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GOOD[1. Call to Order of the Edmond City Council Meeting.]
EVENING.FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY IT'S NICE TO HAVE MY VOICE BACK, AND IT'S NICE TO BE SITTING BACK IN THIS SEAT AGAIN.
UM, I SEE WE DON'T HAVE ANY ONE THAT HAS SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN COMMENTS.
WHAT YOU DID, I WOULD LIKE TO, DID YOU SIGN UP THE RULES? STATE? YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP BEFORE THE MEETING.
WHERE IS, WHERE IS KATIE? WE SHOULD HAVE A LIST.
THE LADY IN THE BACK SAID THAT, I WENT BACK HERE AND SAID, TALK TO THIS MEETING.
SHE GOES, NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO TALK SPECIFICALLY FOR ITEM F.
NO, WE HAVE CITIZEN COMMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE SIGNED UP EITHER ONLINE OR BEFORE THE START OF THE MEETING AND NO ONE SIGNED UP ON THE LIST.
THERE WAS A PIECE OF PAPER I FILLED OUT AND HAND IT TO THAT LADY.
I FILLED OUT A PIECE OF PAPER COURSE.
IT'S FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ITEM.
HE'S REFERENCING A PUBLIC HEARING.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PUBLIC HEARING ITEM, NOT CITIZEN COMMENTS.
[A. Case No. SP25-00024; Public Hearing and Consideration of Approval of a Site Plan for Tru by Hilton, Located North of Covell on Progressive Drive. (Blew Inc; Ward 2) Said Consideration to Include Consideration of Approval of the Following Variance to Title 22, Zoning Ordinance, of the Edmond Municipal Code: A Variance to Section 22.6.1(E)(4)(b) which requires 150 Feet of Separation between Two Proposed Driveways.]
ON TO ITEM THREE ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. AND ITEM THREE A IS CASE NUMBER S SP TWO FIVE DASH 0 0 0 2 4.CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF SITE PLAN FOR TRUE BY HILTON LOCATED NORTH OF COVE ON PROGRESSIVE DRIVE.
KEN BRYAN, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FOR THIS SITE PLAN IS APPROXIMATELY TWO ACRES.
THE MAP SHOWS THE LOCATION ON THE WEST SIDE OF PROGRESSIVE DRIVE A FEW HUNDRED FEET NORTH OF COVAL.
THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DETAILS, ONE BUILDING APPROXIMATELY 10,000 SQUARE FEET.
TWO POINTS OF ACCESS ARE PROVIDED FROM PROGRESSIVE DRIVE.
THESE ACCESS POINTS REQUIRE VARIANCE TO THE 150 FOOT SEPARATION.
STANDARD STAFF HAS NO OBJECTIONS TO THE REQUIRED VARIANCE.
THE APPLICANT'S DESIGN TEAM IS HERE AND CAN DESCRIBE WHY THE VARIANCE IS REQUIRED.
THE ELEVATIONS SHOW THE FOUR STORY BUILDING TO BE 48 FEET TALL AT ITS HIGHEST POINT.
THE FACADE IS PRIMARILY BRICK WITH EVA'S ACCENTS.
REMINDER THAT THIS ITEM REQUIRES TWO MOTIONS.
FIRST ON THE DRIVEWAY, SEPARATION VARIANCE THEN ON THE SITE PLAN AT THEIR PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 19TH, 2026.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED FIVE TO ZERO IN FAVOR OF THESE ITEMS. THANK YOU, MR. BRIAN.
WOULD THE APPLICANT CARE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
JASON SPENCER WITH BALLOON ASSOCIATES 13 900 WIRELESS WAY OKLAHOMA CITY HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, SO JUST TO TOUCH BASE ON THE VARIANCE THAT WE NEED WAS, UH, REFERENCE TO DRIVEWAY SEPARATION, UM, AS STEPH AND STAFF REPORT INDICATED BASED ON THE LOW SPEED AND THE, UH, DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC GENERALLY, UH, COMING OUT OF PROGRESSIVE DRIVE TOWARDS COVELL, WE, WE DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH THE, UH, OR ANTICIPATE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVEWAY SEPARATION.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, WE ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, SIR, DO YOU SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE, THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, UH, DURING RUSH HOUR? UH, NOT ON PROGRESSIVE DRIVE.
I MEAN, UM, WHAT ABOUT COVELL ON COVE? I MEAN, THERE'LL BE SOME, SOME TRAFFIC THERE, BUT TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING INTO A HOTEL, THAT TIME OF THE TRAFFIC DOESN'T ALWAYS LINE UP WITH PEAK PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC.
AND SO, AND WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE TRYING TO GO TO WORK OR COME HOME? WELL, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS TRAFFIC WILL LINE UP WITH THAT.
TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE PULLING IN AND CHECKING INTO THE HOTELS IN THE, YOU KNOW, AFTERNOON AFTER PEAK, PEAK TRAFFIC HOUR.
I, MR. BRIAN, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OF SOME TYPE OF TRAFFIC CONTROL, UH, MR. BRIAN? UM, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS SITE PLAN AT THIS TIME.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC CONTROL AT THE INTERSECTION OF PROGRESSIVE AND COVELL, UH, ENGINEERING MIGHT HAVE ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
WOULD THAT BE WORTHY OF A DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OR DO YOU THINK IT'S AN ISSUE OR, OR DO YOU NOT ON? UM, WE'D NEED TO, WE'D NEED TO REVIEW A TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT TO, UH, TO EVALUATE THAT.
AND WHEN WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO DO THAT? UH, THAT'D BE PART OF THEIR PLAT APPLICATION.
YOU GOOD? ANYONE ELSE FOR NOW? ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? SEEING NONE.
WE'VE GOT TWO VOTES HERE WE NEED TO TAKE.
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VARIANCE.I'LL MAKE A MOTION ON THE VARIANCE.
WE'RE NOW BACK ON THE ITEM ITSELF.
MR. MAYOR, I'D MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM A SECOND.
[B. Case No. ES26-00003; Public Hearing and Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. 4087 Closing a Utility Easement Generally Located at 441 Saint Claire Drive Edmond, Oklahoma County; Providing for Repealer and Severability; and Providing an Effective Date. (Ward 4)]
THREE B, CASE NUMBER ES 26 DASH 0 0 0 0 3.PUBLIC HEARING CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 4 0 8 7.
CLOSING A UTILITY EASEMENT GENERALLY LOCATED AT 4 41 ST.
EDMOND, OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA COUNTY PROVIDING FOR REPEAL AND SEVERABILITY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MR. BRIAN? THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
KEN BRIAN, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
THIS IS A REQUEST TO CLOSE A 10 FOOT UTILITY EASEMENT IN THE APPLICANT'S BACKYARD.
EDMOND ELECTRIC DOES NOT HAVE FACILITIES LOCATED IN THIS EASEMENT.
THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE EASEMENT CLOSING AND NO OBJECTIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM FRANCHISE UTILITIES AT THEIR PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 19TH, 2026.
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF FIVE TO ZERO.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DOES THE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT COVER WATER? IT SAID ELECTRIC AND ENGINEERING, BUT DOES THAT INCLUDE OH YEAH.
ALL PUBLIC UTILITIES, WATER WASTEWATER.
IS THERE ANY REASON WHY WE'RE JUST HANDLING THIS ONE PIECE? IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY UTILITIES ALL THE WAY ACROSS ANY OF THESE LOTS, UM, OTHER THAN WE JUST HANDLE THESE CASE BY CASE AS CLOSING REQUESTS COME THROUGH.
I I DON'T HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THAT.
ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE CARE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? SEEN NONE.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO ON ITEM
[C. Case No. Z18-00005; Public Hearing and Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. 4088 Rezoning Certain Property Generally Located on the North Side of Covell Road, East of Sooner Road, from “PUD Z18-00005” Planned Unit Development - Legacy at Covell to “PUD Z18-00005” Planned Unit Development - Legacy At Covell - Second Amendment and Providing an Effective Date. (Ward 2)]
THREE C.CASE NUMBER Z ONE EIGHT DASH 0 0 5 PUBLIC HEARING IN CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 4 0 8 8 REZONING CERTAIN PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED ON NORTH SIDE OF VALE ROAD, EAST OF SUN ROAD FROM PUDZ ONE EIGHT DASH 0 0 0 5.
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT LEGACY AT COVE TWO PUD Z 18 DASH 0 0 0 5.
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT LEGACY AT COVE SECOND AMENDMENT AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MR. BRIAN? YES, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
KEN BRIAN, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FOR THIS AMENDED.
PUD IS APPROXIMATELY 115 ACRES.
THE MAP SHOWS THE LOCATION AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF COVELL AND SOONER.
THE ORIGINAL PUD WAS APPROVED IN 2006 AND THE, AND WAS AMENDED IN 2018.
THE PROPOSED PUD DESIGN STATEMENT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING REVISIONS.
THE NORTHERN 71 ACRES OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY WOULD NOW ALLOW BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL USES.
THIS IS AN INCREASE FROM THE 47 ACRES OF RESIDENTIAL CURRENTLY ALLOWED.
THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL UNITS ALLOWED TO BE INCREASED TO 950.
A THIRD 60 FOOT MONUMENT STYLE GROUND SIGN WOULD BE ALLOWED ALONG THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
CURRENTLY TWO OF THESE SIGNS ARE ALLOWED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 19TH, 2026.
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF FOUR TO ONE.
IS THE APPLICANT PRESENT? YES SIR.
I REPRESENT THE DEVELOPER AND THE APPLICANT HERE.
UH, LIKE MR. BRIAN SAID, THE TWO CHANGES REALLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH GREATER POTENTIAL FOR DENSITY OF HOUSING.
AND THEN THE ORIGINAL MASTER SIGN PLAN WE DID IN 2018 ALLOWED FOR SIX SIGNS ON THE SITE, TWO ON COVEL, TWO ON I 35 AND TWO ON SOONER.
AT THAT TIME, WE GAVE UP ONE ON SOONER.
UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT IT AND THEN IT WAS BASICALLY IN THE LOCATION WHERE THE GREEN IS OVER, WHERE THE TREE PRESERVATION IS.
AND SO THEN WE'VE, BECAUSE OF THE DENSITY OF THE RETAIL THAT'S COME ALONG FOR THIS SITE, WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO ADD THAT SIGN BACK IN.
BUT NOT ON SOONER, BUT ON I 35.
SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE.
UM, THE DENSITY OF THE HOUSING IS A FUNCTION ALSO OF, UH, THE NEED FOR MORE HOUSING ON I 35.
AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT RETAIL FOLLOWS ROOFTOPS.
AND SO WITH ALL THE ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE, WE'VE GOT A GREATER DEMAND FOR THAT.
I'LL JUST STRESS ONE THING BEFORE I SIT DOWN.
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ANY POTENTIAL RETAIL BY ADDING ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL HOUSING.IT HAS THE ABILITY TO GO IN THERE WITHOUT REDUCING AT ALL THE NUMBER OF RETAIL UNITS OR SALES TAX DOLLARS THAT'LL HAPPEN THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST SAID AN INCENTIVE AGREEMENT THAT IDENTIFIED SEVEN TARGETED OR NINE TARGETED RETAILERS OR $107 MILLION A YEAR IN SALES.
THE TOTAL RETAIL DEVELOPMENT FOR THAT 45 ACRES IS SUPPOSED TO BE NORTH OF $165 MILLION.
AND SO THE HOUSING WILL JUST ENHANCE THAT.
IT WON'T TAKE AWAY FROM THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
SO BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WHY DO YOU NEED ANOTHER SIGN? UH, THE RETAILERS WOULD LIKE MORE VISIBILITY.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE SIGN.
CAN COREY, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT SIDE THAT SHOWS WHERE IT IS? YEAH.
THE EXISTING SIGN KIND OF SITS AT THAT LOCATION AND THERE'S A DESIRE FOR THERE TO MEET MORE VISIBILITY COMING FROM THE NORTH, UH, AS WELL AS COMING OFF I 35 BECAUSE OF THE IDEA OF HOW MANY RETAILERS AND WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE LOCATED.
WHEN WE DID THE SIGN, WHEN WE DID A MASTER SIGN PLAN, I THINK IT'S THE FIRST ONE EVER BEEN DONE IN 2018 ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO.
AND SO THE IDEA ABOUT WHERE THE RETAILERS WERE GONNA BE AND WHAT KIND OF VISIBILITY WAS NOT QUITE AS CLEAR AS IT IS TODAY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD BY OUR TENANTS FOR THE SITE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? SO THE PINK LOTS 19, 20 AND 21 THERE.
IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE ONE WITH THE PINK OUTLINE.
I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT WAS IN THE LAST PED.
SO THOSE THREE, THOSE THREE WERE NOT RETAIL PAD SITES IN THE PREVIOUS PLAN.
THE THREE OR RESTAURANT SITES.
I DUNNO IF YOU CAN SIT NEXT TO THE GREEN THERE.
SO WHEN WE DID THIS FIRST PLAN, NOT IN 2006, BUT IN THE NEXT ITERATION OF WHICH I THINK WAS 2012, THERE'S MORE OF A PICTURE OF A LIFESTYLE CENTER.
THAT WAS THE VOGUE THING AT THE TIME.
WAS FIRST FLOOR RETAIL, SECOND FLOOR HOUSING AND ABOVE.
AND YOU HAD THIS CORRIDOR FROM THE HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER BACK TO SHOWBIZ.
AND THAT WAS THE IDEA WHEN, WHEN MALLS BEGAN TO DIE, THE IDEA WAS, WELL, WHAT'S NEXT? IT'S LIKE, WELL, LIFESTYLE CENTER.
AND SO THE, THE FIGURATION OR CONFIGURATION OF THOSE LOTS WERE MASTER PLANNED SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY ARE TODAY.
SO, BUT THEY'RE NOW CONSIDERED RETAIL LIGHT LOTS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THERE'S NO CONFLICT WITH THOSE LOTS.
WITH THE PREVIOUS PD WE LOOKED AT, NO SIR, NO.
E EXPLAIN TO ME HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE RESIDENTIAL BY OVER 30% AND IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP RETAIL BECAUSE THE RESIDENTIAL'S NOT GOING WHERE RETAIL'S WILLING TO GO.
THE, UH, THE SPOT IN THE, THE BACK TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE IT SAYS APPROXIMATELY 71 ACRES, NO RETAIL'S GOING BACK THERE.
OUR, OUR RETAIL EXPERTS AND OUR PARTNERS ON THIS PROJECT, WE'VE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT, WE TALKED TO 'EM WITH COMMISSIONER, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FRAME IN A PUBLIC MEETING ONE TIME.
IT'S, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET RETAILERS TO DRIVE PAST SHOWBIZ AND PASSED THE LAST RETAILER ON THE BACK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION.
ALSO, THE ELEVATION CHANGE IS SIGNIFICANT BACK THERE.
SO A LARGE BOX WITH A LARGE FLOOR PLATE JUST WON'T WORK.
YOU MAY REMEMBER WE CAME HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO, UH, EN ENHANCE SOME OF OUR DEVELOPMENT.
WE GOT A SWAB VARIANCE TO DO THAT DEVELOPMENT BACK THERE.
SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE DENSITY, MORE HOUSING.
BUT IT'S LIKE NOBODY PUTS THE MILK IN FRONT OF THE STORE BECAUSE THEY DON'T GO PAST IT TO GO BUY THE OTHER STUFF.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET PEOPLE TO DRIVE PAST THOSE STORES BACK TO SMALLER BOXES IN THE BACK.
UH, I'M NOT A RETAIL EXPERT, I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT OUR PEOPLE TELL US.
AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, AS YOU KNOW, OF LEASING UP OUR SPACE.
BUT IF WE DEVELOP THE I 35 CORRIDOR AS THE OVERLAY HAS BEEN PUT OUT THERE TODAY AND YOU DEVELOP RETAIL FROM THE NORTH AT COFFEE CREEK COMING SOUTH, ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA INTERCONNECT ALL OF THAT AT SOME POINT? WELL, YOU MIGHT, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO INTERCONNECT IT.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING INTERCONNECTED ON FROM THE NORTH OF THIS SITE.
YOU'VE GOT A 50 FOOT EASEMENT FOR HIGH POWERED TRANSMISSION LINES AND FLOOD LAND BACK THERE.
BUT I THOUGHT THE IDEA ABOUT THE I 35 OR OVERLAY MIGHT SHOW UP TONIGHT.
AND SO I, I PRINTED OFF OUR I 35 OVERLAY PAGE ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE GREEN DISTRICT THAT SHOULD BE APPROVED.
AND C TWO AND C3 ARE RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
AND SO OUR DENSITY, EVEN IF YOU DID THE PUD TONIGHT, WOULD BE LESS THAN C3 DENSITY FOR THIS SITE.
SO OUR I 35 OVERLAY CERTAINLY ENCOURAGES ALL ELEMENTS THAT ADD TO THE COMMERCE THAT HAPPENS ON I 35 STARTING WITH RETAIL, BUT ALSO INCLUDING DENSITY OF HOUSING.
AND AS WE KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO GET DENSITY OF HOUSING ON I 35 BEFORE IT WAS TURNED DOWN AT SECOND IN BROADWAY.
I MEAN SECOND IN I 35, ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO.
AND THEN WE GOT IT ZONED SOUTH OF 33RD STREET FOR 325 UNITS AND THE CITIZENS ROSE UP AND
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DID A REFERENDUM PETITION AND TOOK IT AWAY.SAME THING WITH 320 UNITS AT 15TH.
AND BRYANT, IN THE MEANTIME, WE'VE ADDED OVER 800 JOBS OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON I 35 AND THE HOUSING IS SIGNIFICANTLY SHORT.
SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE WITHOUT OPPOSITION, WITHOUT ANY ISSUES TO HAVE OUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO FOR THE BENEFIT OURSELVES AND THE CITY OF EDMOND.
SO MR. MCINNIS, IF I UNDERSTAND, NO, NO PLANNED RETAIL, WE MAY HAVE DESIRED RETAIL, BUT DESIRED RETAIL ENDS UP IN AN EMPTY HAND.
IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR, THE PARTNERS AND THE PE EXPERTS INVOLVED IN THE RETAIL WHO SAID YEAH, NO THANKS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S DEVELOPING THAT IN RETAIL.
WE WOULD, WE RATHER SELL RETAIL.
OF COURSE THE VALUE PER SQUARE FOOT IS EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER THAN RESIDENTIAL.
SO YEAH, IF YOU COULD PACK IN ANOTHER 75,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL BACK IN THAT CORNER, WE'D MUCH RATHER DO THAT.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, WHAT ENHANCES THE ABILITY TO SELL RETAIL AND LEASE SPACE IS MORE PEOPLE, MORE FOOT TRAFFIC, MORE PEOPLE DRIVING BY THAT DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO GO HOME AND BACK TO WORK.
OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? WHEN YOU COME FORWARD, PLEASE BE SURE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
HELLO, CONNIE THAER, 1000 BLUE RIDGE DRIVE.
I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF MONSTROSITY APARTMENTS.
UH, APARTMENT THREE 50 NORTH, I BELIEVE JUST UP ON MAY AND ONE 64TH AND OVER BY THE MALL.
I MEAN, THERE ARE MONS CITY APARTMENTS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WE DON'T NEED TO DO SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN.
I HATE TO COMPLAIN, BUT I GOT A PROBLEM.
PLEASE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
RITA MILLER, UH, RED ROCK LAKE ROAD OUT BY ARCADIA LAKE.
I AM OPPOSED TO ANY ADDITIONAL APPROVALS FOR THIS LEGACY AT COVELL.
I KNOW THAT IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT FOR Y'ALL AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THE PRINT UNTIL THE DEVELOPER HAS REPAIRED ALL THE CURRENT DRAINAGE PROBLEMS THAT ALREADY EXIST AND AND PROVIDES A DETAILED ENGINEERED DRAINING PLAN AS I THINK IS REQUIRED BY CODE.
THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY DRAINAGE PLAN ON THIS APPLICATION OTHER THAN A TINY CONTOUR MAP FROM 2022.
THE GOOGLE EARTH MAP THAT I DUG UP IS DATED 24, MAY OF 24, AND IT ALREADY SHOWS A BREACH OF THAT RETENTION POND OVER TWO YEARS OLD.
SO I VISITED THE SITE, I STARTED AT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WHERE IN SPITE OF A LARGE INVITING, NOW LEASING SIGN ON THE STREET, A GREAT BIG GUY IN A BRIGHT YELLOW JACKET SAW ME TAKING PICTURES AND ACCUSED ME OF TRESPASS AND INSISTED I LEAVE.
I'M GONNA TRY TO PAINT YOU A PICTURE.
THE SOUTH SIDE OF THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX ON THE VERY WEST EDGE WAS CUT.
THE, THE, THE GRADING WAS CUT INTO ABOUT 600, ABOUT 600 FEET LONG INTO, AND CREATED A WALL ROUGHLY 10 TO 20 FEET HIGH THAT IS TOTALLY UNSUPPORTED.
IT IS BLEEDING MUD INTO A TRENCH THAT RUNS INTO THAT POND JUST TO THE EAST OF IT.
THAT POND, THE DAM ON THAT POND NEVER HAD A PROPER CONCRETE, UM, OUTFLOW.
AND SO IT JUST CUT RIGHT THROUGH THAT, THAT DAM ON THAT POND AND HAS BEEN JUST DROPPING MUD DOWNSTREAM FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
EDMOND HAS A DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT PROBLEM IS DUE TO INADEQUATE CODE, INADEQUATE DESIGN, INADEQUATE APPLICATIONS, INADEQUATE REVIEW, HASTY APPROVALS, INADEQUATE INSPECTION STAFF OR INADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT OR SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T EVEN RECOGNIZED YET.
