The Henryetta Economic Development Authority held its monthly meeting, discussing progress on key initiatives across the city.

The meeting began with the swearing in of Christy Jeffcoat, who took the oath of office, pledging to faithfully discharge her duties as an economic development official to the best of her ability.

The focus then turned to developments at the Henryetta Municipal Airport. According to City Manager David Bullard, the airport project is nearing completion, with only a few remaining items needed, such as the fuel hose reel and filter system. “We’re one airplane from being filled out there,” the city manager noted, indicating strong demand from pilots looking to store their planes at the airport.

Current storage fees are $120 per month for single- engine planes and $240 for twin-engine. Bullard expressed interest in potentially adding more storage hangars to accommodate the growing interest, though noted the financial challenges, saying “it’s really not a money maker, which, that’s not what we’re looking at.”

Beyond the airport, the city is advancing several other infrastructure projects. Work on the Fourth Street lift station is progressing, with the underground portion completed and compression work underway to tie it into the water tower. Additionally, the sewer line project on the north side of the highway is moving ahead of schedule, according to the speaker.

The city is also preparing to address issues with the spillway at Jim Hall Lake, where the galvanized drains have deteriorated. Bids will be sought next month to replace the drains with new polyethylene pipes.

Elsewhere, the million-gallon water tower project is in the site survey phase, with the city in talks with property owners to acquire land for the new tower. And the state is providing $3.2 million in funding to repair three of the city’s aging bridges, which the speaker described as the “worst bridges we have.”

Overall, the Henryetta Economic Development Authority meeting highlighted the city’s progress on a range of critical infrastructure projects, with the airport expansion and sewer/water upgrades taking center stage.