Ordinance allows city manager to adjust parking limits; another opens parks to campers for special events
Plus, City pursues federal funding for a backup water source, and Visit Stillwater report highlights a new marketing tech partner
🅿️ Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 Stillwater City Councilors will have a first reading of an ordinance that allows the city manager to limit or extend existing parking time limits and waive other parking restrictions for special events.
- The ordinance adds to city code: “To limit or extend existing established parking time limits by having appropriate signs placed thereon, and waive other parking restrictions as deemed necessary during special events;”
- It also removes language that would allow decisions made by city council to be appealed to a district court. Appeals to decisions by the city manager can be made to city council who can then call for an hearing to consider the aggrieved party’s application.
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⛺ More camping options for special events
The other ordinance on the City Council’s agenda allows the city manager to grant overnight camping in city parks during special events. The ordinance also shifts approval authority from the parks director to the city manager.
The updated language also removes Couch Park and broadens the code to include all parks and public areas for camping unless damage could be caused to city property.
- Related: In recent years, Mid South, Stillwater’s large gravel cycling and running event has received permission from Payne County Commissioners to allow participants to tent camp on the courthouse lawn.
💸 Highlights from the consent docket
Councilors will vote to accept a deed for a tract of land purchased from the State of Oklahoma for $3,000. The approximately 0.05 acres are needed for the new airport terminal project.
- Specifically, the tract provides the needed right-of-way to support the parking access road and round-a-bout.
Fire Station #2 is requesting approval to use the remaining $59,173 in GO Bond funds in addition to $50,827 from the Fire fund to pay for information technology equipment at the new fire station.
Stillwater Public Library is requesting Council to approve budget amendments to appropriate multiple grants totaling $38,427.
🏨 Visit Stillwater to deliver semi-annual report on destination marketing efforts
Monday, Visit Stillwater Board Chair, Blaire Atkinson will deliver a semi-annual report to Trustees of the Stillwater Economic Development Authority. The report highlights various strategies and partnerships the destination marketing organization uses to grow Stillwater’s robust visitor economy.
Better visitor data: To better understand visitor behaviors, Visit Stillwater partnered with a new marketing technology firm that utilizes aggregated cell phone geolocation data, global lodging data, and visitor spending to fine-tune marketing tactics.
Out with the old: The previous service relied on self-reported data and made assumptions based on scraping hospitality website data.
- According to the report, Stillwater has a total inventory of 1,373 hotel rooms and short-term rentals, fluctuating from 471-498 for the last six months of 2024.
Top visitor markets to Stillwater from July-Dec. 2024 were Tulsa, Oklahoma City, OK and Dallas Ft. Worth, TX.
🚰 City seeks federal grant funding for secondary raw water supply
Stillwater Utility Authority Trustees will consider a resolution to apply for $50 million in federal funding administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant would help the utility provide a redundant supply of potable water for the City of Stillwater and surrounding communities.
The city is hoping to use Lake McMurtry to store raw water and as a backup water supply. If the grant is awarded, SUA would be required to provide matching funds of $16.7 million.
- Catch up: System failures in the Kaw water pipeline during the deep freeze in February 2021 prompted city leaders to accelerate plans to create a backup system.
Members Discussion
