Current Ward 4 Councilman Robert Pittman is challenging incumbent Jim Pumphrey, who is seeking his third, two-year term.

Pumphrey is an advocate for developing a public water supply along Northeast 23rd Street, expanding the city’s sewer system and building walking trails at the municipal park. Currently, Nicoma Park has no public water source. Residents and businesses are served by well water.

One of Pumphrey’s priorities is for all residents to be hooked into the city sewer system. About 60 percent of residents and businesses are currently connected to the system, the mayor said.

Pumphrey said the city is waiting on the state Department of Environmental Quality for approval to construct the new sewer lines.

“We may have to raise rates (to pay for construction), but it would be the first time in 15 years,” he said.

Nicoma Park’s sewer waste is treated at Choctaw’s wastewater plant and then discharged into Choctaw Creek.

Pittman could not be reached for comment about his candidacy.

Nicoma Park Ward 1 Councilman Casey Smith and Ward 5 incumbent Shelley Meyers were unopposed in their re-election bids and will receive new two-year terms. In Ward 3, retired fire chief Jim Schonts was the only candidate to file for the seat and automatically wins a two-year council term.

GETTING TECHNICAL

Meanwhile, voters in four school districts, Choctaw, Harrah, Luther and Jones, will vote March 1 if they want to approve a $760,000 bond issue for Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center.

The bond money would allow the tech center to improve its distance learning capabilities by expanding its bandwidth and the bandwidth of the four school districts it serves. If approved, the issue would more than triple the bandwidth of the four districts and double the bandwidth of the EOC Technology Center.

Each district and the technology center need the increased bandwidth so more educational material can be sent to the various schools at a faster speed, EOC Technology Center Superintendent Terry Underwood said. The school districts use audio and video streaming and other technology tools as part of the distance learning program offered by the technology center.

Approval of the bond issue would also allow the tech center to continue offering college-level courses on the high school campuses through distance learning applications.

The measure, which will require a 60 percent approval mark, would not increase property taxes for people living in the EOC Technology Center district.

Voters overwhelmingly approved similar proposals in 2001 and 2006.