New city projects to start in Mustang

[Plutonic Panda]

Widening of Mustang Rd. and couple other water treatment projects.

CITY PROJECTS FUNDED
Posted by: ksalomon | on December 4, 2014

By Matt Montgomery

editor@mustangnews.info

The Mustang city council voted unanimously to approve funding for three city projects, including the widening of Mustang Road south of SH 152, wastewater plant treatment upgrades and groundwater treatment for arsenic removal and water re-use.

The three projects came to the council for approval of funds, after the city learned its Series 2013 Note for $7.895 million will mature Dec. 1, 2018.

The city will use $4.5 million for the street widening project, $1 million for the wastewater treatment upgrades and $2.395 million for arsenic removal.

By approving funding, there will be no increase in the amount of annual debt payment. Debt payments will be extended out 11 and 1/2 years.

Mustang Mayor Jay Adams said these projects will be a tremendous benefit to the city and its residents.

“The Mustang road improvements around the high school are going to be critical for our future,” he said. “The arsenic removal systems to the water are also going to be critical for our future as well as the wastewater plant treatment upgrades.”

The city council also approved a resolution for the city to apply for a Programming Surface Transportation Program Fund for the Mustang Road widening project.

Assistant City Manager Justin Battles said this resolution includes utility relocation within the project. That alone will cost $300,000. He said ODOT doesn’t provide funding for this aspect of the project.

“This is going to be a different project than we’ve done before,” Adams said. “We resurfaced South Czech Hall Road for $300,000 and here we’re talking about just moving utilities for $300,000. It’s a whole different ballgame but it’s something that is going to be very important to our future.”

- Mustang News » City projects funded

[Zuplar]

The street widening is going to be a nightmare. Glad I don't drive that way anymore.

[Just the facts]

You know it is odd that the very same people who complain about the national debt and deficit have no problem with local debt and deficit. I just find that weird.

[stick47]

You know it is odd that the very same people who complain about the national debt and deficit have no problem with local debt and deficit. I just find that weird.

From the article:

The three projects came to the council for approval of funds, after the city learned its Series 2013 Note for $7.895 million will mature Dec. 1, 2018.

The city will use $4.5 million for the street widening project, $1 million for the wastewater treatment upgrades and $2.395 million for arsenic removal.

By approving funding, there will be no increase in the amount of annual debt payment. Debt payments will be extended out 11 and 1/2 years.

The debt is scheduled to pay out without increasing the current amount of payments. (just the length)
Though such a long term obligation is risky IMO, These projects are needed ASAP and the arsenic removal portion will save residents money since Mustang now is having to buy more expensive Okc water to mix in with that from our own wells to meet arsenic/water standards.

[Geographer]

From the article:


The debt is scheduled to pay out without increasing the current amount of payments. (just the length)
Though such a long term obligation is risky IMO, These projects are needed ASAP and the arsenic removal portion will save residents money since Mustang now is having to buy more expensive Okc water to mix in with that from our own wells to meet arsenic/water standards.

Many of the City of Mustang water wells (owned by the city) are actually in the City of OKC...scattered throughout south OKC east of 44.

[stick47]

Yes down May Ave I believe.

[Dubya61]

You know it is odd that the very same people who complain about the national debt and deficit have no problem with local debt and deficit. I just find that weird.

FWIW, I think we should expect totally different services from our local gov'ts than we do from the federal gov't -- though as I type this, maybe it shouldn't impact their funding operations, just what I want them to focus on spending their money on.

[HangryHippo]

FWIW, I think we should expect totally different services from our local gov'ts than we do from the federal gov't -- though as I type this, maybe it shouldn't impact their funding operations, just what I want them to focus on spending their money on.

I'm curious about what you do want them to focus their spending on?

[Dubya61]

I'm curious about what you do want them to focus their spending on?

For the most part, I want local governments to focus on people projects and national governments to focus on defense projects. I actually want a large(ish) and (mildly) intrusive local government and a federal government that I barely think of from day to day. I won't go into more specifics because I don't have them, but I want my local government to be loads more important to me than my federal government.

[Mel]

That Mustang road expansion will be nice in the long run for the High School and folks who take Mustang road to hook up with the newish HWY 4 bridge to Tuttle. Feel bad for the older neighborhood they are going to cut through.

