Muskogee County

PROJECT PURPOSE

Muskogee County is requesting $2 million from Oklahoma ARPA funds with a match of $1 million in addition to providing an in-kind county labor contribution amounting to $500,000 to construct a 10,000 square foot multi-purpose community center that would provide county, town and municipal first responders a training facility and offices, focusing specifically on opioid and fentanyl interdiction and treatment training for law enforcement and emergency responders as well as Narcan training; a storage area for personal protection equipment and sanitization; offices and meeting rooms for county emergency management, road work, and administration; refrigerated food storage to support our food distribution program to address scarcity issues in our county that has been designated a USDA StrikeZone; and garage areas for county maintenance vehicles and refrigerated food trucks for distribution to remote, adversely affected areas. This multi-purpose facility would be available to first responders and their agencies throughout the county.

EVIDENCE

There is currently no centralized training or administration facility, PPE distribution area, refrigerated food storage, or vehicle parking that can meet the needs of the citizens and public servants of Muskogee County and its multiple jurisdictions. A centralized training, administration and storage center would provide first responders and local officials an opportunity to best meet the growing needs of our community.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Muskogee County (67,000) has been designated as a StrikeZone by the USDA because of its high poverty rate (21%) and its many economic disparities and challenges. The damage from the historic 2019 flood along with the reduced tax income resulting from the pandemic has had a dramatic impact on our community. Muskogee County is a poor, diverse and rural population that has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic due to restricted access to health services and socioeconomic challenges resulting from inadequate infrastructure, limited economic development opportunities, inconsistent broadband access, and access to employment. In addition to chronic poverty, other vulnerable populations include the elderly, children, and minorities. A study by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America released in Jan. 2021 revealed that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural populations have been severe, with significant negative impacts on unemployment, overall life satisfaction, mental health, and economic outlook. Often rural residents have fewer individual resources, access to services and, on average, are poorer and less educated. The residents and businesses of Muskogee County request assistance to remediate these issues for future growth and sustainability.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Project performance for the Muskogee County Multi-Purpose Community Center will be measured by the completion of the project according to schedule and within the established budget.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

One-time project will not need continued funding