Durant Council approves bids and purchases, seeks bidders for nearly 794 acres of oil and gas rights

Durant — The Durant City Council approved a package of routine and project-specific actions at its February meeting, including a notice to solicit bids for leasing roughly 793.74 acres of city-owned oil and gas interests, a street-rehabilitation contract, a police technology purchase to meet federal criminal-justice IT rules, and a resolution to seek Choctaw Nation development funds to host a rapid DNA machine.

The council voted to publish public notice seeking bids to lease approximately 793.74 acres of city and associated-entity land. Council discussion described prior industry interest and called out an expected upfront bonus payment in the discussion (discussed in the meeting as “over $400,000” depending on acreage offered). Staff and council members noted lease language could include depth limits and that, if the city did not solicit leases, forced pooling could be used by third parties in some circumstances. The motion to send the notice passed on a roll call with Council Member Miller, Council Member Scheer and Vice Mayor Mike Simolesco voting yes.

On infrastructure, staff recommended and the council approved awarding the University Boulevard rehabilitation project to Overland Corporation, the low bidder at $396,560. Public works staff described work to fully reconstruct the 7th and 12th Street intersections and to mill and…