April 23, 2013 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 National Public Safety Telecommunications Week: Proclaimed for April 14th-20th, 2013, honoring the city's dispatchers who handled 79,000 calls in 2012.
• 📅 Arbor Week: Proclaimed for April 15th-19th, 2013. Shawnee has been recognized as a Tree City USA Community for the 11th consecutive year. A tree planting event will take place at Shawnee High School on Thursday at 1:30 PM.
• 📅 Trash Off Day: Scheduled for Saturday, April 20th. Citizens can pick up assignments at Woodland Park between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM to help clean the city.
• 📅 Earth Day: Proclaimed for Monday, April 22nd.
• 911 Services Update: While 911 currently cannot receive text messages, new "Next Generation 911" equipment is expected to be rolled out by July 1st, which will enable text and eventually video emergency communications. Citizens are reminded NOT to text 911 for emergencies at this time.
• Tornado Shelters: In light of current tornado alerts, public shelters are available at Fire Station #3 basement, Shawnee City Hall basement, and a small cellar in Boy Scout Park. Citizens with private storm shelters are encouraged to offer space to neighbors.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Approval of Agenda: The meeting agenda was approved ✅.
• Approval of Consent Agenda (City Commission): The consent agenda was approved ✅.
• Approval of Consent Agenda (Shawnee Municipal Airport Authority): The Airport Authority's consent agenda was approved ✅.
• Real Property Negotiations: Staff was authorized to enter into negotiations for the purchase of real property and report back to the commission ✅.
• Hyatt Addition Section 3 Preliminary Plat: The preliminary plat for 85 new single-family residential lots at North Harrison Street on East 45th Street was approved ✅. This includes a deviation for a cul-de-sac exceeding the standard length, which staff supported due to existing development patterns.
• Hyatt Addition Section 3 Final Plat: The final plat for 41 residential lots within Phase 3 of the Hyatt Addition was approved ✅.
• Lease Agreement with REACT Ambulance Authority: A lease agreement for property in the 1400 block of North Center Street was approved ✅. This new location will house a single ambulance 24/7, replacing the current East Main station, and will improve access to the east side of town, particularly retirement and nursing facilities.
• City Hall Parking Lot Improvement Project: The bid for the City Hall parking lot improvement project was awarded to All Roads Paving for concrete paving at $205,245.40 ✅. Despite concerns about the contractor's slow progress on the Independence Street project, the significant cost difference from other bids led to the recommendation. The project has a 90-calendar-day timeline with a $1,000/day penalty for delays.
• Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund (OMRF) Plans: Discussion and possible action on establishing defined contribution and defined benefit plans for city employees was deferred ➡️ to the second meeting in May. Commissioners requested that individual, good-faith estimates of the financial impact be provided to all affected employees before a vote.

Financial Matters 💰

• Financial Advisory Report (BCS Inc.):
  • PCDA Debt Refinancing: The refinancing of the PCDA debt has closed, resulting in $2.9 million in gross savings ($2 million present value). The interest rate was reduced from 4.6% to 1.97%. Joining Tulsa's pool loan saved an additional $70,000.
  • Debt Overview:
    • General Obligation (GO) Debt: The city currently has no outstanding GO debt. Potential future GO debt of $10 million (10 years) would add approximately $39.88 annually to a $50,000 home's tax bill.
    • Sales Tax Debt: Two sales tax debts (2011a and 2011b) are outstanding, secured by 7/8 of a 1-cent sales tax. These debts are scheduled to pay off in 2016. Extending these payments by 15 years could generate an estimated $9.5 million for future projects. Shawnee's combined sales tax rate (8.5% including state, city, and county) is among the lowest compared to other cities along I-40. A half-cent sales tax could generate approximately $2.25 million per year based on 2012 figures.
    • Utility System Revenue Debt: The city has approximately $18.5 million in outstanding Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) loans.
• Sales Tax Report: Sales tax revenue for the past month was initially reported down $180,000 (12.77%) from last year. However, due to an amended return from St. Anthony's regarding the Unity purchase, the city had to pay back $170,000. This means the actual decrease for the month was only $10,000 (less than 1%). Year-to-date, the city's sales tax revenue is 1.7% above budget.

Public Comments

• Don Forberg: Commended the commission's work and concern for the city. He raised long-standing concerns about the red cedar problem, highlighting their fire hazard and suggesting methods for removal and root decay. He also noted that the removal of trash containers on Belshire Road has led to an increase in roadside litter, impacting the beautification of the lake area.
• Frank Loman (City Employee): Expressed confusion and concern regarding the proposed changes to the city's pension plan. He stated that his personal calculations indicated a significant reduction in his monthly retirement income ($737/month) under the new plan, which conflicted with information provided by the OMRF administrator. He emphasized the need for all employees, especially those with longer tenure, to fully understand the financial impact of the proposed changes.

Agenda Summary Table