Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Meeting Recap: August 19, 2013

Note: Items of discussion in this recap includes a link indexed to that portion of the City Council meeting replay. Click on bold headers that are linked to view that portion of the video.
(STILLWATER, OKLA. / Posted Aug. 20, 2013) - The Stillwater City Council met for its regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 19, 2013. (View the meeting agenda here) 




Note: Councilor Cody Scott was not present at the Aug. 19, 2013, City Council and Stillwater Utilities Authority meetings. 

Consent Docket
Item 'c' was removed from the consent docket.
Consent Docket approved by Council 4-0.

Public Comment On Agenda Items Not Scheduled For Public Hearing 

Their were two requests to speak on agenda items. The first speaker spoke in regards to Resolution No. 2013-13 and the second speaker spoke in support of Resolution No. 2013-15.

Items Removed From Consent Docket / Public Hearings
Item 'c': Closing of utility easements at 711 W. Peaceable Acres (CC-13-72)

City Attorney John Dorman confirmed the request for the public hearing on item 'c' was sent with good notice and the item was meant for public hearing but was placed in the wrong category on the meeting's agenda.

Patty Evans, Development Services, addressed the Council on the closing of utility easements on the property. Evans said this property will be developed into The Ranch. Findings showed the easements must be closed for the development of the property as a retirement community and any needed easements will be dedicated at the time of development.

There were no requests for public hearing. Staff recommendation approved the closing of the easements.

Council approved staff recommendation 4-0.

General Orders
a. City of Stillwater Design and Construction Standards revision (CC-13-71) (Resolution No. 3013-12)

Brandon Neal, Water Utilities engineer, addressed the Council on two sets of minor revisions. The first was minor changes to transportation details and the second was a change from cast iron lids to a plastic lid which is almost transparent to the radio frequencies of the new city automated water readers to be used in places that need a tougher lid to cover the readers.

Council approved revisions 4-0. 



Resolutions
a. Resolution No. 2013-12: A resolution of the Stillwater City Council adopting revisions to the Stillwater Design and Construction Standards.

Council approved resolution item 'a' 4-0.

b. Resolution No. 2013-13: A resolution of support for H.R. 684 regarding marketplace fairness.

City Manager Dan Galloway said the resolution was one supported by the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) to allow the City to retain local tax revenues from online vendor purchases. Galloway recommended the Council approve the resolution.

Council approved resolution item 'b' 4-0.

c. Resolution No. 2013-14: A resolution conveying to the U.S. Congress and the president of the United States a municipal position on the preservation of tax-exempt municipal financing.

City Manager Galloway said the resolution was also supported by the OML. Galloway said there is some discussion in federal government of removing municipal tax exemption on municipal bonds. Galloway said interest rates on such bonds will rise if tax exemption is removed and there will be no advantage to issuing loans to cities. Galloway recommended the Council approve the resolution.

Council approved resolution item 'c' 4-0.


d. Resolution No. 2013-15: A resolution authorizing the calling and holding of an election in the City of Stillwater, State of Oklahoma, for the purpose of submitting to the registered qualified electors of said city the questions of (i) the issuance of general obligation bonds by said city in an amount not to exceed the sum of $20 million ($20,000,000) for the purpose of constructing and equipping of a baseball/softball/soccer facility in the vicinity of Sangre and Richmond roads, the construction and equipping of an outdoor amphitheatre, boardwalk and lakefront development sites at Boomer Lake Park, all to be owned exclusively by said city, and levy and collect an annual tax, said city for the payment of principal interest on said bonds; and (ii) the issuance of general obligation bonds by said city in an amount not to exceed the sum of $7.5 million ($7,500,000) for the purpose of constructing and equipping a new fire station, purchase of a new fire engine, purchase of new police vehicles, purchase of video equipment for said vehicles and purchase of upgrades and enhancements to the public safety communications system, all to be owned exclusively by said city, and levy and collect an annual tax, in addition to all other taxes, upon all taxable property in said city for the payment of principal and interest on said bonds.

City Attorney Dorman said the resolution would call the November 12 election for the proposed bonds for the 'Our Stillwater' initiative. 

