The Northwest Community Center will get a major overhaul after the El Reno City Council agreed to spend up to $435,000 on renovations.

Council approved the measure 4-0 at its Tuesday evening meeting. Council member Tracey Rider was unable to attend the meeting.

Mayor Matt White said plans for upgrading the community center have been in the works for some time. He said money to pay for the improvements will come from a capital improvements fund.

“We can’t use the money for salaries, it has to be used for projects like this,” White said.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes have purchased property in El Reno just to the north of Redlands Community College. The purchase was reported in the Tribal Tribune, the newspaper owned and operated by the C&A.

Records from the Canadian County assessor show the 4.57 acres were purchased from the estate of Glen Ramsey. Documentary stamps indicate the sale price was $1 million, according to the assessor.

The land fronts Country Club Road and was purchased on Nov. 6.

Plans for a large vehicle recycling operation north of SH 66 and just east of Radio Road got a boost when the El Reno City Council unanimously approved rezoning the property.

Council Industrial LLC plans to use the 148-acre site to recycle vehicles. City officials said the firm is a subsidiary of LKQ, a corporation that is involved in a number of businesses.

Council agreed to rezone the property from Moderate Industrial (I-2) to Heavy Industrial (I-3) with a 4-0 vote. Council member Tracey Rider was not at the meeting.

A special meeting of the Canadian County Water Authority was called to discuss criticisms raised in an article in the El Reno Tribune. The meeting held Monday evening lasted less than 30 minutes.

The meeting was called after longtime board member Jayne Franks and former authority employee Mary Culver complained the authority was not being run in an efficient manner.

The women also questioned whether the board had violated Open Meeting Laws.