Meeting Summary
The city council discussed and ultimately failed to introduce a charter amendment that would have tied council and mayor salaries to the governor's salary. A separate proposal to extend the timeframe for collecting initiative petition signatures was not moved forward. The council did adopt a resolution related to a charter amendment concerning the ability to hold two offices. Public comments included advocacy for a new motorsports complex and concerns over noise and zoning issues from local businesses.
Key Decisions & Votes
Amendment to tie Council and Mayor salaries to Governor's salary
20:00A proposal to amend the city charter to tie the mayor's salary to half the governor's salary and council members' salaries to a quarter of the governor's salary, aiming to avoid frequent charter amendments and attract a broader pool of candidates, was voted down.
Resolution for Charter Amendment 11 C 2 (regarding holding two offices)
25:00A resolution to notify the County Election Board of the election and direct the clerk to submit required items for Charter Amendment 11 C 2, concerning the ability to hold two offices, was initially adopted, then rescinded and re-adopted to include only the first proposal.
Upcoming Community Events
Forum: How to do business with the city
Zoo Education Center, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Financial Matters
Park fee schedule amendment
Discussion about revisiting a year-and-a-half-old amendment to the park fee schedule that now collects 20% of ticket sales from any event in a park, which is causing non-profits to decline holding events.
Public Comments
Two citizens spoke. One advocated for the creation of an OKC Motorsports complex, highlighting economic benefits and community interest. The other expressed ongoing concerns about noise, property line issues, and lack of responsiveness from city departments regarding two businesses operating near her residential property.
Coming Up
Watch For
- Council priorities presentation (may be rolled into budget presentations)
- Better streets annual update (next meeting)
- Women's History Month recognition (end of month)
Announcements
- Thanks to those who came out for the Northeast meeting at Prospect; recap available on Facebook.
- Embark director Jason Fairbrush commended for successful Sunday bus service, with full buses and community engagement.
- Oklahoma Christian University commended for honoring 18 students expelled in 1969 due to racial inequality, recognizing the incident and seeking reparations.
- March is Women's History Month; honor women.
Agenda Summary
Amendment regarding Council and Mayor salaries
A proposal to amend the city charter to tie the mayor's salary to half the governor's salary and council members' salaries to a quarter of the governor's salary, aiming to ensure a living wage, attract diverse candidates, and avoid frequent charter amendments.
Amendment regarding initiative petition signature collection time
A proposal to extend the 90-day period for collecting signatures for initiative petitions to 150 or 180 days, aiming to make the process more organic, volunteer-driven, and reduce fraud.
Resolution 11 C 2 for Charter Amendment (regarding holding two offices)
A resolution to notify the County Election Board of the election and direct the clerk to submit other items required by election law for the charter amendment concerning holding two offices.