BETHANY, Okla — The Bethany City Council met for the first time in 2024 on Tuesday and heard a city-wide update on all ongoing 2022 General Obligation (GO) bond and ARPA-funded projects.
The presentation was given by Steve Manek, TEIM design’s Municipal Director and the engineering firm Bethany has under contract to keep capital improvement projects in order.
The presentation was comprehensive: Manek covered streets, parks, drainage, and some American Rescue Plan act (ARPA) funded water meter and water well improvements the city is looking to complete.
The $15 million, four-proposition GO Bond that Bethany voters passed in 2022 makes up the bulk of the City’s current capital improvement projects.
Streets
Proposition 1 of the 2022 Bethany GO bond focused on roadway improvements. Many of these projects are nearing the construction phase. Here are the details:
- NW 23rd Street / Rockwell Traffic signal and crosswalk improvements
Design of traffic signals, surface roadway and crosswalk improvements complete. Bidder identified for signals, construction to begin Summer 2024.
- NW 36th / Rockwell Traffic signal and crosswalk improvements
Traffic signal and crosswalk design complete. Bidder identified for signal.
- NW 36th / Council Road Traffic signal and crosswalk improvements
Survey for improvements complete, Design contract to be presented to council soon.
- Peniel Ave. reconstruction from NW 39th Expressway to NW 42nd Street
Design is complete. However, bidding and construction is delayed until a sewer line near the road is replaced. Sewer line design is underway.
- Peniel Avenue reconstruction from NW 25th Street to NW 30th Street
Design is complete. However, bidding and construction is delayed until a sewer line near the road is replaced. Sewer line design is underway.
- NW 30th Street reconstruction from Rockwell Avenue to Peniel Avenue
Design complete and bidder found. Contract for reconstruction will be presented to the council later this month.
- N Mueller Avenue reconstruction from NW 44th Street to NW 50th Street
Design complete and bidder found. Contract will be presented to the council later this month.
- N. Divis Avenue reconstruction from NW 36th Street to NW 39th Expressway
Design complete and bidder found. Contract will be presented to the council later this month.
Residents should be aware that these last three projects should begin construction “in the very near future,” according to Steve Manek. Traffic flow along these roadways will be disrupted during construction.
Parks improvements
Proposition 2 of Bethany’s 2022 GO bond focused on adding or improving amenities at some of the City’s busiest parks.
Eldon Lyon, Ripper, Ron Clark, Henry Garrison, and Cecil Mendenall parks are all receiving various improvements, mainly to restrooms, playgrounds, and shelter facilities.
The City’s engineer says that the park plans are “90-95% complete,” and that they will be taking them to bid and eventual construction in the very near future.
Here are the updates to the park projects in Bethany;
- Eldon Lyon Park playground improvement, shelters and restroom renovations
Restrooms inspected for remodel, pavilion concepts recommended for approval by Parks Board. Design process is being finalized.
- Ripper Park playground improvement, restroom remodeling
Restrooms have been inspected and the design process is being finalized. Project will be packaged for bids soon.
- Henry Garrison Park playground improvement, multipurpose pavilion construction, and restroom remodeling
Restrooms have been inspected for improvement and the design is being finalized. Multipurpose shelter concepts have been recommended and approved by the Parks Board to replace an existing pavilion.
- Macrory Park playground improvement, restroom renovation
Restrooms have been inspected for improvement and design is near complete.
- Ron Clark Park playground improvement, dog park facility addition
Restrooms have been inspected for improvement, preliminary layout of proposed parking lot and dog parks drawn up. $40,000 TSET Grant will be used to help fund park improvements.
- Cecil Mendenall Park new restroom facility, fencing construction
Final design of new restrooms underway. 2016 G.O. Bond funding used for the restroom and fencing improvements.
Public safety facility improvements
Proposition 3 set out to improve Bethany’s police and fire station, as well as the Animal Welfare facility. City staff had stated that the police HQ needed to expand its evidence storage facilities and replace the metal roof.
The fire station needed to be expanded, with upgraded offices and living quarters for firefighters.
Bethany’s animal welfare facility needed a new HVAC unit to replace the 18-year-old one in use and needed some general exterior improvements.
Here are the current states of those projects;
- Fire Station remodeling, furnishing
Design and construction contracts awarded, currently under construction.
- Police Headquarters building addition, roof replacement, remodeling, furnishing
Design and construction contracts awarded, currently under construction. Concrete for the building addition is planned to be poured in the next few weeks, and the roof replacement should happen thereafter. Estimated to be complete in 6 months.
- Animal Shelter renovating, equipping and furnishing
Survey found that an unmarked sewer line was under the building and the proposed improvements. Bidder to realign the sewer has been found and the award will be presented at the next city council meeting.
Stormwater drainage
The last proposition in the 2022 GO bond related to the ongoing issue with stormwater drainage in Bethany.
The engineers have identified areas of the City with drainage issues and are currently putting together project recommendations to solve the problem.
A presentation including all project recommendations will be given to the council in the “very near future,” Steve Manik said.
ARPA funded projects
Signed in 2021, The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) included various grants for municipal governments to invest in their community.
Bethany was able to use this funding for several large infrastructure projects, and many of them are anticipating construction in 2024.
Here’s a look at where the City’s ARPA funded projects stand right now;
- ARPA funded Water meter replacement (matching $1,500,000 grant)
With the help of ARPA funding, Bethany will replace water meters around the city with new ultrasonic meters to increase reliability. 350 have been installed, with another 350-400 ongoing. Construction began in October 2023, and completion is anticipated in April 2024.
- Sanitary sewer replacement on Peniel ($3,372,692)
Design to be completed in spring 2024, Construction contract to be awarded sometime in summer 2024.
- Well and Wellfield improvements ($4,600,000)
Drill new wells and redrill existing wells to increase water production by a third. Just received approval from Oklahoma Water resources board, and so the city anticipates opening construction bids in February 2024.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
