Wagoner council and public-works authority approve multiple contracts, insurance policies and appointments; splash pad design tabled

WAGONER, Okla. — The Wagoner City Council on Oct. 6 approved contracts, invoices and personnel actions and authorized several procurement steps across city and utility business at a regular meeting that also included a separate session of the Wagoner Public Works Authority.

The council awarded a fence contract for Elmwood Cemetery, approved invoices and payments for multiple infrastructure projects, adopted insurance coverage through the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group and approved the hiring of a public relations officer. The council tabled a work order for a proposed splash pad project until January 2026.

Votes-at-a-glance: the council approved the minutes for September 2025; accepted claims for the city and EMS; awarded a $50,533 contract to Proline Fence and Gate LLC for the Elmwood Cemetery north fence; approved a $5,000 invoice (WAG-25-01) to Infrastructure Solutions Group LLC for design/planning work tied to that fence; approved a no-cost change order to extend the completion date for the wastewater treatment plant headworks project (WAG-23-02); and approved contractor pay applications for that headworks project. Separately, the Wagoner Public Works Authority approved invoices for residual removal at the Wagner Water Treatment Plant and approved replacing a 100-horsepower backwash pump at the Widener Water Treatment Plant.

Councilors also approved purchasing building and contents insurance and liability/cyber/auto coverage through the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group for city properties and vehicles; they approved hiring Drew Allen as the city’s public relations officer at a salaried rate of $40,560 per year, effective Oct. 7, 2025; they ended the probationary period for public-works employee Glenn Murphy effective Aug. 28, 2025; and they authorized an agreement among the City of Wagoner, the Wagoner Economic Development Authority and Wagoner County Economic Development Authority for a downtown public event space called “The Junction.”

Several motions were routine and passed on roll-call votes. For the Elmwood fence contract, roll-call votes recorded a majority in favor; the council then approved the associated invoice for the consulting firm that prepared the plans and specifications. For the wastewater headworks project the council approved a no-cost schedule extension after staff said delivery delays in equipment manufacturing had necessitated it; council and staff recommended the extension after reviewing the contractor’s updated schedule.

Not all items were approved for immediate action. A $14,770 work order for professional services to develop splash-pad plans (project WHE25-03) was tabled after councilors said they wanted more information and an engineered estimate; the body voted to revisit the item in January 2026 so staff could return with a design and budget estimate.

The Wagoner Public Works Authority separately approved two invoices from Sandyland Environmental — $63,000 and $105,000 — for lagoon residuals removal at the Wagner Water Treatment Plant, and approved a $101,000 replacement for a 100-horsepower backwash pump at the Widener Water Treatment Plant after staff said the existing pump is 12 years old and parts are increasingly difficult to obtain. Public-works leadership said the replacement includes a two-year warranty and will be funded by moving existing budget lines if needed; officials said other funding sources would be considered before touching long-term reserves.

The council majority also voted to advertise and accept bids for repainting the Wagoner Civic Center exterior after approving a $4,000 work order for plans and specifications. Councilors said the work order will include an engineering review of a north wall that has been leaking into the theater, and the subsequent public bid will cover repairs and repainting as specified in the engineered plans.

Councilors recorded their votes by roll call on the record for each item. Where staff recommended approval, councilors generally supported the recommendations; items requiring more analysis or cost estimates were delayed for future meetings.

Ending: City staff and the Infrastructure Solutions Group LLC, which advised on several capital projects, will return with detailed budgets and engineered plans for the splash-pad and civic-center repair items. The council scheduled follow-ups for the tabling and bid-authorizing actions and will consider funding allocations during upcoming budget work sessions.