AND THEN THOSE PROBLEMS GET HANDED OFF.
AND I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN SO MANY TIMES TO A BUNCH OF HOA MEMBERS WHO BLESS THEIR BEST INTENTIONS, DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.
SO MY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU GONNA HELP US FIX THIS PROBLEM?
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WHICH IS A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO PREVENT THAN IT IS TO REPAIR.ANYONE ELSE? HELLO, MY NAME IS AMANDA BOOZE.
I LIVE ON 6 22, UH, WEST FIRST STREET.
UM, AND I JUST HAD A QUESTION FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS UP HERE PREVIOUSLY.
UM, JUST CLARIFICATION, I THINK YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE 300 ADDITIONAL HEALTHCARE JOBS BASED ON THE, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH THE HOSPITAL BY I 35.
AND THEN YOU ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE LIKE A LOT MORE RESIDENTIAL, UM, SPACES BEING BUILT.
BUT I JUST WONDERED LIKE, I MEAN, HOW EXPENSIVE ARE THOSE HOUSES THAT ARE GONNA BE BUILT THERE? HOW EXPENSIVE ARE THEY? 'CAUSE YOU KIND OF INSINUATED THAT THE HEALTHCARE PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO BUY THOSE HOUSES.
UM, SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW, LIKE THAT WAS KIND OF AN INSINUATION.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ACTUALLY MEANT OR IF YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. MCKINNIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND TO ANY OF THAT? JUST MENTIONED A COUPLE THINGS.
RE UH, RECENTLY I'LL, I'LL TALK WITH THE LADY ON FIRST STREET.
WHAT I THINK I TRIED TO SAY WAS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS WE'VE HAD OVER 800 ADDITIONAL HEALTHCARE JOBS.
ON I 35, THE ABILITY TO HAVE MORE DENSITY AND GREATER HOUSING PRODUCT, UH, ALLOWS FOR LESS EXPENSIVE HOUSING.
I DON'T KNOW THE PRICE POINTS.
THESE ARE NOT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THEY'RE TOWN HOMES AND MULTI-FAMILY HOMES.
SO THERE BE RENT RATES WOULD BE THE ABILITY.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A HOUSING PROBLEM.
FROM AFFORDABILITY STANDPOINT IN THE CITY OF EDMOND, WHEN YOUR AVERAGE HOUSE IS OVER $400,000, UH, THE PRICE POINT TO LIVE IN THIS AREA WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THAT.
SO ALL I WAS SAYING IS THAT WE HAVE A HOUSING SHORTAGE.
WE'VE DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS IT.
THIS ALLOWS FOR MORE HOUSING STOCK TO BE IN OUR INVENTORY.
THAT'S ALL I WAS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE REGARDING THE WATER.
UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MORE SIGNIFICANTLY REVIEWED ENGINEERED SITE IN THE CITY OF EDMOND THAN'S HAPPENING ON THIS SITE RIGHT NOW AND HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO WHEN HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER CAME IN, IN 2016 AND 2017 AND SHOWBIZ HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER THAT, THOSE WERE PLATTED IN SITE PLANNED LOCATIONS.
THE CITY OF EDMOND, STEVE LAWRENCE IS HERE.
OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CERTAINLY REVIEWS OUR PLANS.
THEY'RE HIGHLY ENGINEERED PLANS.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW WITH FUTURE SITES.
THE WHOLE FOODS, D***S, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GOING THROUGH A PLATING AND SITE PLANNING PROCESS.
SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT BY ARCADIA LAKE, BUT I CAN SPEAK TO THE FACT THERE'S NOT A SINGLE VIOLATION OF ANY STORMWATER ISSUES ON THIS SITE, NOR HAS THERE BEEN WITH ANY SIGNIFICANT DEBRIS THAT WASN'T IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED.
AND THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE AS LONG AS THIS SITE IS BEING DEVELOPED.
THE CITY OF EDMOND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IS NOT ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH.
THEY MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS AND OUR ENGINEERS MAKE SURE THAT WE COMPLY WITH THAT.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE COMMENT ABOUT NO MORE APARTMENTS IN DOWNTOWN.
BEFORE YOU GET AWAY, I THIS SITE IS, I REMEMBER THE RETAIL ON BOTTOM AND THE HOUSING ON TOP, THE STORM WATER VARIANCES ON AND ON AND ON.
THIS THING WAS CAPPED AT 600 UNITS.
UH, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? IT COMES FROM ANOTHER, ANOTHER, UH, PROJECT.
I MEAN, MOST APARTMENT PROJECTS RUN IN THE 2 85 TO 315 UNIT STAGE.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE THAT, THAT NUMBER COMES FROM ONE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT PIECE THAT'S BACK THERE.
IT'S TIED TO MARKETABILITY AND ABILITY TO DEVELOP IT AND ALSO BRING A PRODUCT TO MARKET THAT CAPITAL INVESTORS WILL CAUSE TO HAPPEN.
THE LEGACY AT COVE IS IMPORTANT.
I'VE SUPPORTED IT ALL THE WAY, UH, THE INCENTIVE PACKAGE ON AND ON AND ON.
UH, I I THERE'S GOTTA BE A, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CHAT ABOUT THIS OR I'D LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING ABOUT IT.
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I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'D EVEN GET HOME.I MEAN, I 35 AND COEL BACK UP TO DANFORTH.
UH, I GUESS THEY GO TO WATERLOO AND SHOOT AT YOU.
AT ANY RATE, I JUST THINK THIS IS A LITTLE MUCH, AND UH, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO REEVALUATE.
I'M SUPPORTIVE OF OBVIOUSLY THE, THE CURRENT PUD WITH THE RETAIL AND THE SIX, THE CAPPING AT 600 UNITS.
ANYONE ELSE? THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING RELATIVELY NEW IN THE PLAN, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER.
I MEAN I I I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF WIGGLE ROOM THERE IS IN TERMS IT'S GOTTA BE 900 OR IT CAN'T BE 700 OR, OR ALONG THOSE LINES.
I MEAN, I, I GUESS ABSENT THAT WE COULD USE IT FOR GOAT GRAZING LAND, BUT I, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE DO IN TERMS OF TRYING TO NUMBER EACH TOWNHOUSE IN WHAT WILL FIT AND WHAT WON'T BACK UP TRAFFIC.
SO IS DANFORTH IS BACKED UP THE SECOND.
SO I I MEAN, UNTIL ODOT GETS THAT ROAD FIX, IT'S GONNA BE BACKED UP.
UH, AND THEN IT MIGHT STILL, SO I I I DON'T KNOW THE REASON.
MAYBE YOU CAN ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON, ON, WE, WE KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA BE RETAIL BECAUSE THERE'S NO RETAIL DEVELOPER THAT'S INTERESTED EVEN IF WE'RE INTERESTED.
SO HOW, HOW DID IT DERIVE INTO THIS PORTION? YEAH, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT AND I'LL CERTAINLY BE SENSITIVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE'S COMMENTS.
UH, TWO THINGS I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
I'VE BEEN REPRESENTING THIS SITE SINCE 2005.
WE'VE HAD NATIONAL RETAILERS HERE ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS THAT WANTED TO DO THE PROJECT.
AND ALL OF 'EM SAID THE SAME THING.
I'M GREAT FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, I GOT TRAFFIC IN THERE, EAT AT MY RESTAURANTS, SHOP AT MY STORES.
BUT MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, WHERE DO MY SHOPPERS COME FROM? AND THE QUESTION ALWAYS HAS BEEN, I NEED MORE DENSITY OUT THERE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
THE SAME THING HAPPENED AT COVAL AND KELLY 20 YEARS AGO, YOU COULDN'T FIND A RESTAURANT OUT THERE.
YOU HAD LOWE'S AND WALGREENS UNTIL YOU HAD MORE RESIDENTIAL DENSITY.
AND THEN YOU HAD RESTAURANTS FOR PEOPLE TO EAT AT THE DAY.
AND YOU HAD ORTHODONTISTS AND VETERINARIANS WHO HAD EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD GO OUT THERE AND SHOP AND EAT DURING THE DAY.
SO THE ISSUE IS, WELL, HOW MUCH DENSITY CAN YOU HAVE? WELL, YOU COULD DO A $50 MILLION MULTI-FAMILY PROJECT AND YOU GET SALES TAX ON THAT PROJECT AND YOU'D HAVE 300 NEW HOME UNITS THAT WOULD SHOP THERE EVERY DAY.
THAT'S THE END GOAL FOR THE BENEFIT TO THE CITY OF EDMOND.
THE QUESTION IS, WELL WHAT ABOUT TRAFFIC? WELL, THERE WON'T BE A MORE SIGNALED DEVELOPMENT THAN THIS.
IF YOU'RE TALKING TWO TO 300,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TRAFFIC.
YOU BETTER HOPE YOU HAVE TRAFFIC, IF NOT THE INCENTIVE TO CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN.
AND THE THE RETAILERS ARE GONNA BE VERY UPSET THAT THEY DON'T HAVE PEOPLE SHOPPING THERE.
SO THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS WHY MORE DENSITY? BECAUSE MORE DENSITY BRINGS MORE DOLLARS TO THE STORE THAT GETS MORE SALES TAX TO THE CITY AND PROVIDES MORE AMENITIES TO OUR CITIZENS.
THE ANSWER ABOUT ARBITRARINESS OF SEVEN 50 OR NINE 50 OR WHY YOU HAVE TWO UNITS AND NOW YOU WANT A THIRD THAT'S MARKET DRIVEN.
AND SO OUR DESIRE IS TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MOST DENSITY POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN FILL UP OUR RETAIL SHOPS AND OUR RESTAURANTS WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AND SHOP THERE.
IT GOES BACK TO THE TRAFFIC ARGUMENT.
IF EVERYBODY'S GONNA COME HERE AND SHOP AND WE ALREADY HAVE A TRAFFIC PROBLEM, WHY NOT HAVE 300 UNITS THAT CAN WALK? IF EVERYBODY'S COMING HERE ANYWAY, YOU ALREADY HAVE A TRAFFIC PROBLEM.
BUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GONNA WALK FROM THE NORTH END TO THE MIDDLE OF IT TO SHOP.
SO THEY'RE NOT, WHERE SHOULD THEY GO 33RD, 9 35? WELL THEN THEY'RE ALL GONNA DRIVE THERE.
THAT LOGIC IS, IS LOST ON ME WHEN IT COMES TO THE DENSITY THAT YOU COULD GET BY HAVING PEOPLE BUILD ON SITE.
BUT I'M NOT TRYING TO CRAM IT DOWN ANYBODY'S, IF WE NEED TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION, I DON'T WANNA SHOW UP HERE AND GET BEAT.
IF I NEED TO TALK TO COUNCILMAN MOORE, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND I ENTERTAIN THAT CONVERSATION.
I DON'T WANNA, I MEAN WE, EVERY PROJECT WE'VE EVER DONE HERE IN 21 YEARS AT THE CITY COUNCIL, INCENTIVES, ZONING, EVERYTHING, SHOW BIZ, SALES TAX, HOTEL TAX HAS BEEN A FIVE TO ZERO VOTE.
I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE.
AND SO I'D BE HAPPY TO WAIT 30 DAYS OR WHATEVER AND TALK WITH YOU MORE ABOUT IT.
I DON'T WANT TO GET TURNED DOWN, BUT I'D ENTERTAIN MR. MOORE ON THAT.
WELL, IF YOU TAKE 600 UNITS AT 2.5, THAT'S 1500 PEOPLE WALKING TO A STORE.
I, UH, I AM WILLING TO TO HAVE CHAT WITH YOU, BUT I I CAN'T
[00:30:01]
SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT.AND SO YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT.
BUT, UH, I, I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS THING SINCE DAY ONE.
I VOTED TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME FOR THIS.
AND THIS WAS NOT MENTIONED THREE MONTHS AGO WHEN WE DID THE INCENTIVE.
AND MAYBE THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
WELL, BUT IF OUR APPLICATION HAS BEEN IN PROCESS FOR OVER SIX MONTHS, BUT IT, WELL, AT THE INCENTIVE ITEM, I DON'T REMEMBER ANYONE SAYING, OKAY, BY THE WAY, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK WITH 900 OR 350 ADDITIONAL UNITS.
AND, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SALES TAX ON THE, ON THE BUILDING MATERIALS, AND I UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE.
I I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT, BUT IT'S A LITTLE MUCH WELL, WILL I BE OUTTA LINE IF I JUST ASK IF WE JUST CAME BACK IN A COUPLE WEEKS? YEAH.
CAN I, MR. MCKINNIS, DID YOU JUST SAY, DID YOU SAY THIS APPLICATION FOR THIS SPECIFIC INCREASING, THIS PUD DENSITY HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SIX MONTHS? YEAH, WE, WE FILED THE PUD AMENDED APPLICATION.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE DATE THAT WE FILED IT, BUT IT'S, IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO GET TO THIS SPOT WHEN WE COME WITH THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW FOR THIS, FOR THIS SPECIFIC AMENDMENT, FOR THIS AMENDED PUD RIGHT HERE? YES MA'AM.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU MEANT.
UM, WELL, I I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE IN JUST A MINUTE.
WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SIGNAL TO RETAILERS WHO MAY BE ENTERTAINING COMING TO EDMOND IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO, UM, THAT THE DENSITY THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ISN'T THERE.
SO I THINK THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE AND MAYBE SOME COMPROMISE.
I'M, I'M ALWAYS VERY PRO COMPROMISE.
UM, SO I, I WOULD MOVE TO CONTINUE.
IF SOMEONE WOULD SECOND ME, I WILL SECOND, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT ONE, ONE COMMENT, I I I, MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT, MR. MCINNIS, I'M A LITTLE, HOW WE GOT TWISTED UP IN UNITS HOUSING IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION.
HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE INCENTIVE APPROVAL PLAN THAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR THE RETAIL? IT DOESN'T.
ONE'S NOT RELATED TO THE OTHER.
MATTER OF FACT, I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY, I HAD A QUESTION WHEN WE DID THE CITY, I DIDN'T SAY IT DID.
WHAT I SAID WAS, IS DURING THAT DISCUSSION, THIS ITEM NEVER CAME UP.
AND IF IT'S BEEN ON THE BOOKS AND IN THE FILING PROCESS FOR SIX MONTHS, IT'D BEEN HELPFUL IF IT HAD COME UP NOTED.
I MEAN, I CAN'T GO BACK AND READ YOUR ATION.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE.
I'M JUST SAYING THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND, AND NO ONE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
I, IT WOULDN'T HAVE MATTERED TO ME BECAUSE IT DIDN'T AFFECT IT OR HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
BUT YOU, THE ONLY DIALOGUE I EVER HAD, UH, WELL, I'D HAD DIALOGUES WITH A LOT OF YOU ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT STUFF.
IT, IT CERTAINLY WAS NOT, WHEN YOU FILE SOMETHING PUBLIC, IT'S NOT SECRET.
I REMEMBER THE CITY ATTORNEY ASKED ME IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN THE INCENTIVE AGREEMENT THAT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A MODIFICATION TO THE PD TO MAKE HAPPEN.
IT'S TRUTHFUL THEN IT'S TRUTHFUL TODAY.
IT'S UNRELATED OTHER THAN WHAT WE BELIEVE IS SUCCESS OF ALL OF IT.
BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTINUANCE.
SO MS. MURDOCH MCNICHOLS, I BELIEVE YOU MADE A MOTION.
DID YOU? I I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE.
IS JUNE 22ND AGREEABLE? I'LL SECOND THAT.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE PASSES.
[D. Case No. Z26-00001; Public Hearing and Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. 4089 Rezoning Certain Property Generally Located on the South Side of Covell Road, West of Sooner Road, from “PUD Z22-000025” Planned Unit Development - Covell Crossing to “PUD Z26-00001” Planned Unit Development - Club Car Wash and Providing an Effective Date. (Ward 2)]
ON ITEM 3D, CASE NUMBER Z TWO SIX DASH 0 0 0 0 1 PUBLIC HEARING CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 4 0 8 9 REZONING CERTAIN PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF VALE ROAD, WEST OF SOONER ROAD FROM PUDZ TWO TWO DASH 0 0 0 2 5.PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT COBELL CROSSING TO PUDZ 26 DASH 0 0 0 1 PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT CLUB CAR WASH AND PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MR. BRYAN? YEAH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE APPLICANT HAS, UH, REQUESTED CONTINUANCE ON THIS ITEM AND THE APPLICANT IS PRESENT TO VERIFY THAT.
DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE ON THAT CONTINUANCE? JULY 27.
HAVE A REQUEST FOR A CONTINUANCE.
WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE CONTINUANCE? UH, I'M NOT SURE.
I I, THE REASON I NEED A CONTINUANCE, I GOTTA WORK ON THIS OTHER PUD JUST CONTINUED FOR TWO WEEKS.
[00:35:01]
THE SHORT ANSWER IS I JUST GOT RETAINED ON THIS LAST THURSDAY.UH, AND I TOLD 'EM I WOULDN'T REPRESENT 'EM IF THEY'RE GONNA GO THAT QUICKLY.
IT WASN'T FAIR AND THERE'S NO MEETING ON JULY 7TH.
AND SO I SAW, I CALLED THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY AND I ASKED IF THEY WOULD HELP ME REQUEST THAT WE SENT AN EMAIL AND I REQUESTED FOR JULY 27TH.
I'LL MOVE TO CONTINUE UNTIL JULY 27TH.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
[E. Case No. Z26-00009; Public Hearing and Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. 4090 Rezoning Certain Property Generally Located on the Southeast Corner of Coffee Creek and Sooner from “G-A” General Agriculture to “PUD Z26-00009” West Fork and Providing an Effective Date. (Ward 2)]
E CASE NUMBER Z 26 DASH 0 0 0 0 9 PUBLIC HEARING CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 4 0 9 0.REZONING CERTAIN PROPERTY, PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED ON SOUTHEAST CORNER OF COFFEE CREEK AND SOONER FROM GA GENERAL ARCHITECT OR AGRICULTURE TO PUDZ TWO SIX DASH 0 0 0 0 9 WEST FORK AND PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MAYOR AND COUNSEL KEN BRIAN, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FOR THIS ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST IS APPROXIMATELY 148 ACRES.
THE MAP SHOWS THE LOCATION AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SOONER IN COFFEE CREEK NEARBY ZONING AND LAND USES INCLUDE NORTH ACROSS COFFEE CREEK IS ZONED AND DEVELOPED AS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO THE EAST IS I 35 TO THE SOUTH.
IS BEING DEVELOPED AT THE LEGACY AT COVELL, MAKES USE DEVELOPMENT AND WEST ACROSS SOONER IS OWNED AS LIBERTY PARK EAST, A LARGE SCALE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
EDMUND'S CURRENT DEVELOPMENT CODE ACCOMMODATES LARGE SCALE MULTI-USE PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS WITH THE PLAN UNIT, DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
THE PROPOSED PUD DESIGN STATEMENT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DETAILS.
TRACK ONE IS APPROXIMATELY 45 ACRES IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
IT ALLOWS A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL USES WITH AT LEAST 35% OF THE AREA BEING DEVELOPED AS COMMERCIAL, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 16 ACRES.
THE PUD INCLUDES A SPECIFIC LIST OF USES THAT ARE ALLOWED AS WELL AS THOSE THAT THAT ARE PROHIBITED.
A MAXIMUM OF 560 RESIDENTIAL UNITS ARE ALLOWED.
THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IS FOUR STORIES OR 65 FEET OVER.
MOST OF THE TRACK SIX STORY EMPLOYMENT USES ARE ALLOWED IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE TRACK NEAR THE FLOODPLAIN.
TRADITIONAL SINGLE FAMILY ON PLATTED LOTS AND ISOLATED APARTMENT COMPLEXES ARE PROHIBITED IN FAVOR OF POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT ARE INTEGRATED INTO COMMON STREETS AND COMMON GREEN SPACES WITH COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
TRACK ONE WILL BE ACCESSED AT THREE POINTS ALONG SOONER ROAD AND ONE POINT ON COFFEE CREEK TRACK TWO IS THE NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, APPROXIMATELY 61 ACRES AND ALLOWS A MAXIMUM OF 320 SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED UNITS ON A SINGLE PLATTED LOT.
THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IS THREE STORIES OR 50 FEET AND ACCESS WILL BE FROM TWO POINTS ON COFFEE CREEK.
THE EDMOND PLAN CATEGORIZES THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AS BOTH MIXED USE CAMPUS AND OPEN SPACE.
THE PROPOSED PUD CLEARLY SHOWS HOW RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND EMPLOYMENT USES WILL BE THOUGHTFULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE MIXED USE CAMPUS PORTION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
THE AREA CATEGORIZE AS OPEN SPACE WILL REMAIN UNDEVELOPED AND THE PROPOSED PUD MEETS THE INTENT OF BOTH PLAN CATEGORIES AT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 19TH, 2026, PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF FOUR TO ONE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONS TO THAT COMMENT TO THAT STATEMENT? QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, MR. BRIAN? UM, WELL I GUESS ACTUALLY THIS IS FOR MR. LAMBETH.
UH, THE PUD TALKS ABOUT SOME MIXED MIXED USES.
WHAT ARE THOSE? SO, UH, WE HAD PLANNED FOR A SIX STORY, 'CAUSE I HAD A MEETING WITH THE MAYOR AND OUR NEW MANAGER ON MARCH THE SIXTH OF THIS YEAR.
