Shawnee City Commission Regular Meeting - April 20, 2026

The Board of City Commissioners of Shawnee, Oklahoma, met in regular session on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. Mayor Eric Stephens presided, and six commissioners were present (Commissioner Ashley Fichtner arrived at 6:58 PM). The meeting included recognition of the Pleasant Grove girls basketball state championship team, public comments, approval of a consent agenda, presentations on the proposed FY2026-2027 budget and the Pet of the Month, adoption of resolutions on municipal code liens and opioid settlement participation, deferral of a public conduct ordinance, approval of substantial amendments to CDBG plans, acknowledgment of the monthly sales tax report, and an executive session concerning the Santa Fe Depot. The meeting recessed for separate Shawnee Airport Authority and Shawnee Municipal Authority meetings before reconvening to ratify authority actions and enter executive session. The meeting adjourned at 8:19 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from the March 16, 2026 regular meeting.
• License Payment Report and Project Payment Report for March 2026.
• Budget amendments for FY2025-2026 covering fund corrections, insurance recoveries for Kidspace Park and the Airport fence, and appropriations for the Fire Department and Distribution & Collection Department.
• Lake Lease Transfer of Eckel Tract Lot 4 from Bobby & Jenelle Cox to Bobby Steven Cox & Wesley Glen Cox.
• Mayor appointments to the Shawnee Urban Renewal Authority: Raymond Burrell and Robert D. Hoover, Jr. (reappointments).
• Approval of the grant application process for the Edward Byrnes Memorial Grant for the Shawnee Police Department, shared with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office.
• Acknowledgment of Change Order No. 1 for SW Loop Water Main Project and Change Order No. 2 for Alice, Fay, Edwards, and Pesotum Waterline Improvements.
• Approval of a Task Order with Cowen Group Engineering, LLC for Sanitary Sewer Pipe Bursting. All consent items were approved by a vote of 6-0-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Crystal Romanysyn (President/CEO, Shawnee Forward): Reported three new restaurant wins, one manufacturing loss, a site visit scheduled with another manufacturer, and an active retail pipeline. Invited the community to a Candidate Hobnob on April 23. Announced a small business grant program launching in July. Clarified that Shawnee Forward does not endorse candidates.
• Cyndi Berger: Expressed support for Agenda Item No. 8 (public conduct ordinance), citing safety and biological hazards from encampments and drug activity. Also raised concerns about stray cat overpopulation and responsibility of those feeding them.
• Glenn Peck: Shared a story about a neurosurgeon cleaning toilets during the Oklahoma City bombing recovery, praising the spirit of Oklahoma. Thanked the commission and recognized the Pleasant Grove basketball team.
• Kim Landholt (volunteer, Saving Pets at Risk [SPAR]): Urged the city to restore spay/neuter procedures for shelter animals, which were paused as of April 1, 2026 until the new fiscal year (July 1, 2026). Warned of exponential population growth and higher costs. Requested a free spay/neuter program for all county pets.
• Joey Ward: Complained about poorly marked trenches on roads (Alice, Draper) that damaged his car's suspension system. Thanked the city for completing roadwork.

Discussion Items

• Pet of the Month: Animal Control Officer Fackler introduced Bambi, a 4-month-old hound mix found abandoned, available for adoption.
• FY2026-2027 Proposed Budget Presentation: Finance Director Kimberly Hoover presented the budget, noting conservative estimates (2% sales tax growth, 0% use tax increase). Commissioner Matthews commented that 12 major funds decreased, all but one administrative; the largest increases were for police, criminal investigations, animal welfare, and fire suppression. The overall budget increase was less than 3%.
• Resolution 6789 – Municipal Code Lien Enforcement Act of 2025: City Attorney Joe Vorndran explained the resolution opts the city into a state statute allowing judicial foreclosure for municipal liens over $1,500 on non-owner-occupied properties. The city intends to use it for large liens (six figures) from demolition costs. Approved 6-0-0.
• Resolution 6790 – Opioid Settlement Participation: The city approved participation in settlements with six pharmacy defendants (Associated Pharmacies, Inc., Jm Smith Corp., etc.) as part of national multi-district opioid litigation. Shawnee's share is $19,424 of a total $97 million settlement. Approved 6-0-0.
• Ordinance – Public Conduct (Camping) Amendments: City Attorney Vorndran presented an ordinance to conform with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings (Grants Pass case) clarifying camping prohibitions. Commissioner Odneal moved to defer to the July 20, 2026 meeting to avoid conflicts with budget meetings. The motion passed 4-2 (Odneal, Richter, Shuler, Stephens in favor; Matthews, Sehorn against). The companion emergency clause (Item 9) was not acted upon.
• CDBG Substantial Amendments: CDBG Manager Kalyn Lindsey explained the amendments shift funding from individual housing rehabilitation to public infrastructure (parks, sidewalks, water/sewer lines, roads) due to staff reductions and contractor shortages. The changes aim to serve more low-to-moderate income residents and preserve the city's entitlement status. Approved 6-0-0.
• Monthly Sales Tax Report: Finance Director Hoover reported April 2026 sales tax collections of $2,858,025.92 (including $4,170.68 interest), a 16.76% increase over April 2025, and 12.22% above budget for the month. Year-to-date, sales tax was 0.93% above budget. Use tax collections of $353,357.68 were 2.24% below budget. Combined general fund receipts were $28,559 above budget. A comparison with seven peer cities showed all had increased sales tax from April 2025 to April 2026.
• Commissioner Comments: Multiple commissioners congratulated the Pleasant Grove team and OBU men's basketball. They noted anniversaries of the April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the April 19, 2023 Shawnee tornado. Commissioner Shuler highlighted the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. Commissioner Matthews praised the conservative budget and healthy reserve fund.
• Executive Session (Santa Fe Depot): The commission entered executive session at 7:13 PM for confidential attorney communications regarding a pending investigation/claim/action related to the Santa Fe Depot. They exited at 8:17 PM.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda and Reports: Approved 6-0-0.
• Resolution 6789 (Municipal Code Lien Enforcement Act): Adopted 6-0-0.
• Resolution 6790 (Opioid Settlement Participation): Adopted 6-0-0.
• Public Conduct Ordinance (Item 8): Deferred to the July 20, 2026 City Commission meeting (vote 4-2). No action on related emergency clause.
• CDBG Amendments (Item 10): Approved 6-0-0, shifting funding from housing rehab to public infrastructure.
• Clean Water SRF Loan (Item 14): Following the Shawnee Municipal Authority's authorization, the City Commission ratified the action to issue a Clean Water SRF Promissory Note to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for up to $4.25 million, with $1 million potential forgiveness. Approved 6-0-1 (Matthews abstained).
• Executive Session (Item 15): Motion to enter passed 7-0-0.
• Santa Fe Depot Negotiations (Item 16): Authorized the City Attorney and City Manager to continue negotiations with the Pottawatomie County Historical Society regarding a lease, with a deadline of July 1, 2026 for resolution. Passed 7-0-0.
• Airport Authority Actions: During the recessed session, the Shawnee Airport Authority approved a commercial aircraft detailing agreement, a revised hangar leasing policy, and annual hangar rental rate increases (effective July 1, 2026). All passed 6-0-0.
• Shawnee Municipal Authority Action: Approved the Clean Water SRF loan application and related documents.