The job of Durant city treasurer is currently up for grabs, according to city council members.

During a special city council meeting Wednesday afternoon, members took no action on hiring a new city treasurer.

Durant Mayor Jerry Tomlinson said the council was “not prepared at this time” to make a decision.

The city’s previous treasurer, Jonathan Slaten, left the position last month for another job.

Earlier in the meeting, the council approved a new job description for city treasurer. Duties will include accounting city funds, maintaining the general ledger, preparing financial reports for projects and performing internal control procedures.

Qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in finance, public administration, business administration or a closely related field and five years of experience in accounting systems administration, including three years at a supervisory level, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. CPA certification is also preferred.

Assistant City Manager Ralph Houser said the previous ordinance was drafted in 1993 and city officials worked with Slaten to amend the existing job description.

The council also approved a job description and authorized advertising for an assistant city treasurer.

According to the job description, duties will include providing a variety of financial and accounting related support functions for all departments within the city as well as assisting in cash management, fixed asset management and/or investment management and internal control procedures.

Qualifications include an associate’s degree in accounting or a related field and two years of experience in accounting, payroll or bookkeeping, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

The council authorized City Clerk Leta McNatt to make investments and transfer funds on behalf of Durant, since the city is without a treasurer.

Tomlinson said McNatt has filled in before and has the proper certification.

The council voted to allow her to continue serving in this capacity as necessary even after a treasurer is hired.

Under other business, the council approved a request from Southeastern Oklahoma State University to close North Second Avenue for half a block south of University Boulevard and north of Willow Street.

According to a letter from Ross Walkup, SE vice president of business affairs, the university is developing a parking lot between First and Second streets that will be bordered by University Boulevard on the north side.

The parking will be utilized for the tennis court complex, located just west of the site, and for events at Paul Laird Field, Bloomer Sullivan Arena and Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium, Walkup wrote. Howard-Fairbalm Site Design, architects, on the project, have made recommendations that include pedestrian traffic.

“It is felt that in closing this portion of Second Avenue, a better safety environment for pedestrian traffic would be provided,” Walkup wrote. The street portion would become an entrance/exit to the parking lot.

Eddie Harbin, SE facility manager, said the parking lot project will go out for bids mid-March and the university hopes to have a contract by mid-April. The lot will have a total of 118 spaces, including five that are ADA-compliant.

Harbin said a project timeline is still being developed. A cost estimate won’t be in until final drawings and documents are completed.

Police Chief Durward Cook said the area does not have high traffic and he does not anticipate any problems.

Under projects, the council approved motions for the following projects:

— Donald W. Reynolds community center and library, along Main Street

— Newly remodeled criminal investigation building, 3801 N. First Ave.

— New central fire station on First and Evergreen

— New police department facility on Carl Albert Drive

— North fire substation remodel on Carl Albert Drive

The council approved an agreement with CHA Construction for construction materials testing services for the new library and community center, which is being funded by a $7,982,870 Donald W. Reynolds Foundation grant.

CMS Willowbrook is working with the city on the project, and this professional service from CHA will cost an estimated $34,235, which is included in the original budget, Houser said.

He said the facility should take approximately a year to complete, and crews are right on schedule. A groundbreaking ceremony has not been officially set but is in the works.

“You better hurry up or we won’t have a ground to break,” Tomlinson said in jest, referencing the recent wet and icy weather conditions.

“We’ll make a square somewhere,” Houser replied.

On the criminal investigation building, the council authorized the purchase of furnishings from Oklahoma Correctional Industries, based in Oklahoma City, for approximately $28,214.

“It’s a beautiful building,” Cook said. “We’d like to put new furniture in this beautiful building.”

Cook said the current furnishings in the building — the old Oklahoma Highway Patrol headquarters — are mismatched and mostly in poor condition.

The criminal investigations building has eight rooms that are useful as offices, according to a memorandum from Cook. However, the requested furnishings would allow for three additional offices, increasing the number of investigators to 10 and allowing for one clerical person.

Cook said that the Durant Police Department currently has seven investigators in the facility and they have received requests from two state agencies and one federal agency for space in the building.

“We’re excited about it. We’d like to move the whole department in it,” Cook said about the structure, smiling.

“It sure looks nice,” Council member Bobby Story said about the structure.

Cook said crews are wrapping up the remodel.

“Is the motion to approve the police department to beat the fire department, because I don’t want any part in that,” Vice Mayor Thomas Marcum joked, referencing how the agenda had the police department’s structure listed one above the fire department’s central station.

Next, the council approved furnishings for the new central fire station through the same Oklahoma City company for approximately $29,916.

Houser said the fire station is being funded by the city in the amount of approximately $2 million.

The building should be completed in March, Fire Chief Steve Dow said.

“We’ve worked hard to get the best furniture for the best price,” City Manager James Dunegan said. “They’ve done a good job, and we appreciate them very much.”

The council also approved the placement of three parking signs outside the fire department facility to prevent traffic hazards.

Houser said parking should be limited to one-hour on the south side of Evergreen, and no overnight parking is permitted.

For the new police department facility, the council approved architectural services, civil engineering and construction management agreements.

The design-build facility will cost approximately $2 million. Houser said the money for the project is coming out of the capital improvements fund.

Jerry Yandell, Durant project director, said the agreements would allow crews to proceed with surveying and site drilling.

According to a memorandum, the design and construction could take up to 18 months.

The council approved Theorem and Howard Construction Inc. as the design team and Construction Management (CM) for construction of the police facility.

For the north fire substation remodel, the council authorized the purchase of services in the amount of $45,620 for the design/construction.

They also approved an agreement with Mid-Plains Construction, Inc., for architectural design and construction for the facility.

According to a memorandum, Mid-Plains will work with Wynn & Associates Architects and their engineering consultants to design and make any necessary modifications.

The design-build project may require a total demolition and rebuilding the office and living quarters, along with the exterior building and drainage modifications, the memo stated.

Yandell said the anticipated cost for the total project is a little less than $300,000.

Dunegan said both of the facilities on Carl Albert Drive are being designed in similar ways, in order to look compatible, and all of the construction elements are being contracted out via the construction manager.

“We’re getting the best buy for our dollars doing it this way,” Dunegan said.