Shawnee Board of City Commissioners Meeting - May 18, 2026

The Shawnee Board of City Commissioners met in regular session at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Commission Chambers at City Hall, 16 West 9th Street, Shawnee, Oklahoma. Mayor Eric Stephens presided. Commissioners Greta Shuler, Chris Odneal, Ashley Fichtner, Mark Sehorn, and Lauren Richter were present; Commissioner Daniel Matthews was absent. The consent calendar was approved unanimously, two public hearings drew no testimony, the commission approved an Oklahoma Baptist University Authority debt resolution and a YMCA airport property sale ratification, rejected a Shawnee Forward economic development contract renewal, revoked two delinquent lake-lot leases, and entered executive session before adjourning at 9:22 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent agenda (Item 3a-f) 6-0-0, including the April 20, 2026 regular meeting minutes; Shawnee Beautification, Parks, and Recreation Committee minutes (Jan. 15, 2026); Shawnee Senior Citizens Advisory Board minutes (Feb. 10, 2026); April 2026 License and Project Payment Reports; reappointments to the Shawnee Planning Commission (John "Jack" Barrett, Amanda Johnson, Monty Porter, Steve Reese) with terms expiring June 1, 2029; FY2025-26 budget amendments (Fund 001 CDBG, Fund 301 correction, Fund 304 ARPA waterline reimbursements); FY2026-27 agreement renewals with Project H.E.A.R.T., Inc. and South Central Industries, Inc.; and the requested Inter-Governmental Agreement with Oklahoma City for regional household hazardous waste collection/management.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Willis Snowden, REACT Emergency Medical Services director, spoke during National EMS Week. He reported REACT is among the first three Oklahoma ground ambulance services authorized to carry whole blood and has performed whole-blood transfusions for 11 months, including cases needing further transfusion at OU Trauma Center, an average hospital stay of 9.6 days, and seven known patients discharged home.
• Cyndi Berger opposed the Shawnee Forward contract renewal (Item 8), argued economic development should be separate from the Chamber of Commerce and described the arrangement as a conflict of interest. She also recounted a resident whose water service was shut off and house faced condemnation after repair costs exceeded $10,000, contending CDBG funds that were moved/restructured should be available for home repairs to help residents.

Presentations

• The city introduced the 2026 Sister Cities student/teacher delegation traveling to Nikaho, Japan in July: Chairman Connie Walker, Craig Walker, teacher Sandra Bradley, and students Paisley Cloutier, Allen Gardner, Georgia Hatch, Brooks McMains, Grace Nealy, Lily States, Russell Tampus, Jordan Tkachenko, Nelvin Trimble, and Otavio Volpe.
• Animal Control Officer Jesse Gallaway presented Buttons, an approximately 7-year-old dog available for adoption after her owner passed away.

