Rural grants to benefit Luther, Valley Brook, Harrah, Deer Creek

Last Updated on August 6, 2023, 2:52 AM | Published: October 17, 2022

OKLAHOMA COUNTY — The Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved several Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) Grants from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) on Monday.

The grants will benefit Oklahoma County’s towns of Luther, Valley Brook, Harrah, and the Deer Creek community, all within the more rural or exurban parts of the county.

REAP Grants

Rural Economic Action Plan Grants, of REAP Grants, are designed to help rural communities build and repair infrastructure. These grants fill gaps in county and municipal funding to complete or aid in those often very expensive projects.

On Monday the BoCC voted to approve Chairman Brian Maughan’s signing of a slate of these grants.

The Town of Luther will be granted $91,000 to install sidewalks and to extend Birch Street from SE 8th Street to NE 178th Street. This has a projected start date of June 1, 2023.

The Town of Valley Brook will be granted $59,998. Funding would be utilized to assist the Town of Valley Brook with the removal of silt, debris and vegetation in a drainage channel located on the southwest corner of the intersection of SE 59th St. and Eastern Avenue. According to District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan, that specific channel is a yearly problem. That is also a common site of homeless encampments, residents of which may be displaced by the work. This project has an anticipated start date of June 1, 2023.

Harrah Road improvements are another project funded by a REAP Grant. The amount awarded for the project is $109,000. Funding would be utilized to assist with the repair of Harrah Road from Britton Road to Memorial Road. Work is expected to begin on January 1, 2023.

A final REAP Grant was approved for District 1 to purchase a new concrete saw for road repairs. That grant comes in the amount of $20,324. The saw is scheduled to be purchased on January 1, 2023 with a projection of 1,881 residents who will directly benefit from the work done with that tool.

Deer Creek Bridge

Another important allocation of infrastructure funds at Monday’s meeting is a bridge project.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) will assist Oklahoma County in the modification of a bridge over Deer Creek. The bridge is on EW-178th .04 miles east of Council Road. The funding was allocated from the state for the County to make necessary improvements.

Danny Lambert

One final bittersweet moment for the Board on Monday was to pass a resolution recognizing Chief Deputy County Clerk Danny Lambert upon his retirement after 31 years of service to the County.

All Commissioners agreed that Lambert will be sorely missed.

Lambert has been responsible for the operations of the Clerk’s office since former Clerk David Hooten resigned in the midst of controversy. While no mention of the controversy was made, Maughan made the point that in the three months that Lambert has been responsible for the office, there have been no major complaints or problems, which is rare for even planned transitions, much less sudden ones such as Lambert’s recent experience.

The next scheduled meeting of the Board of County Commissioners is on Monday, November 7, at 9:00 a.m.

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