Altus is becoming a beehive of activity as city, school and hospital officials initiate new capital improvement construction projects; and, contrary to national economic woes, city sales tax totals show increases over the same period in 2007.

The Altus City Council planned to complete the sale of $10 million in bonds to Bank of America this week to finance the construction of the new one-stop-shopping Altus City Hall and police department building, located in the South Main Street block containing the old railroad depot. The new city hall was part of the $34 million in “Make Altus Progressive” capital improvement projects approved by voters in August, funded by a 1.75-percent sales tax.

The city council received a 4.125-percent interest rate on the first bond. “We were surprised that we got a bond at less than 5 percent,” said Mayor T.L. Gramling, who made new consolidated city headquarters a priority for his term of office.

According to City Administrator Mike Nettles, the city about two years ago purchased $1.6 million in equipment and paid 4.9 percent interest; and a second recent project, using hotel-motel taxes, cost the city about 4.5 percent.

Plans call for selling three approximately $10 million bonds, one at a time. “We don’t need all the $34 million right now and won’t spend all the $34 million for three years, so why incur all that additional interest expense at this time,” Nettles said.

The downturn in the national economy has not significantly affected Altus. “We can’t explain it, but actually during two of the last three months, we’ve had a sales tax revenue increase over the same months last year,” Nettles said. “Even if it flattened out right now, we’re fine--barring any catastrophes that we’d have to go into our reserves for.”

PSA Dewberry, architectural engineering firm of Tulsa, and Architect Fred Moyer and Associates of Chicago recently presented to the city council scale models of the proposed two-story structure, showing the square footage of each office. Nettles expected the architects’ final design concept (with more energy efficiency work in the heating and air conditioning system and the elimination of unusable space, such as long hallways) in January for mayor and council approval; he anticipated bid letting in April and construction start in June or July. The architect estimated a 14-month construction time.

The proposed 38,000-square-foot structure will contain 40 percent more space than the current combined city facilities and the lot will meet the Altus Unified Code requirements for adequate public and police parking spaces. The ground floor will hold the police department, purchasing, city council chambers/courtroom, utility department and drive-up payment window and multi-purpose rooms. The upper level will house administrative offices, finance, planning and public works. In one alternative bid, a reinforced first-floor ceiling will allow a second-floor expansion over the first floor, if more space is needed later.

“You can pick up the enthusiasm for all the MAPS projects around town. There’s so much going on in Altus right now; we’re going to be a beehive of activity,” Nettles said.

Among new projects in Altus are Jackson County Memorial Hospital’s new women’s center wing; the Altus Public Schools’ MAPS high school renovation and construction, scheduled to begin next summer; a new hangar at Altus Regional Airport, slated to start in 2009; the city’s $13.5 million electrical substation and transmission works, launched last month; and the widening of North Park Lane from Falcon Road to Tamarack Road with lighted walking lanes on each side.

The city paid for the utility relocations and the easements for the North Park Lane project, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation will let the bids and finance the project with a 100-percent federal loan. “Park Lane is definitely one of Altus’ most-traveled streets and the street in most need of repair. It has very heavy traffic in the mornings and after school, because it’s the main route junior- and senior-high school parents use to take their children to school,” Mayor Gramling said.

The new substation, scheduled for completion in June, will improve the city’s electrical distribution system and increase the capacity. The project includes modernizing the three current substations and replacing much of the old equipment. “We ought to be in good shape for providing reliable electricity for years in the future, not that we’ve had an unreliable problem; we’ve got a great electrical system,” Nettles said.” But you have to think ahead, to be proactive rather than reactive and get these things done when we can afford to do them. If you have lean times and have a problem, it’s very difficult to address the problem.”

According to Mayor Gramling, “With all the jobs available for the construction projects and with the economy like it is, it will be a good time for Altus.”