Meeting Summary
Announcements
- Christmas Party & Parade: The annual Christmas party and parade are confirmed to proceed. Citizens are encouraged to attend and enjoy the parade.
- Employee Recognition: The City Manager presented Oklahoma Municipal League certificates to five city employees for their 25 or more years of dedicated service to the City of Shawnee.
- New Parks Department Website: Oklahoma Baptist University College of Nursing students presented a new website they developed for the Shawnee Parks Department. This project, aimed at promoting health and wellness by increasing awareness of local parks, is now live at shawnyparks.org. The website provides easy access to information, pictures, and maps of all city parks, including details on amenities and pavilion reservations. Ownership of the website will be transferred to the Parks Department by mid-December for ongoing maintenance.
Key Decisions & Votes
- Default Speed Limit Reduction: An ordinance amending Chapter 19, Article 11, Section 19-726 of the City Code was ✅ Approved. This ordinance reduces the default speed limit in areas not otherwise specified by law from 30 mph to 25 mph.
- Sales Tax Non-Compliance Ordinance: An ordinance amending Article 2, Division 4, Chapter 25 of the City Code was ✅ Approved, with an emergency clause ✅ Passed. This new ordinance makes it an offense to fail to make sales tax reports and remittances or to file false/fraudulent reports. It provides the city with a tool to assist the Oklahoma Tax Commission in collecting unremitted sales tax, primarily by sending letters and, if necessary, filing municipal court complaints for non-compliant businesses not in payment plans.
- Snow and Ice Removal Contract: Discussion on a proposal from Silver Star Construction for assistance with snow and ice removal services was ❌ Deferred to the next meeting. The proposal outlined hourly rates for various equipment and operators, noting that the vendor would be a secondary provider.
Financial Matters
- Sales Tax Collection Enforcement: The newly approved ordinance (Item 9) aims to improve sales tax collection by empowering the city to take action against non-compliant businesses, thereby safeguarding city revenues.
- Snow and Ice Removal Services: The deferred proposal for snow and ice removal services (Item 10) detailed hourly costs for equipment and operators, with the understanding that such contracts can help the city get reimbursed by FEMA in the event of major storms.
- Capital Projects Update: An update was provided on several ongoing capital projects, including the filter media replacement and filter troughs design (currently in the design phase for DEQ approval), sludge removal at the north side sewer plant, and the emergency riverbank project (to be bid out soon). The water study draft review is expected by December.
- Recycling Program Costs: Central Disposal confirmed that the cost of initial marketing materials (magnets, flyers) for the upcoming curbside recycling program will be shared with the city.
Public Comments
- No citizens came forward to speak during the "Citizens Participation" portion of the meeting.
Agenda Summary Table
| Agenda Item | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Approval of Agenda | Approval of the meeting's agenda. | ✅ Approved |
| Approval of Consent Agenda | Approval of routine administrative items. | ✅ Approved |
| Commissioners Comments | Opportunity for Commissioners to share updates or comments. | Informational |
| Citizens Participation | Opportunity for citizens to address the Council. | No comments |
| OML Certificates Presentation | City Manager presented Oklahoma Municipal League certificates to employees with 25+ years of service. | Informational |
| OBU Parks Website Presentation | Oklahoma Baptist University College of Nursing students presented a new website for the Parks Department (shawnyparks.org). | Informational |
| Ordinance Amending Speed Limits | Ordinance to reduce default speed limits from 30 mph to 25 mph. | ✅ Approved |
| Ordinance on Sales Tax Non-Compliance | Ordinance making it an offense to fail to report/remit sales tax or file false reports. | ✅ Approved, Emergency Clause ✅ Passed |
| Snow and Ice Removal Proposal | Proposal for contractor assistance with snow and ice removal from city streets. | ❌ Deferred |
| New Business (City Commission) | Opportunity for new business items. | None |
| Shawnee Airport Authority Consent Agenda | Approval of routine administrative items for the Airport Authority. | ✅ Approved |
| Shawnee Airport Authority New Business/Admin Reports | Opportunity for new business or administrative reports for the Airport Authority. | None |
| Shawnee Municipal Authority Consent Agenda | Approval of routine administrative items for the Municipal Authority. | ✅ Approved |
| Capital Projects Update | Update on various ongoing capital improvement projects. | Informational |
| Shawnee Municipal Authority New Business/Admin Reports | Update on the upcoming curbside recycling program rollout. | Informational |