AND I TALKED ABOUT WHAT I WAS PLANNING IN THIS AREA AND SOME ACROSS THE STREET WAS WHAT THE E 7 20 50 PLAN HAD INTENDED FOR, UH, WHICH WAS EMPLOYMENT.
WE NEED EMPLOYMENT ON THE CORRIDOR IN AND ABLE TO CREATE A TRUE LIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
UH, OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW WHAT OUR STUDY SHOWS IS WE'RE JUST CREATING A BUNCH OF AREAS WITH A LOT OF HOUSES IN A LOT OF RETAIL AND SPECIAL PLACES PEOPLE ARE GONNA DRIVE TO AND FROM.
AND SO I HAD ALLOWED FOR, UM, SIX STORIES IN THE LOWEST PART, WHICH IS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TRACK ALONG THE FLOODPLAIN.
UH, IT WOULDN'T BE BUILT IN THE FLOODPLAIN, BUT BASICALLY IF YOU WERE AT SOONER ROAD, YOU'D BE LOOKING AT EYE LEVEL INTO THE THIRD OR FOURTH FLOOR.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE A BIG DEAL, BUT IT JUST TO ALLOW FOR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A TECH FIRM OR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CHASE, YOU KNOW, FOR WHITE COLLAR JOBS TO COME TO THIS AREA TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING AND SUPPORT
[00:40:01]
THE RETAIL.UM, WE WANT TO HAVE ISOLATED, UH, RETAIL TRACKS ALONG SOONER.
UH, STARTING FROM THE CORNER WE HAVE A TREE BUFFER THAT WE HAD BUILT IN.
IT'S 150 FEET WIDE ALONG COFFEE CREEK THAT WE'RE GIVING UP.
CRUCIAL HARD CORNER, UH, LAND THAT IS NOT IN THE FLOODPLAIN IN ORDER TO PROVIDE PRIVACY TO THE ESTATE LOTS TO THE NORTH.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT TRACK ALONG SOONER.
WHAT IS THE, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE PUD ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL.
WHAT IS THAT? ABOUT A COMMERCIAL? YEAH.
I MEAN THESE PUDS ARE OVERUSED.
I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME AND THERE'S NO DETAIL.
SO WHAT, TELL ME ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL.
UM, I'VE OFFERED LAND TO TRADER JOE'S HERE FOR FREE.
UH, WE'VE GOT WHAT'D THEY TELL YOU? WELL, I MEAN WE NEED ROUGHLY 1100 MORE UNITS NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF US TO ACCOMMODATE EVEN A CONSIDERATION FOR A STUDY.
IF, IF THAT'S WHAT TRADER JOE'S TOLD YOU THAT YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE 11 NO, THAT IS WHAT THE EEDA TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD REQUIRE.
I APOLOGIZE, BUT IN, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONSIDER THIS FOR A STUDY, THAT'S WHAT EEDA TOLD YOU.
MS. MCDOWELL, IS THAT RIGHT? I HAVEN'T DONE THAT, BUT THERE IS.
ERIC, YOU CAN'T TALK FROM THERE.
WOULD YOU COME FORWARD? HEATHER MCDOWELL, EDA, WE HAVE NOT DONE A STUDY THERE, BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DENSITY AT THIS TIME FOR THAT LOCATION.
THAT IS, HE IS CORRECT FOR TRADER JOE'S.
I DON'T AT THIS TIME I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH DENSITY, BUT THERE'S NOT AN EXACT NUMBER.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S MOVE PAST TRADER JOE'S.
WHAT OTHER RETAIL? UH, THE POINT IS THESE PUDS ARE SO VAGUE THE HARD DECISIONS AREN'T BEING MADE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOT FLOODPLAIN IN IT.
ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT YOU DO NOT WANT RETAIL ON THAT SITE? NO, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT AT ALL.
I'M SAYING I WANT MORE DETAIL IN A PUD.
AND THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT SAYS 35% COMMERCIAL REQUIRED.
WHAT ARE THEY? AND THEN YOU'VE GOT 560 DWELLING UNITS, RIGHT? YES.
BUT I MEAN, LIKE YOU AND I PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARY FOR THAT TRACK.
SO ACROSS THE STREET TO THE WEST IS LIBERTY PARK EAST POD AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL USES ALL ALONG SOONER.
AND SO WE JUST ASSUME THAT THE COMMERCIAL WOULD REFLECT ITSELF ON, ON EITHER SIDE UP SOONER.
UM, OUR TRAFFIC STUDY, BECAUSE SOONER HAS A TWO-LANE BRIDGE OVER COFFEE CREEK, THE CREEK, UH, OUR TRAFFIC STUDY EXAMINES MOVING TO THE NORTH AND THEN TO THE EAST AROUND, UM, MAKING IMPROVEMENTS ALL THE WAY TO SORGHUM MILL JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE LIMITED TO A TWO-LANE BRIDGE ON SOONER.
BUT AS FAR AS SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO, UH, I MEAN WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME DIFFERENT RETAILERS, BUT THIS IS MORE OR LESS ZONING AND WE JUST REALLY HADN'T GOT THAT FAR.
I MEAN, I HAVE NO ISSUE PROVIDING A STATUS ON THAT.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THE RIGHT TO PUT COMMERCIAL THERE.
AND, AND FOR THE SAKE OF EMPLOYMENT AND RETAIL, WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN TRACK BOUNDARIES MAY CHANGE UP TO 15%? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, I AM, IT, IT IS CONTEMPLATED WITHIN THE PUD THAT I AM PAYING FOR THE CITY OF EDMOND WALKING TRAIL THAT GOES NORTH OF THE CREEK INSTEAD OF, THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS.
WELL, I WAS JUST TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DEDICATE A LEGAL TO THE CITY OF EDMOND THERE.
WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK OUT WITH ENGINEERING.
SO THEREFORE THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THOSE TRACKS COULD FLUCTUATE BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST THE WATER FLOW AND YOU KNOW HOW THAT STUDY WORKS OUT.
'CAUSE THIS ISN'T COMPLETELY ENGINEERED, BUT IT, BUT AS FAR AS LIKE THE GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE BUILDABLE AREA THERE, THERE'S NO INTENT IN CHANGING THAT.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THIS IS DESIGNED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH WHAT'S OPEN CAMPUS KIND OF STYLE THAT LIBERTY PARK IS DOING? YES SIR.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THE MIXED USE OF APARTMENT TOWN HOME KIND
[00:45:01]
OF THING IS, IS A LITTLE BIT, NOT GREATLY, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE AFFORDABLE SCALE, WHICH IS WHAT THROUGH PLANNING WAS, WAS DESIGNED FOR IN THIS PROJECT? IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.AND I THINK, I THINK MIXED USE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE LOOSE.
I ACTUALLY LIKE THE EDMOND EASTMOND 2050 PLAN.
I RELY ON IT MORE AS FAR AS LIKE OUR PLANNING.
'CAUSE IT, IT JUST SEEMS MORE LIKE A PLAN IN ACTION.
AND UH, IT CALLED FOR 20% TOWN HOME, 18% MULTIFAMILY, 13% SINGLE FAMILY, UM, I BELIEVE 14%, UH, ENTERTAINMENT AND THEN 8% OFFICE, 8% O OPEN SPACE, AND THEN THERE WAS TREE PRESERVATION IN THERE.
SO WE DO TRY TO MIMIC THAT AND THEN REMOVE THE QUOTE TOWNHOME MULTIFAMILY AND JUST INTEGRATE THOSE TOGETHER SINCE WE'RE REMOVING THE IDEA OF A, YOU KNOW, UM, MULTI PLOTTED, YOU KNOW, ATYPICAL SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE'RE REMOVING THE IDEA OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.
UH, BUT YES, IT'S, IT IS MORE OR LESS A CAMPUS THAT'S, THAT'S HORIZONTALLY INTEGRATED WITH COMMON GREEN SPACE.
NO FENCES, NO ISOLATION AND AND YES, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE ORIGINAL LIBERTY PARK.
WELL, WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN LIBERTY PARK WITH THE COMMERCIAL THERE, ESPECIALLY WHAT'S HAPPENED AT LEGACY, I MEAN ALL, I'M ALL FOR COMMERCIAL RETAIL, BUT I MEAN, I THINK EVEN 35%, 30% YOU'RE GONNA BE, I MEAN, ANY MORE THAN THAT, IT WOULD BE ALMOST RIDICULOUS I UNDERSTAND TO SUGGEST.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ABOUT AS MUCH AS WE'RE GONNA PULL OUT OF THAT SITE IN TERMS OF RETAIL OR COMMERCIAL.
AND I FELT LIKE THAT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THAT LOCATION.
UM, THE, THE CRITERION UNDER THE MIXED JUICE CAMPUS.
SO THE EDMOND 2018 PLAN CALLS FOR THE CRITERION OF EIGHT DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE OR GREATER, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS WAY TOO MUCH FOR THE SITE, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE INTENSITY GOING ON AROUND.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE GOT TODAY WITH, WITH WHAT I HAD OFFERED IN CONCESSION TO PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH WAS JUST A TOTAL OF 360 IN TRACK ONE AND THREE 20 IN TRACK TWO, UM, THAT'S A LITTLE GREATER THAN FOUR UNITS PER ACRE.
I JUST SPENT PART OF THE LAST WEEK SITTING THROUGH VARIOUS SESSIONS ON WHAT MUNICIPALITIES SHOULD BE DOING WHEN IT COMES TO GROWTH.
AND ONE OF THOSE SESSIONS WAS ON VISIONING FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I THINK WE ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS THIS CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, THE POSSIBILITY DOES EXIST.
THAT THERE WILL BE AN EXIT ENTRANCE RAMP THERE AT COFFEE CREEK AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WHICH CHANGES THE DYNAMICS OF COFFEE CREEK AS A ROAD.
AND OUR I 35 CORRIDOR INCLUDES YOUR TRACK TWO, WHICH ALL OF A SUDDEN MAKES THAT VERY ATTRACTIVE FOR RETAIL AS WELL.
AND IF WE'RE THINKING OUT TO THE YEAR 20 40, 20 50 AND BEYOND, IF WE'RE GROWING NORTH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR RETAIL DOING THIS.
I THINK IT GIVES UP THAT OPPORTUNITY.
ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE TYING OURSELVES INTO VERY LIMITED QUOTE COMMERCIAL WITH A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL, WHICH WOULD MOST LIKELY, UM, YOU'RE SAYING IT'S SINGLE FAMILY, BUT MY EXPERIENCE WATCHING THIS CITY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS IS WE START OUT THAT WAY AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DUPLEXES, FOURPLEXES, APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
I'M CONCERNED, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT GIVING UP THIS RETAIL OPPORTUNITY AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW.
UM, I'M NOT NEARLY AS CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR TRACK ONE.
I HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME CONCERNS I THINK THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ABOUT IT, BUT THAT DOESN'T BOTHER ME NEARLY AS MUCH AS TRACK TWO DOES.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, WE'VE NOW PASSED A HUNDRED THOUSAND ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS DATA.
WHERE ARE WE GONNA BE IN 2050? WE'RE GONNA BE IN 2060, UM, IN 2060.
I'M PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE HERE, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, BUT MY FAMILY WILL STILL BE HERE AND I WANT IT DONE RIGHT SO THAT WE GROW.
[00:50:01]
RIGHT.AND IF WE LOCK OURSELVES INTO BAD DECISIONS THAT CHANGE OUR VISION THAT WE HAD TO BE QUITE HONEST 20 YEARS AGO ABOUT HOW WE ARE GONNA DEVELOP I 35.
SO I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S MY INPUT.
SO WITHOUT A SERVICE ROAD ALONG TRACK TWO AND WITHOUT ANY CERTAINTY IN THE FUTURE FOR, YOU KNOW, ON OR OFF THE INTERSTATE, HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST THAT WE WERE TO PLAN TRACK TWO? I'M GOING BACK TO THIS CITY'S VISION FROM 20 PLUS YEARS AGO WHEN THE I 35 CORRIDOR WAS CREATED.
I WAS ON THE EEDA BOARD WHEN COVE AND I 35 WAS DECIDED ON AS THAT RETAIL SITE AND TALKING ABOUT HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR GROWTH TO THE NORTH RETAIL WISE.
THAT PIECE OF LAND WAS INCLUDED IN THE I 35 OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHICH ANTICIPATES A LOT OF RETAIL.
WE CAN'T LOCK OURSELVES IN FOR FUTURE GROWTH JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET SOMETHING DONE TODAY WHEN IF THIS CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE RAMPS AT COFFEE CREEK, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE RAMPS AT SORGHUM MILL.
AND WE NEED TO BE THINKING THAT WAY TODAY, NOT THINKING ABOUT LET'S CHANGE WHAT OUR VISION WAS 20 YEARS AGO BECAUSE NOW I OWN A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND I WANNA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IF YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, FIGURE OUT HOW IT FITS INTO THE, THE OVERALL PLAN OF WHAT WE SEE AS OUR VISION.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE 2050 PLAN OR THE 20? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT OUR VISION FROM 20 YEARS AGO WHEN WE SAID THE I 35 CORRIDOR WOULD INCLUDE THIS AND THAT VISION SAID RETAIL AND I DON'T SEE THAT THIS IS RETAIL.
I SEE THIS AS ACCORDING TO THIS 100% RESIDENTIAL AND THAT'S DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE ENVISIONED 20 YEARS AGO.
IT'S DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE EEDA BOARD ENVISIONED WHEN WE WERE LOOKING FOR A SITE TO DO THIS HEAVY RETAIL AND THIS AT COVE WAS THE ANCHOR FOR THAT, KNOWING THAT WE WOULD GO NORTH KNOWING THAT WE WOULD ALSO COME SOUTH AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING NO, I JUST WANNA DO RESIDENTIAL THERE.
THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS RIGHT HERE.
THAT'S WHAT YOUR PUD APPLICATION SAYS.
BUT I MEAN, I MEAN, AGAIN, I I MEAN I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, BUT THERE WAS NO PUSHBACK OR ANY, OR ANY DISCUSSION THERE BECAUSE AGAIN, WE HAVE A TWO LANE BRIDGE ON SOONER AND MOST MAJOR RETAILERS ARE TURNING AWAY FROM THAT.
AND IT'S GONNA BE A REAL NICHE MARKET BECAUSE YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT TODAY AND I KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE, WE HAVE RESPECT TO THINK AS A CITY ABOUT HOW WE GROW.
AND COFFEE CREEK WON'T BE TWO LANE FOREVER.
THINK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH COVE WHEN WE MADE THAT DECISION TO WIDEN COVE AND MAKE IT A PARKWAY.
NOW THE PRESSURE IS ON US TO WIDEN IT TO EITHER THREE LANE OR FOUR LANE ALL THE WAY OUT TO POST ROAD.
WELL GUESS WHAT? SIMILAR THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN ON COFFEE CREEK.
AND IF OUR CITY FATHERS THAT WERE HERE BEFORE US THOUGHT THAT THIS CORRIDOR SHOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO COFFEE CREEK, WE NEED TO BE THINKING THAT WAY TOO.
SO I'M STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT WITH THIS BECAUSE I HAVE THE EAST EVAN PLAN UP AND IT DOES HAVE RESIDENTIAL ON THIS SPOT.
SO THAT IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE OVERLAY, RIGHT? THERE'S LIKE TWO THINGS HERE THAT AREN'T IN AGREEMENT.
I I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO USE AS GUIDANCE? YEAH.
AND I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE ON THAT COMMITTEE, THE 2050 COMMITTEE, WHO DIDN'T AGREE WITH WHAT CAME OUT IN THE FINAL REPORT.
YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S NOT CLEAR.
AND I MEAN, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS HE IS TRYING TO ALIGN WITH WHAT'S IN OUR EAST ADMIN PLAN.
I THINK WITH, WITH WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, I TRACK ONE MAKES SENSE TO ME.
IT DOES MIRROR THE OTHER SIDE.
THAT SEEMS THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE.
I DO WORRY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRACK TWO AND WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AND IF THERE'S AN EXIT THERE ONE DAY.
SO I FEEL LIKE THERE'S, IF THERE'S A WHAT NOW? IF THERE'S AN EXIT AT COFFEE CREEK EVENTUALLY JUST BECAUSE WE, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SPOTS ALONG 35 WHERE WE PROBABLY, IF WE HAD TO DO OVER AGAIN, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE PUT HOUSES RIGHT BY THE HIGHWAY
SO, UM, I I I STRUGGLE WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT ENTIRE TRACK IS IN A GIANT HOLE.
SO, SO WHERE THE EMBANKMENT IS OFF THE HIGHWAY, IT GOES STRAIGHT
[00:55:01]
DOWNHILL AND IT'S A GIANT HOLE THERE.AND THAT IS WHY WE, WE HAD TO DO, WE HAD THE SAME ISSUES ON EAST FORK ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.
WHERE, UM, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND I LOOKED AT DOING RETAIL OR OFFICE ALONG I 35 IN CASE THERE WAS AN EXIT THERE IN THE FUTURE.
MM-HMM
AND THE PROBLEM WAS IS JUST YOU WOULD HAVE THESE GIANT, YOU KNOW, BUILT UP TOWERED BUILDINGS THAT WOULD COVER THE RESIDENTIAL AREA.
'CAUSE THE LAND SLOPES SO HARD DOWN AND THAT AREA IS A MASSIVE HOLE.
WELL I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
I MEAN, WE, I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A, A CLEAR VISION LAID OUT FOR WHAT THAT TRACK TWO AREA SHOULD BE.
I'M STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT WITH TRACK TWO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL? IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? TAYLOR WILSON.
I WOULD JUST ECHO WHAT'S KIND OF BEEN SAID RELATIVE TO THE I 35 OVERLAY THAT WAS DONE FOR A REASON.
SIR, WOULD YOU SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO THAT MICROPHONE? I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
SO IT WAS THE I 35 CORRIDOR WAS PUT THERE FOR A REASON.
AND I DON'T SEE HOW THIS ACTUALLY GOT TO THIS LEVEL THIS FAR WITHOUT CLARIFICATION TO COMPLIANCE TO THE I 35 OVERLAY.
UM, AND I BELIEVE IT APPLIES TO BOTH TRACK ONE AND TWO.
UM, AND THIS IS A TIMING QUESTION REALLY SIMILAR TO THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, RIGHT? WE WANT MORE DENSITY, WELL, IT DENSITY MAYBE WE BUILT RETAIL A LITTLE BIT TOO SOON RELATIVE TO THE DENSITY THAT IS THERE.
SO I WOULD SAY NOT NOW RELATIVE TO THIS TRACK AT THIS TIME.
ANYONE ELSE? I HOPE Y'ALL DON'T GET TIRED OF ME BEFORE I BEGIN, BUT RITA MILLER, RED ROCK LAKE ROAD, I'M OPPOSED TO THIS PUD FOR A VERY SIMPLE REASON.
THERE'S NO DRAINAGE PLAN CODE THERE.
WHAT IT OFFERS FOR A DRAINAGE PAN IS A PLAN IS A CONTOUR MAP WITH SOME GUESSWORK.
UM, ON RETENTION PONDS CODE I THINK IS VERY CLEAR.
UM, SECTION TWO OF THE STANDARD DRAINAGE POLICY, WHICH IS AN APPENDIX TO THE DRAIN, THE STORMWATER SECTION TWO DETERMINATION OF STORM RUNOFF.
NUMEROUS METHODS OF RUNOFF COMPUTATION ARE AVAILABLE IN WHICH THE DESIGN OF STORM DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEMS MAY BE BASED.
THE RATIONAL METHOD WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR AREAS UP TO 40 ACRES.
I'M PER, I'M BRIEFING A FOR LARGER AREAS, THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING CENTER, HEC ONE OR OTHER ENGINEERING PROGRAMS OR METHODS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ENGINEER SHALL BE USED.
UM, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS SURFACE IS PROPOSED FOR THIS AREA, AND HOW MUCH RUNOFF IS THAT IMPERVIOUS SURFACE GOING TO CREATE.
AND DOES YOUR RETENTION MATCH THE RUNOFF FOR, UM, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN YOU ALL GET IN DOWNTOWN EDMOND, BUT I GET AN INCH OF RAIN PROBABLY AT LEAST THREE TIMES A YEAR.
AND YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS SURFACE IS THERE.
NOBODY, IT'S NOT JUST THIS GUY THAT THIS DEVELOPER, IT'S NOBODY IS GIVING YOU DRAINAGE PLANS APPROPRIATE TO WHAT'S REQUIRED BY CODE.
THIS IS, TO ME, AN AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS A VERY STEEP LOT WITH, UM, SOME CRITICAL HABITAT FOR A LOT OF THINGS LEG.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE OF THIS LEGACY PARK WAS, UM, THEIR CHANGE REQUEST AT, UH, THE PLANNING MEETING WAS DECLINED BECAUSE THEY CAME BACK IN WITH A, UM, A LOT PLAN THAT DID NOT MATCH THEIR ORIGINAL, THEIR ORIGINAL THING.
IF YOU APPROVE THIS FOR THE, THE NUMBER OF, OF, OF, OF APARTMENT OR HOUSES OR WHATEVER, YOU'RE APPROVING A BLANK CHECK, THEY CAN COME BACK WITH YOU AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE AND SAY, OKAY, YOU PROVED THIS FOR SO MANY UNITS AND WE'RE GONNA PUT 'EM IN HERE NO MATTER WHAT IT DOES TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
[01:00:01]
WITH IS WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WOODLAND PARK FOUR.NOW THEY GO IN WITH A BULLDOZER.
THEY, THEY, THERE YOU NEED A DRAINAGE PLAN THAT'S ENGINEERED THAT SOMEBODY ACTUALLY PUT SOME THOUGHT TO.
