October 18, 2016 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 Boo on Bell: This weekend, downtown Shawnee will host "Boo on Bell," with expectations for great participation and visitors.
• 📅 Studio 112.5 Art Shows: Douglas Gordon announced upcoming art shows at Studio 112.5 on Main Street, including an unframed art show in November and January, and a nationwide call for artists in February for opera-themed 2D/3D work.
• 📅 Tribal Negotiation Meeting: The City Commission and Mayor were invited to a historic Past Act Tribal Negotiation with the Department of Transportation, held at "the Grand" for three days starting tomorrow, involving high-level officials from highway, aviation, and other DOT areas.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Consent Agenda (City Commission): The consent agenda was approved (5-0, 1 abstention), with item D (Hospital Authority appointments) pulled for separate discussion.
• Shawnee Hospital Authority Appointments: Commissioner Shaw raised concerns about the lack of an application process for the recommended reappointments. A motion to table the appointments failed due to a lack of a second. The reappointments of Mike Warwick, John Robinson, and Chuck Skillings to the Shawnee Hospital Authority were then affirmed (5-1).
• Appeal of Demolition Order (420 South Park Street): An appeal regarding a residential structure at 420 South Park Street was on the agenda. However, the applicants had already pulled a remodel permit, so no action was taken by the Council.
• Final Plat for Vision Addition Section 1 (4301 North Harrison Street): The final plat for the property where Vision Bank is located was approved (6-0), with four conditions, including the receipt of an official letter of map revision from FEMA.
• Final Plat for Vision Addition Section 2 (4301 North Harrison Street): The final plat for the adjacent property, which includes a concrete channel, was also approved (6-0), with four conditions, including the FEMA letter.
• Rezoning (1500 East Independence Street): A public hearing was held for the rezoning of a 12-acre property at 1500 East Independence Street from R-1 (single-family residential) to C-1 (neighborhood commercial) for the Avitas Foundation office. The rezoning was approved (6-0).
• Preliminary Plat (1500 East Independence Street): The preliminary plat for the Avitas Foundation office project at 1500 East Independence Street was approved (6-0), with four conditions.
• Executive Session & Independent Investigation: The Council entered an executive session to discuss confidential communications regarding a pending claim and investigation into a hostile work environment. Upon reconvening, the Council authorized the City Manager and City Attorney to hire a qualified independent third-party to conduct the investigation (6-0, 1 abstention).
• Shawnee Airport Authority Consent Agenda: The consent agenda for the Airport Authority was approved (6-0).
• Shawnee Municipal Authority Consent Agenda: The consent agenda for the Municipal Authority was approved (6-0).
• Sanitary Sewer Rehab Bid Award: Consideration of bids for the annual sanitary sewer rehabilitation project was deferred (6-0) to the November 7th Commission meeting for staff review.
• Water Treatment Plant Sludge Removal Bid Award: Consideration of bids for the water treatment plant sludge removal project was deferred (6-0) to the next Commission meeting for staff review.

Financial Matters 💰

• October 2016 Sales Tax Report:
  • Total sales tax collected for the month was $1,496,000.
  • The General Fund received $909,700.
  • Sales tax revenue for the month was down approximately $48,000 compared to the previous year, mirroring a statewide trend.
  • Year-to-date sales tax is down over $100,000.
  • Use tax, alcohol beverage tax, and court fines showed an increase, while franchise fees (cable) were down.
  • The Shawnee Municipal Authority (SMA) revenue was down about $40,000.
  • The General Fund has collected $5.5 million and expensed $4.49 million year-to-date.
  • SMA has collected $2.8 million and expensed $2.3 million year-to-date.
  • The finance department processed 1,047 purchase orders, 2,400 payroll checks, 3,800 invoices, and 1,700 checks in the last three months.
• Sanitary Sewer Rehab Bids: Four bids were received, ranging from $998,662.80 (IPR South Central) to $2,044,737 (Urban Contractors).
• Water Treatment Plant Sludge Removal Bids: Three bids were received, ranging from $184,744 (Denali Water Solutions) to $364,000 (Tanto Environmental).

Public Comments

• Douglas Gordon (Studio 112.5): The owner of a new art gallery and studio on Main Street expressed appreciation for sidewalk improvements and anticipated the reopening of Main Street. He highlighted his gallery's role in bringing emerging and established artists to Shawnee, aiming to increase sales tax revenue and encourage community engagement through art.
• Commissioner Shaw (on Rezoning): Shared that a large percentage of neighbors now support the Avitas Foundation's rezoning request, believing it will be a positive development that addresses ecological, environmental, and traffic concerns. However, she noted one resident (Mr. Harris) still had concerns about property value, traffic on Elm Avenue, and increased flooding, concerns which she also shared.
• Mike Adcock (Chair, Avitas Foundation): Spoke in favor of the rezoning, assuring the Council that the foundation would consider neighbor concerns and aim to maintain the property as much like a park as possible.
• Jason Cotton (ADG, Engineer for Avitas Project): Addressed flooding concerns related to the Avitas project. He explained that the project includes a stormwater detention facility to control flooding and attenuate stormwater flows to match existing conditions, in compliance with the city's drainage ordinance. He confirmed that detailed drainage calculations would be provided during the final plat phase.

Agenda Summary Table