A local car dealership has plans to expand, and the City of Seminole has agreed to give up occupancy of nearby property to accommodate the expansion.

During its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Seminole City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to vacate the north end of Park Street to allow Seminole Chevrolet/ Buick/GMC/Cadillac to expand in the future.

“This is a request that was given to us by the Seminole GM shop for Park Street that goes behind their vacant lot,” City Manager Steve Saxon explained to the council. “In years past, we had already vacated from the property next to theirs, but we didn’t go far enough. There is no street there currently, so we’re not having any issues vacating that street. I consulted with [City Attorney] Brad Carter, and at one point it looked like we would have to go through District Court, but Brad said this is the proper technique.” Before the proposal was put to a vote, Ward I Councilor Dana Miller asked Saxon to explain what it means to “vacate” a property.

“When a property owner gives an easement, they are basically giving us the right to occupy. If we have the right to occupy, in most cases, it means we’re running sewer or water. Sometimes OG&E or others like CenterPoint might share an easement. When you vacate a property, you’re saying ‘we’re giving this back to you and we’re no longer going to occupy it,’” Saxon said.

According to Saxon, there are no sewer or water lines in the area. Saxon also told the council that the dealership has not officially submitted plans but wanted to have a “green light” from the city before any expansion activities begin.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, separate bids for the purchase of two lawnmowers were approved. The council awarded a $14,341 bid to Mike’s Lawn Equipment in Harrah for a mower to be used by the parks department. A bid of $11,671 was awarded to Seminole Ford/Town and Country for a mower that will be used at Sportsman Lake. Both were FY2021- 22 budgeted items. The sole bid of $2,500 from Jeremiah Stanfill to buy a 1975 ariel ladder firetruck from the city, which had been previously declared as surplus, also gained approval.

The council also approved the following resolutions and ordinances on Tuesday: A resolution supporting healthy food options for Seminole residents, a resolution adopting a Citizen Participation Plan to apply for a Community Block Development Grant and an ordinance granting a 25-year franchise agreement to CenterPoint Energy. The city will receive a franchise fee of 2% of gross gas consumption sales under the agreement.

In other actions, the council approved the purchase of a used excavator at a cost of $209,600, a budgeted item, and to renew a public works construction services contract with Silver Star Construction. The contract was approved in 2018 for a fiveyear period and is subject to annual renewal.

The following lease agreements were also approved on Tuesday: Management services by MM&H Property Management LLC at the Jimmie Austin Golf Course ($86,000 paid to the city annually), use of the softball field by Seminole Public Schools, use of Oiler Park by Seminole Public Schools and use of the Softball Quad by the Seminole Girls Softball Association.