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City Commission Meeting

September 20, 2022 City Commission Meeting

September 20, 2022 Shawnee, OK
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Meeting Summary

TL;DR

The City Council approved significant budget amendments, including funding for police vehicles and addressing inadvertently excluded positions. They adopted a Memorandum of Understanding with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation for wastewater infrastructure transfer and approved a grant agreement for dam rehabilitation. Two rezoning requests were deferred to a later meeting, and bids for Shawnee Lake Dam improvements were rejected due to exceeding budget estimates. Discussions also covered a potential half-cent sales tax to replace a utility improvement fee and updates on the Santa Fe Depot and Unified Development Code project.

Key Decisions & Votes

MOU with Citizen Potawatomi Nation

09:40

The City Council adopted a Memorandum of Understanding with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation for the phased transfer of wastewater infrastructure in the DNX area, with CPN proposing to build a lift station.

Adopted

Purchase of Traffic Signal Control Cabinets

13:50

The purchase of five traffic signal control cabinets from Signal Tech for an estimated total of $95,000 was approved to replace outdated and obsolete units.

Approved

High Hazard Potential Dams Grant Agreement

17:40

A grant agreement with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for the rehabilitation of high hazard potential dams was approved, providing a 65-35 cost split for field investigation and design up to $100,000.

Approved

Budget Amendments for FY 2022-2023

25:00

Budget amendments totaling $1,028,825 were approved across several funds to cover increased costs for police vehicles, adjust for inadvertently excluded positions, fund prior year projects, allocate grant funds, and cover retiree health insurance.

Approved

Purchase of Police Vehicles

27:30

The purchase of five Dodge Charger police vehicles for a total of $180,990 was approved, addressing increased costs and the impending halt of gas model production.

Approved

Shawnee Lake Dam Improvements Bids

32:00

Bids for the Shawnee Lake Dam improvement project were rejected as both proposals significantly exceeded the city's budgeted amount and the engineer's estimate. Staff will explore alternative methods.

Denied

Municipal Authority Budget Amendment

1:33:00

A budget amendment for the Shawnee Municipal Authority (SMA) was approved to fund expenditures for meter reader positions, retiree health insurance, and account for additional water sales revenue over budgeted estimates.

Approved

Upcoming Community Events

Thursday, September 22nd

Downtown Block Party

Starting at 6 PM, downtown. Features Zumba, live music, martial arts demonstration, food trucks, and extended Coney Island hours.

Tuesday, September 20th

Community Information Meeting on Homelessness

7 PM at Generations Church, 130 South Oklahoma Avenue.

Thursday, September 22nd

Community Information Meeting on Homelessness

2 PM at Generations Church, 130 South Oklahoma Avenue.

Financial Matters

Purchase of five traffic signal control cabinets

Estimated total cost for replacing outdated traffic signal controller cabinets.

$95,000

Rehabilitation of high Hazard potential dams Grant agreement

Grant agreement for field investigation and design of Lake Dam number one mitigation, with a 65-35 split. The city's portion is up to $35,000.

$100,000

Budget amendments for fiscal year 2022 to 2023

Total amendments across several funds for police vehicles, position adjustments, prior year projects, grants, and retiree health insurance.

$1,028,825

Purchase of five Dodge Charger police vehicles

Total cost for five new police vehicles at state bid price.

$180,990

Shawnee Lake Dam improvements bids

Low bid received for the Lake Dam improvement project, which was rejected due to exceeding budget.

$2,431,296

Monthly sales tax reports (September)

Sales tax collections for the month of September, which were 10% over projections.

$2,146,092

Year-to-date sales tax collections

Total sales tax collections over year-to-date projections.

$828,559

Proposed 0.5% sales tax for Capital Improvements

Estimated annual generation from a proposed half-cent sales tax to fund infrastructure capital improvements and debt service.

$3,560,000

Meter maintenance fee annual collections

Annual amount generated by the meter maintenance fee, primarily covering loan payments for smart meter replacement.

$408,000

SMA annual transfers to general fund

Amount transferred annually from the Shawnee Municipal Authority to the city's general fund for core municipal services.

$4,300,000

Municipal Authority Budget Amendment

Budget amendment for SMA to fund expenditures for meter reader positions, retiree health insurance, and water sales revenue.

Public Comments

5 citizens spoke

Five citizens addressed the council, raising concerns about property damage from city infrastructure, transparency in contract review, the ongoing presence of showers at the resource center, liens on burned properties, the increasing visibility of homelessness in various city areas, and issues with city maintenance (uncut grass, trash) and vehicle use. Calls were made for true representative government and a more organized approach to addressing the 'unhoused' population.