WE'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO ANY OF THESE PUBLIC QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE OUR ENGINEER HERE IF YOU WANNA TALK TO HIM, BUT WE, WE, WE HAVE, UH, A DRAINAGE PLAN THAT WAS PROVIDED WITH THIS APPLICATION.
UH, I MEAN, I'M GONNA ECHO WHAT MCKENNA SAID.
IF, I MEAN, IF YOU GUYS ARE JUST GONNA PUT THIS DOWN, I MEAN, I I DON'T KNOW THAT I FEEL MUCH SUPPORT.
I MEAN, I'D RATHER TABLE THIS AND HAVE A DISCUSSION.
I DID BRING THIS PLAN, UH, TO OUR MEETING MARCH THE SIXTH AND, AND THERE WAS NO CONCERNS THEN AT THAT TIME.
I MEAN, IF WE COULD MAYBE DO A COMMITMENT TO MORE, YOU KNOW, RETAIL ALONG SOONER.
BUT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING THAT, I MEAN, I MEAN, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO BE A TEAM PLAYER.
I MEAN, I, I UTILIZED EDMOND'S 2018 PLAN 2050 PLAN, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.
I WOULDN'T IN THIS 20 YEARS AGO AND, AND I WISH I'D HAVE BEEN PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS SO I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE INTENT WAS AND I RESPECT WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
I JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT TO JUST KILL SOMETHING FOR THE SAKE OF MY ARROGANCE AND, AND I'D RATHER HAVE A CONVERSATION AND SAY, HEY, HOW CAN WE BETTER PLAN THIS TO WHERE, UM, WE CAN LOOK AT THE OVERALL STUDY OF HOW EDMOND MIGHT GROW, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, NOT LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP SOMETHING GREAT.
YOU SAID YOU BROUGHT THIS TO THE MEETING ON MARCH 6TH? WAS THAT I WAS SPEAKING TO MR. NASH.
BETWEEN, BETWEEN MAYOR NASH DID, I DID NOT SEE THESE DRAWINGS ON MARCH 6TH.
WELL, I MEAN, THEY'RE DATED APRIL 15TH.
I DID NOT SEE THESE DRAWINGS ON MARCH 6TH, MR. LAMBETH, WE HAD A CONVERSATION.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS EDITED APRIL 15TH.
WE HAD A CONVERSATION ON MARCH 6TH.
YOU DID NOT SHOW ME ANY DRAWINGS OF THIS PROPERTY.
WELL, TO FINISH MY THOUGHT, WE'RE RESPECTFULLY, WE'RE A GOVERNING BODY, AND SO ANY MEETING YOU HAVE WITH ONE OF US, WHERE ONE OF US SEEMS OKAY WITH IT, IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER TALKED ABOUT THIS.
AND TALKING ABOUT IT IN A PUBLIC MEETING IS THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
I ALSO WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING 20 YEARS AGO I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO TO BE QUITE HONEST, I DIDN'T CARE.
UM, BUT I DO CARE NOW AND I'M THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE AS I'M BEING ASKED TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY ON THIS PUD, WHICH PUDS FOR PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO MAY NOT KNOW THIS, THE AUDIENCE, LIKE WE'RE PUTTING ON A SHOW, PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC PUDS FOLLOW THE LAND.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I AM SETTING UP THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR THE CITY FOR SUCCESS.
I ALSO WANT YOU TO BE SET UP FOR SUCCESS.
SO I DON'T, WE MOVE TO CONTINUE THAT ITEM THAT WAS AN AMENDMENT TO A PUD THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME, IN MY OPINION, MOVING TO CONTINUE, THIS WOULDN'T BE APPROPRIATE.
I WOULD MOVE TO APPROVE IT, AND THEN WHEN WE SAY MOVE TO APPROVE, THAT WOULD BE A VOTE.
AND THEN WE WOULD VOTE ACCORDINGLY.
SO IF, IF YOU ALL WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE, IF MR. LAMB, BETH, IF YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I AT SOME POINT WOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE RECORD.
IS IT BETTER TO JUST TAKE NO ACTION? I MEAN, IF THERE'S FOLLOW UP DESIRED.
UH, MR. BRYANT, COULD YOU CLARIFY SOMETHING FOR ME AND FOR EVERYBODY HERE? I THINK BECAUSE WE KIND OF GOT THE CARTS CHASING THE HORSE INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING IT.
IF, IF I'M CORRECT, THIS IS ZONING ONLY TONIGHT REQUIRES PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
FINAL ENGINEERING, STORM WATER, ALL THOSE DETAILS COMING CLADDING OR SITE PLAN.
ARE WE YES, BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE.
WE WOULD, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE DESIRE, THE NEED, THE WANT, SITE PLAN, SWAB.
THIS HAS NOT COME BEFORE IT, WE'RE NOT QUITE AT THAT POINT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE A FULLY ENGINEERED PLAN AT THIS POINT, CORRECT? YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THAT, ALL THAT DETAIL WILL BE IN THE PRELIMINARY PLAT AND SUBSEQUENT SITE PLANS.
WHAT DO Y'ALL WANNA DO? THIS PUD NEEDS WORK.
[01:05:01]
IT'S INCOMPLETE, IT'S SHALLOW.IT DOESN'T GIVE ENOUGH DETAIL.
AND I'M JUST, I'M TELLING YOU, THE PD IS AN EASY WAY OUT.
UH, SOME DO IT VERY DETAILED, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
MR. LAMBETH, I CALLED YOU AND I TEXTED YOU AND YOU CALLED ME BACK TODAY.
I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS AND I'LL STILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
BUT, OR, OR WHATEVER YOU COME BACK WITH NEXT TIME.
I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR THIS TONIGHT.
AND, UH, WE CAN DO BETTER ON THIS.
PUD ARE, WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING? NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, MR. MORRIS, SO SIR, ARE YOU GETTING, GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER, YOU AND I, AND GET, PROVIDE MORE DETAIL FOR THE COMMERCIAL USES? NOT YOU AND I.
YOU NEED TO COME BACK WITH A PUD.
THAT'S, THAT AT LEAST HAS SOME DETAIL IN IT.
I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT JUST, IT'S, IT'S, IT NEEDS WORK.
AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO, I'M WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN.
I MEAN, SHE'S GONNA MAKE A MOTION HERE IN JUST A MINUTE OR TWO.
I'M PRETTY CERTAIN OF THAT, AND WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT I AM HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU.
I'VE TRIED IN THE PAST AND, UH, I WOULDN'T SAY WE WERE SINGING KUMBAYA AT THE END OF THOSE EXCHANGES, BUT I AM WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU.
AND I'VE SAID IT TO YOU OVER THE PHONE.
DON'T GIVE UP, BUT JUST GIVE UP ON THIS ONE.
SO WHAT'S THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN? IS IT TO VOTE OR IS IT TO CONTINUE? IT'S TO VOTE.
MR. MAYOR, WOULD YOU RECOGNIZE ME FOR A MOTION, PLEASE? SURE.
MAY WE RECESS THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TILL 6:45 PM PLEASE? I HAVE A MOTION.
A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
MR. MOORE, DO YOU NEED A MOTION TO BRING US BACK, MR. MAYOR? I WOULD MOVE TO RECONVENE THE EDMUND CITY COUNCIL.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
[F. Public Hearing and Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. 4091 Declaring a Moratorium Until December 31, 2026 on the Acceptance of Applications for the Processing and Issuance of Rezoning Requests and Building Permits that Would Allow Construction on, Expansion of, or Use of Property for Purposes of Locating or Operating a Data Center Within the City of Edmond; Defining Data Center; Providing for an Appeal Process; Providing for Effective and Expiration Dates; Providing for Repealer and Severability; And Declaring an Emergency. (Citywide)]
THREE F, PUBLIC HEARING, CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 4 0 9 1 DECLARING A MORATORIUM UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2026 ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS FOR THE PROCESSING AND ISSUANCE OF REZONING REQUESTS AND BILLING PERMITS THAT WOULD ALLOW CONSTRUCTION ON EXPANSION OF OR USE OF PROPERTY FOR PURPOSES OF LOCATING OR OPERATING A DATA CENTER WITHIN THE CITY OF EDMUND.DEFINING DATA CENTER, PROVIDING FOR AN APPEAL PROCESS, PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE AND EXPIRATION DATES, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL AND SEVERABILITY AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
MR. BRYAN? THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
KEN BRYAN, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
I'M JOINED THIS EVENING BY WILL HUGGINS, OUR SENIOR WATER RESOURCES ENGINEER, AND GLENN FISHER, DIRECTOR OF EDMUND ELECTRIC, IN CASE THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS DURING THIS BRIEF DISCUSSION.
UH, STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED A FEW INITIAL CHALLENGES RELATED TO DATA CENTERS, INCLUDING, UH, LACK OF SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS IN OUR DEVELOPMENT CODE METHODOLOGIES RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, COST RECOVERY IMPACTS OF THE UTILITY SYSTEMS, NEARBY AREAS IN THE LARGER REGION AND DISTRICT AS IDENTIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE.
WE PROPOSE TO INITIATE AT A MINIMUM THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH ITEMS, IDENTIFY THE VARIOUS TYPES OF DATA CENTERS, IDENTIFY POTENTIAL APPROPRIATE ZONING DISTRICTS FOR EACH CAPTURE LESSONS LEARNED FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS, IDENTIFY AND LEARN FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS, REPORT INITIAL FINDINGS, AND CREATE A LIST OF PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THIS WORK INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING.
WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, WE'LL UPDATE COUNSEL ON THE STATUS AND REQUEST FEEDBACK.
WITHIN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, WE'LL PRESENT A DRAFT APPROACH AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WITHIN FIVE MONTHS, OUR INTENT IS TO PREPARE APPLICABLE ITEMS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
WITH THAT, WE'RE PREPARED TO HEAR ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS THAT WE SHOULD INCORPORATE INTO OUR UPCOMING WORK.
[01:10:01]
YOUR TIME.I HAVE A COMMENT, BUT THAT'LL KEEP, GO AHEAD WITH YOUR COMMENT.
I, I TRULY APPRECIATE WHERE'S MR. BRIAN? UH, THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE DISCUSSION.
UH, WHEN THIS ITEM CAME UP A MONTH OR A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, WHATEVER IT WAS, UH, AND COUNCILWOMAN MURDOCH NICHOLS WAS KIND ENOUGH TO CO-AUTHOR THIS AGENDA ITEM.
UH, I HAD CONCERNS ABOUT DATA CENTERS THEN I STILL DO.
I APPRECIATE THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, PREPARING, UH, THE ORDINANCE.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT SHE DID THAT SO QUICKLY.
UH, I WORRY ABOUT THESE THINGS.
I'VE SEEN WHAT IT'S DONE TO COMMUNITIES.
UH, AND I DON'T WANT THAT HAPPENING IN EDMOND.
UH, MY GOAL, OR MY CONCERN WAS SOMEONE COULD PURCHASE A SECTION OF LAND ZONED AGRICULTURE, 640 ACRES, AND THEN TURN AROUND AND FILE FOR A DATA CENTER.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THE BOOKS TO ADDRESS THAT.
I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT PROBLEM.
SO I APPRECIATE THE MORATORIUM, AND I DO WANT TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY A QUESTION.
I I THINK THE, THERE'S AN EXPIRATION DATE OF THE END OF THE YEAR, I BELIEVE ON THIS.
AND IF WE WANTED TO EXTEND THAT, WE COULD BY A VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL IF OUR WORK AND OUR FINDINGS AREN'T DEVELOPED.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
I, I THINK THIS IS A, A, A GOOD PLAN, UH, TO AVOID VOID A DATA CENTER, FLIRTING AROUND WITH EDMOND.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR HELPING ME OUT ON GETTING THIS ON THE AGENDA.
I'LL, I'LL ADD, I KNOW THIS IS CLEARLY A, UM, A HOT BUTTON TOPIC RIGHT NOW.
I SAW A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY WITH CONCERN.
AND, UM, I'LL SAY THAT CONCERN FOR CITIZENS AND BEING AWARE OF HOW YOU ALL MIGHT PERCEIVE A DATA CENTER COMING TO TOWN IS THE REASON WHY THIS IS ON THE AGENDA.
WE, I DON'T HAVE ANY INTEREST IN ENTERTAINING A DATA CENTER.
WE NEED TO, UM, WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR PROCESSES AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE PROTECTED.
SO I'M GLAD THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE COME OUT TONIGHT.
I AM, I'M GLAD TO SEE ACTIVE ENGAGED CITIZENS.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME ANYTIME, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE, AND THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING, AND YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT IN AN ORDERLY PROCESS.
BUT I HOPE THAT, THAT YOU CAN.
NOW, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTENT OF THIS AGENDA ITEM, UM, AT LEAST I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO APPROVE THIS MORATORIUM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HEAR FROM CITIZENS MAYOR.
UM, I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD WE HAVE THIS.
I'M GLAD WE HAVE REFRAMED FROM NO ACROSS THE BOARD FOREVER.
I MEAN, WE CAN STICK OUR HEAD IN THE SAND ALL WE WANT, BUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF DATA CENTERS.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY WAYS IN WHICH THE LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING, AND THE SMALL ONES ARE BEING BUILT AND OPERATED, UH, RECYCLED WATER, UM, WHATEVER.
SO IT'S FUNNY TO ME, THE DISCONNECT.
WE ALL LOVE TO GO TO CHAT, GTP, GOOGLE, EVEN, EVEN FACE FACIAL RECOGNITION TO OPEN APPS ON OUR PHONE.
IT ALL GOES THROUGH A DATA CENTER.
AND SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE SIGNIFICANT RISK THAT IT, THAT EXISTS WITHIN THOSE DATA CENTERS AND COMPARE THOSE TO ANY KIND OF POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY.
AND WE CAN BE VERY INTENTIONAL WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE MR. O'BRIEN AND, AND STAFF AND
[01:15:01]
CREW DEVELOP THESE, THESE ZONING CODES.AND I UNDERSTAND THE EMOTIONALITY CONNECTED TO THIS SUBJECT.
UM, I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, HOW THINGS, AND I'M NOT TALKING, I THINK EVERYBODY SAYS DATA CENTER, AND THEY'RE THINKING META GOOGLE, UH, HYPER, WHAT'S CALLED HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS.
YOU RECOGNIZE ON BROADWAY, THERE'S A BUILDING DOWN HERE.
IT HOUSES RACKS AND MANY SERVERS BELONGS TO THE CITY OF EDMOND.
YOU RECOGNIZE ON BROADWAY EXTENSION, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, AN OFFICE AND A BUSINESS CALLED MID-CONTINENT DATA RECOVERY UNDERGROUND, 60,000 SQUARE FEET, WHERE I PERSONALLY IN THE PAST HAVE RENTED SPACE POWER COOLING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
THAT'S A DATA CENTER, THAT'S A FAR CRY FROM THE ONES THAT ARE SUCKING DOWN WATER AND ELECTRICITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY'S FOR ONE OF THOSE IN EDMOND.
UH, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES.
I ALSO DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANYTHING AROUND HERE THAT COULD EVEN HOLD ONE OR ONE COULD EXIST.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS SAW THE ONE IN PRIOR 800 PLUS ACRES AND A MILLION 0.4 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE.
NOBODY HAS THAT IN MIND IN EDMOND.
BUT I CAN ALSO PROMISE YOU, IN FIVE YEARS EVERY BUSINESS WITH 350 TO 500 EMPLOYEES, IF WE EVER HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN EDMOND, WE'LL HAVE A 50, 40,000 WHATEVER SQUARE FOOT SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO 'EM WHERE THEY HOUSE THEIR DATA BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE IT REMOVES THE LATENCY OR THE DRAG WHEN YOU PULL YOUR DATA IN TO OPERATE.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS THAT OPERATES WITH APPS.
AND SO IT, IT, I'M NOT GONNA CALL IT AN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, BUT SOMEBODY, A MUCH, MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON THAN PROBABLY ANY OF US IN THIS ROOM CALLS IT AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDUP.
AND, AND, AND IT'S THE WORLD WE'RE GONNA LIVE WITH.
IT'S HOW WE CHOOSE TO DO THEM.
AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
AND THAT'S WHY DEFINING TYPES AND METHODS, HOW THEY OPERATE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE'RE LUCKY IN THIS AREA, AND I HOPE IF WE DO WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DO, AND, AND, AND NOT JUST SIT HERE BUT AVAIL OURSELVES TO THE SCOTT.
'CAUSE LAW SKI, THE MADELEINE STAS, STACY'S, UH, THE ALEX NCES RIGHT HERE IN OUR, IN OUR AREA IN OKLAHOMA CITY.
AND EDMOND, WE'LL LEARN A WHOLE BUNCH AND WE'LL BE FURTHER AHEAD BECAUSE OF THAT IN JUST KNOWLEDGE.
THAT'S NOT SAYING WE'RE ADOPTING SOME 500 ACRE DATA CENTER, BUT WE HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS.
AND, AND I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYBODY THAT'S CALLED ON THE CITY OF EDMOND AND EVEN OFFERED, I DON'T THINK WE, WE LOOK LIKE WE'RE POSITIONED TO HOUSE ONE OF THOSE.
SO THERE, SO THERE'S, I I, I GET THE FEAR.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS SIX AND A HALF MONTHS, IT'S A LOT OF TIME.
HOPEFULLY IT'S MORE THAN AMPLE.
I KNOW SOMETIMES WE MOVE SLOW, BUT, UM, MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, I REALIZE ALSO THAT WE'RE, IT, WE'RE POSITIONED THEN AFTER WE LEARN THESE THINGS TO MAKE POLICY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
LET'S MAKE POLICY OUT OF INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE, NOT OUT OF FEAR.
AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN, AGAIN, PLEASE HEAR ME.
I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY THAT'S CALLING, INCLUDING ME.
THAT'S CALLING FOR A HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER.
I'M ALSO GONNA TELL YOU THAT THERE WILL BE DATA RACKS AND STORAGE THAT ALREADY EXIST IN THIS TOWN AND WILL BE MORE DOWN THE ROAD.
THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF THING THAT HAS CAUSED MAYHEM.
AND, AND I LIKE THE WAY CITY ATTORNEY WROTE THIS.
WE, WE, WE HAVE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT AND REVIEW THE POSITIVE IMPACT.
WELL, SHE DIDN'T SAY POSITIVE.
THE IMPACTS WE'RE, WE'RE QUICK TO JUMP TO ALL THE NEGATIVE ONES.
THERE MAY BE POSITIVE ONES THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
LET'S, UH, LET'S TALK TO THE MAYOR OF PRIOR OKLAHOMA, WHO IS OFFERED TO DO SO.
LET'S DO THINGS LIKE THAT, WHETHER WE'RE WANTING TO OR NOT.
IT'S ABOUT COLLECTIVELY GAINING INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, MR. WATERSON.
UM, HAVING SOMEONE WHO'S LIVED IN THE
[01:20:01]
IT WORLD OFF AND ON DURING MY CAREER, UM, MR. FRAME, I 100% BACK UP WHAT YOU SAID.AND I TRULY SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DEFINITIONS ARE.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE DON'T WANT.
BECAUSE IF WE HAVE A BUSINESS THAT COMES TO US AND WANTS TO MOVE TO OUR CITY, IF WE OUTLAW EVERYTHING, WE'RE GONNA LOSE OUT.
NOT ONLY WILL WE LOSE OUT ON THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ANOTHER BUSINESS LOCATE HERE, BUT THAT MEANS THAT WE'LL START LOSING BUSINESSES.
WE'LL START SHEDDING THE ONES WE HAVE.
AND EVENTUALLY PEOPLE WILL MOVE OUT.
AND I KNOW OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO WANT US TO BE A CITY OF 5,000.
AGAIN, HORSES OUT OF THE BARN.
WE DON'T WANT IT TO COME BACK, BUT WE GOTTA DO IT RIGHT.
AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIFFERENT TYPES ARE.
YOU HEAR HYPERSCALE, CO-LOCATION DATA CENTERS.
I KNOW PEOPLE, I HAVE SEVERAL FRIENDS OF MINE WHO RUN MANAGED DATA CENTERS.
THEY'RE SMALL FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE SMALLER THAN A HOUSE.
THE CONCERN I THINK WE ALL HAVE IS THE HYPERSCALE, WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY, THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY IS HIGH WATER USAGE.
THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IS CLOSED LOOP.
AND IN SOME CASES A GEL OR A BASICALLY A RADIATOR BASED TYPE SYSTEM.
IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE THE ELECTRICITY NEED.
YOU STILL HAVE THE ISSUE THAT NOBODY ELSE HAS TALKED ABOUT.
AND THERE ARE CITIES ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY TODAY THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME POSITION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
AND DATA CENTER COMPANIES CAME IN AND BOUGHT MULTI-STORY BUILDINGS AND CONVERTED THEM TO DATA CENTERS.
AND THEN THEY PLACED A NUMBER OF VERY LARGE GENERATORS ON ONE SIDE OF THE BUILDING OR THE OTHER JUST IN CASE THE POWER GOES OUT.
AND GUESS WHAT, YOU GOTTA TEST THOSE GENERATORS.
GUESS WHEN THEY FIRE UP ALL DAY LONG, ALL NIGHT LONG ON A CYCLE TO TEST EACH ONE OF THEM.
I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT IT AT MEETINGS.
I'VE BEEN GOING TO WITH MAYORS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY NOW FOR OVER SIX MONTHS.
WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING IN PLACE.
