Roberto Ripley with the Senior Project he and Alma Mojica are working on. It is a display case with a tree that will have copper leaves. Each leaf will have the name of a local veteran, their branch of service and the number of years served. Permission to
OROVILLE – The Oroville City Council approved a grant application to fund a sewer extension to several units of permanent farm worker housing to be developed off Sawtell Road.
The city made the approval at the council’s Tuesday, May 18 meeting which was also a Public Hearing requested by the Public Housing Authority. The Housing Authority is applying for a state Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the city. If approved, the city will act as administrators of the $244,380 grant which will be used for a sewer line extension to the East Oroville Harvest Park, which is currently made up of less permanent trailer-type ag worker housing units. The grant will also include funds for road rehabilitation necessitated by the line extension, as well as some money for grant administration.
Mayor Chuck Spieth opened the hearing by introducing Susan Wilson from Rural and Farmworker Housing, who was on hand to discuss the grant. Wilson distributed the CDBG required handouts to those present. Councilman Tony Koepke made a motion to approved Resolution 500, authorizing an application to Community Development and it was seconded by Councilman Ed Naillon and passed unanimously.
Rod Noel, Superintendent of Public Works, gave reports on both the Pedestrian Project and the Biosolids Project. He said the Pedestrian Project, which constructed sidewalks running along the east side of Main St./Hwy. 97 from the north to south city limits, was substantially completed.
“There are two pages of punch list items they are working on. There are drainage issues – a couple of areas of concern… we still have some retainage that will not be paid until the issues are resolved,” Noel said.
Noel said the Bio-solids Project at the city’s wastewater treatment plant was tentatively scheduled for equipment start-up the week of June 10. City Clerk Kathy Jones reported that the county has submitted a time extension request to the state Public Works Trust Fund Board because it will be impossible to have final close out reports completed for this project by June 30, although the project itself may be completed
Airport Services Manager Steven Johnston introduced five pilots who traveled to Oroville’s Dorothy Scott International Airport to talk to school kids about General Aviation as part of the Big World of Flight Program.
“Big World put on a class for 120 kids today… we were kind of trembling in our boots at the thought of 120 kids up there,” Johnston said.
“I want to thank you folks for bringing he program to Oroville,” Mayor Spieth.
Roland Clark, with the local American Legion Post, was also on hand to discuss the Senior Project that Alma Mojica and Roberto Ripley are working on and wanting to install at Osoyoos Lake Veteran’s Memorial Park. It is a display case that is eight feet wide by five feet tall that will hold a tree design with copper leaves. Each leaf will have the name of a local veteran, branch and years served. Clark said that it is an ongoing project and each year a new senior will assume the project, maintaining it and adding more names. Clark said the American Legion Post would also help to maintain the display.
