City Council - Regular Meeting

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I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for our prayer. Adam,

let us pray. Gracious and loving God, in this season of waiting and preparation before Christmas, please remind us of the hope, peace, joy, and love that you bring. May these guide our hearts and our work tonight and always. May your light shine through everyone gathered here in person and online. Bless and protect our city as we work towards blessing and protecting our neighbors. We pray these things in your holy name. Amen. Amen. Thank you.

Okay. We call to order [clears throat] our regular city council meeting. It's Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 at 6:30. Item number two is public comments, community announcements, and recognitions. I don't have any. Is that correct? Item number three is the consent agenda. Items A through H. Anybody have a chance to look at those? I will entertain a motion. Move to approve as written. Okay. Have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. Okay. Have a motion and a second. No further comments or questions. Please cast your votes.

Okay. Unanimous approval from all those present on the consent agenda. Items A through H. Item number four, items removed from consent agenda. There were none. Item number five is the 2026 calendar year of the schedule of regular meetings. Mr. Faulner. Yes, mayor and council. [clears throat] Oklahoma state law requires each governing body to adopt a regular calendar of meetings prior to December 15th of the preceding year. Uh with that, we have pre prepared and provided in your packet uh the annual calendar of meetings. I don't believe there were any changes to any board meetings. So whether it's council, GPWA, uh airport board, etc., all dates and times and meeting locations remain the same. be happy to answer any questions. Staff recommends approve.

So moved. Second. We have a motion, a second. Any questions, comments for Mr. Faulner? Okay, there are none. Please cast your votes. All votes are in. Unanimous approval from all those present on the 2026 calendar year of the schedule regular meetings. Item number six is the Guthrie Fire Department local 2145 union 4896 work schedule. Chief Lawson. Oh, there's our guy [laughter] sub. Yeah. Good evening, mayor, council members. Uh

my name's Drew Roer, Lieutenant with the Guthrie Fire Department. If you guys recall, uh I was here earlier this year to discuss with you guys the unions want to move towards the 4896 schedule. did a presentation and just wanted to make sure gauging the room that you all were comfortable with us moving forward looking at that finalizing the documents. We left that meeting. Uh the committee that we have formed returned to go ahead and get with Chief Lawson, city manager to finalize theus for the contract so that the paperwork reflects the wording for the new schedule and change a couple SOGs to reflect those things too. Happy to report all that was done with ease. Uh the union feels that we've struck a very good balance of ensuring that we maintain uninterrupted service so that the public does not notice that we've changed a schedule and providing reasonable safety measures to members of the department moving to this schedule. It is the unions feel that we are ready to move into this schedule. Uh if things were to move forward tonight with your approval, January 3rd would be the start of our schedule. Uh and we would have a one-year basis on that. We'll meet quarterly with the members of the city to ensure that the performance meets the standards we're already hitting with the previous schedule. If there's any changes, hiccups, or anything like that, the city retains the right to revert us back to the previous schedule.

And that's in the existing contract. Yes. Without waiting a year. If something went bump in two months. That's correct. Have you tried this already? [clears throat] Does I mean, have you all worked it in your schedule a couple times or No, sir. We've we aren't able to implement it without

Okay. I would say the approval of the chief and the city manager and then obviously wanting to get the approval of you all to make sure that it meets what you guys are are okay and comfortable with. So, we've spoken with a lot of other departments through forums and personal conversations with people that we know and just connected with within the community that said that it's worked well for them. Our department is different than every other department obviously. We will iron out any difficulties or changes that come up as needed. So, one quick question to you is that because I didn't look at the contract. Sure. Uh, are is it will it need to come back to council if something goes bump? I mean, I would think that it would.

Well, it's a it's a working condition. So, keep in mind anytime something that directly impacts a service to the citizens, we're going to take immediate action as a management right uh per the collective bargaining agreement. However, uh we're we're going to be flexible on both sides with this. The union recognizes the city's being flexible in granting the schedule. If it's not working, we're going to have that conversation pretty early, and they have agreed that if we have to go back, we're going to make that correction as soon as we need to do that. Um, however, what you have before you is a one-year agreement. So, it's a it's a trial year, see how it works. If it's not working, we're going to know well within that time frame.