BUT A PIECE OF THAT ALSO IS ALL OF US AND STAFF UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES.
AND I THINK THIS, THIS MORATORIUM IS A GREAT START.
WHY? BECAUSE IT GIVES US TIME TO LEARN AND DIFFERENTIATE AND MAKE SURE THAT IF A COMPANY WANTS TO LOCATE HERE AND THEY WANT TO HAVE THEIR, THEIR IT CENTER, DATA ROOM, DATA PROCESSING CENTER, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, THEY CAN HAVE IT ON SITE IF THEY WANT TO HAVE IT ON SITE.
AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT DIFFERENCE.
'CAUSE WE SURE DON'T WANT TO CREATE AN ORDINANCE THAT BLOCKS ANYBODY.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF MY 2 CENTS ON IT.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS TONIGHT? WHEN YOU COME FORWARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND PLEASE DO US ALL A FAVOR.
DO NOT REPEAT THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID JUST TO SAVE US ALL A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITTEE FOR HAVING US ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
I'M OVER OFF DANFORTH AND KELLY.
FIRST I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT BACK IN JANUARY, THE END OF JANUARY, UH, I WORKED FOR OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY.
I ACTUALLY FOUNDED THE OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY DATA CENTER RESEARCH COMMITTEE.
I HAVE ASSEMBLED A NUMBER OF STATE PROFESSORS WHO WE ARE WORKING ON FACT SHEETS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN JUST OUR NORMAL FACT SHEETS THAT WE HAVE.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO BE ROLLING OUT DATA CENTER FOCUSED FACT SHEETS.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A DRAFT OF THE FIRST ONE THAT SHOULD BE PUBLISHED HERE IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
IT WILL BE TITLED, CONSIDERATIONS FOR COMMUNITIES EVALUATING DATA CENTERS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A SERIES OF ABOUT 117 QUESTIONS, WHETHER FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUCH AS YOURSELVES OR FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WHETHER THEY'RE ATTENDING MEETINGS LIKE THIS, OR IF YOU'RE VIEWING COMPANIES THAT ARE PROPOSING A DATA CENTER.
ANYTHING FROM WATER USE, LAND USE ENERGY, ELECTRICAL GRID USE.
AGAIN, A HUNDRED SEEMS 17 QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT I ACTUALLY WANTED TO ASK TONIGHT.
UH, IF IN THE FUTURE A DATA CENTER IS APPROVED FOR EDMOND, WOULD THE COMMITTEE CONSIDER A FULL FULLY FUNDED COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS BE REQUIRED TO INCLUDE WATER USE, BOTH DIRECT AND INDIRECT ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE EFFECTS ON EMERGENCY SERVICES, PROPERTY VALUE, IMPACT,
[01:25:01]
AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT? THANK YOU.ANYONE ELSE? JEFF STOKES, 31 40 BIRCHWOOD CIRCLE.
I'M PROBABLY GONNA GO AGAINST EVERYBODY UP HERE, BUT I MEAN, I'M KIND OF FOR THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, IT SAYS UP THERE A PLACE TO GROW.
WE GOTTA LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE.
WE'RE RUNNING INTO BUDGET PROBLEMS. THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF TAX REVENUE.
I KNOW THAT WATER USE IS, IS THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, SCARY FACTOR.
SO IS, PLEASE HOLD YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, WATER USAGE IS A BIG CONCERN.
WE, WE, UH, DISPOSE OF A LOT OF SALT WATER DISPOSAL.
I USED TO BE IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR.
WE CAN CLEAN THAT UP BETTER THAN THE WATER.
SO WE COULD EASILY UTILIZE THOSE TYPES OF RESOURCES.
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THAT, WE HAVE A LOT OF ENGINEERS THAT LIVE HERE THAT WORK IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR THAT ARE ALWAYS HAVING TO INNOVATE POWER-WISE.
WE SHOULD ALWAYS LOOK AT THESE COMPANIES AND NOT JUST GO, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE UP OUR RESOURCES.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE SAY YOU'RE WELCOME IF STOP RIGHT THERE, DOT, DOT, DOT.
THEY HAVE TO CREATE THEIR OWN POWER.
THEY GIVE US ANY EXCESS POWER.
WE REQUIRE THEM TO GIVE US ANY ACCESS, POWER.
WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR BUDGET WHENEVER WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FIVE OR 10% DECREASE OR, UH, MONEY THAT GOES TO OUR BOTTOM LINE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT HAVING TO GENERATE POWER, WE'RE JUST GETTING IT FROM THEM.
SO, UH, LIKE I SAID, I, I DON'T WANNA BEAT A DEAD HORSE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER SOME EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TYPE OF ENGINEERING HORSEPOWER WE HAVE IN THE CITY THAT WORKS AT DEVON CONTINENTAL, WHAT USED TO BE CHESAPEAKE, ALL THAT.
ANYONE ELSE? HELLO, ANGELA HARTMAN.
AND I KNOW YOU SAID DON'T REPEAT.
UM, BUT I AM A CITIZEN AND I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE MY, UH, THOUGHTS HEARD.
AND I'VE LIVED HERE FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.
I LOVE EDMOND WITH ALL MY HEART.
UH, I JUST CAN'T THINK OF WHAT A DATA CENTER WOULD DO TO OUR TOWN.
AND WHILE I MIGHT LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN ON AN ACRE, I FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE TO LIVE NEXT TO IT.
I'VE HEARD A LOT OF BAD THINGS, BUT THE SCARIEST THING I'VE HEARD IS THE DATA CENTER ITSELF.
HEARING A VIDEO OF WHAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE 24 HOURS A DAY.
AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, BEG YOU GUYS TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND DO THE RIGHT THING AND NOT ALLOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE BILLIONAIRES TO RUIN OUR TOWN.
AND, UM, ALONG WITH THE FACT WE HAVE REALLY HIGH WATER RATES, IT'S GONNA USE A LOT OF WATER AND ELECTRICITY AND I JUST AM TOTALLY AGAINST IT.
AND I HOPE YOU GUYS WOULD DO THE RIGHT THING.
A MORATORIUMS GREAT, BUT I WOULD SUPPORT A BAN.
EARLIER I SAID IN DOWNTOWN ED, AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, I MEANT OUT THERE ON COVAL.
AND, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU THE ONES WHO HAVE PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND OUR DISCUSSIONS HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY AREN'T ABOUT FEAR.
THEY'RE NOT ABOUT ADDRESSING FEAR.
IT'S ABOUT ADDRESSING THE FACTS OF THE MATTER OF WHAT WE AS A COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE TO SUFFER IF A DATA CENTER COMES IN.
SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPTION FOR PUTTING IT, AND I WANNA URGE YOU ALL TO VOTE FOR THIS, UH, AGENDA ITEM.
AND, UM, THIS ISN'T THE ONLY PLACE WE'RE HAVING THIS FIGHT.
AND PEOPLE ALL OVER DO NOT WANNA HAVE THESE IN THEIR BACKYARD.
WE CITIZENS WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE OUT OF THE EDMOND CITY LIMITS TO BEGIN WITH.
WE CAN JUST WORK ON DOING THAT.
AND I KNOW THE WATER SUPPLY HAS BEEN ADDRESSED.
WE ALREADY HAVE TO ALTERNATE OUR DAYS OF WATERING CITY OF EDMOND.
AND IF WE HAVE TO PAY EXTRA MONEY TO CLEAN UP THE WATER FOR THESE DATA CENTERS, THAT'S GONNA BE AN ADDED BURDEN TAX BURDEN ON US.
AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO SOME BUSINESSES CAN COME IN AND HAVE DATA CENTERS, AND IF THERE ARE ALREADY DATA CENTERS HERE, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK ABOUT PUTTING SOMETHING ALSO ON THE BOOKS THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF DATA CENTERS THAT WE CAN HAVE AN ED BECAUSE WHATEVER THE SIZE, IF IT'S BIG, IF IT'S SMALL, THEY'RE STILL USING ADDITIONAL ELECTRICITY, THEY'RE STILL USING ADDITIONAL WATER, AND THE WATER IS DIRTY.
AND EVEN IF THEY HAVE A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM, THEY DO HAVE TO SWITCH THAT OUT.
AND WE WILL HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP.
THE CITY OF EDMOND TAXPAYERS WILL HAVE TO PAY TO FUND THAT.
UH, WE DO NOT WANT TO INDUSTRIALIZE OUR CITY REGARDLESS
[01:30:01]
OF WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD.WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE IT HERE WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS.
LET'S GET IT OUT OF CITY LIMITS.
AND WE WANT TO KEEP OUR WATER SUPPLY AVAILABILITY, UM, AT LEAST AT WHAT IT IS BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY LIMITED.
AND, UH, THESE, THESE DATA CENTERS ISSUES HAVE ALREADY BEEN STOPPED IN OTHER COUNTIES AND OTHER CITIES BEFORE.
ON THE BASIS OF IT IS A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE BECAUSE COMPONENTS OF THESE DATA CENTERS DO COME FROM CHINA.
SO THERE'S NO WAY TO GET AROUND THAT.
AND WE ALREADY HAVE PROMISED ELECTRIC RATES, ELECTRIC INCREASES IN OUR RATES.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO PUT AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON THE PEOPLE FOR THAT EITHER.
AS WELL AS WE ARE THE ONES ALWAYS HAVING TO FOOT THE BILL FOR THEIR EXPANSION.
WE DON'T WANNA BE FOOTING THE BILL FOR COMPANIES TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESSES.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, DURING THIS TIME, UP UNTIL DECEMBER, WHEN YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT IT AND DECIDING THINGS, WOULD YOU GUYS ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE PUT, HAVE INPUT? WOULD YOU ALLOW A SPECIFIC CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD FOR THIS ISSUE? THANK YOU.
ANYONE ELSE? HELLO, MY NAME IS WENDY DIAL.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE EDMOND CITY COUNCIL FOR BEING SO FORWARD THINKING.
TO PUT THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, I DO SUPPORT THE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT DATA CENTERS HAVING DONE MY OWN RESEARCH IN THE PAST.
UM, AND THESE ARE NOT JUST FOR THE LARGE DATA CENTERS, THESE ARE FOR THE, THE SMALLER ONES, UM, AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE CONCERNS AS A LOT OF PEOPLE DO HEAR, I HEAR THE WATER'S BEEN MENTIONED.
I DO HOLD A DEGREE IN GEOLOGY.
THERE, THERE ARE, UM, PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAT OCCUR, UH, WITH THE WATER SYSTEM.
OUR STATE LEGISLATURE HAS ALREADY PASSED A LAW, WHICH IS EXEMPTING, UH, PEOPLE COMING INTO THE STATE WITH THE INDUSTRY, UH, THAT POTENTIALLY WOULD POLLUTE THE WATER SUPPLY WITH PFASS.
THOSE ARE CHEMICALS KNOWN AS THE FOREVER CHEMICALS.
ONCE THEY GET INTO YOUR WATER SUPPLY, YOU CANNOT GET THEM OUT.
DATA CENTERS COME STANDARD WITH PFASS JUST SO THAT, THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THERE.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE CITY PLANNERS, UH, PEOPLE WOULD ADDRESS THAT.
UH, WE DON'T NEED WITH THE STATE ALREADY EXEMPTING PEOPLE FROM POTENTIAL LIABILITY.
UH, WE DON'T NEED AS A CITY TO, TO HAVE THAT ON OUR PLATE BECAUSE THAT WOULD COME TO US TO, UH, FIX, UH, FOR THE CITIZENS.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING QUITE FRANKLY YOU CANNOT FIX, ESPECIALLY IF IT GETS INTO OUR WATER SUPPLY.
BUT ALSO, UM, WE, WE HAVE ISSUES.
UM, WE KNOW THAT AS, AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND AS THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU GUYS HAVE A DUTY TO EXERCISE, CO EXERCISE CAUTION, UM, BEFORE YOU SUPPORT ANY PROJECT THAT MAY CREATE LONG-TERM BURDENS ON THE ROADS, BRIDGES, FIRE PROTECTION, EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE, LAND USE, AGRICULTURE, WATER RESOURCES, POWER SUPPLIES, AND RESIDENTIAL GROWTH PATTERNS.
AND LISTENING TO THIS ENTIRE MEETING, UH, FROM THE BEGINNING, I KNOW THAT, THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS REGARDING THE GROWTH PATTERN IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, ALSO, I I WOULD LIKE, UM, TO SUGGEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, RECOMMEND THAT NO PUBLIC SUPPORT BE ENDORSED, UH, UNLESS ALL OF THE PARTICIPATING PUBLIC ENTITIES, UH, THAT ARE INVOLVED IN ANY POTENTIAL DATA CENTER COMING TO ADMIN PROVIDE A COMPLETE PUBLIC ACCOUNTING OF, OF ALL, UH, MONETARY INCENTIVES, ABATEMENTS GRANTS, TIF DISTRICTS, STATE AND LO UH, FEDERAL SUBSIDIES AND UTILITY SUBSIDIES THAT WE'D BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY DATA CENTER PROJECT.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
I DO SUPPORT, UM, THIS BEING, UM, PUT OFF UNTIL DECEMBER FOR THE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED AND ALSO POTENTIALLY FOR OTHER CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE.
ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MY NAME'S JOHN S I'M, UH, LIVE UP ON 1 3 8 7 2 TWIN RIDGE ROAD, EDMOND, IT'S THE WATERLOO MIDWEST BOULEVARD AREA.
[01:35:01]
AT SEVERAL MEETINGS.SEVERAL OF US HAVE, UH, LUTHER YUKON, OTHERS, I'M ADAMANTLY EDUCATED, SADLY THROUGH THE MILITARY ON DATA CENTERS.
UH, SOMETHING, BUT I DON'T WANNA REPEAT WHAT A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED.
SOMETHING THAT CAME UP AT THE LUTHER MEETING, WHICH WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE.
I CAN QUOTE YOU THE ENTIRE LAW BY MEMORY.
UH, IS THAT FOR A FUTURE REFERENCE AND FUTURE MEETINGS? IS THAT ON THE TABLE? THANK YOU.
ANYONE ELSE? DAVID HENNESSY, 1208 CHIPPER LANE.
A ENTIRE TOWN IN MICHIGAN IS SUFFERING FROM TUNNEL NOISE, WHICH CAUSES INSOMNIA, STRESS, DEPRESSION, LOSS OF FOCUS.
THEY'RE ALL EXPERIENCING NEGATIVE BIOLOGICAL RESULTS DUE TO THESE EXPOSURES TO THE INFRA SOUND NOISE.
IT IS NOT THE NOISE YOU HEAR, BUT THE BODY FEELS THIS VIBRATION.
OUR CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER IS OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE.
WE HAVE THE CITY OF EDMOND AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS NEED TO GET A PETITION AND LET THE VOTERS VOTE ON STOPPING THESE DATA CENTERS.
AND YOU GUYS GOT 1231, UH, 2026.
THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BEAT ORGANIZED MONEY IS ORGANIZED PEOPLE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT NOISE POLLUTION, WATER POLLUTION.
ALSO, WHAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO, IF YOU GUYS PLAN ON DOING DATA CENTERS, WHICH I PROBABLY WE DO NOT, IS HAVE IN THIS NO PARTS OR ITEMS FROM ANY FOREIGN COUNTRIES IN THESE DATA CENTERS.
ANYONE ELSE? I'M SHORT, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO LOWER THIS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY MY NAME IS CAROL ROLLS.
I LIVE ON 1725 BOATHOUSE ROAD IN EDMOND.
AND, UM, Y'ALL ARE NOT AS SCARY AS I THOUGHT YOU'D BE.
HOW SCARY WE'RE
I'VE ALWAYS, UH, CARED A LOT ABOUT OKLAHOMA.
UM, I ENDED UP MARRYING A NAVY MAN AND TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD AND CHOSE TO COME BACK HERE.
I COULD HAVE STAYED IN HAWAII AND I CHOSE TO COME BACK HERE.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I REALLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT I WOULD GO AHEAD AND GET UP.
UM, IT'S A, THERE'S A PRIVACY ISSUE WITH THE DATA CENTERS.
UM, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE WORD DATA AND DATA COLLECTION AND DATA HARVESTING.
AND SO, UM, WHAT CONCERNED ME IS THAT WHY IS IT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT WE NEED ALL OF THESE DATA CENTERS.
UM, THE UNITED STATES IS GONNA HAVE MORE DATA CENTERS, UH, PER CAPITA THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
NOW, IF ANYBODY HAS BETTER RESEARCH THAN THAT, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, PRESENT THAT.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S A REALLY BIG CONCERN BECAUSE WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY AND WE HAVE, UM, LOTS OF NATURAL RESOURCES HERE.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROUD OF OUR COUNTRY.
AND THESE, THESE DATA CENTERS, WHEN YOU TALK TO THE FOLKS THAT LIVE NEAR THEM, UM, IT RUINS THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT RUINS WILDLIFE, IT RUINS THE WATER.
UM, PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE AQUIFERS THAT ARE UNDERNEATH US ARE CONNECTED.
SO EVEN IF THERE IS A DATA CENTER IN LET'S SAY YUKON OR MORE, UM, A LOT OF THESE AQUIFERS ARE CONNECTED.
SO YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S ONLY GOING TO AFFECT THAT CITY, BUT UM, IT CAN AFFECT ALL OF US AND MORE IN YUKON AND MUSTANG.
AND THESE ARE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTER CITIES.
AND WE SHOULD BE JUST AS CONCERNED OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THOSE CITIES, UH, IN OUR STATE AND ALL THE OTHER STATES BECAUSE BASICALLY, UM, WE ARE ALL IN THIS BIG BOAT TOGETHER.
AND SO GOING BACK TO THE ISSUE OF PRIVACY, UM, WE NOW HAVE THINGS LIKE AURA RINGS
[01:40:01]
AND APPLE WATCHES AND, UH, TECHNOLOGY IN OUR CARS THAT CAN SHUT OFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS MAY NOT SEEM RELATED, BUT I THINK IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, THE FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT WE JUST NEED ALL OF THESE DATA CENTERS, I THINK MIGHT NEED TO BE RETHOUGHT.
AND I THINK ONCE YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU JUST ASSUME THAT THEY'RE COMING AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A COP OUT.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS AND WHAT I'M FINDING HERE, BEING A FIRST, FIRST COMER, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, IS THAT YOU GUYS ALL ARE LISTENING AND THAT YOU DO CARE.
AND, UH, I WAS PRETTY CONCERNED THAT IT WOULD BE KIND OF THE TYPICAL POLITICIAN TYPE WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DIRTY DEALINGS GOING ON AND CORRUPTION AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND I'M NOT SEEING THAT.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT I DID READ A STATISTIC THAT 92% OF THE VOTING BLOCK IN OUR COUNTRY, UH, PUT CORRUPTION AS THE TOP CONCERN OVER EVEN THE ECONOMY.
SO, UM, I THINK ALL OF US ARE JUST GETTING THIS FEELING THAT WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU, WE WANT YOU TO HEAR US, WE WANT YOU TO REPRESENT US.
WE DON'T WANNA BE, UM, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY LIKE LOVES WRITING A CHECK TO THE TAX MAN, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S PROBABLY UNFORTUNATELY PART OF LIFE.
BUT WHEN WE FEEL HEARD AND WHEN WE SEE THAT WE TAKE TIME OUT OF OUR DAY TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE YOU ARE LISTENING AND YOU'RE TAKING OUR CONCERNS SERIOUSLY AND THAT YOU, UM, WILL, WILL VOTE AS YOU HEAR US AND AS YOU TAKE THE MAJORITY, UM, OPINIONS INTO CONSIDERATION.
NOW, THIS WAS VERY EDUCATIONAL FOR ME.
I LIKED LISTENING ABOUT THE PUDS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND I SAW THAT EACH ONE OF YOU SEEMED TO HAVE A GREAT CONCERN ABOUT THE CITY OF EDMOND AND WHERE IT'S GOING.
UM, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS FOR SO MANY REASONS AND THOSE REASONS WERE ALREADY LISTED.
BUT, UM, BASICALLY I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
I WANT TO THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE CITIZENS HERE IN EDMOND.
I'M ASSUMING ALL OF YOU LIVE IN EDMOND AND THAT YOU WANNA BE HAPPY HERE.
YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO BE HAPPY HERE, UM, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, VOLUNTEERING TO SERVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND FOR HEARING US ALL OUT THIS EVENING.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, UH, BEFORE I ASK FOR A MOTION, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE A LITTLE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT AND REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT'S HERE TONIGHT THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME STAFF COMES BACK TO US WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT WE'VE SET THE DEADLINE ON THIS MORATORIUM.
ASSUMING IT PASSES THAT WE WILL HAVE AT LEAST THREE MORE, IF NOT FOUR MORE EDMOND MATTERS SESSIONS, WHICH IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND VISIT WITH US IN A TOWN HALL MEETING TYPE SETTING.
