Shawnee Board of City Commissioners Meeting – October 19, 2026

The Shawnee Board of City Commissioners met at 6:00 p.m. on October 19, 2026, in Commission Chambers at City Hall, 16 West 9th Street, Shawnee, Oklahoma. The meeting included citizen comments, consent agenda approvals, a proclamation, appointment of a commissioner to an advisory board, deferral of a preliminary plat case, approval of a rezoning ordinance, Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) amendments, a traffic study engineering agreement, a paving contract award, and the monthly sales tax report.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved 6-0. It included: approval of the September 21, 2026, regular meeting minutes; acceptance of the June 18, 2026, Shawnee Beautification, Parks and Recreation Committee minutes and August 5, 2026, Planning Commission minutes; the September 2026 license and project payment reports; FY2026-27 budget amendments appropriating fund balance and grant funds (including the Shawnee Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Subgrant, AARP grant, Pottawatomie County Highway 102 Clearpond wildfire reimbursement, and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management April 2023 tornado reimbursement); the Johnston Tract Lot 16 lake lease transfer from Leland Prewitt and Rhonda Berry to Neil and Carrie Conklin; acceptance of maintenance bonds for Adcock Addition Phase 1 and 42308 Westech Road Public Water Improvements; and authorization of the Edward Byrnes Memorial Grant application process for the Shawnee Police Department, to be shared with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bo Stafford, a 16-year resident of 3024 North Beard Avenue, expressed concern about the proposed 34th and Beard development, including road and utility impacts, emergency vehicle access, floodplain questions, effects on wildlife, elderly neighbors, and the city bearing infrastructure costs for a private development. He asked commissioners to meet with the neighborhood and clarify what would be built.
• Janice Rowe, a 23-year resident, asked whether an environmental impact assessment had been done, how the creek and wildlife would be handled, and raised safety concerns due to the site's proximity to Shawnee Middle School. She also said the posted public notice was illegible due to fading ink, which she said prevented her from attending earlier meetings.
• Bush Latomsky noted Optimus Park is about 400 feet from the property and said the area is a floodplain, urging caution and a review of all impacts.
• Rob Morris said the city should listen to neighbors and supported the deferral of the preliminary plat. He asked whether the deferral would also go back to the Planning Commission or only return to the City Commission.
• Teresa Cody criticized what she described as a lack of a presentation at the Planning Commission meeting and called for more transparency and clearer roles on city commissions to avoid conflicts of interest.
• Theresa Robinson, the applicant in the rezoning case, said she had fully refurbished both homes on the property and wanted two individual residential lots rather than one multi-family lot with two houses. (She referred to the address as 412 West Oakland Street; the agenda and staff materials listed 415 West Oakland Street.)
• Sandy Gada asked the city to extend a zoning ordinance south of Main Street to the North Canadian River and described ongoing complaints about homeless activity near the Rescue Mission, property damage, trash in alleyways, mailbox issues, and dog-related safety concerns.

Pet of the Month and Proclamation

• Animal Control presented the Pet of the Month, a dog available for adoption, described as fixed, current on rabies shots, and affectionate.
• The Mayor read a proclamation designating October 19, 2026, as White Cane Safety Day in Shawnee, recognizing the contributions of blind and visually impaired citizens and the importance of eye safety and blindness prevention.

Advisory Board Appointment

• A city commissioner volunteered to fill the vacant City Commission seat on the Shawnee Senior Citizens Advisory Board, succeeding Commissioner Seahorn. The board meets quarterly on the second Tuesday of February, May, August, and November at 9:30 a.m.

Preliminary Plat Deferral – 34th and Beard (Items 6 & 7)

• The city announced that printed notices for Case No. PP01-26 (Barrett Drilling Co./John F. Barrett) contained incorrect meeting dates. The Commission deferred both the public hearing and the preliminary plat consideration to the November 16, 2026, City Commission meeting.
• Staff explained that the preliminary plat had already been through the Planning Commission; the final plat would be before the Planning Commission on November 4, 2026. If recommended, both preliminary and final plats would be considered by the City Commission on November 16, providing three total public hearing opportunities. An additional notice was to be sent to the 300-foot notification list.

