City staff is meeting with the engineering, architectural and designing firm, Guernsey, to discuss the conceptual design of a new City Hall for Newcastle.
That announcement was made by City Manager Kevin Self in the regular July City Council meeting. Self said this begins the process for a new City Hall that will be intended to be designed for expandability into the future to meet Newcastle’s growth.
The new facility is planned to be located south of the new Fire Station One on S. Main Street.
Also during the July meeting, the Council had an agenda item to discuss a commercial disposal well, but the item was continued again. It had been continued at the June meeting due to protests having been filed at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC). If the protests can be resolved at the OCC, the City will have to make a decision.
The agenda item is for a conditional use permit for the Mc-Mahan and Griffith Trust and Charter Oak Production for a well to be located approximately one-half mile west of the intersection of S.W. 24th Street and U.S. Highway 62, then north on the lease road and right at the Y to the existing location in Newcastle.
The agenda item was originally sent to the Council on a 2-2 vote April 24 of the Newcastle Planning Commission. The tie vote resulted in “no recommendation” from the commission.
The Council approved an amendment to the City’s ordinance addressing licensing fees for new businesses in Newcastle. The new ordinance changes the former $10 fee to $50, and adds another $30 per instance for City assistance beyond what is required under City Code.
Business licensing is required by the City and records are maintained in the City Clerk’s office at City Hall. Businesses are required to apply for the license by providing the name of their business, the owner of the business, the business location, the owner of the real estate where the business is operated, the number of employees, and the sales tax number issued by the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
In other business at the July meeting, Mayor Karl Nail announced that City Council member Tommy Clay has resigned his seat. Nail said Clay states that he was unable to give the time needed to fulfill the responsibilities of being a council member due to the needs of his business, and he doesn’t want to do anything halfway.
The City is looking for an appointee. Whoever is appointed to fill Clay’s term in Ward 1 will serve until the next election in 2025. At that time, the seat will again be open and someone will be elected by the Newcastle electorate to the last two years of the unexpired term.
