October 3, 2016 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• Shawnee Public Library Art Dedication: Karen Bayless invited the public to an art dedication on 📅 Monday, September 19th at 5 PM. The event will showcase a beautiful mural created by young people as part of the summer reading program, highlighting famous Shawnee landmarks. Refreshments will be served.
• Downtown Housing Project Update: Mark (no last name provided) informed the council that a decision on a downtown housing project, which includes historic, state, and federal tax credits, is expected by 📅 mid-October.
• Community Storm Shelters: Mark also noted that community storm shelters have been established at Downtown of Angels Lakers and South Central Shelters. A new storm shelter is planned for a development behind Gaskell's Funeral Home, which will include 12 new townhouse units and a park area.
• Timbers Development: The dedication of 109 lots and streets in the Timbers development to the City of Shawnee is upcoming, with a park area and trails.
• Absentee Shawnee Tribe Invitation: The Governor of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe extended an invitation to the new Mayor and Commissioners to visit the tribe, emphasizing a desire for open communication and collaboration on issues affecting Shawnee.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Minutes Approval: Minutes from the August 15th regular meetings of the City Commission, Shawnee Airport Authority, and Municipal Authority were ✅ Approved.
• Resolutions of Appreciation: The Council ✅ Approved resolutions expressing appreciation for the outstanding service of outgoing officials:
  • West Maynard as Mayor.
  • Linda AG as Commissioner of Ward 2.
  • Keith Hall as Commissioner of Ward 4.
  • Plaques of appreciation were presented to these individuals.
• New Officials Sworn In: Mayor Richard Finley, Ward 1 Commissioner Doug Basham, Ward 2 Commissioner Ron Gilliam Senior, Ward 3 Commissioner James Herriot, and Ward 4 Commissioner Darren Rutherford were sworn into office and presented with their certificates of election.
• Appointment of Vice Mayor: James Herriot was ✅ Appointed as the new Vice Mayor.
• Consent Agenda: The consent agenda, which included authorizing staff to apply for subgrant funds for the Fiscal Year 2017 Emergency Management Performance Grant from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, was ✅ Adopted.
• Demolition Order Appeal: An appeal by Clare and Juan Guerrero regarding an administrative order requiring the demolition of a residential structure at 420 South Park Street was ➡️ Deferred until the 📅 October 17th meeting. This deferral allows the property owner 30+ days to submit a remodel permit, with staff having no objections to the extension.
• Surplus Property & New Tractor Purchase:
  • A resolution to declare a 1989 Ford 476 10 tractor and a 2000 New Holland LB 115 backhoe as surplus property was ✅ Approved.
  • Staff was ✅ Authorized to trade in both surplus items towards the purchase of a 2016 New Holland T4.90 tractor.
• Transportation Enhancement Project Agreement: A resolution approving a transportation enhancement project agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) for the Main Street Streetscape Enhancement Project Phase Two was ✅ Approved. This agreement formalizes reimbursement for ODOT's portion of the project, approximately 💰 $400,000, for a project already under construction.
• New Mayor's Vision: Mayor Richard Finley outlined his vision for the city, emphasizing:
  • Creating an ombudsman role to improve public-city staff interface and advocate for citizens.
  • Empowering city staff to perform their duties effectively.
  • Developing a long-term plan for city finances, debt service, and property maintenance.
  • Mending relationships with stakeholders including businesses, tribal partners, school systems, and county commissioners.
  • Developing a community scorecard for better financial reporting to citizens.
  • Considering annual, small utility rate increases instead of large, infrequent ones.
  • Improving the city's image and addressing issues like homelessness downtown.
  • Exploring the expansion of Woodland Park to create a large green space for recreation, potentially extending to the Santa Fe Depot.
  • Discussing the need for public storm shelters.

Financial Matters

• Equipment Trade-in & Purchase: The city 💰 traded in an old tractor and backhoe (which had over $12,000 in repairs) towards the purchase of a new 2016 New Holland T4.90 tractor. The remaining cost difference of approximately $3,000 will be offset by funds from existing projects within the relevant account.
• ODOT Reimbursement: The approval of the transportation enhancement project agreement with ODOT will secure approximately 💰 $400,000 in reimbursement funds for the ongoing Main Street Streetscape Enhancement Project Phase Two.
• City Financial Health: The new Mayor noted that the city's financial status and surplus have significantly improved compared to previous years. He expressed a desire to budget down to an additional level and potentially increase overhead for necessary staff, as well as implement small, annual utility rate increases to avoid large, sudden hikes.

Public Comments

• Karen Bayless (Shawnee Public Library): Highlighted the success of the summer reading program and the new art mural created by young people, emphasizing the library's role in bringing public art to citizens.
• Mark (Community Member/Developer): Provided updates on downtown housing initiatives, including potential storm shelters and park areas, and the dedication of new lots in the Timbers development. He also praised the city staff for their work.
• Governor (Absentee Shawnee Tribe): Expressed a strong desire for collaboration between the city and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, inviting the new leadership to engage in open dialogue to address any issues and work together for the community's benefit.

Agenda Summary Table