August 22, 2014 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• Traffic Safety: Mayor reminded citizens to drive slowly, especially with schools starting, noting concerns about Union Street near Rogers School.
• Visit Shawnee Inc. Update: The newly formed "Visit Shawnee Inc." board held its organizational meeting, elected a chairman, and established committees for budget/finance and board governance. They are working towards 501(c)6 status and a contract with the city to receive 99% of the 5% hotel/motel tax to support tourism. Current tourism operations continue.
• New Commissioner Orientation: An orientation program is being developed for new City Commissioners to provide a roadmap for their roles, meeting procedures, and city governance.
• Main Street Design Input: Staff will meet with the Downtown Merchants Association on 📅 August 28th to gather input on the Main Street design project, including landscaping and bump-outs. Commissioners interested in attending should notify staff.
• Pool Operations Discussion: Discussions have begun regarding future pool operations, including potentially hiring an operations/recreation person by 📅 January to manage the facility and contracting with the YMCA for lifeguards.
• City Manager Travel: The City Manager will be out of town from 📅 September 13th-18th for the International City Management Association conference and from 📅 October 19th-22nd for the International Economic Development Council conference.
• OML Meeting: The Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) meeting is in Oklahoma City from 📅 September 23rd-25th, and Commissioners are encouraged to attend.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Conditional Use Permit for Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority: The Council considered and approved a conditional use permit for the Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority to convert an existing single-family residence at 2102 East Main Street into a community center. This center will be used for limited tribal administrative functions and by residents of an adjacent, future residential development. The approval is subject to the condition that parking standards (screening through fencing and vegetation) apply to protect adjacent properties.
• Final Plat for Shawnee Marketplace PUD: The Council approved the final plat for the Shawnee Marketplace Planned Unit Development (PUD) located at I-40 and Kickapoo Street. This approval includes the acceptance of public dedications and a letter of credit in lieu of completing public improvements, allowing individual lots to be sold. The approval is subject to nine conditions and the mayor is authorized to sign the plat upon receipt and approval of necessary legal paperwork by the City Attorney.
• Drought Management Plan Ordinance: The Council adopted an ordinance to revise the city's drought management plan, repealing and amending sections 26-67 and 26-67.1 of the Municipal Code. This change updates the lake level measurements to align with the 1988 datum (NAVD 1988) used by USGS, increasing trigger numbers for voluntary and mandatory water restrictions by two feet to maintain consistency with actual lake levels. An emergency was also declared for this ordinance. Discussion included concerns about the low trigger point for mandatory rationing based on past drought experiences.
• Termination of City Hall & Fire Station #3 as Public Tornado Shelters: The Council approved the termination of City Hall and Fire Station #3 as public tornado shelters. The decision was based on several factors:
  • The city has an agreement with North Rock Creek School to use their safe rooms when school is not in session.
  • Attempts to find alternative downtown shelters meeting FEMA standards were unsuccessful.
  • The number of registered private storm shelters in Shawnee has significantly increased (from ~370 to 600-750).
  • Recent tornado events have reinforced that substantially constructed buildings can provide shelter, and traveling to public shelters during a warning (often by car) puts people in harm's way.
  • Other Central Oklahoma cities (Norman, Midwest City, Edmond) have also closed their public shelters.
  • Issues with public shelters included interference with emergency operations, behavioral problems (trash, urine, feces), and people bringing pets.
  • The city will continue to educate citizens on storm safety and seek funding for individual shelters.

Financial Matters 💰

• Sales Tax Report: Sales tax revenue for the month was down $34,000, totaling $1,432,000. While some retail sectors saw decreases, others like building materials and supermarkets saw increases. The City Manager noted that the state's sales tax was up, but a drop is expected next month. Overall, the city's year-to-date sales tax is still up.
• GFOA Award: The Finance Department received an award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), marking the first such award since 2006.
• 911 Fees Increase: The County Commission approved sending a ballot measure to voters in November to increase 911 fees for unincorporated Pottawatomie County areas (from 10% to 15%) and a 5% increase on landline phones for cities. The City Manager noted that landline phones are a diminishing revenue stream.
• Stormwater Utility Discussion: During the presentation on Buck Drive flooding, the City Manager suggested that the city needs to consider a stormwater utility fee, similar to Oklahoma City and Tulsa. This fee, potentially added to water bills, would provide a dedicated funding source for ongoing maintenance, staff, equipment, and projects to address the city's persistent wet weather stream issues. The estimated cost to fix the Buck Drive flooding issue alone is between $1.9 million and $3.7 million.

Public Comments

• No citizens came forward during the general "Citizens Participation" section.
• No citizens spoke for or against the Conditional Use Permit during its public hearing.

Agenda Summary Table