The Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Ponca held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 2. Rich Cantillon kicked off the meeting.
Cantillon has scheduled a customer service training for Oct. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Chamber.
The next workshop will be on Thursday, September 8th at the Pioneer Technology Center with Janet Schwabe hosting this event. It will be $10, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and includes lunch. The topic will focus on workforce development.
The committee made a presentation to Turtle’s Donut Shoppe to recognize them as the August 2022 Business of the Month.
Tickets for the Party at the Palace are available and are $50 per ticket. The event will be on Friday 19 August from 6.30 pm to 11.00 pm. The ticket includes dinner, two drinks and music.
Next month’s Cash Mob will be at Walgreen’s on Thursday, September 1st at 11:30am.
Cantillon then presented his chamber report.
The Chamber is currently seeking a Membership Specialist to join its team.
This month’s Cash Mob is at Danny’s BBQ on Thursday 4th August at 11.30am.
The Leadership Ponca City Orientation Luncheon will be on August 10th at 12pm in the Seminar Center at the Pioneer Technology Center and will introduce the 36th Leadership Class. The luncheon costs $15 and must be confirmed to attend.
The next meeting of the Kindness Campaign will be on Tuesday, August 16th at 4 pm at the Rusty Barrell Supper Club.
The New Master’s Luncheon will be on Wednesday, August 17 at 11:30 a.m. at the Ponca City Camp Club.
Leadership Oklahoma will be hosted in Ponca City in the spring. The planning group will meet on Thursday 18 August.
Stuff the Bus will be Saturday, August 20th at Walmart.
The 146th Annual Ponca Festival will be from August 25 to 28.
The Leadership Retreat will be on Thursday, September 1st and Friday, September 2nd at Camp Horizon.
Afterwards, committee members shared community events.
Kelsey Wagner with MyMediaMatters and Ponca City Monthly shared that Down by Downtown (DXDT) will take place on Friday, August 5th with Hattie Lloyd and Rigby Summer as musical entertainment.
Ponca City Main Street (PCMS) will be doing a social media takeover at MyMediaMatters on Tuesday, August 9, which coincides with MyMediaMatters’ fifth anniversary in business.
Jessica Field with the Stolhand-Wells Group shared that they are currently looking for someone to help organize their warehouse.
The new building is awaiting approval from the city, and they have already begun skinning the exterior of the building.
Angela Spicer with Hospice of North Central Oklahoma shared an update.
The Hospice will host a Health Fair on Friday, August 5 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The presentation will resume at the Hospice and the first will be on Thursday, August 11 with Aaron Hyatt from 12 to 1 pm on wills and powers of attorney. Mary Austin will be the speaker for the Monday, September 26 presentation on banking.
The Cherokee Strip Kitchen is scheduled for Saturday, September 17th.
Kat Long with the Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) provided an update.
Business on the balcony will be on Tuesday, August 9 from 7 to 8:30 a.m.
On Friday, August 12, at 10 a.m., there will be a groundbreaking for the Duke building.
Two motorcycle rallies will take place in City Central, one in September and the other in October.
Pioneer Technology Center will have a QuickBooks training class in September.
Jaime Philips with Marland’s Place shared that they will be having their Family Fun Day on Saturday, August 6th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm at 1300 Summers Place. The event will have plenty of activities and attractions to keep you entertained, including two regular bounce houses and an obstacle course, a petting zoo by New Life Trails, a chalk art trailer by Doodle Academy, a screening trailer by Noon Lions Vision and free face painting. There will be food trucks and a beer and wine garden by Rusty Barrell.
Entry price if $10 per car.
Marland’s Place had four adoptions in the past month.
Brooke Jones with Redland’s Office Solutions shared that they are currently in a very busy time of year. They currently have eight school supplies in their office.
There will be a Charlie Adams Day Color Run on Saturday 10th September at 8am with check-in at 7.30am. It will be free.
Mayor Homer Nicholson shared his update on city events.
The Ponca City Council is now in its new budget year with a budget of $125 million this year.
Council staff are busy dealing with weeds.
The Commission approved a front loader at the last meeting.
Mayor Nicholson also shared how the talk in the Legislature about eliminating the grocery tax will be detrimental to cities, as Oklahoma is the only state in the nation where cities do not receive ad valorem money, rather they rely on sales tax revenue. In the case of Ponca City: Police, fire and emergency services account for 125% of sales tax revenue. The rest of the city is managed by fees, fines and Ponca City Energy.
Waterline work is being done on the east side of the city and broadband quotas are currently being done on the east side of Ponca City.
The bridge deck at Union is expected to be a summer-long project.
3rd Street between the two police stations is being reworked. The rodeo bleachers are being torn down by the arrival of new aluminum bleachers in October.
Ash’s large pile of dirt will be used to make a driving range at Wentz Golf Course.
Attucks Park will get outdoor restrooms.
More ADA and waterproofing work is being done for the Marland Grand Home.
The W. Grand Senior Center will be open throughout the summer and is undergoing a complete remodeling.
Ponca Plaza at Lake Road and Pecan has received FEMA approval and will be moving soon.
The 70-unit Sunset Villa in Bradley has been approved and ground work will begin soon.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 6.
