December 3, 2019 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 Broadway Bike Lane Open Meeting: An open meeting will be held Wednesday evening at City Hall to discuss the Broadway bike lanes. City staff will be present to answer questions.
• 📅 Christmas Parade: The annual Christmas Parade is scheduled for Thursday evening. Weather is expected to be favorable, and a large turnout is anticipated on Main Street, with approximately 85-100 entries.
• 📅 Senior Center Open House: The Senior Citizens Board invites the public to an open house tomorrow (Tuesday) between 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM at the Senior Center. Attendees can view the new flooring, speak with board members, suggest programs, and enjoy refreshments.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Consent Agenda Approved: The consent agenda, typically including routine administrative items, was ✅ Approved by a 7-0 vote.
• Employee Retirement System Defined Benefit Plan Amended: An ordinance amending the Employee Retirement System defined benefit plan was ✅ Approved by a 7-0 vote. This amendment adopts a revised and restated retirement plan to incorporate amendments mandated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a necessary update required approximately every five years to maintain the plan's qualified status. The emergency clause for this ordinance was also ✅ Approved by a 7-0 vote.
• Library Flooring Project Awarded: The bid for the Library Flooring Project was ✅ Awarded to Bryan's Flooring at Oklahoma City for a base bid of $92,600. Additional costs, ranging from $0.25 to $0.045 per square foot, will apply based on the floor's moisture content, ensuring proper installation and longevity. This project will be funded by the half-cent temporary sales tax.
• Senior Citizen Center Roof Bid Deferred: Consideration of bids for the Senior Citizen Center Roof project was ❌ Deferred to a future meeting. Staff requested more time to clarify potential misunderstandings with contractors before making an award decision.
• Shawnee Airport Authority Consent Agenda Approved: The consent agenda for the Shawnee Airport Authority was ✅ Approved by a 7-0 vote.
• Shawnee Municipal Authority Consent Agenda Approved: The consent agenda for the Shawnee Municipal Authority was ✅ Approved by a 7-0 vote.

Financial Matters

• Library Flooring Project Funding: The 💰 Library Flooring Project was approved with a base bid of $92,600, with potential additional costs based on moisture content. This expenditure will be funded out of the half-cent temporary sales tax.

Public Comments

Citizens addressed the council during the public participation segment, primarily focusing on the proposed Broadway bike lanes and public access to city plans:

• Broadway Bike Lane Concerns:
  • A resident expressed gratitude for the upcoming listening panel on the bike lanes.
  • Glen Keegan raised several concerns regarding the proposed bike lanes on Broadway, including:
    • The project would take up approximately ten feet on each side of the street, eliminating street parking.
    • This would negatively impact residents with short driveways who rely on street parking, potentially forcing them to park on sidewalks.
    • Concerns were raised about where service vehicles (e.g., plumbers, pest control) with trailers would park.
    • Safety issues were highlighted, particularly for residents backing out of driveways, citing difficulty seeing cars and the added risk of cyclists.
    • Questions were posed about parking for events and handicapped access, especially during holidays like Thanksgiving.
    • The resident questioned the actual number of bikers in Shawnee to justify the significant project cost, stating that Broadway residents are largely opposed.
  • Randy James echoed concerns about parking for service vehicles versus residents and questioned the accessibility of comprehensive city proposals online, beyond council minutes. He noted that he and his wife are perceived as the "face of opposition" to the bike lanes.

Administrative Reports

• Mass Notification System Restoration: The Emergency Management Director provided an update on the restoration of the city's mass notification system.
  • The vendor contract is in place, and the city is providing crucial data, including a digital map of all city streets with address ranges and the 911 landline database.
  • This detailed data is essential for accurate, polygon-based weather warnings from the National Weather Service, ensuring only affected areas receive alerts.
  • Once landline data is fully integrated, the city will launch a media campaign (website, newspaper, social media) for citizens to add additional contact information (cell phones, emails) via an online portal or by contacting the Emergency Management office.
  • Future enhancements will allow city departments (e.g., Public Works) to issue targeted alerts for localized issues like water main breaks. The system is expected to be fully operational "very quickly."
• Beautification Committee Award: The Shawnee Community Beautification Committee received an award at the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful banquet. They won in the 15,000-40,000 population non-profit category for their work downtown, including the clock, post office, and Main Street beautification efforts.

Agenda Summary Table