Last Updated on November 10, 2021, 7:54 PM | Published: November 10, 2021
MOORE, Oklahoma (Free Press) — On November 9th, The City of Moore voted on two 2021 General Obligation (GO) Bonds propositions, passing both by a sizable majority.
Residents voted yes on both measures, 67% in favor of the first and 65% for the second.
“Trust”
Mayor of Moore Glenn Lewis was glad to see both bond issues be passed.
He said that it is a good reflection of the City Council, City Manager, and Assistant City Manager for the measures to receive such favorable outcomes.
“[It] shows that people trust [we] will do the right thing,” said Lewis.
He was disappointed by the low voter turnout but admits that it was not unexpected for a local special election.
Voter turnout was around 5%, with over 2,500 people voting for each measure.
Proposition 1
Proposition 1 is all roadway projects, with some residential roads needing emergency treatment after severe winter storms and flooding.
Mayor Lewis backed up the claims of poor road conditions, pinning most of the blame on the extreme ice storms that hit early this year.
“[Ice] gets under the asphalt and breaks it apart, and it needs to be completely repaired.”
He said, “The road project had to be done… You can’t wait on the roads.”
The repairs will be done from the foundations up. This will prevent the cracking emblematic of cheaper patch jobs that do not reconstruct the surface properly.
The following roads will be repaired completely:
- Kelsi Drive from SE 5th to SE 11th
- Timber Creek Way from SE 38th to SE 41st
- Nottingham Way from NW 27th to NW 23rd
- Hillcrest Dr. from Cass Ave. to NW 27th
- W. Main St. from Norman to Markwell
The proposition also included a few roadway widening projects in over-trafficked areas. These are design projects, and will hopefully begin construction within the next couple of years.
- Widening of Broadway Ave from S. 19th St. to Willow Pine to 4/5 lanes with turn lanes
- Widening of Eastern Ave from SE 19th St. to Broadway to 4 lanes with turn lanes. The intersections will be redesigned and reconstructed.
- Widening of Telephone Rd from SW 19th St. to SW 34th St. to 5 lanes with a center turn lane.
- The total cost for all road construction, reconstruction, improvement, and repair will be $8,640,000 Million dollars.
Proposition 2
Proposition 2 calls for the construction of a new animal shelter that will be run by Moore City Government.
The current Moore Animal Shelter is showing clear signs of overuse. Many of the cages and walls are falling apart, rusted by years of animal habitation.
Mayor Lewis was actually involved in the planning and construction of the first facility early in his career, nearly 20 years ago. Its purpose and designation was as an “adoption center”, not a pound or kill shelter.
That distinction is very important to Lewis.
According to him, the new facility continues that vision by providing a much safer work environment for the staff, and a humane path to adoption for the animals.
He wants to make sure people feel comfortable adopting in Moore.
The new 15,040 Sq. Ft. building will have the following amenities;
- Two Vestibules: Adoption and Intake
- Adoption Lobby
- Quarantine Rooms
- Laundry Room
- Food Prep Area
- Multipurpose Training Room with Restrooms
- Administrative Offices
- Medical Suite
- Sally Port
- Break Room
- Adoption Capacity: 28 Cats, 47 Dogs
- Animal Hold Capacity: 20 Cats, 29 Dogs
The facility will cost the City $8.2 million, meaning that the combined cost of both propositions will be nearly $17 million dollars.
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.