Yeah. The reason I ask is because I know it's a work in progress or it's going to be. Yes, sir. The first year, that's why I asked that question. The the SOGS that we have in place, those are fluid documents. They can be changed on the fly for operations. The contract obviously, as the city manager said, retains management rights to protect the city. So, even if the union, which I don't ever see this being a problem, but was to go kicking and screaming into the night on the issue, there's no choice. We we don't have a we don't have a say. I mean it it would be reverted and we're we're back to working the old schedule. I don't see that being an issue at all. We want uninterrupted great service for the citizens too. So if we see that as a failure, that's not something we want to stand on either.

All the guys in kind of like that. Have you had anybody complain about it? Are they all like that? We have we have some people that are going to have to make some adjustments. All of us will in our lives, home lives and things like that. I would say better than 95% of the department voted yes on this. I don't have that exact figure in front of me, but it was a very small margin of people that were not in favor of that. I'll make a motion to approve it. Second. I just wanted to uh reiterate you guys said you were going to meet quarterly to review how this is affecting your staff. Yes, ma'am. Yeah. Okay. Part of theou had a review section in there that talks about meeting quarterly. Obviously, we'll make the critical changes on the fly,

right? But we can meet quarterly from a much higher altitude to make sure the metrics of things, call volumes and things are being hit correctly and make those minor changes to kind of redirect our course if needed. Yeah. Yes. And I'd like to add we've been working on this since

a while. A while. Yeah. So for about 8 months and it's important to know that when when staff or the union or somebody's bringing this proposal, we're not just proposing a big change on the fly, right? We we've taken the whole year to evaluate it. The union has taken it to their members. We've done research on other departments and similar schedules, other departments that run the ambulance service to make sure that our comparables are are true and not just comparing to fire departments that don't have ambulance, etc., etc., etc. Right. Um, I will say yes, we will meet quarterly. However, if there is an issue, we will not wait until that quarterly meeting. Good.

Yeah. So if there's something that needs to be addressed, it will be addressed immediately. So well, good job. Thank you. All right, we have a motion and a second on the table. Does anybody [clears throat] else have any questions? Yep. Okay, let's cast your votes. Except you, Chief. You got to work 24/7. Never gets a break. He does. He does. [laughter] Okay. Oops. All right. Unanimous approval from all those present on the Guthri Fire Department. Uh, union work schedule. Item number seven, city manager report.

Yes, mayor and council. Uh, lot going on here in December as always. Uh, first I'll start with the Owenfield Owen Field bid opening will take place in council chambers on December 11th. That bid packet is currently out. A copy of that can be found through the clerk's office or through Crossland Construction. Uh, city hall and non-emergency services will be closed for Christmas on December 24th and December 25th. Be closed again on New Year's January 1. Uh, chamber coffee tomorrow will be held at the airport in hangar 2. If you'll recall on an annual basis when we have the Santa flyin, we generally have the chamber coffee the week of or a week prior uh to help promote that event which will take place on Saturday, December 13th. So, Chamber Coffee is tomorrow at 9:30 in Hangar 2. Uh, but the airport flyin, which will have Santa coming in, uh, will take place on Saturday, December 13th from 10 to 1. So, we hope you can make it out for either of those events, uh, if your schedule will allow. Christmas events, we're there's a reason we're the Christmas capital. You notice the mayor has his Victorian

attire on this evening. Uh I will tell you this the events that are going on. It's it's just it's great to see the community coming out and having uh folks come in showcase everything happening. Several events taking place. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list because I'm telling you I will miss something. Uh there is a lot going on. However, Very Merry Guthrie Christmas in the Flats is open. Uh they are scheduled to have their festival on December 20th. Uh they'll end the evening with their Christmas cruise through downtown and then fireworks in the flats approximately 7:30 on Saturday, December 20th. Uh territorial Christmas had the lighted Christmas parade Saturday evening. Uh after that, the conclusion of that event, we lit the tree there in front of the post office as well as the mayor uh named the territorial governor and the uh winners of the tots and all of those fun festivities. Victorian walks will take place this weekend and next weekend. Again, that takes place on Oklahoma and Harrison. Uh the Gatlin Brothers Christmas concert will be held on Friday, December 12th at the Temple. Doors will open at 6:30. Uh also on Saturday, December 13th will be the Reese Across America event at Summit View. If you haven't been able to attend that event, last year was the inaugural event. is a great it's a great opportunity for the community to honor the veterans. So if if you've got some free time on December 13th, I encourage you to go out there and uh would like to give a shout out to the Guthrie High School JOTC program. They have really taken that and just ran with it uh alongside the American Legion and other community partners. So, they do a great job organizing that and

getting wreaths on veterans graves out there at Summit. Uh, last thing I have for you is the annual employee award ceremony/christ lunchon will be held on Friday, December 12th at 11:00, excuse me, [clears throat] at Meridian Technology. So, make plans to be there and we'll be happy to see you and close out the year. With that, Mayor, that's all I've got.

