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Edmond Life and Leisure - August 29, 2024
The aging Fire Station 3, at 1540 W. Danforth Road, would receive $10 million, or 5 percent of the funding.
City informs on bond issues to fund ‘Edmond on the GO’ initiative
What’s at stake
Edmond on the GO: Proposed bond program would fund the highest priority streets, parks and public safety improvements Edmond residents expect
Voters to consider a 10-year, 15 mill levy that would generate a projected $231 million to fund these vital projects
From City Source Edmond
The way Darrell Davis sees it, the best way to keep Edmond the kind of community that attracts and keeps so many is to invest in it.
“It’s like having a shiny new car sitting in your driveway,” said Davis, the current Edmond Mayor and a long-time member of the City Council. “You can’t just let it sit there and go to pot – you have to take care of it, or you won’t have a shiny new car anymore.”
And that’s why Council and the City of Edmond have proposed “Edmond on the GO.”
Edmond on the GO is a General Obligation (GO) Bond program that will fund the highest priority streets, parks and public safety improvements Edmond residents expect. If approved by voters, this will mark the first GO Bond program for the City of Edmond since 1980, a historic and foundational investment.
On the Nov. 5, 2024, election ballot are three separate bond proposals that would fund 22 projects in three categories – streets, parks, and fire safety. The three Edmond on the GO proposals would combine for a 10-year, 15 mill levy that would generate a projected $231 million to fund these vital projects.
“The current funding source that we have for our City – relying significantly on sales tax dollars – is not meeting the needs of our growing infrastructure nor our growing quality-of-life needs,” Davis said.
Improving streets is the No. 1 concern of many Edmond residents. Edmond on the GO addresses that concern with 65 percent of the program funding – $151 million – dedicated to street improvements, including 33 separate resurfacing projects
that would improve safety and mobility across the City. The bond also includes numerous intersection improvements, pedestrian crossing safety improvements and a continuation of the Intelligent Transportation System program, which includes the use of field devices, communications infrastructure and computer systems to improve traffic safety and mobility during congested periods, construction activities, maintenance activities and incidents such as traffic collisions and other emergencies.
Six Parks projects would get $70 million, or 30 percent of the funding, including projects like new softball and baseball fields and amenities, new playground equipment, Miracle League field improvements, and connectivity improvements such
as pathways and sidewalks at Mitch Park. Renovations to the Service-Blake Soccer Complex and equipment replacement and upgrades to 13 neighborhood parks across Edmond are also on the projects list.
Funding for public safety – specifically, relocating and replacing aging Fire Station 3 – would receive $10 million, or 5 percent of the funding. The current Fire Station 3 at 1540 W. Danforth Road was constructed in 1983 and has a long history of significant and ongoing maintenance issues and traffic in the area now is extremely heavy, which causes response delays and safety concerns for both Fire crews and residents.
The current station is only 5,210 square feet, which is less than half the size of modern fire stations and can house only five firefighters. The proposed station would be relocated to the northwest corner of Kelly Avenue and Hawthorne Lane. The 11,000 square foot facility would include a third vehicle bay and house between seven to 10 firefighters.
Information on all the proposed GO Bond projects is available at www.edmondok.gov/1912/General-Obligation-Bond-Projects.
“The thing about a GO Bond is the funding is dedicated from the start to projects residents want,” Davis said. “For our streets, 65 percent of the funding is guaranteed to go to those specific street projects, so voters know where it will go – that’s accountability from Day 1.”
If voters approve the bond package, property taxes will increase by about $1.34 a day per household or $40 a month (based on the median home value in Edmond). GO Bonds are a common funding method used by cities to address critical infrastructure needs. Edmond is the only large city in the metro area that doesn’t utilize a GO Bond program.
“Over the years we’ve analyzed what options we have for revenue sources for the projects our residents have told us they value,” Davis said. “This option is one we have looked at extensively and has been demonstrated to be effective and efficient in other places throughout the region.”
To help educate residents, the City has partnered on an educational campaign that includes a webpage with information on the projects, answers questions about funding, provides informational videos and outlines all 22 projects selected by the General Obligation Bond Advisory Task Force.
The Task Force was first suggested during the November 2023 City Council Strategic Meeting. At that time, Council identified the strategic goal to appoint a citizens committee to recommend appropriate projects and funding levels for a possible GO Bond election.
A limited-duration Task Force was appointed by Council in May 2024 and included 25 residents from across Edmond – five per Ward and five at-large. The group met four times over the summer to develop a project list and determine the length and amount of potential funding. The Task Force presented these recommendations to Council on Aug 12, 2024. The group also recommended that Council create a resident committee to oversee the program if approved by voters.
Agendas, videos of the meetings and information about the Task Force’s work are available at www.edmondok.gov/1885/General-Obligation-BondAdvisory-Task-Fo.
“You have to look at the overall benefit to the City,” Davis said. “This program would help maintain and enhance the quality of life we enjoy in Edmond. It will help us meet our growing infrastructure needs. It will help with congestion that we see during certain times of the day.
“You may not agree with all the projects on the list, but I guarantee for most Edmond residents there are projects that will affect your life, and in a positive way.”
Learn more about GO Bonds, the proposed projects and more at www.EdmondOK.gov/OnTheGO.
Learn more about what’s happening around the City at www.edmondok.gov/CitySource.
