[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6491786,"mediaKeyId","5742578-10ca365746b3300c9e097b56113ecf00","parentId",5742578,"title","Votes at a glance: Lawton council approves property sale, transit GM appointment, and several code and policy measures","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",4245000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5742578-10ca365746b3300c9e097b56113ecf00&start=4245&end=4245","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5742578-10ca365746b3300c9e097b56113ecf00/thumbnail_4245000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6491786/Oklahoma/Votes-at-a-glance-Lawton-council-approves-property-sale-transit-GM-appointment-and-several-code-and-policy-measures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491786-c1bc5fbea5e693965eb00e5d1f65df3b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106350&Signature=KcMow-FFoJ6bkLoQDBDRFPesEDmxsJ1lAas9Fw1CvvHQaBBNff01kz3CsiKVPuj7~86PxXH~qSPbBQaNE7X~7FFizjxdRybZHDbrxwSebMyeTFT7il4D0mYiq-lWPQPl0trHhvGG7-KCX14~f-h7oAArXjyn217BjezfbMzArHYXlWGtPzT5Nh0q-Fl2vRmXbNAJco9VMGBcHJ16T982Y-PVaIA4N36aA6dqlgSSlzzBYtGSxjbXhFyMx6wtkdi-i4S1mMCHG2Y5izPkn~Xz77USXXftwodYTli2vwJ5f7Mq~nCh4GQOUH0-9xUWiaIQ5xbhoqEqM67oyfAk52trtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council Meetings","date","2025-09-09T22:52:03Z","article","The Lawton City Council and associated agencies recorded multiple formal actions during the meeting. Key outcomes are summarized below.

Sale of agency property (Lawton Urban Homesteading Agency)
The Lawton Urban Homesteading Agency voted to accept Offer 1 for the sale of property at 1914 Northwest Cherry Avenue and authorized the agency chair to sign the agreement and required documents. The motion carried as recorded during the agency meeting.

Appointment: LAATS general manager
The council approved the appointment of Donald Morrison as general manager of the Lawton Area Transit Trust (LAATS). Morrison introduced himself briefly; the council voted to confirm the appointment and the motion carried.

Stormwater detention fee (5901 Southwest Lee Boulevard)
Council considered a request to pay a fee in lieu of on-site stormwater detention for the property at 5901 Southwest Lee Boulevard in the amount of $115. The motion passed with a recorded result of 6 yes, 0 no and 1 abstention.

Lawton Economic Development Corporation operating agreement
Council approved the LEDC’s original operating agreement without the proposed amendment. The meeting record shows the motion carried 7 to 0.

Council policy and ordinance items
The council approved Council Policy Number 4-8 (Maximizing taxpayer value strategy) and related benchmarking and performance-measure policies discussed at the meeting. The council also approved an ordinance correcting codification errors related to the STEADI (Skills, Training, Education, and Development Investment) project plan adopted in 2019 and amended in 2023 and 2024.

Votes and roll calls
The meeting record includes multiple roll calls in which council members recorded “yes” votes on motions for consent items and policy adoptions. One consent item (stormwater fee) recorded a specific tally with an abstention; other items were recorded as carried by roll call or voice vote as shown in the minutes.

Ending: The council approved a range of administrative, policy and appointment items; staff will follow up as noted in individual agenda items and file agreements and ordinance codifications as required.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 09, 2025 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved multiple items including the sale of a property held by the Lawton Urban Homesteading Agency, the appointment of a new general manager for Lawton Area Transit Trust, a stormwater-detention fee, and ordinance and policy updates. Several votes were unanimous or nearly unanimous; one consent item recorded an abstention.","taxTitle","City Council Meetings, Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma","taxId",69683,"location","Oklahoma","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6491791,"Lawton council moves public comment to end of meetings after debate over 'weaponization' of audience participation",2040,2496000,4536000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5742578-10ca365746b3300c9e097b56113ecf00&start=2496&end=4536","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5742578-10ca365746b3300c9e097b56113ecf00/thumbnail_2496000.jpg","/articles/6491791/Oklahoma/Lawton-council-moves-public-comment-to-end-of-meetings-after-debate-over-weaponization-of-audience-participation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491791-e60fe90f91916d591cfbe26270a8a224/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106350&Signature=FfAuZQEdHDx0R1OzQR9EyPDM6e~03h-feAlAbLPhFCOJNuq6SXtPQlacUMsZisB28mTqdQQuLsNLVD341skt4CFwuMtoC2nUXKNbne0SdW625C7DGt3mXxiS~-R3G2QCeHECGSJO75pLQdbihAw~KjjE517dq6EA~ncnSjtCHNI~RMbMPxE9j92a57hIw6k~v7x~Iikgj~WNG3BfEIsUnw1VgzVqWqkOcSlRYyI1SFWopRrTifZQq~3x9D9dxZTPoEyBcuxkRqwYpb2hKwINROLQoM9raEwTo78LDzxl5mYpt~o7e2hWg0aN~ndK8pTQApAekGo~O9YvxOTvPfCF8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lawton City Council voted to move audience participation to the end of the council meeting agenda following a lengthy public comment period and debate among council members about the scope and decorum of public remarks.