Thank you, Eddie. Yes. uh he is correct that uh if he were to mention all the events going on it would be a 30 minute long 30 minute long list. Okay. Uh but thank you. Item number eight, request comments from members of city council. Um Councilman Williams. Uh no comments. Thanks. Uh Councilwoman Denny, I don't have anything this evening. Thank you.

Vice Mayor Taylor staff. Thank you. It was cold, guys. Uh, but it was still a blast. U, I enjoyed it. It was one of the fun things to get to see everybody bringing their, you know, their floats down the street. Just wish we could have that many 89ers. That would be really good. But hey, that's another story. But other than that, that's it. Councilman Both, uh, [clears throat] just everybody have a merry Christmas. I mean, are we meeting again before Christmas? We are not currently scheduled to meet before Christmas unless a special meeting's called. And then special meeting called. Bring your animals in. It's getting cold. They don't like 19°.

Let them sleep in the bed. That's what we do. So, that's it. Councilwoman Gibbs.

Absolutely. I'm looking forward to uh the next couple weeks for uh Christmas and I hope that all of our small business uh owners uh had a great shop small this last Saturday and a good turnout and I hope it continues through the season. Uh and uh I hope everybody continues to prosper and grow. Appreciate city staff everything that they do here. It's a lot um and we can't do it without all of you. So, uh, thank you very much and I look forward to being out there in the cold with everybody else. It's been fun. Love Christmas. It's my favorite.

Okay. And as for me, uh, yes, like the city manager said, we had the Christmas tree lighting and Christmas parade last weekend, which I participated in. It was a lot of fun. It was really cold, but everyone still had a great, you know, joyful attitude and Christmas spirit, and it was nice to see. Uh, I want to thank the uh Guthrie Christmas Territorial Territorial Christmas Foundation for putting that on as well as Councilwoman Gibbs for decorating the post office again. But what's connected with that, like the city manager said, is that this weekend and next weekend we have the Victorian walk, which is where the streets are shut down on certain blocks and businesses have live window displays. We have the Boy Scouts out doing cobbler and hot chocolate. We have horse carriage rides. We have entertainment and yes, people dress up in Victorian outfits such as myself and walk around. That's why I'm wearing this today. I don't normally try to humiliate myself this much with my outfits. Uh but [laughter] uh but no, I I'm wearing this in support of that event. I'll be there both weekends. It's a lot of fun. Uh bring the family out. It's a good time. Uh also, we are putting on a Victorian tradition. It's called a mayor's New Year's Eve ball and we're going to do that at the Guthri Depot. We will have a five course meal, the Algood Orchestra, and we're going to do something that I know Brian will like, and that is we are going to have two ball drops, one at 10:00 and one at midnight.

So, if people don't want to stay up late, you can do [clears throat] the stay up late at everybody's nodding their head. [laughter] Why did Ryan get named in the Now, Dane might come. I could stay up late. We could [laughter] stay up late. We've got a 10:00 and a midnight. So, if you don't want to stay till till midnight, you can go at 10 o'clock. A ticket for tickets. So, you can go to the Guthri Depot Facebook page and we have a link there to buy purchase tickets. And um that's obviously on New Year's, so it'll be a lot of fun. But it is 1920s.

Yes, it's 1920s themed. Correct. So, all right. And with that, that's all that I have. And I would like to wish everyone here and at home a merry Christmas. So with that we will adjourn and we'll call to order our Guthri public works regular authority meeting again Tuesday December 2nd 2025. [cough] Item number two is the consent agenda is item A through H. Approve. Motion to approve as written. Second. Okay. Motion and a second. No further comments or questions. Please cast your votes.

Unanimous approval from all those present for the consent agenda. Items A through H. Item number three are items from the consent agenda that were removed. There were none. So item number four, we are adjourned. One more meeting. One more meeting. Oh yes. Okay. Call to order again. a Guthrie uh special meeting uh public notice of the Guthrie Economic Development Authority meeting. Uh item number two is the consent agenda items A through C. So moved. Second. Okay, [clears throat] we have a

any any questions or comments on that? None. Okay, cast your votes, please. in. Okay. All right. Unanimous approval from items A through C on the consent agenda. Item number three, we are adjourned again. Boom. Okay. There you go. Ajournment on