CHICKASHA — The City Council heard a complaint recently about “slumlords,” voted to advertise leases for oil and gas development on several pieces of city-owned land, gave its blessing to the annual citywide yard sale, and approved the purchase of five mowers for the Public Works Department.
The City Council, reconvening as the Municipal Authority, voted to terminate the Chickasha Antique Auto Club’s lease on the Rock Island Railroad Depot.
In addition, a lengthy oath of office was administered to three re-elected council members.
Business owner Nadine Shaw told the council that several dilapidated houses on the north side of town ought to be demolished.
“We’re getting a lot of transients” arriving in Chickasha from U.S. Highway 81, and they’re taking up residence in abandoned houses on the north side, she said. The city needs to “get rid of those abandoned houses” because “slumlords are not doing their job.”
The city is moving as fast as it can on demolition projects, but the process entails legal notification requirements, Mayor Chris Mosley noted during an interview with Southwest Ledger. In addition, the city doesn’t have deep pockets to pay for a lot of demolition jobs, he said. For example, among the bills paid by the City Council recently was a $5,800 invoice from Washita Construction for a demolition project at 3506
Hill Street.
The council authorized publication of a public sale and auction of oil and gas mining leases for 521 acres of city-owned land in Grady and Caddo counties. Those include two parcels totaling 440 acres in Caddo County and 18 parcels totaling 81 acres in Grady County; 16 of those properties are in Chickasha.
A request to authorize the annual citywide yard sale on May 11-13 received a thumbs-up from the council. Homeowners will be able to save a few bucks by not having to acquire a permit from City Hall – currently $5.50 per day or $10 for a two-day permit – to conduct yard sales on those dates. The permit requirement is waived for the event in order to increase community participation.
The citywide yard sale is held in tandem with the Antique Auto Club’s swap meet at 712 E. Choctaw Ave.
The council received three bids on the purchase of five mowers for the municipal cemeteries, and awarded a $52,214 contract to Great Plains Duncan. Three of the mowers will have a 52-inch-wide cut and the other two will have a 60-inch cut.
The lowest bid ($51,619) came from an Oklahoma City company, but it was not able to deliver all of the mowers quickly. The highest bid ($53,328) was submitted by a Chickasha company that did not have any of the machines in stock and couldn’t deliver for 30 to 60 days, Public Works Director Jim Crosby reported.
Meeting as the Municipal Authority, city leaders voted to terminate the Antique Auto Club’s lease agreement that has allowed them to use the renovated Rock Island Depot building downtown. The club will have 60 days to vacate the premises.
The club has not been using the depot building “for anything other than storage” and has not paid on the lease since 2018, said Shae Mortimer, the city’s marketing and civic engagement director. “I am told it was a mutual agreement,” she added.
Mortimer indicated the lease termination had nothing to do with California businessman Chet Hitt’s plan to lease the depot for his multimillion-dollar Town’s End development in the vicinity of the leg lamp statue in Old Town Chickasha.
Hitt said he wants to use the renovated depot, which was constructed in 1910, for special events, weddings, classrooms, and community space.
In a housekeeping matter, the oath of office was administered to incumbent council members Brian Gerdes (Ward 1), Georgianne Hebblethwaite (Ward 2), and Kelly Boyd (Ward 3), all of whom were re-elected to new terms. Incumbent Oscar Nelson, who was unopposed in his bid for re-election, will receive the oath at a later date.
The nine-member council has one vacancy: Ward 2 Councilman Nate McCalla resigned earlier this month.
In a related matter, Zach Grayson was re-elected Mayor Pro Tempore by his council colleagues. He would preside over council meetings if Mayor Chris Mosley were absent.