THERE'LL BE TWO OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AT EACH ONE OF THOSE AND WE TALK ABOUT WHATEVER YOU ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
SO, MR. MOORE, THANK YOU MAYOR.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO CO-AUTHOR THIS ITEM AND, UH, I WOULD MOVE ADOPTION OF ITEM F THREE FI WOULD MOVE ADOPTION OF ITEM THREE F I'LL SECOND YOU.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
UH, I WOULD ALSO MOVE ADOPTION OF THE EMERGENCY CLAUSE.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
[G. Public Hearing and Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. 4092 Amending Title 2 Administration and Personnel of the Edmond Municipal Code by Amending Section 2.68.030 Agent - Appointment - Duties - Generally; Changing the Purchasing Agent from Reporting to the Assistant City Manager of Administration to Reporting to the Finance Director; Providing for Repealer and Severability; And Declaring an Emergency. (Citywide)]
TO ITEM 3G, PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 4 0 9 2 AMENDING TITLE TWO ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL OF THE EDMOND MUNICIPAL CODE BY AMENDING SECTION 2.6, 8.030.AGENT APPOINTMENT DUTIES GENERALLY CHANGING THE PURCHASING AGENT FROM REPORTING TO THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF ADMINISTRATION TO REPORTING TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR PROVIDING FOR REPEAL AND SEVERABILITY AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
[01:45:01]
OUR CITY MANAGER LIKE TO, UH, SURE, JUST EXPLAIN BRIEFLY.SO RIGHT NOW, THE, UH, PURCHASING AGENT IS, UH, A STANDALONE, AS YOU JUST READ, AS PART OF THE DESCRIPTION THAT REPORTS TO AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER POSITION.
AND THE EFFECT OF THIS CHANGE WOULD MOVE, UH, PURCHASING ACTUALLY BACK INTO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AS PART OF FIRST STEP IN SOME LARGER ORGANIZATIONAL, UH, CHANGES WE'LL CONSIDER, BUT DO RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL? I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.
I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT THIS IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD IN OUR BUDGET REFORM AND FUND RESTRUCTURING.
UM, AND IT ALL KIND OF TIES TOGETHER.
SO ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE CARE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? SEEING NONE.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
NOW MAYOR, PUBLIC HEARING ON, ON MAYOR THE PROPOSED, UM, THERE'S AN EMERGENCY CLAUSE.
OH, DO WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY ON THAT ONE AS WELL? WE DID, DIDN'T WE? MOTION TO APPROVE THE EMERGENCY CLAUSE.
THANK YOU COREY, FOR REMINDING US.
[H. Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget and Financial Plan for Fiscal Year 2026-27, containing General Funds, Special Revenue Funds, Capital Project Funds, and Internal Service Funds, to include: Receive Public Comments, Recommendations, or Other Information regarding the Proposed Budget and Financial Plan for Fiscal Year 2026-27; and Discussion and Consideration of Potential Amendments and Consideration of Approval of Resolution No. 18-26 Approving the Budget and Financial Plan of Various City of Edmond Funds for Fiscal Year 2026-27. (Citywide)]
MOVING ON TO THREE H.I'M JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH NUMBER THREE HERE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND FINANCIAL PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 27 CONTAINING GENERAL FUNDS, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS AND INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS TO INCLUDE, RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS, RECOMMENDATIONS, OR OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND FINANCIAL PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 27, AND DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS IN CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 18 DASH 26 APPROVING THE BUDGET AND FINANCIAL PLAN OF VARIOUS CITY AND ADMIN FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 27.
UM, AND MS. PANIS IS OUT THERE SHAKING HER HEAD.
MR. KRIEGER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, I'M SURE THAT'S NOT TO RECOMMEND DENIAL,
I THINK THAT'S MORE ABOUT SHE DOESN'T WANT TO GET UP.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A SEVERAL MONTH LONG PROCESS TO PREPARE AND TO, UH, REVIEW THE BUDGET.
WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT NOW TONIGHT WHERE IT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR ADOPTION AND STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
ANY COMMENTS? WE MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS LAST MEETING ABOUT IT.
SO JUST REITERATING THANKS TO THE STAFF AND THE COMMITTEES AND EVERYBODY THAT'S, UH, PITCHED IN TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD ON IT THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE WORK TO GO STILL BEFORE NEXT YEAR, STRUCTURALLY AND OTHERWISE, BUT, UH, WE WE'VE MOVED IN A GOOD DIRECTION THIS YEAR AND I'M READY TO APPROVE IT.
YEAH, I'M, I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD AS WELL.
I JUST, IT'S INTERESTING THAT PEOPLE WERE HERE AND NOW THEY'VE LEFT AND THIS IS LIKE, THIS IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT AT WORK AND THIS IS TRANSPARENCY AND IT MAYBE SEEM, IT'S NOT AS EXCITING AS OTHER THINGS, BUT I AM, IT'S MY HONOR TO BE PART OF A PROCESS THAT'S TRANSPARENT AND THAT WE'VE BEEN DILIGENT.
STAFF HAS BEEN DILIGENT, CITY COUNCIL'S BEEN DILIGENT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE ASKED A LOT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE STAFF'S WORK ON THAT AND I, I DO.
UM, IT IS MY HONOR TO SERVE AND I, I'M GOOD WITH IT.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION IF SOMEBODY, UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY, WE MIGHT HAVE A COUPLE OF MORE COMMENTS FIRST, BUT GO FOR IT.
YOU GOT ANYTHING? I'D SECOND THAT.
YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE DISCUSSION.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE DISCUSSION
UM, LOOK, I WILL, I WILL MAKE THIS COMMENT AND I WANT PEOPLE TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THIS COUNCIL WAS SWORN IN A YEAR AGO, MAY, SO IN MAY OF 2025, WE WERE HANDED A BUDGET PACKET THAT WE KNEW WE HAD TO VOTE ON IN LESS THAN A MONTH.
AND WE STRUGGLED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT WAS.
WE STRUGGLED TO SEE WHAT ANY INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT WAS SPENDING.
AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, WE STRUGGLED TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE IN FUNDING BETWEEN GOVERNMENT SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS AND CAPITAL.
AND WE'VE MADE HUGE IMPROVEMENT TO GET WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND KATHY PISON AND HER STAFF THANK YOU TO OUR BUDGET REFORM COMMITTEE THAT SPENT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MONTHS AND HOW MANY MEETINGS MEETING TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO START SIMPLIFYING THIS PRO PROCESS.
PEOPLE DO NEED TO KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT BUDGETING IS COMPLEX, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED.
AND WE'VE STARTED TO UNTANGLE THE COMPLICATIONS WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.
[01:50:01]
AND THE FACT THAT WE CAN SAY HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES VERSUS PUBLIC WORKS AND VERSUS CAPITAL IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD.WE'VE STILL GOT MORE WORK TO DO.
IT'S GONNA TAKE US AT LEAST THE NEXT YEAR TO GET WHERE I THINK WE ALL WANT TO BE.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT A YEAR AGO IT ABSOLUTELY SCARED ME WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON.
AND TODAY I AT LEAST HAVE A NUMBER.
BEING A GOVERNMENT FINANCE GUY, I'M EXCITED THAT WE HAVE NUMBERS THAT WE CAN AT LEAST UNDERSTAND AND IT'S, IT'S A BIG STEP FORWARD.
UM, I GUESS AT THIS POINT WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL THE PUBLIC.
ANYONE LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? HELLO, MY NAME IS JOE GATI AND I'M AT, UH, 1616 RUSTIC CREEK DRIVE.
UM, I SENT IN A POWERPOINT EARLIER, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A COPY OF IT.
I SENT IT TO THE CLERK, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE RECEIVED IT.
UM, WHAT I'D LIKE, I, WHAT I'D LIKE TO START WITH IS, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'VE DONE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL JOB IN, I WANNA TALK ABOUT WATER RATE CHARGES, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
UH, I KNOW THEY WERE APPROVED PREVIOUSLY AND THE RATE PLAN 1D WAS APPROVED.
I'VE BEEN HERE THREE YEARS IN EDMOND, AND SO I'M CATCHING UP AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I'M WAY LATE TO THE GAME.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S COMMENTS.
I'VE VIEWED THE VIDEOS, I'VE READ MINUTES AND YOUR DILIGENCE AND THE STAFF, THE WATER STAFF IS PHENOMENAL.
UH, SO WHAT I SAY TONIGHT, UH, IS FOR CONSIDERATION AND IT HAS TO DO WITH RATES.
UM, THERE WAS COMMENTS MADE ABOUT, UH, INCENTIVIZING, UH, THE LARGER HOUSEHOLD WATER USE AND DECREASING THE LOW WATER USERS ACTUAL COST.
AND SO I WANT TO ADDRESS THAT ONE AS A PASTOR.
RETIRED, UH, EQUITABLE JUST CHARGES FOR USAGE AND, UM, PROPOSE, UH, A DIFFERENT ACCOUNTING METHOD THAT IS BEING USED.
BUT, UH, THE CITY NEEDS REVENUE.
THE PLANTS NEED TO BE BUILT, THE CAPACITY NEEDS TO BE THERE.
AND THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE THE, TAKEN THE FORTITUDE TO DO THAT.
AND SO THAT REALLY IS A HUGE STEP FOR THE FUTURE.
AND, UH, THAT SHOULD NOT, ANYTHING I SAY, I DO NOT WANT TO MISSAL UH, SAY ANYTHING AGAINST THAT.
SO REAL QUICKLY, YOU DON'T HAVE THE, THE, UM, POWERPOINT.
SO REAL QUICK THAT, UM, I'VE ALREADY SAID THAT.
UM, I WANNA ASK THE QUESTION, IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR LOW WATER CONSUMERS? AND I'M GONNA USE A STRONG WORD TO SUBSIDIZE HIGH WATER USERS WHO DRIVE PEAK DEMAND CAPACITY.
THE REASON WE NEED 30 MILLION GALLONS OF DAY IS BECAUSE OF HIGH RESIDENTIAL IRRIGATION USERS AND SOME COMMERCIAL, BUT I'M HERE TALKING ABOUT RESIDENTIAL.
OKAY? THEY'RE THE PEAK DRIVERS.
UM, IT'S NOT THE LOW FAMILIES THAT ARE CAUSING THE NEED FOR THIS.
SO, UM, WHY THIS MATTERS? FIXED CHARGES HIT SMALL HOUSEHOLD SENIORS AND LOW USE HOMES FIRST BY JUST BUILDING INTO THE, WE CALL IT THE BASE, BUT IT'S THE ZERO TO THOUSAND VOLUME.
THAT'S A TIER, THAT'S A VOLUME TIER.
IT IS THE BASE, AND THIS IS ALL LEGAL.
UH, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THAT.
WE NEED TO COLLECT REVENUE, HIGHER USE HOMES, GET TO SPREAD THAT SAME FIXED CHARGE ACROSS THOUSANDS, MILLIONS OF GALLIONS WHERE IF A LOW HOUSEHOLD DOES NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSERVE, THEY'RE ALREADY A LOW USE THAT MAKES STRUCTURAL REVENUE STABLE, BUT NOT NEUTRAL BY USAGE.
SO IT'S MORE ABOUT, UH, AFFORDABILITY.
IT'S ACTUALLY A SUBTLE WEALTH SHIFT AND COST ALLOCATION ISSUE.
SO WHAT WAS APPROVED ARE BASE CHARGE INCREASES OF 167%, UH, BY 2 20 29.
SO THE INCREASE IS DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY I SAID, FIXED CHARGES AND WATER.
LOW USE HOUSEHOLDS CANNOT AVOID THE IN INCREASE THROUGH CONSERVATION.
[01:55:01]
LIKE? A 4,000 GALLON PER MONTH HOUSEHOLD, THEIR BILL WILL INCREASE BY 67%, EIGHT 8,000 PER GALLON HOUSEHOLD.THEIR BILL WILL INCREASE INCREASE BY 37%, A 15%, UH, GALLON PER USE HOUSEHOLD, 20% INCREASE IN THEIR BILL.
25,000 GALLON PER MONTH WILL ONLY EXPERIENCE 11% IN INCREASE WHILE A 35,000.
AND I RECOGNIZE YOU DID ADD, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL TIER FOR A MODERATE CONSERVATIVE, UH, CONSERVATION, UH, ADDITION.
BUT STILL IT'S A 7% INCREASE IN THEIR BILL.
THESE PEOPLE, THE HIGH USAGE IRRIGATION USE HAVE BEEN WILLING TO PAY THESE BILLS.
7% MORE IS, UH, IT'S A REGRESSIVE TAX CHARGING.
THE LOWEST 67% INCREASE AND THE HIGHEST ONLY A 7%.
SO THE EFFECTIVE COST PER GALLON FOR A 4,000.
HOW, UH, GALLON USER IS $18 AND 59 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS.
A 8,000 DROPS $5 A GALLON, UH, A THOUSAND GALLONS TO $13 AND 73 CENTS.
TWO, IT CONTINUES AT 15 GOING DOWN TO $11 AND 92 CENTS LEVELS OFF AT 25,000, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE CHEAPEST.
YOU USE 25,000, YOU GET THE BEST DEAL.
AND BECAUSE OF THE THIRD, THE 30 30,000 TIER, IT UPS A LITTLE BIT AT THE END TO $12 AND 51 CENTS.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
SO TWO CARS PULL UP TO A GAS STATION.
ONE'S A CHARGER SUP, SUPERCHARGED CHARGER 1967.
AND THE COST PER GALLON AT THE GAS IS $18 AND 59 CENTS, MAYBE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
I KNOW, I'M NOT SURE, BUT THERE'S A, A HYBRID ELECTRIC THAT PULLS UP BEHIND IT.
AND THE HYBRID ELECTRIC REPRESENTS THE LOW GALLON PER MONTH USER.
YOUR, CAN I, CAN I INTERRUPT YOU FOR JUST A SECOND? YES, SIR.
CAN YOU SUMMARIZE THIS VERY QUICKLY? YES.
AND GET US BACK TO THE BUDGET? YES.
YOU, YOU STARTED IT BY SAYING THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE BUDGET IN REFERENCE TO IT IS PUBLIC WORKS PIECE OF THIS.
I NEED YOU TO SUMMARIZE BACK TO THAT.
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE WATER RATES THAT WE DEALT WITH A MONTH AGO.
IT'S A DONE DEAL WITH THE UNDERSTANDING FROM THIS COUNCIL THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THOSE RATES EACH YEAR TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THEM.
BUT I NEED YOU TO GET THIS BACK TO THE BUDGET.
SO I I AGREE WITH THAT AND I WON'T TAKE UP ANY MORE OF YOUR TIME.
I WANT THIS PRESENTATION CONSIDERED I'M AVAILABLE 'CAUSE I KNOW WE WANT TO DO THE RIGHT AND FAIR THING.
UM, THE BOTTOM LINE IS IN ACTUAL DOLLARS, NOT PERCEIVED AFFORDABILITY, BUT ACTUAL DOLLARS LOW INCOME HOUSES ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD TO PAY 4,700, $800 MORE THAN THE EQUITABLY PER GALLON.
BUT THE ONES AT THE TOP END ARE GONNA BE 10 TO 11,000 PAYING LESS, BUT IT'S SUBSIDIZED.
'CAUSE THE LOWER ONES ARE PAYING FOR IT'S REAL DOLLARS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
AND IT'S SO GOOD AND THERE IS, I DON'T WANT TO BRING A PROBLEM.
IT'S A, THERE'S A SOLUTION BY CHARGING.
SIMILARLY, THE WAY YOU DO ELECTRIC IS YOU GET A UNIFORM ONE RATE FOR ALL FAMILIES AND THEY'LL FILL IT.
BUT YOU HAVE A SURCHARGE, YOU NEED YOUR REVENUE AND THE REVENUE WASN'T MET.
WELL, THAT'LL IDENTIFY NOT ONLY THE GAP, BUT YOU KNOW, THE GALLONS PER USE PER HOUSEHOLD.
EVERYBODY GETS THE SURCHARGE OR EXCESS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE UP THE REVENUE DEFICIT.
AND FINALLY, AS A PASTOR, I GOTTA JUST SAY IT, YOU PUT A LITTLE DONATE BOX ON YOUR BILLING THAT SAYS, HEY, IF YOU WANNA DONATE 50, UH, UH, 50 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS TO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THESE HIGH RATES ALREADY ARE ALREADY PAYING LARGE BILLS, BUT THEY DON'T EVEN SEE 'EM, THE HIGH IRRIGATION USE, MAYBE WE'D END UP FUNDING A LOT MORE AND NOT HAVING AND BE ABLE TO FUND THE LOWER END A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY BEFORE YOU STEP AWAY.
[02:00:01]
YOUR EMAIL HERE THAT YOU SENT.YES, I'VE READ IT THREE TIMES NOW AND HEARD IT ONCE.
UH, I'VE GOT YOUR PHONE NUMBER HERE.
I'M GONNA GO HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE AND TALK ABOUT THAT DONATION THING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, UHHUH.
THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT JOB GUYS.
WE, WE DIDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING OTHERWISE, RIGHT? I HOPE YOU DID
I HOPE I'VE TRAINED YOU UP UNTIL NOW.
SO I WANT TO ECHO THE COMMENTS RELATIVE TO THE EVEN INCREASED TRANSPARENCY OF THE BOOK THIS TIME.
FIRST, LAST TIME WHERE YOU'VE ADDED THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND WHAT THE EACH FUND IS FOR.
THAT TRANSPARENCY IS CONTINUING AS WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE ON THE FINANCE WORLD.
UM, COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD ASK THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR IS REQUIREMENT THAT A FIVE YEAR PROJECTION BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE HAVE FUTURES THAT ARE NOT ALL BRIGHT AND ROSY AND THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
OUR PERCENTAGE RESERVES IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN OUR REGIONAL AREA, UH, CITIES AND IS GONNA GET LOWER DUE TO TWO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
YOU'RE GONNA REQUIRE BETWEEN NOW AND JULY ONE, THE
BOTH OKLAHOMA CITY AND NORMAN HAVE HELD THE LINE ON THEIR CORE EXPENSES AND TO THE DEGREE WHERE THEY DIDN'T ADD POSITIONS AND POSITIONS DIDN'T GET STEP RAISES.
AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO GET TO THAT LEVEL HERE, BUT IF CHANGES DON'T OCCUR, IT WILL BE REQUIRED.
ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NONE, WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO? MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS BY THE WAY.
[4. Recess of the Edmond City Council Meeting and Call to Order of the Edmond Public Works Authority Meeting.]
FOUR.I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION HERE TO RECESS THE EDMOND CITY COUNCIL MEETING CALLED ORDER THE EDMOND PUBLIC WORKS AUTHORITY MEETING.
SECOND, SHE SAID ITEM NUMBER FOUR, MR. MOORE, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE
WE ARE IN PUBLIC WORKS AUTHORITY MEETING.
[A. Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget and Financial Plan for Fiscal Year 2026-27, containing the Public Works Authority Utility Funds and Other Enterprise Funds, to include: Receive Public Comments, Recommendations, or Other Information regarding the Proposed Budget and Financial Plan for Fiscal Year 2026-27; and Discussion and Consideration of Potential Amendments and Consideration of Approval of Resolution No. 04-26 Approving the Budget and Financial Plan of Various Edmond Public Works Authority Funds for Fiscal Year 2026-27. (Citywide)]
NUMBER FIVE IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. UH, FIVE A IS ACTUALLY THE LAST ONE WE JUST DISCUSSED IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.AND THAT'S APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ONE? ANY MORE COMMENTS UP HERE? I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
[B. Consideration of Approval of a Budget Amendment for a Supplemental Appropriation for the Final Incentive Payment to Fifth Street Partners, LLC from EPWA Drainage Reserves; $41,651.47. (Citywide)]
FIVE B IS CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE FINAL INCENTIVE PAYMENT TO FIFTH STREET PARTNERS LLC FROM EPWA DRAINAGE RESERVES IN THE AMOUNT OF $41,651 AND 47 CENTS.MS. DOZIER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN THIS TO US? SURE.
LENA DOZIER, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, THIS PAYMENT IS FOR, UM, FIFTH STREET PARTNERS AS PART OF THEIR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, THEY HAVE FINISHED THEIR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND IT IS TIME TO PAY THEIR LAST PAYMENT.
I GUESS I GET TO SAY THIS ONE MORE TIME.
WHY WAS THIS NOT IN THE BUDGET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR? AND I DON'T EXPECT AN ANSWER FROM YOU.
BUT THAT'S A RHETORICAL QUESTION BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SAYING IT NOW SINCE LAST MAY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE WE FINALLY GOT THIS ONE WRAPPED UP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL? ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? SEEING NONE.
WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO, COUNSEL? IT'S A GOOD LOOKING PROJECT.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
MR. MOORE, ARE YOU GONNA VOTE ON THIS ONE?
[6. Public Works Authority General Consent Items: Items listed under General Consent are usually approved as a group with the proper motion from a member of the Public Works Authority. Members of the Public Works Authority may pull any item under General Consent for separate discussion and/or action.]
SIX IS PUBLIC WORKS AUTHORITY.[02:05:01]
GENERAL CONSENT ITEMS? WE HAVE TWO ITEMS TONIGHT.ANYBODY WANNA PULL EITHER ONE OF THEM OR WE WANNA JUST VOTE ON THEM? HAVE WE TOTALLY LOST OUR MO MOMENTUM HERE TO APPROVE, LET MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PUBLIC WORKS CONSENT DOCK.
MOVING ON TO ITEM SEVEN, PUBLIC WORKS AUTHORITY, DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION ITEMS. WE DIDN'T PULL ANY.
SO A IS OFF THE TABLE PRESENTATION
[B. Presentation and Discussion of Allowances for Water Resources Construction Contracts. (Citywide)]
DISCUSSION OF ALLOWANCES FOR WATER RESOURCES CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.AND WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THIS ONE.
UH, WILL HUGGINS WATER RESOURCES ENGINEER, UH, WANTED TO PRESENT, UM, KIND OF A OVERVIEW OF A NEW CONTRACTUAL MECHANISM THAT WATER RESOURCES WANTS TO INCORPORATE INTO OUR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND JUST ALLOW ANY DISCUSSION FEEDBACK FROM CITY COUNCIL.
