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Record of Proceedings

Shawnee Board of City Commissioners Meeting - August 17, 2026

Board of City Commissioners — Monday, August 17, 2026
BodyShawnee, Oklahoma
SessionBoard of City Commissioners
DateMonday, August 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:30:49

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:08

Matthew.

Speaker 2

0:09

Here.

Unassigned speaker

0:10

Sure.

Unassigned speaker

0:10

Here.

Speaker 2

0:11

Here.

Unassigned speaker

0:12

Stephen.

Unassigned speaker

0:13

Here.

Unassigned speaker

0:14

See you?

Speaker 2

0:15

Here.

Unassigned speaker

0:16

Rick.

Unassigned speaker

0:17

Here.

Unassigned speaker

0:17

We have a forum.

Unassigned speaker

0:18

Thank you,

Speaker 2

0:18

ma'am.

Unassigned speaker

0:19

I

Speaker 2

0:19

get you all the rise.

0:20

And I'm going to ask Brother David Henry to get to lose the prayer.

Speaker 3

0:27

Let us pray.

0:31

Gracious God and Heavenly Father, we come before you today.

0:35

God, we're so grateful that you have blessed us to be part of this assembly.

0:41

Father, we pray for the men and women who we have entrusted with the business of community.

0:47

We pray that you will give them wisdom to make the right decisions, the courage and the strength that they need to stand by those decisions.

Unassigned speaker

0:58

And

Speaker 3

0:58

Father, we pray for all of our citizens.

1:01

God, we pray that we will be, we would all work together to make this community better place.

1:09

Father, we pray your blessings on those that are here.

1:12

We pray your blessings on so many who cannot be here because of obligation and responsibilities, and

Unassigned speaker

1:19

we

Speaker 3

1:19

especially want to remember whenever we pray.

1:28

Some of them you know where they are, many we do not know where they are, but you do, Father, we pray that you would watch over them, keep them safe.

1:36

The men and women, the leadership of this country that are making tough decisions.

1:41

And Father, we pray not only for those that are in high places, but we remember the men and women who walk the streets of our community.

1:52

Yes.

1:53

Some of them have lost hope and lost faith.

1:57

God, we pray that you will bless them and help us as a community to make it a better place for us all.

2:05

Father, we thank you for not only our commission, but a staff with this city that work tirelessly in so many ways, and sometimes we don't always we're not always grateful, but Father, we want to say thank you for giving us all those servants who serve in this community.

2:23

Watch over us, we pray night and day.

2:26

In Christ's name.

2:27

Amen.

Speaker 2

2:29

Thank you, sir.

Unassigned speaker

2:33

Pledge.

Unassigned speaker

2:45

Individual.

Speaker 2

2:54

Alright, good to see everybody here tonight.

2:59

Item number one is participation, same rules as always.

3:02

Three minute limit per person, twelve minute limit per topic.

3:05

First up, we have Mr.

3:06

Rob Morris.

Speaker 4

3:09

Good evening.

3:10

Uh tonight, go backwards a little bit.

3:12

Number 15 first.

3:14

Um there's some gray area on not having to say the address of this piece of property, but coincidentally, tomorrow morning on the Pop County agenda is

Unassigned speaker

3:24

the

Speaker 4

3:24

exact same executive session for a piece of property that we apparently own.

3:28

And when you look at the township range and all that for directions, because there's no actual address, it shows up as 160 acres in the southeast side of Shawnee that we've owned since like 2012.

Unassigned speaker

3:40

So

Speaker 4

3:40

I'm curious if that's what this executive session is about tonight and what's going to be done with 160 acres that pop county needs about.

3:48

Next,

Unassigned speaker

3:48

it's

Speaker 4

3:49

a little bit of a showing and uh commissioners right here tonight again.

3:54

Uh because we don't need to be sending in letters to be read.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████48%
Data Center Regulation██████████████████19%
Zoning████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Public Safety█████5%
Youth Programs████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Economic Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Shawnee Board of City Commissioners Meeting - August 17, 2026

The Board of City Commissioners of Shawnee, Oklahoma, met in regular session on August 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Mayor Eric Stephens presided, joined by Vice Mayor Daniel Matthews, and Commissioners Greta Shuler, Chris Odneal, Mark Sehorn, and Lauren Richter. Commissioner Ashley Fichtner arrived at 6:24 PM. The meeting included public comment, a data center moratorium, a property rezoning, and a bid award, concluding at 8:48 PM after executive sessions.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the July 20, 2026, regular meeting and August 5, 2026, special call meeting.
  • Acknowledged Planning Commission minutes and monthly reports for July 2026.
  • Approved Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget amendments for multiple city funds.
  • Confirmed mayoral appointments to the Board of Adjustment, Beautification/Parks/Recreation Committee, Housing Authority, and Senior Citizens Advisory Board.
  • Renewed agreements with the Pioneer Library System and Shawnee Public Schools.
  • Appointed Kendall Harrison as Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund Authorized Agent.
  • Accepted maintenance bonds for Rolling Hills Phase 2. Motion carried 6-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Rob Morris questioned the executive session agenda, criticized commissioner attendance, and called for a public vote on data center development, citing concerns over water, noise, and infrastructure.
  • Joey Ward reported that inadequate code enforcement and inspection delays are hindering local businesses and urged preparation for future growth.
  • Edwina Butler-Wolfe expressed strong opposition to data centers, urging the commission to provide more transparency on potential impacts to water bills, the electrical grid, and the environment.
  • Cyndi Berger supported the data center moratorium and requested that the commission provide more information. She also advocated for a ban or permit system for panhandling.
  • John Bobb-Semple announced the "Look for the Good" campaign to promote positive community stories.
  • Kyia Robinson spoke about Diaper Need Awareness Month, noting that the Legacy Foundation has distributed 382,000 diapers in 2026 to 800 families.

