Edmond City Council and Public Works Authority Meeting - November 10, 2025
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Edmond City Council and Public Works Authority Meeting - November 10, 2025
The meeting began with expressions of appreciation for interim city manager Randy Inns for his 10 months of service. The council then proceeded through a series of routine approvals, public hearings, and discussion items, including grants, budget amendments, and ordinance updates. All votes were unanimous (5-0) except as noted.
Consent Calendar
- Public Works Authority General Consent (Item 4): Approved four items without discussion.
- City Council General Consent (Item 8): Ten items approved; Councilmember noted excitement over Item 8D (Route 66 Shield signage on 2nd Street).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Taylor Wilson (748 Dune Circle): Expressed strong support for the Motorcycle Safety Program grant, sharing personal experience as a new rider who benefited from the class. Also commented on the employee pension plan, noting that the 23-year catch-up period is partly due to a prior COLA (cost of living adjustment) approved by a previous council.
Discussion Items
- FY25 Waterline Improvements (Item 5B): Will Huggins (Water Resources) presented a $6 million project for water/sewer line improvements bounded by N. Ballman Ave, E. Air St, N. Bryant Ave, and E. 2nd St. Objectives: create dedicated water well transmission mains and replace aging distribution lines, plus two sanitary sewer deficiencies. Part of the five-year capital plan.
- Kicking Bird Golf Budget Amendments (Item 6A): Brian Sornson (Golf Director) requested $94,000 from unrestricted reserves for: lighting for the Lookout Restaurant sign, a commercial sink/dishwasher for the event center, mini-splits for the indoor teaching facility, and security cameras for the clubhouse and parking lot. All improvements requested by partners (Hold and One Food & Beverage, Chase Cooper Golf Instruction) to enhance operations.
- Oklahoma Highway Safety Office Grants:
- Speed Enforcement Grant (Item 10A): $37,750 for overtime and equipment for traffic accident reduction. Chief J.D. Younger explained it's an annual grant.
- Motorcycle Safety Program (Item 10B): $34,860 for six motorcycle safety courses per year. Held at the fire training center.
- Bicycle Pedestrian Safety (Item 10C): $38,600 for reflective safety materials and six school events promoting safe cycling/walking. Christy Batterson (Housing & Community Resources) noted 100% reimbursable, no match required.
- Senior Center Coffee Makers (Item 10D): Brad Rainey (Parks & Rec) reported a $5,000 donation used to replace coffee makers.
- Charles D. Lamb Nature Preserve (Item 10E): $31,400 transfer from special tax park reserves to advance the 25-acre expansion to Hafer Park. Funds will clear a path for geotechnical work for a bridge over Spring Creek and cover a cultural resource survey required for an $800,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant.
- Art Piece Payment (Item 10F): $21,020.73 from Art in Public Places reserves for the third and final payment on the fire station No. 6 art piece, due to a premature purchase order closure.
- Variance for Caspian Lakes Phase One (Item 10G): Keith Beatty (Senior Development Engineer) presented a request to split three 5-acre tracts into 2.5-acre tracts, with a fee in lieu of detention. Approved by the Stormwater Drainage Advisory Board on October 20, 2025. Applicant Greg Massey (Red Plains Professional) had no additional comments.
- Employee Pension Plan (Item 10H): Ross (Finance) detailed the annual actuarial recommendation to increase the total combined contribution rate from 17.94% to 18.43% effective January 1, 2026. Employer rate goes from 11.94% to 12.29%; employee rate from 6.00% to 6.14%. Fiscal impact: ~$78,000 for half a year; full year next fiscal ~$157,000. The plan is approximately 85% funded. Council encouraged annual review of disability exclusions.
- Tobacco & Vapor Ordinance (Item 10I): Christy Batterson explained amendments to Chapter 8.08 to prohibit tobacco/nicotine/vapor product use on all municipal property (indoor and outdoor). Change needed to qualify for Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust grants.
- Municipal Court Jurisdiction Cleanup (Item 10J): Staff presented a final cleaning of outdated references to an interlocal agreement, after a prior ordinance passed October 27, 2025.
Key Outcomes
- All consent items and public hearing items passed 5-0.
- Employee Pension Plan: Approved rate increase (Item 10H1) and ordinance (10H2) with emergency clause, both 5-0.
- Lawsuit Settlement Rejected (Item 11D): Council voted 5-0 to reject a settlement proposal received October 30, 2025, in the case City of Edmond v. Spector Holdings, LLC.
- Executive Session (Item 11): Held to discuss pending litigation; no action taken on Item 11C.
- New City Manager: AJ Krieger was introduced; his first day was November 10, 2025.
- Upcoming Event: Councilmember announced an "Edmond Matters" informal conversation at the indoor farmers market at Mitch Park on Saturday, November 15, 9:30-11:30 AM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Before we jump into item number two, I just want to take a moment for this council to express our appreciation for Randy Inns and what he has done for us the last 10 months. His service to this city has been an inspiration, I think, to everybody on how you keep things going. So, Randy, on behalf of all of us, I want to say thank you. Thank you. All right, let's move on. Agenda item number two, appointments and reappointments. I have two appointments tonight. I would entertain a motion. So move, mayor. Second. I have a motion of second. Cast your vote. Motion passes five zero. Item number three. I would entertain a motion to recess the Edmund City Council meeting call to order the Edmund Public Works Authority meeting. So move. I have a motion. Second. And a second. Cast your vote. Motion passes five zero. We are now in public works authority meeting. Under general consent items number four. We have four items for general consent. Unless anyone wants anything pulled, I would entertain a motion there. Mayor, I would move to approve the public works authority general consent items. I have a motion. Second. And a second. Cast your vote. Motion passes 50. Item 5, Public Works Authority Discussion and Consideration Items. We don't have anything on A. B, consideration of acceptance of bid and approval of agreement for the WC 24-00007 FY25 waterline improvement projects phase one for the water resources department, $6 million,000. And we do have a presentation. Go right ahead. Just a quick update. I'm gonna stand in as well as I can for Chris tonight. Will Huggins Water Resources. So the FY25 Waterline Phase 1 improvements generally consist of waterline and sewer line improvements bounded by North Ballman Avenue, East Air Street, North Bryant Avenue, and East 2nd Street. Two primary objectives are to create dedicated water well transmission mains to convey well water from wells A, 10, and 14 to a new proposed elevated storage tank, and then also replace um aging infrastructure distribution lines within the area. And then we're gonna complete two known sanitary sewer deficiencies just to minimize construction disruptions to citizens in the area. So it's in our five-year capital plan and within the budget that we had allocated for the project. Any questions, comments? Ms. Mayor, I'd move approval of item five B. I have a motion. Second. And a second, cast your vote.
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