Pickleball fans take heart

A sports complex is among 10 community capital improvements included in the city’s five-year plan approved Monday night by the Eufaula City Council.

The plan is not set in stone, but creates a map to the future.

Adopting a capital improvement plan to properly prepare for future growth and development is important, City Manager Jeb Jones noted.

The 20 acre-sports complex could even have a pickleball court.

“We’re looking into it,” City Manager Jeb Jones told the City Council at its monthly meeting Monday.

Among the hopeful projects included in the five-year plan, besides a sports complex, are roads and drainage improvements, sewer system improvements, backup generators, replacement of the Swadley Water Tower, a new community senior center and airport improvements.

The estimated cost of the community capital improvements is $43 million.

The sources of funding for the wish list is a Community Development Block Grant through the Eastern Oklahoma Development District and Oklahoma Department of Commerce, a REAP grant (Rural Energy Rural Energy for America Program), Okla- homa Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and other sources.

City Manage Jeb Jones notes that the City of Eufaula has incurred no expenses in applying for the CDBG grant.

“The City acts only as a pass-through agency to EODD funding,” he said.

In other business, the Council agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to allow the MCN to add certain city streets to the inventory of the tribe’s streets.

The city will continue to own and maintain the streets.

Jones urged the Council to approve the MOU with the MCN, which has always been a good partner with the tribe.

The MCN will rework Birkes Road from SH 9 on the south to near Industrial Road on the north. The new MCN casino is being constructed along Birkes.

The Council also approved passage of City Ordinance 24-9-1 which makes truancy il-legal in the city limits.

There are state laws against truancy, but until now no city ordinances.

“This will provide the Eufaula Police Department wih the tools to support Eufaula Public schools and effectively address truancy issues at the local level,” Jones said.

Police Chief David Bryning said truancy is not a major issue in Eufaula, but an ordinance was needed to help the police and schools.

The city entered into a routine maintenance agreement with the library in which Eufaula will continue to maintain the facility, which the city owns.

The Council rejected a request by Debra Bailey to rezone two lots she owns at 305 W. Foley from Residential Single Family to Commercial General.

The vote was unanimous.

Vice Mayor James Hickman thanked Bailey for her economic improvements to the city, but in his opinion re-zoning the property would encroach on the residential neighborhood.

Hickman said the commercial zone is moving too far west.