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City hears FY2026'31 capital improvement plan outlining $50M wastewater priority and $1.2M street work
Summary
Staff presented a preliminary FY2026'31 capital improvement plan listing prioritized projects including a wastewater treatment plant now estimated at just over $50 million, a $1.2 million 6th Street improvement, stormwater projects and equipment purchases; staff said formal adoption is expected in April after public notice and community input.
City staff presented a preliminary FY2026'31 capital improvement plan to the McAlester City Council, outlining department-prioritized projects, equipment needs, estimated costs, and associated risks.
Public Works highlighted the 6th Street improvements (estimated at about $1.2 million for year one), multiple catch-up stormwater projects, and equipment purchases aimed at enabling in-house asphalt work (an asphalt drum roller and an oil distributor truck estimated at about $296,000). Staff also called the East Wastewater Treatment Plant the top priority: council members who attended a recent off-site meeting were told the project's cost had risen from roughly $43 million to more than $50 million because of inflation and other factors.
Other priorities on the preliminary list included a $5 million public works complex, lift-station repairs across the city to reduce sanitary sewer overflow risk, B Street infrastructure (~$100,000), elevator repairs for ADA compliance, Chaddock Park tennis-court resurfacing, airport fencing and terminal furnishings, police radio repeater upgrades and body-cam storage enhancements, and IT cybersecurity and network upgrades.
Staff repeatedly characterized the CIP as a wish list rather than an adopted funding plan. "This is our wish list," the presenter said, and noted the combined prioritized projects (top three for each department) add up to a roughly $56 million request while available funds fell well short. Staff said the CIP will be published for community feedback, that bids are pending for several stormwater projects, and that staff will continue to refine scope and funding sources; formal adoption is not anticipated until the last council meeting in April.
Councilors and residents asked specific questions about project timing and costs. Councilors pressed for clarity on the hiring timeline and pay for the new project management role, asked whether contractors are being held accountable for repeat work on the South Main project, and sought detail on Green Meadows drainage where staff said acquisition of a house and a wider drainage channel may be required to address chronic flooding.
Why it matters: The CIP outlines major infrastructure needs and potential multi-million-dollar projects that will shape the city's capital spending priorities and may require grants, borrowing, or reallocations of city funds.
What comes next: Staff will publish the preliminary CIP for public review, solicit feedback, refine cost estimates and bid results where available, and bring a final adoption item to council later in the budget cycle (target: April meeting).
