Bryan County Commissioners approved a resolution during a Monday meeting to apply for a Community Development Block Grant through the Southern Oklahoma Development Association that if approved, would fund the resurfacing of Pirtle Road.
Michelle Powell, CDBG coordinator with SODA, said the grant is to benefit low to moderate income residents and that this grant cover resurfacing one mile of Pirtle Road east of Durant. Cost of the project is approximately $329,000 with $128,000 in grants.
The project to build a new building for county offices is still ongoing and when asked about it after the meeting, District No. 3 Commissioner Brandon Carr said the county expects to have bids by mid-April.
“Then we’ll know exactly where we’re at on the budget and then we’ll continue from there,” Carr said.
He said the county will not have an estimated start date until then and during the last meeting with Shane Knight of Theorem architecture, it was determined that the county is a little over budget on the project.
“So, they’re trying to get real numbers where we’re actually at and then we’ll know more from there,” Carr said.
Last year, commissioners approved Theorem architecture to design a new building for Bryan County offices that will be constructed at 301 N. Fourth Ave., where there was previously an apartment building until it was purchased and razed by the county. Upon completion, the county offices currently in the courthouse annex will move into the building and the district attorney’s office, that is presently in the Plaza theater building, will move into the annex.
There was an idea at one time of some of the county offices moving into unused parts of the Boys & Girls Club, but Carr said that idea was proved to be too costly for the county.
“Just I think to move the media, the internet and everything was going to be 20 something thousand and we just don’t have the money there,” Carr said.