Main Street of Perry told the City Council it received Oklahoma Main Street's Program of the Year honor for 2024 and highlighted volunteer-driven downtown work that contributed to the award.

The group's representative, Laura, said the local Main Street volunteers and committees completed a permanent lighting and sound project downtown and have been recognized for successful small-business supports, façade and business grants and community events. "We were up against six or seven communities," she said, "and we're a community under 5,000 — so to be recognized was exciting." She said the award reflected unpaid volunteer hours and the committees' sustained work.

Laura said Perry will be included on a mobile tour during the National Main Street Conference in Tulsa; the event would bring about 30 visitors to tour downtown landmarks, including the post office, library and the YMCA-related downtown project. She encouraged council support and suggested a community cleanup before the visit. She also listed recent event attendance figures: about 800 at summer fest, 1,200 at meet-a-maroon, and roughly 1,200 downtown visitors at Halloween.

The presentation noted other initiatives: partnership with Meridian for business classes and continued pursuit of economic vitality grants. Laura said the permanent lighting and sound are operational and will shift to Christmas colors after Thanksgiving; she also said Main Street had applied for and managed several grants, and that a storefront-grading grant and business grants remain available.

Council members praised the volunteers. Mayor (or meeting lead) said the work 'shows' and thanked Main Street for its work. The council did not take formal action on Main Street funding during the presentation.

The Main Street report signals ongoing downtown investments and an opportunity for the city to showcase recent improvements during the national conference; staff and Main Street leaders said they will circulate logistical details for the mobile tour and coordinate volunteer efforts ahead of the visit.