[okfiveo]

Anyone know the timeline for the Mustang Rd. expansion?

[AFCM]

Here's the latest on developments near the school. Long story short: the school is closing on nearby property. I didn't copy/paste the contents of the article out of respect for the publication. They have to pay the bills too.

http://www.theyukonreview.com/2016/1...-by-hs-campus/

[stick47]

$181M bond issue coming in Feb 2017. Lot of frills in it We should be having a bond issue for a 2nd high school but I guess they want to sneak in the fluff and get that before breaking the bad news story with the BIG bond issue.

[AFCM]

$181M bond issue coming in Feb 2017. Lot of frills in it We should be having a bond issue for a 2nd high school but I guess they want to sneak in the fluff and get that before breaking the bad news story with the BIG bond issue.

I saw that on Facebook. That seems like a lot of money, but I generally don't mind paying extra for school-related projects (excluding crazy expenses for athletics) since investments in education tend to directly and indirectly benefit the citizens of the community.

This is just my uniformed perspective, but Mustang appears to be mirroring Broken Arrow in its approach towards consolidation. I wonder if Mustang will build a second high school. Of course, this is speculative, but I think that the district will build a ninth grade center, thereby freeing up some space at the high school. Yeah, I know that a ninth grade center already exists at the high school's current location. I'm suggesting that the district might build a ninth grade center separate from the high school proper. I'm likely wrong though, and I have no inside information on the matter. Time will tell.

[AFCM]

Here's the article that stick47 referenced about the bond vote coming up for voters:
http://www.theyukonreview.com/2016/1...-for-february/


Here's an article about "re-creating" Mustang:
http://www.theyukonreview.com/2016/1...nting-mustang/

There's a lot going on or planned for this once-tiny city. I'm not sure how much more can be done though. The town seems pretty saturated at this point. Adding too much more would require dozing a lot of property.

[stick47]

I've paid a lot of property tax and now as a retired person the annual Canadian County Assessors Christmas card is biting deep into the budget. Approaching $300/mo here. The wife and I have begun considering looking for a more affordable area to spend the last years. Sad to think like that after more than 30 years in Mustang. It's just that there's never enough money for education so the bond issues will go on and on.

[stile99]

Here's the latest on developments near the school. Long story short: the school is closing on nearby property. I didn't copy/paste the contents of the article out of respect for the publication. They have to pay the bills too.

http://www.theyukonreview.com/2016/1...-by-hs-campus/

“This will allow the district to expand the high school campus and re-create the entrance to the campus.”

Am I missing something, or is Google Maps not giving the right location for the address? They are really proposing the entrance to MHS be the property just south of the cemetery? Are they going to close that section of Juniper to public access? The other house between that property and Juniper, not to mention the church at the corner of Juniper and Mustang, will be part of the campus?

[Zuplar]

I've paid a lot of property tax and now as a retired person the annual Canadian County Assessors Christmas card is biting deep into the budget. Approaching $300/mo here. The wife and I have begun considering looking for a more affordable area to spend the last years. Sad to think like that after more than 30 years in Mustang. It's just that there's never enough money for education so the bond issues will go on and on.

I'm not sure your age since retired can be very broad, but you can freeze your taxes to keep this from happening.

[stick47]

I froze them when I turned 65 but bond issues will still add to the amount.

[Zuplar]

I froze them when I turned 65 but bond issues will still add to the amount.

Gotcha wasn't sure about that, but sounds like you've done everything you can at this point.

[stick47]

Unless the VA wants to list me as 100% service connected disabled. OKlahomans who are 100% don't pay property tax. I don't think anyone relying on a pension should either. Make up the difference by taxing churches.
They're mostly businesses any more.

[Zuplar]

Unless the VA wants to list me as 100% service connected disabled. OKlahomans who are 100% don't pay property tax. I don't think anyone relying on a pension should either. Make up the difference by taxing churches.
They're mostly businesses any more.

100% agree with you.

[stick47]

So looking at how this is, it's easy to see why the US is going downhill. Special interest factions are refusing to let go of their outdated cherished "untouchables" (Church exemptions, liquor laws modernization, two party politics, etc) Because those people are so entrenched, we get people like the Clintons in powerful positions through appealing to those folks. The rats not only left the ship in the year 2000, they're now driving the ship.