December 3, 2024 City Council Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 Christmas Spectacular: Friday, December 6th, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM at Central Park, featuring fireworks and holiday festivities.
• 📅 Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 7th, 6:00 PM in Downtown Moore.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Consent Docket (Items A-D): The Council approved the consent docket, which typically includes routine administrative items.
• Little River Park Trail Repair: The Council approved a contract with Silverstar Construction for $55,948.22 to replace cracked and deteriorating concrete walking trail panels at Little River Park. This addresses a section of the trail that has been closed.
• Fleet Vehicle Purchases (Items 4-7): The Council approved a series of companion items for the annual purchase of budgeted police vehicles:
  • Awarding bid to Confidence Ford for $273,840 for six 2025 Ford Police Interceptor vehicles.
  • Authorizing purchase of six in-car video systems from Motorola Solutions (WatchGuard) for $44,093.60.
  • Authorizing purchase of safety equipment for six patrol vehicles from Fleet Safety Equipment (Dana Safety Supply) for $82,692.48.
  • Authorizing purchase of six mobile radios from L3 Harris Technologies, Inc. for $33,732.
• Surplus Firearms Disposal: The Council approved declaring 10 firearms as surplus and authorized the Police Department to dispose of them for credit towards new firearms and accessories. These firearms had been in inventory since 1990 and were difficult to dispose of due to ATF regulations.
• 2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER): The Council approved the report and adopted Resolution number 100-24, submitting it to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The report detailed the use of $343,817 in CDBG funds and $72,060 in CDBG COVID funds, benefiting 778 residents through various programs and infrastructure projects.
• Sidewalk Trip Hazard Repair: The Council approved a contract with Precision Concrete Cutting for $98,762.98 for trip hazard assessment and repair services at various sidewalk locations. This continues a project to improve pedestrian safety, focusing on Wards 1, 2, and 3.
• Fowl Keeping Ordinance (Ordinance number 105724): A motion to approve the ordinance, which would have allowed the keeping of fowl under specific restrictive conditions (e.g., 20 permits city-wide for the first year, limit of 4 animals per lot including fowl, required education course), failed with a 4-3 vote.
• Regional Safety Action Plan (RSAP): The Council adopted Resolution number 101-24, accepting ACOG's RSAP. This plan adopts a Vision Zero policy to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2050 and enables the city to apply for federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) implementation grants.
• Employee End-of-Year Stipends: The Council approved end-of-year stipends: $500 for all regular and probationary full-time active employees, as well as regular part-time active employees receiving benefits, and $250 for all other active part-time employees as of December 1st, 2024.
• Executive Session: The Council convened an executive session to discuss a pending claim by Daniel Davis on behalf of Rachel Lambert against the City of Moore. Upon reconvening, the Council approved a motion to proceed as directed.

💰 Financial Matters

• Little River Park Trail Repair: $55,948.22 approved for concrete panel replacement.
• Fleet Vehicle Purchases: A total of $434,358.08 was approved across four companion items for police vehicles, in-car video systems, safety equipment, and mobile radios.
• CDBG CAPER Report: Highlighted $343,817 in CDBG funds and $72,060 in CDBG COVID funds utilized, with $23,415.16 rolled into next year's infrastructure project.
• Sidewalk Repair: $98,762.98 approved for trip hazard assessment and cutting services.
• Employee Stipends: Approved $500 for full-time/benefit-eligible part-time employees and $250 for other part-time employees.
• Millage Rate Update: The city's millage rate dropped from 15.45 to 14.5 mills with the latest property tax bills, attributed to efficient management of bond issuance for current cash needs.

Public Comments

• Fowl Keeping Ordinance (Item 11):
  • Jordan Hodgdon (Proponent): Advocated for backyard hens for pest management, educating children about food sources, and food security. Expressed disappointment with the lengthy process but urged a "yes" vote despite the restrictive nature of the proposed ordinance.
  • Patrice Williams (Opponent of current draft): Criticized the ordinance as "ridiculous" due to the low number of permits (20 per year, less than 0.76% of homes), its design favoring more fortunate individuals, and unclear definitions (e.g., what constitutes an "animal" under the 4-animal limit). Suggested tabling the item for more clarity.
  • Chelsea McClain (Opponent of current draft): Raised concerns about the 4-animal limit, noting that chickens cannot thrive alone and the limit could lead to health issues and death. Questioned the necessity of multiple in-person inspections when property lines and measurements are available online, suggesting it creates unnecessary workload.
  • Jericho Monte (Opponent of current draft): Questioned the rationale for restricting pets, particularly in relation to avian flu concerns, which he argued could affect any animal. Expressed concern about potential targeting of residents through complaint-driven enforcement and the impact of the 4-animal limit on pet ownership.
  • Staff Response: Animal Control staff highlighted concerns about the avian flu, its potential spread to humans and other animals, and the increased workload for inspections and potential housing of sick birds, for which the shelter is not equipped. Council members noted the existing 4-animal limit predates current council and is intended to manage pet populations in a suburban environment.
• New Business (Item 16):
  • Pat Burrow: Requested the Council consider waiving an invoice for the demolition of a house at 750 Northeast 27th and extending water and sewer service to the property to facilitate its sale and allow for personal property improvements. The Council directed staff to look into the request and provide input.

Agenda Summary Table