Durant Council swears in police chief, approves leases, judge appointments, fuel contract and multiple zoning actions

The Durant City Council at a regular meeting unanimously approved a series of administrative and development items and swore in Jesse Petty as the city’s new police chief.

The council approved a three‑year lease renewal with TrustWorks LLC at $6,000 per month for space at the airport‑area building where the tenant (or its predecessor) has been located. The council also awarded a motor fuel supply contract to McCraw Oil Company after receiving two bids and having one bid withdrawn; staff described the McCraw proposal as based on a flat markup over the Ardmore rack rate. Council members approved related contract documentation that staff and the city attorney revised in the 48 hours before the meeting.

Mayoral recommendations to appoint Jason Pedraza as municipal judge for a term beginning Jan. 13, 2025, and ending Jan. 4, 2027, and Morgan Potts as alternate municipal judge for the same term were approved by the council.

The council approved a supplemental and modification agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for the Durant Veil to Trails project (state job/contract 2024‑3). Staff said the earlier contract paperwork overstated the city’s share; the corrected amount reduced the city’s obligation from $416,933 to $344,700 in the version presented for approval.

On land‑use matters, the council approved a replat and rezone for property at 301 North Fourth Avenue (ordinance O‑2024‑14) to allow the county commissioner’s office to build new administrative offices and to combine adjacent parking, and invoked an emergency clause so the rezoning would take effect immediately. The council separately approved a preliminary plat and rezone for property near South 22nd Avenue and West Mississippi Street (ordinance O‑2024‑15) that would allow single‑family development and leave open the possibility of multifamily in a northern portion; the planning commission recommended approval with the condition that the final plat reflect the preliminary layout. The council also approved a conditional use permit for an existing storage facility at 1408 South Ninth Avenue that will require a hard surface (chip seal or similar) for drives.

All formal roll‑call votes reported in the meeting were unanimous: Council member Miller, Council member Scheer (recorded alternatively as Shear/Scherer in the transcript), Council member Fuller, Vice Mayor Similescu and Mayor Tucker voted yes on the actions recorded during the meeting.

The meeting also included recognition of three city employees — Philip Hightower, Joseph Clark and David Anderson — each honored for 25 years of service, and a ceremonial swearing in of Chief Jesse Petty. Finance staff member Miss Anchin presented October financial reports (three major funds) and the November sales tax report; the sales tax remittance for November was presented as $1,663,528.11 and year‑to‑date revenues and expenditures were discussed by staff.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (minutes, budget supplements, meeting schedule adjustments, insurance updates): approved (unanimous roll call). - Resolution R‑2024‑16 calling for a nonpartisan general election for council member wards 1 and 2: approved (unanimous roll call). - Municipal judge appointment — Jason Pedraza (term Jan. 13, 2025–Jan. 4, 2027): approved (unanimous roll call). - Alternate municipal judge — Morgan Potts (same term): approved (unanimous roll call). - Lease with TrustWorks LLC (3 years at $6,000/month): approved (unanimous roll call). - Award motor fuel supply contract to McCraw Oil Company and related contract approval: awarded/approved (unanimous roll call); staff noted one bid was withdrawn, leaving a single valid bid. - ODOT supplemental and modification agreement for Durant Veil to Trails (state job/contract 2024‑3): approved (unanimous roll call); staff reported correction of the city’s share from $416,933 to $344,700. - Replat and rezone for 301 N. Fourth Ave. (O‑2024‑14) and emergency clause to make it effective immediately: approved (unanimous roll call). - Replat/rezone preliminary plat for South 22nd Ave. / West Mississippi St. (O‑2024‑15) and emergency clause: approved (unanimous roll call); planning and zoning recommended approval with a condition that the final plat reflect the preliminary layout. - Conditional use permit for storage facility at 1408 S. Ninth Ave.: approved (unanimous roll call).

Why it matters These routine administrative approvals and land‑use decisions set short‑term procurement, court staffing and local development outcomes: the fuel contract affects city fleet purchases, the TrustWorks lease keeps a long‑term tenant at the airport‑area building, appointments fill municipal court bench seats for a two‑year term, and the zoning and plat approvals enable near‑term property redevelopment and street/public‑infrastructure work in the named neighborhoods. The ODOT agreement finalizes the city’s share of costs on a state‑administered trail project.

What council members asked staff to clarify Council members asked for clarification on sewer and street ownership for the proposed South 22nd/West Mississippi development (staff said streets and sewer would be public), on the surfacing material for the South Ninth storage facility (applicant agreed to a hard surface), and on the basis for fuel pricing (staff said the contract bases price on the Ardmore rack rate rather than the prior contractor’s methodology). Staff also explained the correction to the ODOT agreement amount.