The City of Stroud could be getting a data center.
At the regular City Council meeting on March 12, City Manager Bob Pearman updated City Council members on a data center that had expressed interest in building in Stroud, saying they had been transparent about everything.
He said the company hasn’t made a decision yet and has been looking at 12 areas, including Stroud. However, it has asked for suggestions on how it could potentially help improve the town. He made it clear they weren’t looking for incentives or handouts. Council member Jeff Stiner added that the company appears to be very communityfriendly.
“They have other communities that they have started up renewable energy data centers. There’s been very positive feedback from the community.They’revery engaged,” Stiner said.
Also at the meeting, the Council voted to hire DesignArchitects Plus to provide renderings for the new fire station so they could apply for grants and/or seek loans. The contract came to $4,000.
The new station will be built on property on Route 66 going into town, and the plan is to consolidate everything currently at multiple different buildings into one central hub, according to Grant Administrator Leslie Wilbourn. She presented a rough draft of plans, going over what the fire district would like to include, such as training space, bunks, storage for gear, and more. The plan is to seek out grant funding to build the station, as well as reach out to Rep. Stephanie Bice about discretionary funds and possibly apply for a low-interest USDAloan. Wilbourn said some of these loans transition into grants.
The Council voted to surplus 1021 West Main Street and send out for bids to demo the building.
During the city manager’s report, Pearman addressed concerns raised over the gas smell in town. He said that Plains had already placed an air scrubber at the location and was monitoring the air. Additionally, the company is looking at other solutions.
Wilbourn provided updates on several current and upcoming grant projects. She reported there was $3,856.87 in the Oklahoma Route 66 Revitalization Round Two Grant, which will be used for the final round of plaques for the remaining business owners, wrapping for City Hall, and the removal of an old sign. The town has applied for another round of the grant for $659,000. They will find out onApril 23 if they receive the money. This willgo towards providing another 22 businesses with neon signs.
She reported on work at Foster Park under the TSET Build Environment Grant. Concrete pads were being poured with the pavilion set to be installed the following week. There will also be new fitness and playground equipment installed.
The town also received a $10,000 award from the National Trust Board for Historic Preservation to help fix the windows at the public library. This is in addition to another grant received for the library, which will be used for a neon sign, as well as staffing to extend library hours and new community activities.
Stroud also received a Municipal Road Drilling Activity Plan grant for Elm and Allied Road. Wilbourn said they are currently waiting for the specifications before they can send them out for vendor evaluations.