Meeting Summary
The Midwest City Council convened a special meeting to address critical city matters, including immediate responses to recent severe weather and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The council approved emergency measures for storm debris removal and extended the city's mask ordinance indefinitely, contingent on specific public health metrics. Additionally, several land use and development items were discussed and acted upon.
Key Decisions & Votes
Parkland Review Committee Appointment
00:33:00Susie Byrne was appointed to fill an unexpired term and reappointed for an additional three-year term on the Parkland Review Committee as the tree board's representative.
COVID-19 Mask Ordinance Extension
00:34:00The city's mask ordinance was extended indefinitely, with an automatic expiration trigger if the Oklahoma City-County Health Department reports less than 5% positive tests for two consecutive weeks. The City Manager is authorized to end the ordinance under these conditions. An emergency clause was also passed for immediate effect.
Trash Dumpster Enclosure Amendment
00:49:00An ordinance was approved to increase the width of dumpster enclosures by two feet to allow for safer access by trash trucks.
Soldier Creek Industrial Park Final Plat
00:51:00The final plat for the Soldier Creek Industrial Park was approved to subdivide existing large lots into smaller parcels, providing more flexibility for potential industrial users. Concerns about past zoning were noted for future review.
The Curve Preliminary Plat
01:01:00A preliminary plat was approved to subdivide a single parcel into 20 individual parcels for single and two-family residential development, with staff and applicant committing to address drainage and road concerns in later stages.
Emergency Funds for Storm Recovery
01:18:00The council declared an immediate emergency and authorized the city manager to contract for necessary services and outlay funds beyond normal limits to address severe weather conditions and facilitate federal reimbursement.
Upcoming Community Events
Fall Trick-or-Treat Trail
Former Sears parking lot at 6909 East Reno Avenue, noon-3 pm. Drive-thru event.
10th Annual Food Drive
Midwest City Sam's Club, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Veterans Day Parade
Rescheduled date not yet determined due to COVID concerns.
Fly Our Flags (Veterans Day Week)
Residents and businesses encouraged to fly flags in honor of veterans.
Free EMBARK Public Transportation for Voters
Free rides for voters.
National American Indian Heritage Month
Extra Mile Day
Financial Matters
Emergency outlay of city funds for storm recovery
Authorization for the city manager to contract and spend funds as necessary to address severe weather conditions and facilitate federal reimbursement.
Public Comments
Public comments included objections to the open-ended mask mandate, concerns about the scientific basis for mask-wearing, and questions regarding the legality of past zoning decisions. A resident also expressed significant concerns about density and drainage for a proposed residential development. Suggestions were made regarding debris removal and park safety.
Coming Up
Tabled
- Discussion item #8 (stack) to December 8th meeting
- Discussion item #6 to another date
- PC 2053 (rezoning for 2200 Saint Luke) to next council meeting
Watch For
- City website for Storm 2020 updates and debris removal project start date
- Future discussions on the legality of Soldier Creek Industrial Park's zoning
- Improvement plans and final plat for The Curve residential development
Announcements
- Ward 4 Councilman Sean Reid participated in the meeting via telephone.
- Power outages should be reported directly to OG&E (405-272-9595, oge.com, or MyOGE alerts) and not 911 or city offices. OG&E is reporting this as their second largest storm in company history.
- Report downed power lines to 800-522-68 and stay away from them.
- Citizens should be wary of 'storm chaser' contractors for tree services or property repairs; they must possess a city peddler's permit.
- The city website's 'Storm 2020 updates' section will be updated daily by 3:30 p.m. with new information.
- Vegetative debris from the storm should be placed within 10 feet of the back of the curb in the right-of-way for potential FEMA reimbursement. Keep it away from gas meters, mailboxes, cars, and water meters.
- Midwest City residents can dispose of vegetative debris at the compost facility (7420 NE 36th) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (utility bill required).
- Alternatively, residents can use the East Oak Landfill (3201 Mosley Road) for a special rate with a utility bill.
- Curbside bulk pickup is suspended to prevent co-mingling household items with vegetative debris, which could jeopardize FEMA eligibility.
- City forces will monitor debris removal contractors to ensure proper documentation for federal reimbursements.
- The start date for city-wide debris sweeping is not yet determined but will be posted on the city website.
- Citizens are strongly discouraged from using city parks and trails due to dangerous hanging limbs. City golf courses are closed until further notice, with Hidden Creek (9-hole) planned to open first.
- Citizens are asked to report home and business damages to damage.ok.gov to assist state emergency management in calculations for a federal disaster declaration.
- Chief Norton acknowledged the hard work of all city personnel (fire, police, public works, dispatch) during the recent storm, noting 154 incidents on Tuesday alone.
Agenda Summary
Consent Agenda
Approval of routine agenda items.
Discussion consideration of appointing Susie Byrne to the Parkland Review Committee
Appointment to fill an unexpired term and reappoint for an additional three-year term on the Parkland Review Committee.
Discussion consideration approving an ordinance amending chapter 11 city emergency management section 11-4 face coverings and social distancing during cover 19 pandemic emergency
Amending the city's mask ordinance to extend its duration.
PC 2054 discussion consideration of an ordinance amending appendix a zoning regulations in the midwest city code section 5 supplemental regulations by mending subsection 5.7.2 trash dumpsters and enclosures
Amending regulations to increase the width of dumpster enclosures by two feet.
PC 2055 discussion and consideration approval of the final plot of the soldier creek industrial park skip
Approval of the final plat for the Soldier Creek Industrial Park to subdivide lots.
PC 2053 public hearing with discussion and consideration approval of an ordinance to rezone from r6 single family detached residential to r um 2f two family attached residential and a resolution to amend the comprehensive plan from ldr low density residential to mdr medium residential a medium density residential for the property addressed at 2200 saint luke
Rezoning request and comprehensive plan amendment for property at 2200 Saint Luke.
Discussion item #6
An agenda item that was pulled and tabled at the request of the ward representative.
PC 2051 discussion consideration approval the proposed preliminary plat of the curve
Approval of a preliminary plat to subdivide a single parcel into 20 individual parcels for residential development.
Discussion item #8 (stack)
An agenda item that was pulled and tabled.
Discussion consideration of clearing an immediate emergency under section 2-126 of the midwest city code and authorizing immediate outlay of city funds possibly an amount in excess of the limit set by section 2-118 of the city code and the public competitive bidding act of 1974 authorizing city manager to contract is necessary appropriate to address the recent severe and extraordinary weather conditions without public notice or competitive bids
Authorizing emergency spending and contracts for storm recovery efforts.