Owasso council approves ODOT agreements for Safe Routes projects and intersection upgrade

The Owasso City Council on Tuesday approved three project maintenance, financing and right-of-way agreements with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation that will fund sidewalk, pedestrian and intersection improvements across the city.

City staff presented the agreements as part of two Federal Highway Administration grant awards and a supplemental ODOT funding amendment for a long-planned intersection project. Dwayne Henderson, a city staff presenter, said the awards come through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and the Carbon Reduction Program and will be administered in part through the Indian Nations Council of Governments.

Henderson told the council the first agreement — for the Safe Routes to Amenities funding set of projects — carries an estimated total construction cost of $654,740, with ODOT’s share shown as $484,508 and the city’s estimated portion at $170,232. "Staff recommends approval of the project maintenance, financing and right-of-way agreement in the estimated amount of $654,740," Henderson said.

The council also approved the Safe Routes to Schools and Parks agreement, which Henderson summarized as the larger of the grant sets and described as having an estimated total amount of $1,179,345. Henderson said staff prioritized several projects and that, unexpectedly, multiple projects were funded together; he credited Alexa Beamer with most of the grant work.

Separately, the council approved a supplemental amendment to an existing ODOT agreement for the East 106th Street North and North 1209 East Avenue intersection project. Henderson said the project had been on the books for years, that right-of-way and permitting are complete and that ODOT had recently increased its funding commitment. He said the revised estimated total project cost is $7,205,524 and that the additional ODOT funds reduced the city’s previously projected contribution. "The project itself is shovel ready," Henderson said.

Councilors did not propose amendments to the agreements during discussion. Council members asked logistical questions about whether projects would be bid together and about design timing; Henderson said staff plans to design projects together and, if funds are released contemporaneously, bid them as a package to reduce costs.

The council voted to approve the three agreements. The votes recorded affirmative responses from Mayor Alvin Frigier and council members Cody Walter, Chad Balthrop, Paul Loving, (Councilor) Bell and (Councilor) Brugget.

Funding for the city’s portions was identified as coming from the city’s streets budget and the half‑penny sales tax fund for the smaller grant set and from the Capital Improvements Fund for the intersection amendment. Henderson said right-of-way acquisition for the Safe Routes projects would be handled by city staff and that any required utility relocation would be funded locally.

The agreements require the city to execute separate grant contracts and follow reporting and administration procedures through INCOG and ODOT; Henderson said that the city will administer design in-house and only hire outside engineering if necessary.

The council approved the motions unanimously.