August 19, 2025 City Council Meeting

Announcements

• Utility Box Art Contest: Submit entries for the "Stillwater Strong" themed contest by 📅 Tuesday, September 2nd. Enter online at stillwater.org or drop off artwork at the Stillwater Community Center.
• Payne County Free Fair: City staff from various departments will be present in the community building throughout the week of 📅 August 25th.
• Cowboy Football Park & Ride Shuttle: Free park and ride shuttle service for game days runs every 30 minutes, starting 3 hours before kickoff. Pickup and drop-off is at 7th and Lewis. Full details at visitstillwater.org.
• Block 34 Events: Block 34 continues to host community events like concerts, yoga, and round net tryouts. Don't miss Market 34 on Saturday mornings for local vendors, handmade goods, food trucks, and live music. Follow on Facebook or visit block34.org for details.
• Mayoral State of the City: The city's new economic development recruitment video will be launched at the Mayoral State of the City event in September.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Consent Docket: The consent docket was approved ✅ with a 5-0 vote.
• Map Amendment (Rezoning): A request to rezone property at 624 West 22nd Avenue from small lot single-family residential and agriculture to agriculture (CC-25-116) was approved ✅ with a 5-0 vote, accepting the Planning Commission's recommendation. The applicant plans to build a barn as the primary structure, which requires agriculture zoning.
• Closing of Utility Easement: A request to close a portion of a general utility easement at 707 East Airport Road (CC-25-117) was approved ✅ with a 5-0 vote. This allows for the construction of an awning, with a new 20-foot waterline-only easement and encroachment agreement to be presented later.
• Resolution for OWRB Loan: Resolution CC-2025-21, approving action by the Stillwater Utilities Authority (SUA) to authorize a promissory note to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) for up to $112,095,000 for water, sanitary sewer, solid waste disposal, and electric systems, was adopted ✅ with a 5-0 vote. This 30-year loan is for critical water/sewer infrastructure projects, including the raw water line from Lake McMurtry.
• Resolution for FAA Grant Application: Resolution CC-2025-22, authorizing, approving, and ratifying the grant application for FY2025 Airport Improvement Program discretionary funds from the FAA for airport infrastructure improvements (specifically the passenger boarding bridge), was adopted ✅ with a 5-0 vote. The total project cost increased by approximately $69,000, but the city's required match decreased to $3,457.
• Ordinance 3578 (Rezoning): An ordinance rezoning 624 West 22nd Avenue from small lot single-family residential and agriculture to agriculture was advanced to second reading ✅ with a 5-0 vote.
• Ordinance 3579 (Easement Closing): An ordinance closing a portion of a general utility easement at 707 East Airport Road was advanced to second reading ✅ with a 5-0 vote.
• Audit Committee Appointment: Skyler Rodenberg was appointed ✅ to the Audit Committee for a term expiring in January 2027 with a 5-0 vote.
• SUA Resolution for OWRB Loan: Resolution SUA 2025-5, authorizing a loan from the OWRB not to exceed $112,095,000 for water and wastewater system improvements, was adopted ✅ with a 5-0 vote. This is the companion resolution to the City Council's approval.
• SUA Reimbursement Resolution: Resolution SUA 2025-6, declaring the intent of the Stillwater Utilities Authority to expend certain funds for water and wastewater system improvements, with expenditures to be reimbursed from debt proceeds, was adopted ✅ with a 5-0 vote.