Discussion Items & Presentations

  • Pet of the Month: Animal Control Officer Stephen Rice introduced LL Grace, a one to two-year-old terrier mix available for adoption.
  • Pioneer Library System Agreement: City Attorney Joe Vorndran reported that the Pioneer Library System is planning over $750,000 in improvements to the library facility, covering construction, equipment, and furnishings, to be governed by the proposed interlocal agreement.
  • Data Center Moratorium (Resolution 6795): The commission debated a temporary moratorium until December 31, 2027, on new applications for data centers. City Attorney Vorndran outlined the legal strategies of a moratorium versus regulating through existing codes. Commissioner Odneal expressed support for protecting city resources. Commissioner Sehorn requested a specific staff timeline, receiving a commitment of 90 days. Commissioner Shuler inquired about the process and cost of a public vote. The resolution was approved.
  • Rezoning (RZ03-26, 1510 N Beard Avenue): Community Development Director Petya Stefanoff presented the request to rezone from C-1 (Local Commercial) to R-1 (Low Density Residential) to bring the existing residential use into compliance. The applicant, Christopher Duncan, spoke in favor. There was no public opposition.
  • Demolition Bid (The Old Mill, 302 S Beard Avenue): Director of Building and Engineering Services Kevin Moore reported that four bids were received. The commission awarded the contract to Midwest Wrecking Co. for $93,210.
  • Sales Tax Report: Finance Director Kimberly Smith reported August collections of $2,750,725.63. Sales tax exceeded year-to-date budget projections by $55,400 (1.05%). Use tax exceeded year-to-date budget projections by $234,085 (29.88%).
  • Commissioners Comments: Commissioners discussed back-to-school events, the International Finals Youth Rodeo, the Balloon Festival, positive sales tax trends, the National Guard Readiness Center groundbreaking, and the city’s online portal for reporting potholes and code issues.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved (6-0).
  • Interlocal Agreement (Pioneer Library System): Approved (6-0).
  • Data Center Moratorium (Resolution 6795): Approved (7-0). Staff directed to return with a full regulatory report within 90 days.
  • Rezoning Ordinance (Ordinance 2829NS): Approved (7-0). Property at 1510 N Beard Avenue rezoned from C-1 to R-1.
  • Demolition Contract (The Old Mill): Awarded to Midwest Wrecking Co. for $93,210 (7-0).
  • Executive Sessions: Approved entry for discussions on pending litigation (Santa Fe Depot) and real property appraisal. No action was taken following either session.

Meeting Transcript

Matthew. Here. Sure. Here. Here. Stephen. Here. See you? Here. Rick. Here. We have a forum. Thank you, ma'am. I get you all the rise. And I'm going to ask Brother David Henry to get to lose the prayer. Let us pray. Gracious God and Heavenly Father, we come before you today. God, we're so grateful that you have blessed us to be part of this assembly. Father, we pray for the men and women who we have entrusted with the business of community. We pray that you will give them wisdom to make the right decisions, the courage and the strength that they need to stand by those decisions. And Father, we pray for all of our citizens. God, we pray that we will be, we would all work together to make this community better place. Father, we pray your blessings on those that are here. We pray your blessings on so many who cannot be here because of obligation and responsibilities, and we especially want to remember whenever we pray. Some of them you know where they are, many we do not know where they are, but you do, Father, we pray that you would watch over them, keep them safe. The men and women, the leadership of this country that are making tough decisions. And Father, we pray not only for those that are in high places, but we remember the men and women who walk the streets of our community. Yes. Some of them have lost hope and lost faith. God, we pray that you will bless them and help us as a community to make it a better place for us all. Father, we thank you for not only our commission, but a staff with this city that work tirelessly in so many ways, and sometimes we don't always we're not always grateful, but Father, we want to say thank you for giving us all those servants who serve in this community. Watch over us, we pray night and day. In Christ's name. Amen. Thank you, sir. Pledge. Individual. Alright, good to see everybody here tonight. Item number one is participation, same rules as always. Three minute limit per person, twelve minute limit per topic. First up, we have Mr. Rob Morris. Good evening. Uh tonight, go backwards a little bit. Number 15 first.

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