The Ponca City Main Street Mural Project received approval Monday night from the Ponca City Board of Commissioners during a virtual meeting.

A total of $49,000 was requested for the project out of the city’s hotel/motel tax fund. Ponca City Main Street raised over $76,000 for the mural, which will be painted on the Robin Hood Flour Mill, by artist Rick Sinnett.

The Oklahoma sunrise will be painted on the east side and the beauty of life mural will be painted on the west side of the grain elevator.

“I would like to begin by saying we are thankful for everything the city has done for us and this project. For two years we have been raising money, gone over meetings and logistics and it has been a long process. It was not easy but well worth it. The setbacks helped us reevaluate and yes we believe in this project even during this time of the pandemic. The art takes on a new meaning now,” said Kelsey Wagner of Ponca City Main Street and My Media Matters.

Items approved on the consent agenda were the minutes of the regular session which was held on March 23, 2020, appropriating money for payment of claims against the city of Ponca City, the Board of Commissioners amended the operating budget of various funds for the fiscal year 2019-20 and the agreement for school resource officers with Ponca City Public Schools for the 2019- 20 school year.

This allowed for a prorated final invoice in the amount of $13,824.54.

City manager Craig Stephenson’s report consisted of continuing to manage and monitor all duties related to COVID-19. Stephenson also thanked Mayor Homer Nicholson for the emergency orders he has completed.