Property damage and city responsibility Transparency in city contracts Homelessness and resource center services City maintenance and upkeep (grass cutting, trash) City vehicle use by employees True representative government and ward voting Addressing the 'unhoused' population

Coming Up

Tabled

  • Rezone property at 1910 West Benedict Street (to October 17, 2022 commission meeting)
  • Rezone property at 4029 and 4031 North Union Avenue (to October 17, 2022 City commission meeting)

Watch For

  • Results of the Transportation Alternatives Grant application for Santa Fe Depot roof and building envelope (announced Spring)
  • Continued development and release of Unified Development Code modules (over the next 12-14 months)
  • A report from the homelessness coordinator on ongoing efforts and progress.

Announcements

  • A Downtown Block Party will be held on Thursday, September 22nd, starting at 6 PM, featuring Zumba, live music by Shawna Russell, and a martial arts demonstration by Spherical Self-Defense.
  • Two community information meetings on homelessness will be held at Generations Church (130 South Oklahoma Avenue): Tuesday, September 20th at 7 PM and Thursday, September 22nd at 2 PM.
  • The Pottawatomie County Historical Society partnered with Gateway to Prevention and Recovery for a 'Walk for Recovery' event at the Depot, offering free museum entry to participants.

Agenda Summary

Citizen Participation

Public comments were received on various city issues including property damage, contract review, homelessness, city maintenance, and governance.

Information Only

Consent Agenda

Approval of routine administrative items.

Approved

Consideration and Adoption of the memorandum of understanding between Citizen Potawatomi Nation and the City of Shawnee for the transfer of Wastewater infrastructure in the DNX area.

Agreement for phased transfer of wastewater utility lines, with CPN proposing to build a lift station.

Adopted

Consideration the purchase of five traffic signal control cabinets estimated total of ninety five thousand dollars from Signal Tech.

Purchase to replace five outdated and obsolete traffic signal controller cabinets.

Approved

Public hearing and consideration of an ordinance to rezone property located at 1910 West Benedict Street from A1 rural agricultural District to R1 single family residential district case number RZ 11-22 applicant is Chris Cober.

Request to rezone property for single-family residential use. Applicant requested deferral for further discussion and development concept refinement.

Tabled

Public hearing consideration of an ordinance to rezone property located at 4029 and 4031 North Union Avenue from R1 single family residential district to C3 Highway commercial District case number RZ 12-22 applicant David and Amy McDaniel.

Request to rezone two properties to Highway Commercial District. Applicant requested deferral to re-advertise with a full and complete legal description.

Tabled

Consideration or Rehabilitation of high Hazard potential dams Grant agreement between city of Shawnee and Oklahoma Water Resources board.

Grant agreement for field investigation and design of Lake Dam number one mitigation, with a 65-35 cost split up to $100,000.

Approved

Consideration the following budget amendments for fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

Amendments totaling $1,028,825 across several funds for police vehicles, position adjustments, prior year projects, grants, and retiree health insurance.

Approved

Consideration and purchase of five Dodge Charger police vehicles at the state bid price of thirty six thousand one hundred ninety eight dollars each for a total of one hundred eighty thousand nine hundred ninety dollars from Bob Howard Jeep Chrysler Dodge.

Purchase of new police vehicles due to increased costs and impending production halt of gas models, with an estimated 10-12 month turnaround.

Approved

Consider bids Shawnee Lake Dam improvements.

Review of two bids for the Lake Dam improvement project, both exceeding the city's budgeted amount and engineer's estimate.

Denied

Acknowledged monthly sales tax reports.

Report on September sales and use tax collections, showing $2,146,092 collected, which is 10% over projections for the month and $828,559 over year-to-date projections.

Information Only

Administrative reports.

Presentations on a potential half-cent sales tax to fund capital improvements, an overview of utility rates and fees, an update on the Santa Fe Depot redevelopment project, and a diagnostic report for the Unified Development Code project.

Information Only

New business / Commissioners comments.

Commissioners provided comments and discussed various city matters, including homelessness, city maintenance, and the importance of updated codes.

No Action

Airport Authority Item 1: Considered approval of the consent agenda.

Approval of routine administrative items for the Airport Authority.

Approved

Airport Authority Item 2: New business.

No specific new business was discussed or acted upon.

No Action

Municipal Authority Item 1: Considered approval of consent agenda.

Approval of routine administrative items for the Municipal Authority.

Approved

Municipal Authority Item 2: Consideration a budget a member fiscal year 2022-2023 for fund 501 Shawnee Municipal Authority front to fund expenditures for meter reader positions and retiree health insurance and the addition of water sales revenue over budgeted estimates.

Budget amendment for SMA related to meter reader positions, retiree health insurance, and water sales revenue.

Approved

Municipal Authority Item 3: New business.

No specific new business was discussed or acted upon.

No Action