To the Citizens of Bristow, Four years ago, I asked for your vote to serve as mayor for the citizens of Bristow. I am both humbled and grateful to be entrusted with the chance to serve our community. I am asking, once again, for your support. Together, with my staff, the city council, and the help of many Bristow citizens, we have accomplished so much. That said, we have several projects that I'd like to see through to the end and others I'd like to see put in motion.
As most of you know, shortly after I took office, our country was hit by the pandemic and serving as mayor looked different than any time in history. I did my best to stay educated, consider all sides and all the science, I prayed to be led by God's wisdom and acted accordingly. I thought Bristow citizens did their best to comply and keep each other safe, while still doing what they could to move forward. I applaud you all for that! Unfortunately, not all projects, under the cloud of this pandemic, were as easily addressed as the people of Bristow. I understand there are times that citizens feel frustrated by the growing pains. At times, it can be frustrating for me as well, but the goal is to move Bristow forward.
Now, I know the people of this town well enough to know what concerns you most, so let me touch base about some of those. Many of you have concerns about the hospital and rightfully so, as it is a vital part of our town's infrastructure. A little more than a year ago, Bristow Endeavor Healthcare informed the city that they would no longer be managing operations at Bristow Medical Center. Some citizens believed that I was responsible for closing the doors, but that simply is not true. What I did, with several trusted council members and city staff, was scramble to do everything we could to find other companies willing to take on the task we were facing at the hospital. We are so thankful that Carrus stepped up and agreed to such an undertaking. It was an especially rough start as somewhere along the way, years before my term as mayor, our Medicare licensure was sold and transferred to another medical facility before they were issued their own number. On top of major repairs to meet code, we were facing the job of getting a new license in the midst of a pandemic. So, at the same time, we were dealing with state officials and government shutdowns, but I am excited to say that the state has given approval and a license has been issued contingent on a final inspection. Carrus Lakeside Hospital will open this February and will be ready to provide worldclass healthcare in a dean, streamlined, and fully functional hospital. So many people were instrumental in seeing this through, but it wouldn't have been possible without the help of my dear friend and city councilman, the late Tex Slyman.
Next, let me address the swimming pool situation. A pool may not be as vital as a hospital, but in a town our size, when kids and families are limited on activities, a swimming pool is a huge deal-I get it. When I took over as mayor, the swimming pool was in need of major repairs and the city had been doing what they could to limp along from one year to the next.The plumbing, the plaster, the chipped tile, and several other issues had reached the point of no return. With the pandemic on the rise in the summer of 2020, we were set to close the pool and take that time to consider what needed repairs we could make. Luckily, the citizens had invested in themselves and the future of our town. We finally had the finances to fully update and overhaul the pool and even add some extra amenities. Almost as soon as Bristow had financing in place, the city hired PEC to look at our current structure and engineer design plans for a waterpark like destination that could also serve as an economic tool. Unfortunately, businesses got even more backed up through the Covid debacle, so by the time the plans were drafted and we had the green light to take bids, the sky-rocketing construction inflation made it impossible to accomplish our original plans. Here's the thing, city government moves slow at times because there are several entities involved in these kinds of decisions. Not always fun to deal with, but it's an important part of the process and one of the many ways citizens control where their tax dollars go and how they're spent. Currently, the city has the new plans drawn, we've taken bids, and have the swimming pool ground-breaking set for the next city council agenda. This project has been a thorn in my side, but I will be so proud for our town to see this finished!
All this talk of the pandemic, the snags in planning, and shortcomings of city government can seem like a lot, but I can assure you there was also a great amount that we accomplished together since 2019. Many of you probably noticed that the big water tower was repainted, but many may not realize the inside was relined and the tower was totally redone. We also did a full update on the water treatment plant, so that we could improve city water standards.This became my priority after taking office because the city was facing fines of more than $100,000 for DEQ violations. After meetings with the DEQ and getting approval of all the upgrades, once we made the improvements, the fines were waived and city water standards have improved.
Of course, there was so much more accomplished than water improvements. For the first time ever, Bristow has a fully-functional airport. Jones Memorial Airport now has a longer runway to accommodate large private planes and smaller jets. Also, we have a taxiway with a fueling station, and a beautiful terminal and lobby area. As the direct-ship sector grows, the airport will be a major asset for our town and our economic growth. While the airport expansion was a new addition, we also focused on saving and revitalizing Bristow icons like the amphitheater. We brought the Bristow fireworks show and added more family festivities, several volunteers worked with us to grow our parades and festivals that help create commerce, and let's not forget that Bristow is also set to begin construction on a Holiday Inn Express. The hotel will be located near our turnpike spur. This is something I've worked hard to ensure would happen in Bristow, but Pastor Mark Evans with Cornerstone Church deserves a big thank you! While things like a fireworks show, a parade, or a community event can seem like small things, those are drops in the bucket that fill the pail of a community that can come together and make big things happen. Big things are happening in Bristow! It's my hope and prayer that I'll have the chance to serve Bristow for another term to see these projects through and continue to help Bristow thrive. One last thing, if you know me, you know I want Charlie's Chicken open as much as the next guy, so please know, there is plenty to blame me for, but Charlie's Chicken isn't one of them. ; )