Atoka council approves routine business, backs Sixth Street funding request and fire grant applications

Atoka City Council approved a package of routine business and funding-related steps at its most recent meeting, adopting a water-resolution, endorsing a community funding request for the Sixth Street connection project, authorizing the Atoka Fire Department to apply for two grants and approving payment for an Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission–funded airport study.

The council adopted Resolution No. 2025-09, described in the meeting as the annual item tied to the McGee Creek amended trust indenture that preserves the city’s authority to use water from McGee Creek if needed. Councilmembers approved a separate Resolution No. 2025-08 to proceed with a fiscal‑year 2026 community project funding request for the Sixth Street connection project; the resolution does not specify a dollar amount in the council motion but asks the city to pursue the funding opportunity.

Council members also approved the Atoka Fire Department’s request to apply for two grants: a vehicle‑replacement grant to buy a brush‑truck cab chassis and an 80/20 (matching) grant for radios. A Fire Department representative told the council the quoted cab‑chassis cost is $78,008.84 and that the vehicle‑replacement grant would pay up to $70,000, leaving a local difference of about $8,008.84. The radio equipment quote was $39,450 with a grant award amount of $30,000, leaving a local difference of $9,450. The representative noted there is no guarantee the city will win either award and said some operational funds from the Oklahoma Forestry Service could be used toward any required local match.

The council approved appointing Dylan Hanman and Brian Walker as members of the planning and zoning commission and, as requested by staff, authorized payment of invoice numbers 19966-18 through 966-22 to Lochner for the Atoka Municipal Airport site‑selection planning study. That invoice total was described to the council as $76,228.60; the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission grant (AQR-22-S) was described as covering 95% of the cost ($72,417) with the city responsible for the remaining 5% ($3,811.60) if the commission remits funds to the city as expected.

Most items on the agenda (approval of minutes, acceptance of the city manager’s report, routine purchase orders and the listed resolutions and grants) passed on unanimous roll‑call votes. Several items were described by staff in brief: the city manager’s report noted ongoing citywide cleanup and crews working between rain events, and the Sixth Street project briefing presented three design options (two‑lane, three‑lane; asphalt versus concrete; and differing bridge layouts) without a numeric funding request in the resolution.

The council’s approvals on the airport invoice and the Sixth Street resolution were presented as contingent in part on outside funding: the airport study payment is contingent on remittance from the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, and the Sixth Street action formally authorizes the city to pursue community project funding rather than commit local funds.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (04/07/2025): Approved on roll call (Miss McGee: Yes; Miss Poe: Yes; Mr. Turner: Yes; Mr. Kathy: Yes). Outcome: approved. - Acceptance of city manager’s report: Approved (Miss McGee: Yes; Miss Poe: Yes; Mr. Turner: Yes; Mr. Kathy: Yes). Outcome: approved. - Payment of city purchase orders (March 2025): Approved (Miss McGee: Yes; Miss Poe: Yes; Mr. Turner: Yes; Mr. Kathy: Yes). Outcome: approved. - Resolution No. 2025-09 (McGee Creek/annual water authority item): Adopted (Miss McGee: Yes; Miss Poe: Yes; Mr. Turner: Yes; Mr. Kathy: Yes). Outcome: approved. - Resolution No. 2025-08 (FY26 community project funding request — Sixth Street connection): Adopted (Miss McGee: Yes; Miss Poe: Yes; Mr. Turner: Yes; Mr. Kathy: Yes). Outcome: approved. - Fire Department: Authorized to apply for vehicle‑replacement and 80/20 radio grants (grant quotes: brush chassis $78,008.84; grant pays up to $70,000; radios quoted $39,450; grant pays $30,000). Motion approved (Miss McGee: Yes; Miss Poe: Yes; Mr. Turner: Yes; Mr. Kathy: Yes). Outcome: approved (application authorized; awards not guaranteed). - Appointments: Dylan Hanman and Brian Walker appointed to planning and zoning commission. Outcome: approved. - Invoice payment to Lochner (municipal airport site selection study) in the amount of $76,228.60, contingent on Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission grant AQR-22-S remittance to the city ($72,417 expected from the commission, city share ~ $3,811.60): Approved (Miss McGee: Yes; Miss Poe: Yes; Mr. Turner: Yes; Mr. Kathy: Yes). Outcome: approved.

The meeting included brief staff updates and council comments but no extended public deliberation on the substantive technical details (for example, the council did not set a preferred Sixth Street design in the motion). Several items depend on external funding decisions (grant awards or commission remittances) before additional city expenditures or contract actions will occur.

Ending: The council closed the evening after the listed votes and moved on to related authority meetings (Atoka Municipal Authority, Industrial Development Authority and others), where several of the same items were repeated as required by those bodies’ agendas.