WE, UH, PRESENTED THIS ITEM TO THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION, RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK AND JUST WANTED TO KIND OF LET COUNCIL KNOW WHERE WE'D LIKE TO HEAD.
SO, UM, JUST AS BACKGROUND, OBVIOUSLY WE USE A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS TO EXECUTE THE LARGE CIP THAT WATER RESOURCES HAS RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S NO FORMAL PROCESS FOR ALLOWANCES.
SO BASICALLY ANY CHANGE, UM, REGARDLESS OF SIZE, HAS TO BE BROUGHT FORTH AS A FORMAL CHANGE ORDER AND APPROVED BY EPWA.
UM, SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO INCORPORATE, OR PLAN TO INCORPORATE IS KIND OF, UH, TWO, TWO ITEMS. ONE'S THE OWNER'S CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE, WHICH WOULD BASICALLY HANDLE KNOWN UNKNOWNS, UNFORESEEN CONDITIONS OR CHANGES, UH, DESIGN ERRORS, UM, OWNER INITIATED SCOPE MODIFICATIONS RELATED TO THE WORK.
UM, ANY OTHER KIND OF UNEXPECT UNEXPECTED ISSUES THAT COME UP IN THE EXECUTION OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.
UM, PARTICULARLY, UM, WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITHIN EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THE OTHER WOULD BE, UM, SPECIFIC ALLOWANCES SUCH AS SAY, BUILDING PERMIT COSTS, UH, FIXTURES AND FUR FURNISHES THAT AREN'T SPECIFIED.
UM, EQUIPMENT, UM, CHEMICAL PURCHASES AT THE START OF, UM, TREATMENT PROCESSES.
AND THERE ARE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, DURING DESIGN AREN'T FULLY SPECIFIED IN THE BID DOCUMENTS.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TWO KIND OF COMPONENTS? SO THESE ARE JUST, UH, UH, THREE EXAMPLES.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ THEM VERBATIM.
THEY'RE IN THE, UH, PRESENTATION, THE AGENDA ITEM.
BUT THE IDEA HERE, I'LL JUST TAKE THE FIRST ONE IS, YOU KNOW, THE ENGINEER SPECIFIES THREE OR FOUR STAINLESS STEEL.
UM, WHAT WE REALLY NEED IN THE APPLICATION IS TYPE THREE 16 STAINLESS STEEL.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPECIFIED.
UH, WE COULD USE THE OWNER'S CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE, UM, TO FUND THE COST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPE 3 0 4 AND TYPE THREE 16.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE PAID FOR 3 0 4, BUT WE REALLY NEED THREE 16.
SO INSTEAD OF COMING BACK WITH A CHANGE ORDER FOR SAY, $5,000 TO GO WITH THREE 16 STAINLESS STEEL PIPE, WE'D HAVE A OWNER'S CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE TO FUND THIS.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER EXAMPLES AS FAR AS LIKE AN INSTRUMENT BEING LEFT OUT OR RUNNING INTO UNEXPECTED, UM, GEOTECHNICAL CONDITIONS.
AND JUST FOR, I THOUGHT THIS ONE, UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY A RECENT ONGOING PROJECT.
UM, SO THERE WAS SOME INSUFFICIENT CLARITY ON VAULT MODIFICATIONS FOR A VALVE VAULT.
A DESIGN CLARIFICATION NEEDED TO BE ISSUED BY THE CONSULTING ENGINEER.
THE MODIFICATIONS RESULT IN ABOUT AN $80,000 CHAIN, UH, COST INCREASE.
UM, SO IF WE USE THE EXISTING PROCESS, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN $80,000 PCO AND THEN CLOSE TO $70,000 IN DELAY COST.
IF THIS WAS A CRITICAL PATH ITEM, SO ABOUT $5,000 A DAY FOR A CONTRACTOR OVERHEAD TO CARRY, UM, CARRY MOBILIZATION OR INSURANCE BONDING.
AND THAT SORT OF, SO THE IDEA HERE WITH THE CONTINGENCY PROPOSED CONTINGENCY PROCESS, WE'D HAVE THIS $80,000 CHANGE.
WE COULD USE THE OWNER'S CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE TO EXECUTE THAT CHANGE, ALLOW THE CONTRACTOR PROCEED AND NOT HOLD UP.
UM, THE WORK IN THIS INSTANCE, IT'S NOT A CRITICAL PATH ITEM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME CREDITS FROM SOME MATERIAL CHANGES THAT WE INCORPORATED TO OFFSET IT.
SO THIS CHART, UM, KIND OF LAYS OUT, UM, AND, UH, KIND OF AN INFOGRAPHIC FORMAT.
THE WHAT'S LISTED IN THE PROCEDURE DOCUMENT THAT WAS IN THE PACKET.
I THINK THE KEY THINGS TO HIT HERE ARE, UM, FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, THEY REALLY WANTED TO BE KIND OF MADE AWARE OF THE PROPOSED ALLOWANCES.
[02:10:01]
SO RIGHT NOW WE GO TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE AND TO KIND OF AUTHORIZE PROCEEDING WITH BID.SO WHEN WE DO THAT, WE WOULD ALSO LET THEM KNOW WHAT ALLOWANCES WE PLAN TO INCLUDE IN THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT THAT GOES OUT TO BID.
UM, THE OTHER TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE EPW AUTHORIZES DIRECTOR TO APPROVE ALLOWANCE SPENDING.
SO WHEN WE BRING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS FORWARD THAT HAVE ALLOWANCE SPENDING, WE'D INCLUDE, UM, LANGUAGE IN THE AGENDA ITEM THAT BASICALLY COUNCIL OR EPWA WOULD AUTHORIZE THE WATER RESOURCES DIRECTOR TO SIGN OFF ON THOSE CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE, UM, ITEMS AS THEY ARISE.
UM, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TO NOTE, KIND OF TOWARDS THE BOTTOM, UH, WATER RESOURCES WOULD BASICALLY WOULD, WATER RESOURCES WOULD BEING A QUARTERLY REPORT TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE AND EPWA, BASICALLY PROVIDING THE CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE LOG FOR EACH ACTIVE PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING TO NOTE IS ANY UNUSED ALLOWANCE FUNDS REVERT BACK TO EPWA AT THE, WITH THE FINAL CHANGE ORDER.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD ALSO, AS PART OF THE PROJECT CLOSEOUT PROCESS, PRESENT ACCOUNTS OR EPWA, A FINAL ALLOWANCE REPORT FOR THE PROJECT.
SO THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES, UM, SOME UPCOMING PROJECTS.
UM, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW THEY WOULD RANGE, TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE WRITTEN INTO THE PROCEDURE DOCUMENT IS WE WOULD EXPECT, UH, OWNER'S CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE TO RANGE FROM TWO TO 5%, BUT NO MORE THAN 5% OF THE, THAT ENGINEER'S ESTIMATED, UM, OUR OPINION OF PROBABLE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
SO THIS GIVES, UH, EXAMPLES FOR THREE PROJECTS.
ONE BEING, UM, THE O ONE C PROJECT THAT'S OUT THE BID, YOU KNOW, BUILDING PERMIT FEE ALLOWANCE.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL NEW BUILDINGS, UM, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS, IS THE, THE CONTRACTOR WOULD JUST PROVIDE A PROPOSAL PASS THROUGH COST OF THE PERMIT FEE, UH, CHEMICAL ALLOWANCE AT START UP.
UM, THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THE, UM, MANUFACTURER OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE USE TO START UP THE NEW PROCESSES.
AND THEN THE OWNER'S CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE HERE WOULD BE $5 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTS ABOUT 1.5% OF THE OPINION OF PROBABLE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
UM, ON SOME OTHER PROJECTS, YOU MAY SEE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE, BUT A OVERALL LOWER NUMBER, FOR INSTANCE, ON SANITARY SEWER REHAB WHERE WE'RE REHABBING OR REPLACING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, WE CARRY A HIGHER, UM, CONTINGENCY ALLOWANCE AT 4.5%, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT $125,000.
SO REALLY JUST TO KIND OF, UM, WRAP UP, THE MAIN THING IS BASICALLY, UM, TO GIVE US A MECHANISM TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE RISK AND CHANGE AND THEN AVOID, UM, POTENTIALLY COSTLY DELAYS TO OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND WITH THAT, UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR RECEIVE ANY FEEDBACK.
MR. MAYOR, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EXTENSIVELY AT THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I GUESS, AND, UH, I THINK MR. WATERSON HAD A QUESTION.
DID YOU GET THOSE ANSWERED? DID I HAVE A QUESTION? I KNOW I, WELL, I, I KNOW THE ONE ITEM WAS, UM, ADDING IT TO THE BID APPROVAL PROCESS.
YEAH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE MAIN, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIALLY IF THERE WAS, UH, POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
I KNOW YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT ROLLED OUT TO ACROSS I KNOW THE THOUGHT CONTRACTS.
I MEAN, UM, THIS IS LIKE ITEM NUMBER 50 THAT I'VE SEEN FROM THE WILL HUGGINS GOOD IDEA LIST.
SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE STUDENT'S CRUSHING IT.
AND A LOT OF YOU, HE'S HAPPY TO EXPLAIN THEM TO YOU TOO.
UM, I MANAGE PROJECTS EVERY DAY FOR THE, FOR THE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
THIS IS PRETTY STANDARD TO HAVE THIS KIND OF ALLOWANCE IN THE, UH, FEDERAL CONTRACTS THAT I WORK WITH.
I THINK IT'S REALLY A SMART IDEA.
THERE'S UNCERTAINTY IN EVERY PROJECT.
UM, THERE ARE KNOWN UNKNOWNS IN EVERY PROJECT, AND IF WE ALLOW ZERO FOR THAT, THAT MEANS THAT WE FORCE PROJECTS TO STALL FOR LIKE $5,000 THINGS.
WE DON'T WANNA DO THAT, RIGHT? WE WANNA BE SMART, WE WANNA BE EFFICIENT.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD SUGGESTION IN PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE, AS COUNCIL MOORE SAID, OR AS WILL SAID, I SUGGESTED THAT WE ROLL THIS OUT CITYWIDE ACROSS PROJECTS.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT ON OUR ROAD PROJECTS.
ANYTHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT THAT HAS A BUDGET OF MORE THAN A COUPLE DOLLARS, WE NEED TO BE BUILDING IN SOME CONTINGENCY JUST LIKE THIS.
I THINK IT DOES NEED TO BE DIFFERENT.
I SAID THIS IN PUBLIC WORKS, IT NEEDS TO BE DIFFERENT PER PROJECT, RIGHT? BIG PROJECT, LITTLE PROJECT.
LIKE, THERE'S NOT A UNIFORM PERCENTAGE THAT WE SHOULD APPLY.
IT SHOULD REALLY, LIKE YOU SAID, COME FORWARD WITH WHEN THE PROJECT COMES FORWARD FOR APPROVAL AS THAT, YOU KNOW, ADD THE CONTINGENCY APPROVAL BASICALLY AT THAT POINT.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY SMART.
I THINK IT GIVES FLEXIBILITY AND STILL MAINTAINS D DILIGENCE AND TRANSPARENCY AND HELPS OUR CITY TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN EXECUTING PROJECTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE TWO OF YOU
[02:15:01]
LIKE THIS.I WAS EXCITED AS I WENT THROUGH THIS TO SEE THAT YOU HAD A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE FLOW.
IT MAKES IT EASY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.
YOU HAVE AN ERROR IN YOUR SOP.
THE SUBSECTION, VERY FIRST SUBSECTION IS 4.1, 0.1, NOT 4.4 0.1.
AND THEN THE VERY NEXT SUBSECTION IS ALSO 4.1.
SO, MR. MAYOR, SORRY, THE, THE, THE, THE PROCESS NERDS ON THE COUNCIL, UM, ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME UP HERE TONIGHT, I GUESS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR DRIVING THIS ONE HOME, UM, AND LISTENING TO WHAT THIS GUY OVER HERE SUGGESTED.
MR. MAYOR, I WOULD MAKE A SUGGESTION IF I MAY, UH, THAT YOU COME BACK BEFORE THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE 60, 90 DAYS FROM NOW, AND SHOW US HOW THIS IS WORKING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO? IT'S JUST DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION.
THIS, THIS IS JUST A, WE DON'T NEED A MOTION DISCUSSION.
OH, IT'S JUST DISCUSSION THEN.
[8. Adjournment of the Edmond Public Works Authority Meeting and Reconvene the Edmond City Council Meeting.]
NUMBER EIGHT ON THE AGENDA.I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN EDMOND PUBLIC WORKS AUTHORITY AND RECONVENE THE EDMOND CITY COUNCIL.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
WE'RE BACK IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
[9. City Council General Consent Items: Items listed under General Consent are usually approved as a group with the proper motion from a member of the Council. Members of the Council may pull any item under General Consent for separate discussion and/or action.]
IS CITY COUNCIL GENERAL CONSENT ITEMS. I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM NINE B FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM NINE I
CAN I ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THE OTHERS? YES, SIR.
MR. MAYOR, I'D MOVE TO APPROVE THE ITEM NINE, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM B AND I SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
[A. Consideration of City Council General Consent Agenda Items Pulled for Separate Discussion and/or Action.]
ON TO 10 A, WHICH A CONSIDERATION OF CITY COUNCIL GENERAL CONSENT ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION.CONSIDERATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE MITCH PARK MASTER PLAN.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE QUITE HONEST FOR US TO SEND THIS BACK TO PARKS, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR DURING THE SURVEY PERIOD THAT THEY DIDN'T DO ANY SURVEYING DURING BASEBALL GAMES OUT AT MITCH PARK.
AND THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS PLAN THAT ADDRESSES THE LACK OF PARKING.
IF YOU GO OUT THERE ANY WEEK NIGHT DURING BASEBALL SEASON, WE HAVE PEOPLE PARKING IN AREAS THAT SAYS, NO PARKING, WE HAVE 'EM PARKING ON THE GRASS, AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THIS MASTER PLAN THAT REALLY ADDRESSES THAT NEED.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE US NOT MOVE THIS ON THROUGH TONIGHT, BUT GET IT BACK, UM, INTO THE RIGHT HANDS WITH THE, THE PARKS TEAM.
AND IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO WORK IT OVER, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH IT, MAYBE LOOK AT EVERYTHING ELSE AS WE BRING FER PARK BASEBALL FIELDS ONLINE IN PELICAN BAY ONLINE.
UM, SO I, I'D LIKE TO, UH, FOR US TO CONTINUE THIS FOR 90 DAYS TO GIVE THEM TIME TO LOOK AT THAT.
IS THAT A MOTION? NO, THAT I'M IN THE CHAIR.
ALL I JUST SAID, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
UH, BUT THAT'S THE, THE WHOLE REASON WHY I WANTED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
UH, IF ANY OF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, PICK A WEEK NIGHT AT 6:00 PM AND DRIVE OUT TO MID PARK AND TRY TO FIND A PLACE TO PARK TO GO THE GO TO A BALL FIELD.
THAT WOULD WORK FOR ME VERY MUCH.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF FURNITURE, PURCHASE OF FURNITURE FOR THE OFFICE OF MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR MATHIS HOME FURNITURE NOT TO EXCEED $1,600.
I JUST WANTED TO PULL THIS FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, I WAS NOT PART OF THE COUNCIL THAT
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VOTED TO APPROVE THIS BUILDING, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF THAT CONTRACT INCLUDED INTERIOR DESIGN, WHICH A SUBSET OF THAT IS FFF AND E AND THERE WAS FURNITURE PURCHASED, UM, IN THE CONTRACT OF THIS BUILDING.AND THERE WAS ALSO DESIGN, I BELIEVE THERE'S PROBABLY LIKE A CATALOG FULL OF FURNITURE THAT MATCHES EVERYTHING ELSE JUST FOR ITS CONSISTENT FEEL THROUGHOUT THIS BUILDING.
AND, UM, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE LOOKING AT THAT OR AN ALTERNATIVE LOOKING, UM, IF THERE IS FURNITURE THAT WAS EITHER REMOVED FROM THAT OFFICE OR REMOVED FROM OTHER OFFICES, IF THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING SUITABLE TO GO IN THERE.
UM, JUST TRYING TO BE WISE WITH OUR DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING FROM MAYOR TO MAYOR.
AND ONE MAYOR MAY NOT LIKE A BLUE CHAIR AND ONE MAY LIKE A GREEN CHAIR.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I JUST COMING TO PUBLIC DOLLARS, I JUST WANNA BE, I JUST WANNA BE CONSIDERATE.
AND IF EITHER OF THOSE AREN'T, IF WE CAN'T FIND SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEING USED OR ORDER SOMETHING FROM THE LOOKBOOK THAT WE SPENT MONEY ON FOR AN INTERIOR DESIGNER, THEN, THEN I MIGHT EVEN SUGGEST LOOKING FOR A LOCAL ADMIN BUSINESS TO SUPPORT.
SO OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENDING BEING SPENT HERE.
BUT THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS, AND YOU CAN TAKE 'EM OR LEAVE THEM.
UM, SO THE PUBLIC HERE, I MEAN, THIS IS PART OF WHAT THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS ABOUT, AND IT NEEDS TO BE HEARD.
UM, WHEN THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE LOOKED LIKE EVERY OTHER OFFICE IN THE BUILDING WITH IKEA STYLE FURNITURE.
AND YET THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE PLACE WHERE WE ENTERTAIN VISITORS, IPS.
IT LITERALLY HAD A DESK JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER DESK IN THIS BUILDING.
AND IT HAD A WALL OF CABINETS AND BOOKSHELVES WITH NO PLACE, NO FURNITURE TO EVEN ENTERTAIN CONGRESSMEN, STATE, LEGISLATORS, OTHER MAYORS, ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S A SPECIAL GUEST OF OUR CITY.
AND AFTER DISCUSSION, WE SAID, TAKE WHAT HAD BEEN DONE DURING THE DESIGN PHASE.
WE CAN PROBABLY USE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
LET'S BRING THE MAYOR'S DESK THAT WAS DONATED TO THIS CITY BY A FORMER MAYOR AND HIS FAMILY DECADES AGO.
LET'S BRING IT OVER FROM THE OLD MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OFFICE.
BRING THE COUCH AND THE COFFEE TABLE.
SAME THING THAT WAS DONATED BY PREVIOUS MAYOR AND THEIR FAMILY.
AND LET'S MAKE THIS OFFICE LOOK LIKE A PLACE WHERE WE TRULY CAN ENTERTAIN SPECIAL GUESTS, VISITORS TO OUR CITY.
AND WE DID LOOK, TO BE QUITE HONEST, AT SOME LOCAL PLACES WITHIN OUR BOUNDARIES.
AND, AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, THEIR PRICING WAS THREE TIMES AS HIGH AS THIS.
AND RIGHT NOW, IF THERE'S ANYBODY HERE TONIGHT WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR LOVELY AMAZON CHAIRS THAT WE HAVE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW, THAT COST US A HUNDRED DOLLARS A PIECE, I BOUGHT 'EM.
UM, NOT WHAT I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD BE USING IN A MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND WE WOUND UP AT MATHIS BROTHERS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING COST EFFECTIVE IN TOWN.
AND IT'S TWO CHAIRS, AND IT'S A SMALL AND BASICALLY 30 BY 60 TABLE TO GO WITH THE EXISTING.
IT MATCHES THE EXISTING SIDE CHAIRS FOR THE MAYOR'S DESK THAT'S THERE.
UM, WE ALSO WAITED, I SAY WE, I WAITED WITH OUR ASSISTANT, WAITED UNTIL THIS MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS MONEY LEFT THAT WE WERE NOT GONNA SPEND IN OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR.
AND I FELT LIKE WE NEED TO DO THIS FOR OUR FUTURE.
WE KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THAT PROBLEM WHEN ANOTHER ADMINISTRATION COMES IN.
THEY MAY WANNA GET RID OF THAT DESK THAT HAS MEANING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE THAT UP.
AND I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE TO KEEP THE DESK THAT WAS DONATED AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I, UM, I DON'T THINK OUR FURNITURE LOOKS LIKE I IKEA.
UH, I I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT NICE.
NO, I I'M JUST SAYING THAT WAS THE DESCRIPTION THAT, THAT WAS EXPLAINED BASED THAT
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I HEARD WAS THAT STUFF LOOKS LIKE IKEA FIRST OR A JUNIOR ANALYST AT A TRADING HOUSE.THAT, THAT WAS THE DESCRIPTION THAT I GOT AND I DIDN'T DISAGREE WITH IT.
WELL, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SPENDING OUR MONEY IN THIS WAY.
I DON'T THINK WE WOULD ALLOW AN EMPLOYEE TO PICK THEIR OWN FURNITURE, BUT I UNDERSTAND WANTING AN OFFICE LOOK NICE FOR DIGNITARIES AND I, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR CITY, BUT THAT IS JUST MY OPINION.
I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
BUT WE CAN, I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE IT AND WE CAN VOTE.
THANK I HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.
MOTION PASSES 4 0 1 AND MS. ME NICHOLS.
I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT I ENVISIONED RIGHT WHEN WE STARTED THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
[B. Discussion of 2026 State Legislative Session and Progress on the City of Edmond Legislative Agenda by CSS Partners. (Citywide)]
MOVING ON TO ITEM 10 B, DISCUSSION OF 2026, STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PROGRESS ON THE CITY OF EDMOND LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BY CSS PARTNERS.AND WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION.
CASEY MOORE, DIRECTOR OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UH, I'M GONNA HAND THIS OFF HERE IN JUST A MOMENT TO BROOKS WRIGHT WITH, UH, CSS PARTNERS.