Discussion Items

• Oklahoma Baptist University Authority debt resolution (Item 5): City Attorney Joe Vorndran presented Resolution No. 6792. He noted an earlier public hearing at 4:30 p.m. drew no objections and clarified the city is approving the Authority's indebtedness, not incurring repayment responsibility. Motion carried 6-0-0.
• Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan FY2027-2031 public hearing (Item 6): Finance Director Kimberly Hoover reviewed fund-by-fund project plans and noted projects could roll from FY27 into FY28. No public testimony; hearing closed.
• FY2026-2027 budget public hearing (Item 7): Hoover said health insurance costs increased modestly but the city would absorb the costs rather than pass them to employees. No public testimony; hearing closed.
• Shawnee Forward economic development contract renewal (Item 8): Vorndran outlined three changes from the 2025 contract: new subsections 2(g) and 2(h) involving the Commission of Land Office real estate near marketplace development and a requirement for Shawnee Forward to participate financially in economic development initiatives; and Section 3 adding automatic voting seats on the Shawnee Forward board for the city mayor, the county board chairman, and the county's board of commissioners chairman. Pottawatomie County's decision was not yet known. The renewal motion failed 3-2-1 (AYE: Odneal, Shuler, Sehorn; NAY: Stephens, Fichtner; ABSTAIN: Richter).
• Cabin Site Lake Lot lease revocations (Items 9-11): Vorndran explained all three leases were financially delinquent by more than one year, had received multiple notices including certified letters, and that revocation was the remaining remedy after staff efforts. Item 9 (16816 Magnino Road): a motion to defer failed 2-4-0; revocation was approved 4-1-0, with Commissioner Odneal's vote not recorded. Item 10 (15001 Colson Lane): revocation approved 4-2-0. Item 11 (32005 Hornbeck Road): no action taken; the transcript indicates the lessee had paid, while minutes record no action.
• Monthly Sales Tax Report (Item 12): Finance Director (minutes name Kimberly Smith; other agenda/minutes references name Kimberly Hoover) reported May sales tax revenue of $2,821,859.56 including $4,276.47 interest. Collections rose 2.58% over May 2025, were 3.61% above budget projections for the month, and were 1.19% (about $338,308) above projected budget year-to-date. Use tax totaled $468,207, 17.24% above monthly projections, but minutes state use tax was $22,562 (0.50%) below projected budget year-to-date. The combined general fund position was $146,592 above projections.
• Downtown Tourism collaboration update (Item 13): Tourism Director Stacy Cramer Moore and Attraction Development Manager Stephen Koranda reported on the inaugural Main Street Shop and Stroll on May 5, 2026. 29 stores and restaurants participated; about 300 passports were distributed; 61 people entered the drawing; 736 business stops were recorded; the prize was $595 in downtown gift cards. Placer AI data showed nearly 2,000 visitors downtown that evening, 40% from outside Shawnee, with attendees staying over an hour. 82.7% of participants supported continuing monthly; the next event is June 2, 2026, and will run the first Tuesday monthly through December.
• Airport Authority property sale ratification (Item 16): The commission ratified the Shawnee Airport Authority's authorization to sell real property to the Troy and Dollie Smith Shawnee Family YMCA for up to $2 million, contingent on FAA approval. The property includes about 20 acres, ball fields, and a tornado-damaged DMV building, with demolition of the DMV building included in the contract. Motion carried 6-0-0.
• Executive session (Items 17-18): The commission voted 5-1-0 to enter executive session under 25 O.S. §307(B)(4) to discuss attorney-client communications concerning pending investigation/claim/action. It entered at 7:07 p.m., exited at 9:21 p.m., and took no action afterward.

Commissioner Comments

• Commissioners congratulated graduating students and the Sister Cities delegates, praised the Main Street Shop and Stroll, and highlighted upcoming community events: Memorial Day Gold Star Family reception at Veterans Park at 10:00 a.m.; Salvation Army Thrift Store reopening May 19; Health Week May 23-30; OBU campus progress; and strong sales tax performance.

Related Recessed Authority Meetings

• The city commission recessed at 6:41 p.m. and reconvened at 7:04 p.m. During that recess, the Shawnee Airport Authority and Shawnee Municipal Authority met. The Airport Authority approved a consent agenda; a resolution accepting an FAA grant for runway/taxiway engineering design (95% FAA, 2.5% ODAA, 2.5% SAA; SAA share $18,165); an intergovernmental agreement with ODAA; design-service task orders with HW Lochner, Inc. for a new terminal ($441,800), Hangar 14 repairs ($68,900), Hangar 15 repairs ($66,900), and ramp LED repair design ($49,300); and disposal of two abandoned tornado-damaged aircraft via internet auction. The Municipal Authority approved its consent agenda and new business.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved 6-0-0.
• Resolution No. 6792 approved 6-0-0.
• Both public hearings closed with no public testimony.
• Shawnee Forward contract renewal failed 3-2-1; no renewal was approved.
• Lease No. 5176 revoked 4-1-0; Lease No. 009801 revoked 4-2-0; Lease No. 033926 no action.
• Airport Authority/YMCA property sale ratification approved 6-0-0.
• Executive session authorized 5-1-0, with no action on Item 18.
• Meeting adjourned at 9:22 p.m.