October 4, 2016 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 October 1st: Holly Gordon announced the grand opening of a new working art studio at 112.5 East Main Street, aiming to foster creativity and community downtown.
• 📅 Mid-October: The Absentee Shawnee Tribe will host a national Department of Transportation (DOT) committee meeting in the Shawnee area.
• 📅 End of 2016 / Early 2017: Results from the newly approved comprehensive citizen survey are expected.
• 📅 2017: The Avedis Foundation's matching grant for the Expo Conference Center is expected to facilitate project completion in time for the 25th anniversary of the International Finals Rodeo.
• 📅 November or December: A City Commissioner retreat is being planned; citizens are encouraged to submit topics for discussion.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Consent Agenda Approval (excluding minutes): The majority of the consent agenda items were ✅ Approved.
• Minutes from September 6, 2016 Regular Meeting: Item 1a, concerning the minutes, was ❌ Tabled until the next meeting. This was to allow staff to include previously discussed language regarding item 15.
• Authorization for Citizen Survey: The City Manager was ✅ Approved to enter into an agreement with a National Research Center to conduct a comprehensive citizen survey. This survey, estimated at $25,000 or less, will assess quality of life, public safety, governance, and city services, with results expected by early 2017.
• Rezone Property at 3922 North Kickapoo Avenue: An ordinance to rezone the property from C1 (Neighborhood Commercial) to C3 (Highway Commercial) was ✅ Approved. This aligns with the Comprehensive Plan for commercial use, with a retail center planned for the site.
• Final Plat for Belmont Park LLC: The final plat for a two-acre C3-zoned commercial lot at the northeast corner of MacArthur Street and Acme Road was ✅ Approved. A key condition for this approval is the receipt of a corrected pipeline easement agreement from Blue Knight, allowing for the crossing of private sewer/water lines and roadways.
• Shawnee Airport Authority Consent Agenda: The consent agenda for the Airport Authority was ✅ Approved.
• Shawnee Municipal Authority Consent Agenda: The consent agenda for the Municipal Authority was ✅ Approved.

Financial Matters 💰

• Avedis Foundation Grant: Michelle Briggs announced a $440,000 matching grant from the Avedis Foundation for the remodeling and enhancement of the Expo Conference Center. The city and county are working on a funding partnership to match this generous gift.
• Citizen Survey Cost: The comprehensive citizen survey is estimated to cost $25,000 or less.
• September 2016 Sales Tax Report:
  • Sales tax collected for September totaled $1,490,000.
  • This represents a slight decrease of $3,367 compared to September 2015, which is favorable given Oklahoma's overall decline of $21.5 million for the month.
  • Oklahoma's unemployment rate reached 5% for the first time since January 2014.
  • Water sales (SMA revenue) are 10.3% above last year.
  • For the first two months of the fiscal year, the General Fund collected approximately $3.5 million in revenue against $3.2 million in expenses. The Shawnee Municipal Authority (SMA) collected $2.2 million against $1.5 million in expenses.
  • The Finance Department processed 790 purchase orders, 1,500 payroll checks, 2,400 invoices, and over 1,000 other checks in the first two months.
  • Discussion also touched on the ongoing efforts by states to collect sales tax on online purchases, pending federal legislation and state-level litigation regarding "Nexus."

Public Comments

• West Watkins Lake Maintenance: Buck Day, City Manager at McLeod, introduced himself and assured the council that West Watkins Lake is being well-maintained and is in its best shape in a long time. He invited any concerns from the council.
• Shawnee Animal Shelter Concerns: Shelby Bronson, representing Friends of Shawnee Animals (a 501c3 non-profit), raised concerns about a recent spike in euthanasia rates at the Shawnee animal shelter between September 6-14, 2016. She attributed this to a non-operational shelter computer, which hampered rescue efforts and information posting. She requested the city partner with her organization to:
  • Allow greater interaction with animals (offering liability waivers).
  • Provide an operational computer with email capacity (as fax is outdated for rescues).
  • Revisit the commitment to remove the gas chamber, which was promised to be removed once a contract with local vets for euthanasia was secured (which has since happened).
• New Downtown Art Studio: Holly Gordon announced her plans to open a working art studio at 112.5 East Main Street on October 1st, pending building inspections. She expressed excitement about contributing to the downtown area's growth and fostering creativity.

Agenda Summary Table