 100% of a separate revenue stream was an error; the corrected contract shows 97.5% on that stream with the remaining 2.5% designated to the school district because schools will be impacted by growth in the area. The attorney said the 2.5% will be paid directly to the school and not routed through the city.

Councilors asked staff several clarifying questions during discussion. City staff said a $45,000 initial payment (listed in the packet) is for legal fees and is reimbursable only after the first retail payment is generated under the TIF plan, and that a $10,000 annual administrative fee covers monitoring and tax commission paperwork for as long as the TIF is in effect. Staff also confirmed that the county participated on the TIF committee and that the county’s ad valorem participation is embedded in the ordinance documents already in place.

The council motion to approve the developer agreement was moved by Councilor Bade and seconded by Councilor Gilmore. The roll call vote was recorded as: Vice Mayor Beatty — yes; Councilor Gilmore — yes; Councilor Woodley — yes; Councilor Stone — yes; Mayor — yes. The motion carried.

Staff and the city attorney said they will present the detailed line-by-line amendment to the ordinance at the special meeting so the public and the council can review every change before a final vote.","The McAlester City Council approved a developer agreement with Wallace Family Properties LLC for the Mid McAlester Fifth District but postponed a related ordinance vote to a special meeting because the council lacked a required supermajority and staff said the ordinance needs a scrivener's-error amendment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

McAlester water superintendent reports compliance gains, new pumps and SCADA upgrades

Forensic audit finds only minor issues in McAlester review; council and staff dispute broader claims

McAlester approves $91,250 change order for AMI grant project to add transmitters and installs

McAlester approves Cree Oaks contract to manage opioid-abatement funds; plan includes clinic, housing assistance and prevention programs

McAlester council approves developer agreement for TIF district; ordinance vote postponed