October 20, 2025 City Council Meeting

Announcements

• Comprehensive Plan "Envision 2045" Open House: 📅 Thursday, October 23rd, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM at the Block 34 Simmons Bank Pavilion. This is the final community open house to share updates on the future land use map, housing, roads, and economic development.
• Downtown Stillwater Halloween Festival: 📅 Tuesday, October 28th, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Main Street (between 6th and 10th Avenues). Features vendors, games, food trucks, costume contests, and trick-or-treating.
• Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event: 📅 Saturday, November 1st, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Convenience Collection Center on Perkins Road. Residents can drop off oil-based paints, pesticides, cleaning products, and more for free. For details, visit stillwaterok.gov/HHW.
• Lexicon (Mini Comic Convention): 📅 Thursday, October 23rd through Saturday, October 25th. The main event is Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at multiple locations, including the library and community center.
• Shamai Toshi Beer Release: 📅 Saturday, October 25th, at 3:00 PM at the Simmons Bank Pavilion at Block 34. This beer, brewed by Iron Mike, honors the 40th anniversary of Stillwater's Sister City partnership with Kameoka, Japan. For full Lexicon event details, visit stillwaterok.gov/lexicon.
• Holiday Celebrations at Block 34: 📅 Saturday, December 6th, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Enjoy holiday heroes, drone shows, Santa visits, ice skating on Irvy Lane, and food vendors.
• Economic Summit: 📅 November 14th. This event will feature discussions on state-level economic development, regional economic data, and updates on Stillwater's economic progress.
• All In for Oklahoma Meeting: 📅 March 2026. Stillwater has been selected to host this state-wide quarterly meeting for economic development stakeholders.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Consent Docket Approval: The City Council approved the consent docket with a 4-0 vote, after initially pulling item C for separate discussion. Item C, concerning the renewal of a landscaping contract, was subsequently approved with a 4-0 vote following positive remarks about recent landscaping improvements.
• Stillwater Public Library Trust Funds Transfer: The Council adopted Resolution CC-2025-27 (4-0). This resolution authorizes the transfer of funds held by the Stillwater Public Library Trust to a new 501C3 nonprofit. The purpose of this transition is to provide the library with greater flexibility in investment strategies for private donations by alleviating rigid state law investment requirements. The resolution also authorizes the city manager to negotiate an agreement with the new nonprofit to clearly define responsibilities and oversight, ensuring the new entity operates as a separate legal entity with its own attorney and bank accounts.
• Rezoning 1421 West 8th Avenue: The Council adopted Ordinance 3582 (4-0), which rezones the property at 1421 West 8th Avenue. The zoning designation was changed from small lot single-family residential (RSS) to two-family and multi-family (RT) district zoning.
• Rezoning 517 Southwest Street: The Council adopted Ordinance 3583 (4-0). This ordinance removes the property addressed as 517 Southwest Street from the corridor redevelopment area planning district and rezones it as commercial general (CG) district.

Financial Matters

No specific city budget items, expenditures, or tax discussions were held during this meeting. The financial aspect of the Library Trust fund transfer is detailed under "Key Decisions & Votes."

Public Comments

No items were scheduled for public hearing, and no public comments were made during the designated time.

Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Report

The Stillwater Economic Development Authority received an informational report from the Chamber of Commerce, highlighting key economic development activities and future initiatives:

• Collaborative Partnerships: Emphasized ongoing collaboration with entities like Meridian Technology Center, Stillwater Regional Airport, Visit Stillwater, and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
• Community Marketing: Participated in the state's Community Marketing Partnership program, featuring an ad in the Thunder magazine with a QR code linking to Stillwater's economic development and airport websites.
• Recent Programs:
  • Launched a Regional Economic Development Round Table with representatives from Cushing, Perkins, Perry, and county commissioners to foster regional partnerships.
  • Hosted a successful panel discussion on "Making the Most of Your Commercial Real Estate Investment," with plans for a future session focused on financial aspects.
  • Graduated 17 businesses from the Small Business University program, with Stillie Arts winning the pitch contest and using funds for a Block 34 event.
• Site Visits & Conferences: Reported on successful site visits, including a company considering Stillwater as its top choice for onshoring, and participation in virtual site selector roundtables and the Southern Economic Development Council conference.
• Upcoming Initiatives:
  • Entering an agreement with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) to leverage data analytics for workforce development and technology sector growth.
  • Hosting an Economic Summit on 📅 November 14th, featuring state and regional economic development insights.
  • Planning a "New to Stillwater" mixer to help new residents and employees integrate into the community.
  • Stillwater will host the state-wide All In for Oklahoma meeting in 📅 March 2026, providing an opportunity to showcase the city to economic development professionals.
• Council members expressed appreciation for the Chamber's effective work and significant achievements in fostering economic growth.

Agenda Summary Table