November 26, 2012 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 Winter Weather Preparedness Day: Mayor Wes Maynard proclaimed Tuesday, November 20th, as Winter Weather Preparedness Day, encouraging citizens to prepare for colder weather while supporting local businesses.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Rezoning at 3300 North Union (R1 to R3): The Commission ✅ Approved an ordinance to rezone approximately 2.5 acres from R1 (single-family residential) to R3 (multi-family dwelling). The Planning Commission and staff both recommended approval. Discussion included concerns about potential non-property tax paying housing, with staff clarifying that zoning doesn't differentiate tax status, but the city can address specific tax credit projects.
• Final Plat for Shawnee Medical Center: The Commission ✅ Approved a final plat for Shawnee Medical Center at Keithley Road and MacArthur Street. This action corrects an error in a previously recorded subdivision plat related to St. Anthony's purchase of the Unity Health complex, with no impact on existing development or utilities.
• Conditional Use Permit for Alcohol Sales at 4420 North Kickapoo: The Commission ✅ Approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow the sale of beer and alcohol for both on-premise (for a Rib Crib restaurant) and off-premise consumption (for a potential liquor store) in a C3 commercial district. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions regarding site screening and lighting.
• Preliminary and Final Plats for GE Oil and Gas Edition: The Commission ✅ Approved both the preliminary and final plats for the GE Oil and Gas Edition at 14311 Highway 177. This will facilitate expansion plans at the GE plant, including 34,000 square feet of warehousing and workspace, and 56 additional parking spaces, which is seen as a positive for economic development.
• Conditional Use Permit for Mobile Home at 31909 Lake Road: The Commission ✅ Approved an ordinance to allow the placement of a manufactured home on an A1 (agricultural) zoned property. The approval came with conditions that the home must be a 1995 model or newer, include skirting, be non-transferable (for the applicant's family only), and meet aesthetic standards. The Health Department's approval for well and septic systems is also required.
• Hardship Request for Second Mobile Home at 31909 Lake Road: The Commission ❌ Denied a hardship request for the temporary placement of a second mobile home on the same 1-acre property. Concerns were raised about the high density of multiple residences (two mobile homes plus a future site-built home) and the capacity of individual well and septic systems on a small lot, especially given its proximity to Shawnee Lake.
• Acceptance of Public Easements for Greystone Addition: The Commission ✅ Approved the acceptance of public easements and dedications for the final plat of Greystone Addition, an eight-lot single-family residential development. All public utilities and roads are in place and approved, with required maintenance bonds secured.
• Moratorium on Boarding or Rooming Houses: The Commission ✅ Approved a resolution establishing a moratorium on boarding or rooming houses (defined as overnight homeless shelters) in all zoning districts. This temporary measure allows the Planning Commission time to revise the city's zoning code to address such facilities comprehensively. It does not impact dormitories, bed and breakfasts, or churches providing occasional shelter.
• Bids for Airport Pedestrian Trail: The Commission ✅ Approved awarding the contract for the Airport Pedestrian Trail to Bishop Paving for $633,409.90. The 10-foot-wide trail will include a yellow center stripe for two-way traffic. Funding is available from bond proceeds and a $10,000 Oklahoma Healthy Communities grant.

Financial Matters

• Sales Tax Report (November 2012): The city acknowledged the sales tax report, which showed a 💰 $36,000 (2.79%) decrease compared to the previous year and a $124,000 deficit against the budget year-to-date. However, other revenues are currently offsetting this dip. The City Manager expressed optimism for increased revenues during the upcoming holiday season. Commissioners urged citizens to shop locally, utilize price matching, and report online purchases for "use tax" to support city, county, and state revenues.
• 45th Street and 6th Street Project (ODOT): Bids for this project came in significantly higher than ODOT's engineer's estimate ($10.3 million vs. $7.9 million). The city's share could be up to $2.498 million (22%). A major increase was seen in water line quantities (100% over estimate), though unit costs appeared reasonable. ODOT is reviewing the bids to determine if they are acceptable. The city's roadway contribution is capped at $484,000, but not the water line.
• 45th Street Overlay Project (City): The city is addressing issues with the quality of work on the 45th Street overlay project. Testing revealed several areas were rough and out of specification. The contractor's attempts to correct the issues were deemed insufficient. The city has leverage as the contractor has not been fully paid. The city will decrease the quantities on this contract, effectively stopping further work by this contractor on this project, and plans to rebid other streets in a new asphalt project in the spring.

Public Comments

• Tina Hannah (South Central Industries): Spoke in favor of the moratorium on boarding/rooming houses (Agenda Item 14), emphasizing the need for city staff to research ordinances for shelters to address safety and traffic concerns.
• Chelsea Beacham (Applicant for Mobile Home CUP): Clarified the 15-year age condition for the manufactured home (Agenda Item 11), suggesting "better quality" as an alternative criterion. She also detailed the hardship for the second mobile home (Agenda Item 12), explaining her 82-year-old grandmother's need to be close to family due to health issues and financial constraints.
• Julie Ackerman (Neighbor): Expressed opposition to the mobile home (Agenda Item 11) and especially two mobile homes (Agenda Item 12) on the 1-acre property, citing concerns about property values, density, and the aesthetic impact on the lake area, noting that other lake properties have covenants against mobile homes.
• Joe Carl (Resident): Raised concerns about the environmental impact of potentially three septic systems (two mobile homes plus a future site-built home) on a 1-acre sloped property, emphasizing the risk of oversaturation and runoff into Shawnee Lake.

Agenda Summary Table