Rezoning – 415 West Oakland Street and 401 South Kickapoo Avenue (Items 8 & 9)

• Community Development Director Petra Stefanov reported that the property has two detached dwelling units with separate addresses and water meters, making it a legal non-conforming use under the Unified Development Code. The applicant sought an R-2 to R-1 rezoning as a step toward splitting the property into two separate residential lots. Staff received no written opposition and recommended approval, noting consistency with the Future Land Use Map.
• The public hearing was opened and closed with no speakers for or against the request.
• The Commission approved the rezoning ordinance, changing the property from Medium-Density Residential District (R-2) to Low-Density Residential District (R-1).

CIP Amendments and Budget Reappropriations (Items 10-12)

• The public hearing on the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan (FY2027-2031) was opened and closed with no speakers.
• Staff presented CIP changes: adding Fire Station #1 Renovation at $411,000 in Fund 301; adjusting Fund 302 by increasing the Interstate Parkway Extension from $200,000 to $600,000 in FY27 and reducing it from $500,000 to $0 in FY28; moving the Waller Street Sidewalk Project from $500,000 in FY27 to $500,000 in FY28; increasing the 42nd Street Project from $200,000 to $300,000 in FY27; and increasing Expo Electrical/Mechanical Equipment Upgrades and Replacement from $0 to $105,000 in FY27 in Fund 303.
• The Commission approved the CIP amendment and the related FY27 reappropriations in Fund 301 (Fire Station #1 Renovation) and Fund 303 (Expo equipment upgrades).

Engineering Agreement, Bid Award, and Sales Tax Report (Items 13-15)

• Kevin Moore, Director of Billing and Engineering Services, presented the CEC Corporation engineering agreement for the Interstate Parkway and I-40 traffic study. The study will evaluate current and future traffic, potential interchange improvements, and the proposed Interstate Parkway extension to Harrison Avenue. The total cost is $596,470, funded through the Capital Improvement Program. The Commission approved the agreement 6-0.
• Public Works Director Brad Smith presented FY27 Unit Rate Paving and Drainage Project No. 27-0920-04; three bids were received on October 6, 2026. The Commission approved the award 6-0.
• Finance Director Campbell presented the monthly sales tax report. October sales tax collections totaled $2,674,115.67, including $4,234.35 in interest, distributed across eight funds. October receipts reflected estimated September sales and final August sales figures. Collections were 9.94% above October 2025, but 2.99% below conservative monthly projections and 0.26% below year-to-date projections. Use tax totaled $380,353, 6.17% below projections for the month. The General Fund remained $8,896 above budget projections. Peer-city comparison charts and year-over-year sales tax graphs showed most comparable cities with increases and an upward trend for Shawnee over the last five months.

Commissioner Comments

• Commissioners said the tax data was mostly positive but more unpredictable, praised conservative budgeting and projects coming in under budget (including the paving project about $87,000 under budget and the traffic study under budget), reminded residents to shop locally, and noted the need for more rain.
• Commissioners also promoted community events, invited residents to informal Tuesday meetings at Coffee Craft, thanked citizens for attending and emailing, and encouraged voting in the November 3 election.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the consent agenda 6-0.
• Deferred Items 6 and 7 (Preliminary Plat PP01-26) to November 16, 2026.
• Approved the R-2 to R-1 rezoning ordinance for 415 West Oakland Street and 401 South Kickapoo Avenue.
• Approved the CIP amendment and FY27 budget reappropriations for Fire Station #1 and Expo equipment upgrades.
• Approved the CEC engineering agreement for the Interstate Parkway traffic study 6-0.
• Approved the FY27 Unit Rate Paving and Drainage Project bid award 6-0.
• Acknowledged the October sales tax report and appointed a commissioner to the Shawnee Senior Citizens Advisory Board.
• No new business was raised, and the meeting was adjourned.