November 30, 2011 City Commission Meeting

Announcements

• 📅 Christmas Parade: The annual Christmas Parade will be held on Thursday, 📅 December 1st, at 6:30 PM. This year's Grand Marshall will be Speaker Chris Steele. Parade entries were due last week but late submissions will be accepted this week.
• Earthquake Damage Assistance: Following a visit from FEMA, Small Business Administration (SBA), and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, the city is confident of meeting criteria for an SBA disaster declaration. This will make low-interest loans available to those affected by earthquake damage. A recommendation for a presidential disaster declaration will be presented to the governor later this week.

Public Comments

Citizens addressed the commission regarding the proposed new structure for tourism dollars and upcoming bond issues:

• Richard Finley (Certified Public Accountant): Representing the Shawnee Economic Development Foundation and Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Finley clarified their position on proposed bond issues. He stated they are not against the elections but against the scale of the elections, recommending specific ranges for projects (Regional Park: $5-8.5M, Aquatic Center: $3M, Expo improvements: $1.75M, Streets: $10-20M, Economic Development: $4-5M). He emphasized streets as the highest priority and the Regional Park as the lowest. He also stated an ad valorem tax would not pass and advised against taking funding from the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), citing its effectiveness and the city's past inaction on CVB-funded initiatives.
• Dan Poly (Director, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art): As a member of the Tourism Advisory Committee, Mr. Poly advocated for the CVB's independent structure. He noted that successful tourism agencies he's worked with were independent, while government-controlled ones often suffered from cronyism and favoritism.
• Rocky Barrett (Chairman, Citizen Potawatomi Nation): Mr. Barrett expressed support for the city's potential investment in sports infrastructure and tourism, highlighting Shawnee's existing rodeo presence and potential as a destination city. He noted the Potawatomi Nation's contribution to this infrastructure.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Tourism Dollars Structure: The commission voted to refer to staff for review of the existing Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) contract, exploration of other available options for tourism funding structures, and to report back with recommendations. This decision was met with some concern regarding its timing and potential appearance of retaliation against the Chamber of Commerce.
• Kickapoo Tribe Annexation Request: The request for annexation by the Kickapoo Tribe for the construction of gaming and other facilities was approved, with a condition to negotiate for in-lieu payments or taxes from any retail facilities. This allows the city to have some control over building inspections and plans.
• Sales Tax Report: The November 2011 sales tax report was acknowledged. Sales tax receipts were up by $53,000 from the previous year and $158,000 compared to 2008. However, the overall year-to-date budget remains down by 2.41%.
• Expo Parking Lot Improvements Bids: Seven bids were received for the Expo parking lot improvements. The item was deferred to the next commission meeting to allow staff to review the bids, verify figures, and assess the scope of work (which includes water and sewer improvements beyond just parking). The lowest base bid was $1,510,188.40 from TJ Campbell Construction.
• Community Center Fire Suppression System Bids: Only one bid was received for the Community Center fire suppression system, from Trans-Amer Fire Sprinklers for $199,800. This bid was rejected as it was significantly over the allocated budget of $80,000. Staff will re-evaluate the specifications and rebid the project.
• Snow and Ice Removal Contracts: Proposals from two vendors, CP Integrated Services of Oklahoma City and BDC Homes of Shawnee, for snow and ice removal assistance were reviewed. Staff recommended, and the commission approved, awarding contracts to both vendors to utilize their different equipment types for roads, bridges, and maintaining access for emergency services.
• Primary and Intermediate Clarifier Rebuild: The bid to rebuild one primary and one intermediate clarifier was awarded to DPS Equipment Services. DPS was the only vendor to inspect the facility prior to bidding.

Agenda Summary Table