Durant City Council in its recent monthly meeting awarded a bid for construction of the Chuckwa Creek pedestrian bridge over North First Avenue.
The $1,375,563.58 bid is from C3 Construction Inc. and Southeastern Oklahoma State University will provide matching funds in the amount of $66,556.43.
This is a project that has been ongoing and a $674,080 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation was accepted during a council meeting last May. The span of the bridge will be 200 feet and it will be constructed on the east side of First Avenue near the Southeastern Visual and Performing Arts Center.
There will be more fundraising for the project that was first discussed in 2016.
Stewart Hoffman of Hoffman Sanitation spoke about creating an agreement between the city and his company to start a pilot program for recycling.
He said the program will be offered to the public on June 1.
“We are looking to do Durant and Calera to start out and allow us to pick up that kind of curbside service,” Hoffman said. According to Hoffman, it will be an agreement with the city to allow Hoffman Sanitation to pick up curbside recycling, charge the customer and collect the money.
Hoffman said research has shown that if 10 percent of the citizens participate, that is doing well.
“It’s a pilot program to see it it will work here,” he said. “I think we would all agree we’re kind of behind the times when it comes to recycling, not only in Durant but all of Bryan County.”
The council did not vote on the proposal and it is expected to be discussed again at an upcoming meeting.
Council members approved a Dumpster decorating contest sponsored by the Durant Beautification Committee. Those participating would have to show the city what is going to be painted on the Dumpster before it is allowed.
The following employee service awards were presented: - Dustin Rudolf, 30 years, fire department - Amber Cendejas, 20 years, 911 dispatch - James Scott, 20 years, street department - Thomas Billy, Matthew Polson and Nick Spencer, 10 years, police department