March 3, 2020 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 General Election: June 30, 2020, for Mayor and City Commissioners of Wards 2, 3, and 4.
• 📅 Run-off Election: August 25, 2020, if needed.
• 📅 Candidate Filing Period: April 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2020, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Pottawatomie County Election Board.
• 📅 Pottawatomie County Livestock Show: Animals will be moved in on Wednesday, the show will be held Wednesday and Thursday, and the premium sale is scheduled for Friday night.

Key Decisions & Votes

• City Council Consent Agenda Approved: The City Council unanimously approved its consent agenda (7-0), which included routine administrative items.
• Shawnee Municipal Authority Consent Agenda Approved: The Shawnee Municipal Authority also unanimously approved its consent agenda (7-0).
• Contract with Pottawatomie County Historical Society: The Council unanimously approved a contract (7-0) to provide financial assistance to the Paul and Milbourne Museum.
  • The city will provide an initial $150,000 to help complete the museum.
  • Graduated payments will follow until 2024 ($50k, $40k, $30k, $20k, $10k).
  • The contract requires the museum to hire a full-time fundraising and marketing staff member and develop a self-sustaining fundraising plan.
  • This initiative is funded by tourism dollars to promote local tourism.
• Resolution for Upcoming Elections: The Council unanimously approved a resolution (7-0) calling for nonpartisan general and run-off elections for the offices of Mayor and City Commissioners for Wards 2, 3, and 4.
• Property Renovation Bid Deferred: Consideration of bids for renovation at 514 North Patchen Avenue was unanimously deferred (7-0) to a future meeting. Two bids were received: D&K Renovation ($37,022) and LG Construction ($47,985).

Financial Matters 💰

• Independent Auditor's Report (FY 2019): The Council received the independent auditor's report for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and Single Audit for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019.
  • Unmodified Opinions: The city received an unmodified opinion on its financial statements, indicating they are fairly stated and conform with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). A clean opinion on compliance was also issued for major federal programs.
  • Audit Findings: Two findings were noted as improvements over the prior year: one budget item slightly exceeded its appropriation, and a negative fund balance was identified in one fund.
  • City Staff Report Highlights:
    • Positive Financial Trend: The city's net position increased by 7.6%, totaling approximately $5.7 million.
    • General Fund Improvement: The General Fund saw a significant increase of $1.1 million in its fund balance, reversing a trend of continuous decreases since before 2015.
    • Revenue Exceeded Budget: Revenue came in at $22.5 million, exceeding the budgeted $22.1 million.
    • Expenditures Under Budget: Expenditures were $21.4 million, under the budgeted $21.8 million.
    • Sales Tax Impact: The half-cent sales tax, which went into effect October 1, 2018, contributed to the positive revenue.
    • Economic Data: Per capita income is rising, and the unemployment rate is declining.

Public Comments

• No citizens came forward to speak during the designated public participation period.

Agenda Summary Table