Edmond City Council Meeting - September 22, 2025

This regular meeting of the Edmond City Council included a brief recess into the Edmond Public Works Authority, followed by unanimous approval of numerous consent items, two public hearings, an executive session, and the appointment of a new city manager. Council received updates on sales tax revenue, infrastructure projects, and upcoming elections.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of six appointments and reappointments (motion passed 5-0).
• General consent items under the Public Works Authority (items 5A and 5C) approved 5-0.
• City Council General Consent items (17 items) approved 5-0, with items K, L, M, and O pulled for individual consideration and later approved separately.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered during the citizen comments portion. No audience members spoke during the public hearings.

Discussion Items

• City Manager’s Update (Item 2): City Manager Enns reported that sales tax for July (collected in September) was down 0.93% compared to the prior year, with a year-to-date decline of 0.86%. Use tax rose 3.59% for the month but remained down 3.7% year-to-date. Combined sales and use tax declined 1.38% year-to-date, a trend also seen in Yukon and Norman. Lodging tax was up 2% year-to-date, despite a rare monthly drop of 3.74%. Enns also highlighted the upcoming sales tax renewal election on November 18, 2025, for two 10-year taxes: Proposition 1 (one-cent general fund tax, first approved in 1977, funding daily operations with two-thirds going to police and fire) and Proposition 2 (half-cent CIP tax for roads and traffic flow, last renewed in 2016). Both are renewals that will not raise the current 8.25% rate.
• Infrastructure Project: Enns described the $9.9 million upgrade of the Danforth and Kelly intersection, one of Edmond’s busiest (50,000 vehicles daily). Improvements include dual left-turn lanes, right-turn lanes, raised medians, ADA-compliant sidewalks, and a new traffic signal at Hawthorne and Kelly. The city’s share is $2.3 million, with federal funding managed by ODOT. Construction is expected to take 210 days, weather permitting.
• Public Works Authority – Item 5B (Golf Course Projects): Brian Sorensen, Director of Golf at Kickingbird Golf, requested $40,000 from golf reserves to expand parking near the indoor pickleball facility and $80,000 to refurbish water well #16 (originally budgeted $80,000 for two wells, but one well cost $77,000). Both projects were approved 5-0.
• Item 8K – Health Benefit Provider Renewals: Amy Butler, Benefits Administrator, explained that the proposed renewal agreements for 2026 with Aetna, Delta Dental, Navy Benefit Solution, Serve URX, and Vision Service Plan maintain the same rates. The only change is removing Wegovy and Zepbound from the plan design. Approved 5-0.
• Item 8L – Mitch Park Competition Pool Repairs: Brad Rainey, Parks and Recreation Director, detailed unexpected HVAC repairs costing $304,000. The pool is operated under a joint agreement with Edmond Public Schools and the YMCA. Funds were moved from capital accounts under the Oklahoma Municipal Budget Act. Approved 5-0.
• Item 8M & 8O – Art in Public Places Funding: Staff requested transfers to increase the Art in Public Places budget. Item 8M moved general fund reserves to support matching programs; Item 8O added $76,000 from reserves for a buyback of previously matched art. Both approved 5-0.
• Item 9B – Budget Amendment: A budget amendment reducing the adopted FY2025‑26 budget by $1,194,832.04 to increase the unassigned fund balance in the general fund from 7.03% to 8.39%. Approved 5-0.
• Item 9C – Opioid Litigation Settlement: Resolution 38-25 authorizes the city’s participation in settlements with numerous pharmaceutical companies (Purdue Pharma, Sackler family, Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Novartis, Mylan, Sun Pharma, Zydus) related to opioid prescription drugs. The percentage allocation mirrors previous settlements from 2022 and 2023. Approved 5-0.
• Public Hearing – Item 10A (Lot Split): Staff presented a case to divide a 5.6-acre parcel north of 2nd Street on Mountain View Lane into three lots (approximately 80,000 to 87,000 square feet each), including a variance for a waterline connection. The Planning Commission recommended approval 4-0 on September 2, 2025. Approved 5-0.
• Public Hearing – Item 10B (Rezoning): An amendment to an existing Planned Unit Development (PUD) at the northeast corner of Story and Main Streets to modify side yard setbacks if the lot is subdivided for multiple structures. The Property is zoned PUDZ22-00017 (The Square). Planning Commission recommended approval 4-0. Approved 5-0.
• Executive Session and City Manager Appointment: Council entered executive session (Item 11A) to discuss the employment of the city manager. Upon return, they appointed Arthur AJ Krieger as city manager, effective November 10, 2025, and ratified the conditional offer and employment agreement. Both motions passed 5-0.

Key Outcomes

• Sales tax renewal election scheduled for November 18, 2025.
• Danforth and Kelly intersection construction timeline of 210 days.
• All consent items and individual consideration items approved unanimously (5-0) except noted.
• New city manager: Arthur AJ Krieger, effective November 10, 2025.
• Council member comments included thanks for improved speaker system and a reminder of the Oklahoma Native Plant Network Festival at Mitch Park on September 27, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.