Council approved resolution item 'd' 4-0.

e. Resolution No. 2013-16: A resolution proposing adoption of Ordinance No. 3237 amending the Stillwater Municipal Code by repealing chapter 39, taxation, article III, sales and use tax, division six, transportation sales tax, sections 39-238 to 39-246, to create the "2013 transportation sales tax" ordinance levying a sales tax of one percent; providing an effective date; designating projects on which revenues can be expended; providing for definitions, exemptions and administrative procedures; and providing for payment of obligations incurred under Ordinance No. 2923, "2006 transportation sales tax." 

City Attorney Dorman said the resolution was the sales tax authorization for the transportation component of the 'Our Stillwater' initiative.

Council approved resolution item 'e' 4-0.

a. (first reading)
i) Ordinance No. 3237: An ordinance amending the Stillwater Municipal Code by repealing chapter 39, taxation, article three, sales and use tax, division six, transportation sales tax, sections 39-238 to 39-246, to create the "2013 transportation sales tax" ordinance levying a sales tax of one percent providing an effective date, designating projects on which revenues can be expended; providing for definitions, exemptions and administrative procedures; and providing for payment of obligations incurred under Ordinance No. 2923, "2006 transportation sales tax."

Council approved 4-0.

b. (second reading)
i) Ordinance No. 3236: An ordinance amending chapter 23, land development code, article six, land use classifications, division five, industrial districts, amending section 23-160, IL Light Industrial District. 

Council approved 4-0.

Reports from Officers and Boards
City Manager Galloway - In response to a comment from a speaker during the public comment portion of the meeting, Galloway said not all the information was presented to the public on the 'Our Stillwater' initiative because it would have been premature to do so before an election was called. Now that the election is called for Nov. 12, Galloway said the city will begin providing information packets, public meetings and provide information online soon.

Galloway also reminded residents that Resolution No. 2013-16 levied a transportation sales tax of one cent while also repealing the former 2006 half-cent transportation sales tax, so the net affect of the resolution is asking for one additional half-cent.

City Council is adjourned; Stillwater Utilities Authority is called to order.

Consent Docket
a. Approval of minutes: Regular Meeting Aug. 5, 2013
b. Bid recommendation for the purchase of new rear-load refuse collection vehicle (SUA-13-32)
c. Sole source purchase for disassembly and removal of a 138 kV (138,000 volts) to 69 kV (69,000 volts) transmission substation transformer located at Kinzie Substation (SUA-13-31)

Trustees approved Consent Docket 4-0.


General Orders
a. Authorize the General Manager to proceed with the electric power generation station project (SUA-13-34).

i) Enter into a professional services agreement with Burns & McDonnell for power generation station engineering design and bidding services and authorize expenditures up to $4.5 million for the services.

ii) Complete the land swap/acquisition process with the state commissioners of the land office for the acquisition of approximately 25 acres located at the northwest corner of Jardot Road and Airport Road in exchange for approximately 12.25 acres on N. Perkins Road, located on the west side of Perkins Road approximately mid-way between Airport and Richmand roads, which will be subject to future consideration by the City Council, and 

iii) Work with JP Morgan as the bond underwriter to prepare a bond offering, which will be subject to future consideration by the Trustees.

SUA Director Dan Blankenship addressed the Trustees regarding the electric power generation station project with the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). Blankenship said the three steps outlined in item 'a' is not a commitment to build the plant but rather takes the next step in collecting more data to determine if it is financially feasible to make the commitment. Blankenship suggested the Trustees approve the general order.



Trustees approved 4-0.

b. Water Utilities American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project completion summary (SAU-13-33).

Water Utilities Director Anthony Daniel presented a brief report and presentation to the Trustees on the completed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project and how residents benefited from the ARRA loan.

SUA Director Blankenship spoke on behalf of the project and his appreciation for Daniel's dedication toward the project. 

Mayor John Bartley thanked city staff for their hard work on the project and congratulated them on its completion.

View Photos of ARRA Project Presentation


SUA is adjourned.


END


Recap by Meagan Kascsak, Marketing and Public Relations.


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Next City Council meeting is Sept. 5, 2013, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This meeting will be televised.  Click here for agendas


Watch the City Council Meetings:  Videos of Stillwater City Council meetings are made available on the City of Stillwater's YouTube.com channel within five days of the meeting. You can watch the meetings live on City of Stillwater Television (Suddenlink channel 23 and AT&T U-verse channel 99).

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