Financial Matters 💰

• ERP Project Funding: The city has identified capital funds and reserved some utility funds for the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project. Initial cost estimates from Barry Dunn were better than expected.
• Transportation Sales Tax Funding: The transportation program is funded by a 1-cent transportation sales tax passed in 2022. Discussion highlighted an increase in expenditures on transportation projects in recent years, indicating progress in deploying funds for projects, including using consultants for more work and packaging projects for efficiency.
• OWRB Loan for Utilities: The $112,095,000 loan from the OWRB for water and sewer infrastructure is a 30-year financing. This is part of a larger 10-year capital improvement plan for water and sewer, which identified over $500 million in needs. The city's rate structure was designed to support these projects.
• FAA Grant for Airport: The FAA grant application for airport improvements saw a project cost increase of approximately $69,000, but the city's required match decreased, making it more favorable for the city.
• Wildfire Federal Funds: Since recent wildfires, over $733,000 in FEMA funds have been dispersed to 169 families in the community. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has deployed almost $4.2 million in low-interest loans to 29 Payne County families for rebuilding. Additionally, over $563,000 in community donations have been collected and are being deployed to 80 Payne County households.
• Downtown Waste Management Plan: The proposed single monthly fee for low-volume customers in the downtown area is designed to be revenue-neutral, covering the costs of enhanced service.

Public Comments

• No public comments were received during the public hearings for the map amendment or the utility easement closing.

Community & City Updates

• Stillwater Animal Welfare: The Stillwater Animal Welfare staff and volunteers achieved "no-kill" status in 2024 with over a 90% save rate. Updates on the new animal welfare bond project are available at stillwater.gov.
• Google Data Center: Council members visited the Google data center in Pryor, noting the surprising absence of noise. This is part of Google's $9 billion investment in Oklahoma, including a facility in Stillwater and training programs for skilled trades.
• Finance Department Award: The City of Stillwater's Finance Department received the nation's highest honor in governmental accounting and financial reporting for the 43rd consecutive year from the Government Finance Officers Association, recognizing their professionalism and dedication to transparency.
• ERP Project Update: Barry Dunn presented an update on the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project, which aims to modernize and consolidate the city's software systems (currently 41 disparate systems). The project focuses on ERP (financials, HR/payroll), utility billing, and enterprise asset management. The goal is to improve efficiencies for staff and citizens. RFPs for ERP and utility billing are expected to be issued in October, with contract finalization by March/April 📅 2026.
• Transportation Projects Update & FY26 Pavement Management Plan: The Engineering Director provided an update on completed and ongoing transportation projects, funded by the 1-cent sales tax. The FY26 Pavement Management Plan, totaling $10 million, was presented and recommended for approval. The plan prioritizes projects based on the 2022 Pavement Condition Index (PCI) data and includes:
  • $1,000,000 for sidewalk construction.
  • $200,000 for design of a pedestrian corridor from downtown to campus.
  • $1,000,000 for full-depth pavement repair.
  • $5,000,000 for various pavement maintenance techniques (seal coating, microsurfacing, overlays).
  • $2,000,000 for full reconstruction projects (including design for 26th Avenue).
  • $800,000 for maintenance capital (signal upgrades, public works resources). The plan was approved ✅ with a 5-0 vote.
• Waste Management Downtown Improvement Plan: The Waste Management Director presented a plan to enhance solid waste collection in the downtown corridor (6th to 10th Avenue, Husband to Lewis). Issues include dumpster assignment confusion, too many dumpsters, infrequent service (one day a week for over half), illegal dumping, and dumpster diving. The plan for low-volume customers includes:
  • Combining all low-volume customers into shared, labeled dumpsters.
  • Reducing the number of dumpsters from 51 to 30.
  • Increasing service frequency to three times a week.
  • Replacing cardboard dumpsters with new, locked, slotted-lid carts.
  • Implementing a single, consistent monthly fee for low-volume customers. This was a discussion item, no vote was taken.
• CEDA Chamber of Commerce Report: The Chamber of Commerce presented an update on economic development initiatives, including:
  • A new strategic plan with an updated mission statement and core values.
  • Success with the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP), resulting in 17 Stillwater businesses awarded $859,053 in reimbursements, nearly $3.5 million in total project costs, and 57 new jobs created.
  • Hosting "Select Oklahoma" and a mock site visit, which provided valuable feedback and led to implementing new strategies for actual site visits.
  • Two site visits in the last quarter, exceeding the annual goal.
  • Upcoming launch of a recruitment video and presentation of small business university results.

Agenda Summary Table