The city of Orange is applying for a special Texas Department of Transportation grant to build sidewalks along Sikes Road and Martin Luther King Drive southward to the convenience store on the corner with Interstate 10.
Tuesday the City Council approved a resolution backing the application. Dr. Shawn Oubre told the council the grant is not an option to reject if TxDOT approves it. The city will have to commit the $68,175 needed for the local match. That amount will include $25,000 for engineering, $24,165 for a contingency, and $19,010 for the project.
The grant is through the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program. Planning Director Kelvin Knauf said the council during an April workshop on the grant indicated that building sidewalks along Sikes Road and part of MLK Drive was the top priority.
In addition to the sidewalks, the proposed project also is to include the city buying trash receptacles and installing them along the sidewalks.
The Housing Authority of the City of Orange opened new affordable housing apartments on Sikes Road almost two years ago. Another apartment complex is also on the road.
Knauf said the sidewalks along MLK Drive would go along land owned by Community Christian Church and some vacant commercial land. He said some of the right-of-way might be difficult to use because drainage ditches are along it.
The resolution the council passed backs the grant application and commits money if it is approved.
In other business, the council passed two resolutions, one honoring the Leaf and Petal Club for its community beautification work during the past 60 years. The other honored four members of the West Orange-Stark High School team playing The Stock Market Game.
Mayor Jimmy Sims said he had visited the high school and was impressed with the work the team had made. The Stock Market Game is part of the Capital Hill Challenge that pairs students with members of Congress. They have an imaginary $100,000 to invest in stocks and use actual markets to score success. The WO-S team has been paired with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
The members of the team are Kedrick Harris, Paul Ivory, Jay’zn Robinson and Davien Teate. Selwyn Dews is the team sponsor. The team has been in the top 28 percent of thousands of teams.
The Leaf and Petal Club was founded in Orange in 1957 and the members have planted trees and flowers around the city during the past 60 years. Those trees include one planted at each new house built by Habitat for Humanity. Also, the group has planted a great oak at the newly-restored train depot.
The council approved a contract with Community Christian Church for use of the Natatorium during the summer. Public Works Director Jim Wolf said the city has 12 lifeguards lined up for the summer. He said most are college students and will not be able to work until the first week of June.
The pool will be opening at the first of June and will be open until the middle of August, when the student lifeguards have to go back to school, he said.
The pool will have adult swim from 6 to 8 a.m., open swim from 3 to 5:30 p.m. and family swim from 6 to 8 p.m. on weekdays. On Saturdays and Sundays, the pool will have family swims from 1 to 5 p.m. and open swim from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Natatorium will be closed on Mondays.
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