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Meeting Summary

Announcements

📅 Christmas Spectacular: Join the city on Friday, December 5th, at Central Park. The Christmas tree lighting begins at 6:30 PM, followed by fireworks at approximately 8:20 PM. The event will feature vendors, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and more.
📅 Christmas Parade of Lights: The Old Town Association will host the Christmas Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 6th, at 6:00 PM. The parade will proceed down Broadway and Main Street.
Annual Financial Audit: City Manager thanked John Parker and his staff for their hard work on the annual audit, noting it received an unmodified opinion and was filed timely.
Staff Retirement: Congratulations to Sarah Hambry, Customer Service Supervisor, on her retirement at the end of this week after 27 years of service.
Street Treatment: Thanks to Dennis Boff for proactively treating city streets with brine in anticipation of incorrect weather forecasts, which helped prevent traffic problems experienced by other cities.
RTA Sales Tax: The City Council was reminded that Moore withdrew from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) three and a half years ago, providing the city with financial flexibility regarding future sales tax increases for regional transit that other municipalities may face.

The City Council approved the consent docket items A through I, which typically include routine administrative matters.

The Council accepted the city's financial audit report. The auditor presented an unqualified opinion, indicating no material misstatements in the financial statements.
Key Financial Highlights:
- The city had approximately $1.8 million in federal expenditures, primarily Homeland Security grants.
- The city's portion of the property tax millage rate remained flat at 14.5 mills, with a 99% collection ratio.
- Debt service coverage on revenue bonds was a healthy 5.75 times the annual payments.
- The General Fund had a carryover of $24 million, with an unassigned balance of $14 million, representing about 24% of budgeted revenues.
- The city's reserve fund for unforeseen emergencies increased by $1 million in September 2024 (totaling $5.5 million) and another $1 million in October 2025.
- Long-term debt increased by $9 million due to a GO issue and a revenue bond.

The Council received a presentation from Laden Nelson, Access Program Manager with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), providing an update on two key projects impacting Moore:
- Canadian River Bridge: This 1.25-mile-long bridge, connecting Newcastle to Moore/Norman along the East-West Connector, will be the longest in the state. It's a $96 million project with two bridges (eastbound and westbound) designed to stay out of the Canadian River flood plain. Construction is anticipated to begin in Spring 2026, with incentives for early completion by 2027.
- Effluent Line Project: The OTA will relocate over 8,000 linear feet of the City of Moore's effluent line (two 30-inch lines) to accommodate the new turnpike. The OTA will cover 100% of the costs, exceeding $15 million, including design, right-of-way, materials, and construction. Construction is slated to begin in March 2026, ensuring no disruption to the existing effluent line during the process.
Connectivity: The full East-West Connector between I-35 and I-44 is expected to open by the end of 2027. All original interchanges and frontage roads are back in the plan and will be maintained by Cleveland County.

The Council approved an addendum for $55,775 for additional engineering services for the Northeast 12th Street reconstruction project (I-35 to Eastern Avenue).
Reasons for Addendum:
- The project scope expanded from panel replacement to full roadway replacement due to subgrade conditions and an additional $1.2 million in ACOG funds.
- Stormwater improvements east of the railroad tracks to address significant street inundation during heavy rains.
- Replacement of outdated traffic signals at I-35 and Broadway/12th Street with new radar-based systems.
- Increased coordination with utility companies, requiring nine meetings instead of the originally planned one.
- Revisions to temporary construction easements and legal descriptions for 11 parcels due to property owner requests for detailed aerial plans.
The project will also include stockade fencing along the south side of 12th Street between the train tracks and Broadway.

The Council approved the final plat for Cardinal Landing Phase 1, a residential development located south of Southeast 19th Street and east of Bryant Avenue.
This phase is part of a larger 492-home development on 155 acres, with an overall density of about three living units per acre and 35% open space.
The development will include public water and sewer, and stormwater detention meeting 2021 drainage criteria, ensuring no increase in base flood elevation downstream. A 10-foot wide multi-use trail along South Bryant Avenue is also required.

The Council approved the final plat for the Ace Hardware Edition, a 1.79-acre commercial development north of Northeast 12th Street and east of Eastern Avenue.
The site is currently vacant and zoned C3 General Commercial. It will have public water and sewer, with access from Eastern Avenue. Stormwater detention will be provided, likely through parking lot detention, and will be diligently reviewed to meet 2021 drainage criteria given past flooding issues in the area.

The Council denied the rezoning application from C3 General Commercial to C3 PU General Commercial with a permissive use for "automotive and equipment light" (specifically a tire retail and repair shop) for a property south of Northwest 12th Street and west of Santa Fe Avenue.
Reasons for Denial:
- The existing strip center building is designed for retail storefronts, lacking overhead doors for indoor automotive repair. The applicant proposed outdoor repair work, which raised concerns.
- Staff and Council expressed concerns about potential land use conflicts, including unsightly storage/display of tires, unmitigated noise from outdoor automotive work, and potential light trespass, which would negatively impact surrounding existing and planned residential developments.
- The application was deemed incompatible with the "community commercial" designation of the Moore 2040 plan, which encourages uses compatible with the surrounding area.
- The Planning Commission had previously recommended denial 7-0.

No citizens signed up to speak during the Citizens Forum for items not on the agenda.

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