ELGIN – Ward 2 has a new representative on the Elgin City Council.
The council voted 4-0 Sept. 26 to appoint Elgin resident Eleanor Martinez to the position after hearing short speeches from Martinez and two other applicants, plus another woman who spoke on behalf of applicant Kaci Bennett. Bennett was unable to attend the meeting due to a scheduling conflict.
The new Ward 2 representative replaces former Councilwoman Nettie Evans, who resigned in August because she was moving out of the ward. Martinez will complete Evans’ unexpired term on the council, then decide whether to seek a full term.
A longtime employee of Elgin Public Schools, Martinez said she decided to run because she wanted to help the community expand.
“Our community is growing and getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and I feel like we need to accommodate the families that are coming into this town with their kids,” she said.
In other business, the council authorized the city to apply for a $45,000 Rural Economic Action Plan grant for sidewalk projects and supply $45,000 in matching funds.
The state’s REAP grant program is designed to help small communities that have limited funding capability, according to the Oklahoma Economic Development Authority’s website. REAP grants fund projects that boost economic development, promote intergovernmental cooperation and improve public health and safety.