Blighted Streets In Guymon To Receive some TLC
KSCB News - August 21, 2009 12:00 am
Guymon, OK ź?? The City of Guymon was recently awarded a grant in the amount of $250,000 from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce that will go towards the paving, curbing and guttering of several streets on the south side of Guymon. These streets have been unpaved since their inhabitance many years ago and are in desperate need of repair.
Paving and street repair projects were one of the top priorities that the residents of Guymon voted on during the sales tax survey of 2005. In 2007 the residents of Guymon passed that one-cent sales tax to help with capital improvement projects. The community development staff is doing all it can to try and stretch the capital improvement tax dollars with any available grant funds. Grant funds are very competitive across Oklahoma and Guymon was lucky to have scored enough points to be allocated some of the funds. Points are based on population size, income limits, scope of work, and largely on the dollars that are being leveraged or matched by the City. Without the sales tax to match the grant, it would have made it nearly impossible for Guymon to receive this large grant.
The total cost of the Phase II Paving Project is estimated at $820,311.00, leaving capital improvement taxes to pay an estimated $570,311.00. By receiving this grant, it is helping stretch the capital improvement tax dollars and giving Guymon residents more than a 40% return on their tax dollar investment all while making Guymon a more inviting place to live and giving the nearly 50 families in that part of the City a more enjoyable and suitable living environment.
The Phase II Paving Project will cover various unpaved blocks on the south side of the City, including Southwest 9-12 Streets from Main to East Street. Once the City receives the environmental reviews from all state agencies and the Release of Funds from the Department of Commerce they will go out to bid on the project. The project should be completed sometime in late fall pending cooperation from the weather.
