City Council approves and declines special use permits

It was a loaded agenda for the 61st Guthrie City Council Tuesday evening, but a majority of the meeting saw council members listening to residents and the Planning Commission on two separate special use permit requests.

Doyle and Loretta Fortney were granted a Special Use Permit to allow a Bed and Breakfast facility in an R-1 Residential Zone (Single Family), at 414 N. Wentz, with a majority 7-0 vote.

The next request was by Leroy Jackson for a Special Use Permit to place a manufactured home in an R-1 Residential Zone, located at 328 Lakewood Drive. Jackson requested permission to place a 2012 model manufactured home on the property described as a large lot and in a rural setting.

The council unanimously declined the request by Jackson despite the planning commission’s recommendation of approving the request.

The commission sent out seven letters to nearby residents and owners with two letters of comments returned; one in support and one in opposition.

However, more neighbors and owners started to call council members and submitting letters (5) for their disapproval of the request, once finding out it was headed to a vote of the council. Four residents made their public comments in front of the council against the request.

The council approved the following agenda items and resolutions:

– approved to authorize fee waivers of building permits and/or inspection fees or other city-provided services in the amount of $14,001 to Desert Ridge Investments, Inc in building single family developments called Silent Harvest Homes.

Desert Ridge Investments, Inc proposes to plan, design and develop a thirty-eight (38) unit, three and four bedroom single family home development. The subject property is a 26 acre site located at 2501 W. Oklahoma, immediately east of  Silver Valley Estates.  Phase One consists of 40 units and Phase Two will consist of 38 units, all of which will be new construction.

City Manager Matt Mueller labeled several benefits that the City of Guthrie will get in return, “jobs (will be) created as a result of $5 million in construction, a possible sales tax revenue of $90,000 in construction, water and sewer billing revenue from 38 homes and a total project investment in the community of $7,088,664.”

– approved the construction of the Guthrie Animal Shelter for the addition and installation of two windows in the amount of $3,440. Mueller added that the windows will allow natural light into the facility and provide for extra ventilation when needed. The project continues to be under the budgeted amount of $100,000 at $81,615.

– approved the Budget Amendment No. 3 increasing the budget for the Guthrie Public Works Authority Fund, Capital Projects Fund and CMOM Fund. The increase allows $4,985 for a vehicle that was stolen and moving $3,015 from Line Maintenance Budget to Capital Projects Fund to purchase a vehicle, moved $8,000 from Guthrie Public Works Authority Fund to purchase a vehicle for Line Maintenance and appropriating the fund for the Clarifier Project in the amount of $62,200.

– approved to award $62,200 to BW Services for the Secondary Clarifier Rehabilitation at the Guthrie Waste Water Treatment Plant and authorize staff to execute a contract. The City was notified by the Department Enivormental Quality found the deficiency on September 6th. Two other bid offers were made in the amount of $68,898 and $93,020.

– approved $50 Christmas bonuses for the City Manager, City Attorney and Municipal Judge.

– approved changes to employee pay plans and implementation of 2.5% salary increase for all non-contract employees. According to Mueller, the 2011-2012 budget has a 2.5% raise built-in for all non-contract City employees to go into effect mid-way through the fiscal year.

“To date, sales tax revenue has come in significantly higher than what was budgeted.  It is for this reason that staff is requesting permission to implement the changes to pay three months early,” Mueller said in his weekly update.

Mueller went on to say that members of the Police and Fire departments received their annual raises three months ago since their contracts go into effect at the beginning of the fiscal year. General city employees have gone several years without a cost of living increase or merit increase yet have continued to perform at exceptional levels of service.

Mueller concluded by saying the adjustment will not affect the City Manager, City Attorney, Municipal Judge, Police Department, or Fire Department. This action also amends the pay plans which have not been adjusted in several years.

– approved the agreement between the City of Guthrie and Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, doing business as AT&T, for upgrade of its existing facilities and equipment, and installation of new facilities and equipment to allow further capability of offering, among other things, an integrated internet protocol (“IP”) platform of voice, data, information and video services within the geographic boundaries of the City.

AT&T intends on offering its U-Verse service in the City of Guthrie and will be the City of Guthrie 5% of its gross revenue.

– approved to notify notifying the public of the 2011 S-5 Supplement to the Guthrie City Code of Ordinances. The City of Guthrie has a contract with American Legal Publishing Corporation to prepare the City of Guthrie’s Code of Ordinances containing all ordinances adopted by the council.