BUT, UH, BEFORE HE GETS UP AND, AND, UH, JUMPS INTO THINGS, I DO WANT TO, UM, THANK YOU DURING THE, UH, GENERAL CONSENT ITEMS. UH, YOU ALL DID APPROVE THEIR CONTRACT FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM FOR SIX YEARS.
THEY'RE GREAT PARTNERS WITH US.
TYLER POWELL, BROOKS WRIGHT, KIRBY SMITH, KIRBY'S, ALSO HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.
UM, AND WE WORK WELL AS A TEAM TO GET A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, APPROVING THEIR CONTRACT FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
AND I'LL WELCOME BROOKS UP NOW TO GO THROUGH AND RECAP, UH, EVERYTHING FROM THIS LAST YEAR IF THIS IS GONNA WORK.
COREY, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG HERE? CLICK, CLICK.
UM, LET ME ASK THE CONTROL ROOM TO, OKAY.
SO, UM, I'LL JUMP RIGHT IN HERE, UM, SINCE IT'S LATE.
SO THE 60TH, UH, LEGISLATURE WRAPPED UP, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF MAY.
UM, UH, ADJOURNING SIGNING DIE ON MAY 14TH.
UH, THE LEGISLATURE FINISHED WITH 497 BILLS BECOMING LAW.
UM, OF THOSE, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED 368 BILLS AND ALLOWED 147 BILLS TO BECOME LAW WITHOUT SIGNATURE.
UM, WHICH IS SOMETHING OF A RECENT TREND THAT OTHER GOVERNORS HAVE NOT PARTAKED IN, IN THE PAST.
BUT GOVERNOR STITT SEEMED TO, UM, ENJOY DOING THAT.
SO, UM, THE STATE BUDGET WAS HELD FLAT FOR MOST AGENCIES.
HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DID SEE, UH, AN INCREASE IN THEIR BUDGET, UM, TO SUPPORT MANDATES UNDER THE READ READING SUFFICIENCY ACT.
UM, THE LEGISLATURE, ALONG WITH THE GOVERNOR, MADE A PRIORITY TO IMPROVE, UM, THIRD GRADE, UH, READING AND LITERACY RATES, UM, IN THE STATE.
SO THERE WAS A BILL THAT, UH, AIMED ADDRESS THAT, AND THE LEGISLATURE MATCHED THAT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, DOLLARS TO TRY TO, TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
SO, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAW A $16.5 MILLION INCREASE IN ITS BUDGET FROM FY 26, UM, TO BRING THEM TO A TOTAL OF 800, AROUND 832 MILLION, UH, DOLLARS FROM THE STATE.
UM, I WILL CIRCLE BACK WITH THAT LATER IN ANOTHER SLIDE ON WHY THAT MIGHT BECOME AN ISSUE, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
SO, HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SESSION INCLUDE, UH, SEVERAL STATE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WILL BE DECIDED BY VOTERS AS NOVEMBER AND AUGUST RUNOFF BALLOTS.
UH, SJR 39, UH, IS THE PROPERTY TAX STATE QUESTION, UH, WHICH PROPOSES A CAP ON GROWTH FOR MOST TYPES OF REAL PROPERTY AT 4% AND LIMITS GROWTH FOR HOMESTEAD AND AGRICULTURE, UH, PROPERTY, UH, TO 1.75%.
UH, THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE CURRENT CAPS.
UH, 5% ON REAL PROPERTY AND 3% ON HOMESTEAD AND AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY.
UH, THIS QUESTION WILL BE STATE QUESTION 8 47.
UH, OTHER STATE QUESTIONS INCLUDE STATE QUESTION 8 46, WHICH IS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REQUIRING PROOF OF IDENTITY, UH, TO VOTE STATE QUESTION 8 45, WHICH MAKES SEVERAL CHANGES TO THE JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION.
AND ALSO STATE QUESTION 8 44, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE LEGISLATURE, UH, TO PASS LAWS ESTABLISHING LEVELS AND METHODOLOGIES OF REIMBURSEMENT, UH, FOR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS FOR LOSS OF REVENUE RESULTING FROM THEFOR MANUFACTURING AVALOR TAX EXEMPTION.
UM, LEGISLATURE OVERRODE FOR GOVERNOR VETOES, UM, BUT THE OKLAHOMA STATE SENATE FAILED TO OVERRIDE A VETO OF SITTING BILL 1 4 6 1, WHICH WOULD'VE EXTENDED THE
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SUNSET FOR THE OKLAHOMA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION AUTHORITY, OR OETA.UM, OETA STILL HAS ONE YEAR BEFORE IT HAS TO WIND DOWN, WHICH WOULD GIVE THE LEGISLATURE AN OPPORTUNITY NEXT YEAR TO EXTEND THE SUNSET, UM, WITH A, WORKING WITH A NEW GOVERNOR IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
UM, AND A REMINDER THAT OETA IS A STATEWIDE NETWORK TO TRANSMIT WEATHER SAFETY ALERTS FOR THE ENTIRE STATE.
SO THEY DO SERVE A CRITICAL PURPOSE.
UM, SO I'LL TOUCH ON THAT JUST FOR A MOMENT.
UM, EDMOND DELEGATION HAS EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE STATE OF OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION ON THE BALLOT THIS YEAR.
OF THAT, NUMBER FOUR MEMBERS HAVE PRIMARY ELECTIONS, UM, AND ONE SEAT IS IN AN OPEN ELECTION, UH, WITH FOUR CANDIDATES SEEK SEEKING, UH, TO HOLD THE OFFICE FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 81, WHICH WAS VACATED BY REPRESENTATIVE MIKE OSBORNE.
UH, THE SENATE IS UP FOR GRABS, UM, THIS YEAR.
UM, THERE'S A DIVISION AMONG THE REPUBLICAN, UH, CAUCUS IN THE SENATE, UH, BETWEEN, UH, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER THE FAR RIGHT, AND THEN THOSE WHO HAVE MAYBE CONSIDERED THE ESTABLISHMENT WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO ARE, ARE IN POWER CURRENTLY.
UM, ONE OF THOSE MEMBERS, UM, IS IN EDMOND AREA, STATE SENATOR, UH, SENATOR GRANT GREEN, UH, WHO DOES HAVE A PRIMARY CHALLENGER.
UH, STATEWIDE ELECTIONS INCLUDE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, AG STATE SUPERINTENDENT, WHICH INCLUDES EDMOND STATE SENATOR ADAM PUGH AS A CANDIDATE.
AND THE US SENATE SEAT VACATED BY SENATOR MARK WAYNE MULLEN.
CONGRESSWOMAN BIAS DID NOT RECEIVE A PRIMARY CHALLENGER, BUT WE'LL HAVE A GENERAL ELECTION APPOINTMENT IN NOVEMBER.
UH, CAN YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? THANK YOU.
UM, SO, UH, WE'VE MENTIONED THIS, UH, SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I'VE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
UM, THERE WAS A BILL, UH, THAT WAS INTRODUCED THAT WOULD AIM TO, UH, LIMIT A CITY'S USE OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANS WHEN MAKING ZONING DECISIONS.
UH, THIS WAS SENATE BILL 6 47.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD THIS OFF FROM BEING, UM, UH, ADOPTED INTO LAW.
UM, PROPONENTS OF THIS BILL DID MAKE A LAST MINUTE EFFORT AT THE END OF THIS SESSION TO TRY TO GET AN AMENDED VERSION OF THIS DONE.
UM, BUT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AT LOBBYING AGAINST THAT GOING FORWARD.
UM, I DO EXPECT THAT SOMETHING, UH, WILL COME BACK IN SOME FORM NEXT YEAR.
SO WE WILL BE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY FOR THAT.
UM, ALSO THROUGH OUR, UH, LOBBYING EFFORTS AND AND DIALOGUE FROM OUR MAYOR AND OUR, OUR, UH, CITY MANAGER WITH THE LEGISLATURE, WE WERE ABLE ABLE TO, UH, LOBBY TO BRING CHANGES TO SB 2060, WHICH CREATED THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE DISTRICTS.
UM, SO, UH, ALONG WITH OML, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN, UH, SAFEGUARDS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR CITIES TO HAVE INPUT AND CONTROL OF THE GROWTH OF SIZE OF THESE DISTRICTS ONCE THEY'RE ESTABLISHED.
UM, DO YOU MIND MOVING TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, OKAY.
SO I'D MENTIONED, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT FUNDING FOR ODOT.
UM, THE STATE IS ONLY INCREASE OF FUNDING, UM, TO OUR TRANSPORTATION AGENCY BY $16.5 MILLION.
UM, AND WE ARE CONCERNED THAT IF FUNDING IS NOT IMPROVED IN THE COMING YEARS, PROBLEMS WILL OCCUR TO PROJECTS ON THE EIGHT YEAR PLAN.
UM, THE STATE HAS HIT ITS SPENDING CAP ON THE ROADS FUND, UH, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND THE STATE HAS NOT, UM, INTRODUCED ANY KIND OF PLAN TO INCREASE THE CAP DURING THAT TIME.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT, UH, WITH OUR ACCESS I 35, UM, AS, AS A VIAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WE SHOULD BE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO DIALOGUE WITH OUR STATE LEADERS, THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ADDRESS, UM, THE GROWING NEEDS FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO, UM, MEET THOSE NEEDS THROUGH MAYBE BETTER FUNDING.
SO, UM, UH, I WILL, COULD YOU GO TO, UH, SLIDE FOUR, PLEASE? THANKS.
UM, SO, UH, I WISH THERE WERE MORE FOLKS FROM EARLIER IN HERE.
I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT DATA, DATA CENTERS FOR A LITTLE BIT, SO THEY MIGHT, MIGHT ENJOY THIS.
BUT, UM, ON ON THE UTILITY SIDE, UH, THERE WAS A BILL, UM, THAT WAS PASSED INTO LAW, UH, ADDRESSING, UH, CONCERNS THAT FOLKS HAVE RELATED TO DATA CENTERS.
THIS WAS HOUSE BILL 2 9 9 2, THE DATA CENTER CUSTOMER PROTECTION ACT.
UM, THIS NEW LAW AIMS TO ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR DATA CENTERS, UH, TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF THEIR POWER GENERATION NEEDS ON RESIDENTIAL RATE PAYERS.
UM, ONE INTERESTING PROVISION OF THIS BILL, UM, IS, OR THIS LAW IS THAT LARGE, UH, ELECTRIC LOAD CUSTOMERS MUST NOTIFY, UH, THE CORPORATION COMMISSION COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 60 DAYS OF PURCHASING LAND, UH, FOR USE FOR A, UH, LARGE ELECTRIC LOAD,
[02:35:01]
UH, ENTITY.UM, SO THIS IS KIND OF A NEW WRINKLE INTO, UH, OKLAHOMA LAW WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UH, WE'LL BE WATCHING THAT CLOSELY IF THAT THE, THE IDEA GETS PICKED UP AND MOVED TO OTHER AREAS.
UH, ANOTHER UTILITY RELATED BILL.
THERE WAS A BILL TRYING TO ADDRESS, UH, TRY TO ESTABLISH LAND SETBACKS FOR NEW WIND FARMS. UM, UH, THIS BILL FAILED TO PASS, UM, UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO, UH, ISSUES FOR, UH, WRINKLING THE VOTES IN THE SENATE.
SO, UH, DO YOU MIND MOVING TO SLIDE FIVE? THANK YOU.
UM, THERE WAS A, UH, BILL THAT PASSED INTO LAW DEALING WITH ON PUBLIC SAFETY FOR, UH, COURT FINDS AND FEES.
UM, THAT BILL WOULD REQUIRE JUDGES TO MAKE A FINDING, UM, THAT A D THAT A DEFENDANT WAS NOT CAPABLE OF MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF FINE AND FEES IMPOSED BY THE COURT.
UM, THERE WERE MULTIPLE BILLS TRYING TO DEAL WITH, UM, WHAT THE LEGISLATOR CONSIDERED MAYBE PUNITIVE, UH, FINES AND FEES.
AND, AND SO THIS BILL WAS THE ONE THAT MADE IT THROUGH, UM, TRYING TO PUT NEW, NEW RULES IN PLACE FOR THAT.
SO ESSENTIALLY THE JUDGE JUST HAS TO MAKE A FINDING ON WHETHER SOMEONE CAN, UM, UH, THEIR ABILITY TO PAY.
UM, WE DID HAVE OUR SHORT TERM HOME RENTAL, UH, BILL THAT FAILED TO MAKE, UH, THE SECOND HOUSE OVERSIGHT, UH, COMMITTEE HEARING.
UM, WE HAD HAD, UH, A MEETING WITH FOLKS FROM, UH, THE HOME RENTAL PLATFORMS, UM, ADDRESS, TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS.
UM, I DO THINK, UH, IT WAS A ENLIGHTENING CONVERSATION FOR US, AND IT MIGHT BE GIVING US SOME, UH, NEW IDEAS FOR, UH, NEW LEGISLATION POTENTIALLY NEXT SESSION.
BUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, TO ADVANCE THE BALL, UH, THIS SESSION.
UM, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT.
SO WERE THEY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT OR NO? UM, WHO WAS, WHO ACQUIRE THE PLATFORMS? OH, THEY WERE, THEY WERE OPPOSED.
OPPOSED, THEY WERE OPPOSED TO IT.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO WE WILL, WE'LL WORK WITH OUR, OUR, OUR TEAM ON THAT AND SEE, SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH NEXT SESSION.
UH, THERE WAS ONE OTHER BILL THAT PASSED, UM, INTO LAW THAT WOULD ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES TO AUTHORIZE JUDGE JUDGES AND OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, TO CARRY CONCEALED FIREARMS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO, THOUGHT, THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING TO MAN MENTION.
YOU CAN MOVE ON TO THE LAST SLIDE.
UM, I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE THAT THE BUDGET WAS RELATIVELY FLAT.
UM, THEY DID NOT SEE A FUNDING DECREASE, BUT THEY WERE, UH, LARGELY HELD, HELD HARMLESS, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, BUDGET CYCLE.
THE LEGISLATURE MADE IT A PRIORITY FOR THEM TO FINISH THEIR WORK EARLY, GIVEN THAT THE PRIMARY DATE THIS YEAR IS IN THE MIDDLE OF JUNE, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY EARLIER THAN IN YEARS PAST.
AND, AND FOLKS WANTED TO GET HOME TO, UH, TALK TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS, UH, BEFORE THEY GO OUT TO VOTE.
UM, WE HAD ALSO WORKED ON, UH, UH, VARIOUS, UH, PUBLIC REPORTING LAWS AND THINGS.
SO, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL, UH, BILLS THAT, THAT MOVED THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT, THAT ENDED UP GETTING HUNG UP DUE TO LEADERSHIP CONCERNS, DEALING WITH, UH, INCIDENT REPORTS FROM POLICE REPORTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO ULTIMATELY, THOSE, THOSE, BOTH THOSE BILLS OR THAT BILL SPECIFICALLY DID NOT GET A HEARING IN THE SENATE.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, I, THAT'S IT FOR MY, UH, PRESENTATION.
IF, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, LOVE TO TAKE 'EM AT THIS TIME.
SO JUST ONE ON THAT, ON THE FIRST SIDE, THE ONE ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL, WHAT WAS THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION ON THAT ONE? YOU SAID IT CAME BACK MM-HMM
UH, THE ONE ABOUT MUNICIPALITIES KIND OF CONTROLLING THEIR OWN DESTINY.
WAS IT SPLIT OR WAS IT, UM, I DON'T, I I DON'T THINK THE LEGISLATURE WAS COMFORTABLE PUTTING A BILL UP.
UM, THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY, UH, LOCAL CONTROL.
SO ULTIMATELY, UH, I THINK WE COULD HAVE BLOCKED IT IF IT DID COME TO A FLOOR VOTE.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE ARE LEADERS IN THE LEGISLATURE THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, UH, HOUSE, UH, THE NUMBER OF HOUSES AVAILABLE FOR OUR GROWING WORKFORCE YEAH.
AND TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT NEED.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THIS IDEA CAME FROM FROM HOME DEVELOPERS.
AND THEY KIND OF USED THAT MOMENTUM FROM LEGISLATORS WANTING, UH, BETTER HOUSING OPTIONS.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NO, BUT I WANNA, MR. WRIGHT, THANK YOU.
AND MS. SMITH, I KNOW YOU'RE SITTING BACK THERE.
YOU HAD AN EQUAL HAND IN THIS AND THANK YOU.
I KNOW THIS WAS A VERY SHORT SESSION,
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SO TO SPEAK, FROM WHAT WE'RE USED TO.UM, AND IT CAUSED ALL KINDS OF ISSUES RIGHT AT THE VERY END.
I KNOW THE WHOLE SESSION WAS CHAOTIC.
UM, I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE DONE.
UM, AND I WANNA SAY, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US UPDATED.
UM, AND THE OCCASION WHEN WE WOULD DISTRACT YOU WITH OTHER QUESTIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
AND I THINK WE'VE JUST GOT ONE SLIDE HERE AT THE END.
JUST WANNA UPDATE YOU AND, AND THE PUBLIC, JUST ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CSS, WORKING WITH STATE AGENCIES ON PARTNERSHIPS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE PROJECTS.
WE WORK WITH LOTS OF STATE AGENCIES ON DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, WORKING WITH OUR FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SECURE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING.
UH, WE WERE ABLE THIS, THIS PAST YEAR TO, UH, SECURE $9 MILLION FOR TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, UH, FORTUNE IN, IN BEING ABLE TO BRING FEDERAL DOLLARS BACK TO HELP THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, UM, ONGOING DIALOGUE WITH OUR STATE DELEGATION.
UM, WE'VE GOT A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH WHOMEVER GETS ELECTED, UH, DURING THIS CYCLE AS WELL.
UH, WORKING WITH OUR FRIENDS IN, UH, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.
UH, BUT, UH, WE, WE MEET WITH THEM REGULARLY AND, AND HAVE A GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, UH, AS WELL.
UH, WE'RE ENGAGED WITH ONE TRANSIT, UH, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE'RE WORKING WITH UCO TO FURTHER ITEMS, UH, THAT THEY'RE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO PARTNER, UH, WITH LOTS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO MORE OF THAT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BENEFIT OUR RESIDENTS.
SO, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING? I KNOW YOU DO A LOT OF WORK BEHIND THE SCENES ON THIS STUFF TOO, SO JUST PUBLIC.
THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO THAT WE DON'T SEE.
TO MAINTAIN THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
[C. Consideration of Approval of a Grant Application to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program from the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) to Replace Portable Radios. (Citywide)]
10 C CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF THE GRANT APPLICATION TO THE ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT, A FG PROGRAM FOR THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO REPLACE PORTABLE RADIOS CHIEF MAYOR COUNCIL AND TERRY ESRY.TONIGHT, WE'RE SEEKING APPROVAL FOR, UH, TO APPLY FOR AN ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTER GRANT THROUGH FEMA IN THE AMOUNT OF $1 MILLION.
WE WOULD USE THAT MONEY TO REPLACE OUR CASH RADIOS THAT ARE NEARING END OF LIFE, AND IT WOULD'VE A 10% MATCH.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO USE FEDERAL MONEY TO HELP SUPPLEMENT OUR BUDGET CONCERNS, AND THIS IS ONE OF OUR WAYS OF DOING THAT.
SO, AND JUST, JUST TO KNOW, NEXT YEAR WE DID BUDGET A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, TO BEGIN THE PURCHASE OF, OF NEW RADIO.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
BUT I SUPPORT APPLYING FOR THIS GRANT AND I SUPPORT OUR MATCH OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SHOULD WE GET IT? SO, I AGREE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.
MAYOR, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
[11. Executive Sessions and Action Items:]
EXECUTIVE SESSION.AND ACTION ITEMS. I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WHERE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WE SHALL RETURN.
I'D MOVE TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND CAST YOUR VOTE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION OR ANYTHING ON THAT, DO WE? NOPE.
WE'RE IN A, WE'RE IN A WONDERFUL PLACE.
[12. Comments from the Mayor and Members of the City Council.]
ITEM 12 ON THE AGENDA.COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO THROW OUT THERE THIS EVENING? WE'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE.
WE GOT TO BE PART OF A TRAIL OPENING ON THE EAST SIDE OF ARCADIA SATURDAY.
PHIL AND I DID, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.
THERE'S A GROWING MOUNTAIN BIKE COMMUNITY HERE IN EDMOND.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, GOT A LOT OF MOMENTUM AND SO THAT WAS COOL TO SEE.
AND OF COURSE, TOUCH A TRUCK WAS COOL.
WEEKEND IN EDMOND AND VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES JUNE 16TH.
ANYONE ELSE? JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TRAIL.
[02:45:01]
DON'T OFTEN THINK ABOUT IT, BUT BEING OUT THERE, THERE'S, I MEAN, THERE IS A SEPARATE ADDITIONAL, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, COMMUNITY.AND YOU COULD REALLY SEE THAT BY BEING OUT THERE WITH THEM.
MR. MOORE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY THIS EVENING? NO, I, UH, GOOD MEETING.
I'D LIKE TO THANK STAFF, PUT IN ALL THE WORK TO GET US HERE TONIGHT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR CONTINUED EFFORT ON THE INVESTIGATION FOR THE SHOOTING OUT THE LAKE.
UM, I GOT ALL SEVERAL COMMENTS OF APPRECIATION FOR THE WAY WE'VE HANDLED THIS, BOTH WITH COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, AT THE CONFERENCE I WAS AT FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, UM, WHICH SAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO US.
AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT PEOPLE THINK WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
AND WITH THAT, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
THANK YOU FOR THE COOKIE, MS. ROBERTSON.