Meeting Summary
City Council Meeting Summary
1. Announcements
- 📅 Future City Leadership Discussion: The Mayor announced the intention to discuss Chance Allison (current Treasurer) becoming the next City Manager, and Ashley Neil (current Assistant Treasurer) becoming the Assistant City Manager. This discussion is expected to take place in the near future.
- 📅 Meeting Time Change Apology: The Mayor apologized for the meeting starting earlier than usual (3 PM), acknowledging that it may have prevented some citizens from attending and created a perception of avoiding public input. He committed to seeking Commissioner consent for any future changes to meeting times or for scheduling special meetings.
- 📅 New FEMA Flood Maps Effective May 16th: New flood damage prevention standards and updated FEMA maps will go into effect on May 16th. These changes are expected to generally reduce areas within the floodplain.
2. Detailed Sections
Public Comments
Citizens addressed the council on several key issues:
- Shawnee Senior Center:
- Carol Poole alleged misinformation from City Manager Eric Benson regarding the Senior Center's status and accused city staff of conspiring to take over the center. She requested the council table the contract vote and consider removing Eric Benson, Carrie Foster, and James Bryce.
- Kate Joyce, Director of the Senior Center, stated the center's books are open, issues like petty cash have been addressed, and accounting has been updated to QuickBooks. She expressed a desire to work with the council to resolve any concerns and noted the center had recently received $25,000 in grants.
- Karina Wilson Pickins, a Senior Center board member, praised Kate Joyce's leadership and the center's welcoming environment, offering financial support if needed to keep Kate as director.
- Transparency & Contract Review Process: Linda AG thanked the council for pulling contentious items from the consent agenda and for providing timely access to contract committee meeting minutes. She emphasized transparency as a core city value and criticized "inappropriate backdoor deals."
- Historic Shawnee Alliance Facade Grant Funding: Linda AG also spoke on behalf of the Historic Shawnee Alliance, whose $16,000 request for facade grant funding was recommended for non-renewal by the Contract Review Committee. She highlighted the program's success in spurring economic growth, generating sales tax, and increasing property values, arguing it is a vital investment in downtown Shawnee.