The policy discussion was prompted by audience remarks that several council members described as politically motivated attacks against sitting council members. The council asked the city clerk to survey peer cities and directed staff and the city attorney to return with options for enforcing audience-participation rules.

Several residents used the three‑minute public‑comment slots to urge the council to preserve robust citizen access to meetings. Cindy McIntyre said she supported public participation but criticized what she described as council moves that “limit that participation” after citizens began attending evening meetings in larger numbers. “If you want more citizen participation, but you don't like what you hear, you find ways to limit that participation,” McIntyre said.

An organizer who identified themself in the meeting record as Kacine told the council that the city had been slow to address multiple concerns, and said she viewed the audience‑participation debate as a distraction from issues such as West Wind and other outstanding grievances.

Matina Prudhomme, a third speaker, told the council she believed the problem was not citizens’ behavior but “a breakdown in our government,” and urged the council to focus on restoring order and public trust rather than curtailing comment.

Council members said the item was necessary because public comment had been increasingly used during campaign season to single out individual council members. Councilman Warren said public comment was not intended to be political and said citizens would be better served by using staff channels for service issues. “If you've got a problem, send an email to every single council person,” Warren said, suggesting that staff processes could more quickly resolve operational complaints.

City staff reported results of a peer-city check: Norman, Moore and Midwest City hold audience participation similarly to Lawton; Broken Arrow accepts written comments online and reads them into the record; Edmond permits public participation but places it at the end of the meeting; Enid does not hold public participation. The clerk’s summary was used by some council members to argue there are several lawful, tested models to consider.

Council members adopted a motion to move audience participation to the end of the agenda and asked the city attorney to draft enforcement language; the mayor said she would bring back a proposed enforcement approach for council review. The motion passed on voice/roll-call vote as recorded during the meeting.

Ending: The council’s immediate procedural change—placing public comment at the end of the agenda—will be in effect while staff and the city attorney prepare options for enforcing decorum and addressing complaints of politically motivated or disruptive remarks. The council said it intends to protect residents’ access while reducing disruptions to meeting business.","After extended public comment and a council debate over civic participation during campaign season, the Lawton City Council voted to move audience participation to the end of the agenda and asked staff and the city attorney to draft enforcement options.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6491796,"Lawton economic-development office reports surge in manufacturing leads; Firehawk project to receive $22 million in state support",757,1387000,2144000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5742578-10ca365746b3300c9e097b56113ecf00&start=1387&end=2144","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5742578-10ca365746b3300c9e097b56113ecf00/thumbnail_1387000.jpg","/articles/6491796/Oklahoma/Lawton-economic-development-office-reports-surge-in-manufacturing-leads-Firehawk-project-to-receive-22-million-in-state-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491796-5bfbcf51670e04eaefb26624e2158479/orig.mp4?Expires=1771106350&Signature=eNnz6pamU24MQJyP4lZkSLyfDVfIwB2ueZwE2CmCPet0gFXlqqkxfv3ta7I-iZhCAJ2FpT73vtYhL4B~P5ILZW61q5fWrxX4SfNwcHNdv55UYxZakJIRc1rsVgVjbtcbQz8DQiRLlnVDq9Z8milCu4JkePMqvqherZ9NhkreKT-X8K4bXRKBCGDXGLlnpv~xoBUhhOtTeQyF0WTio91Vp6s9Y2TEw~zqlGMVdl~eca4jF8HPr8iC0C9mKZODGhhlDwixG3JhagvaVx2xC4GbRsghlP8ZzTSFZdMJAWiLjE0V2M~Ky7Ws7xhS7D8hGYyo3ZR54GDjsfbq1XwKqSL8EA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brad, a representative of the Lawton Economic Development Corporation, told the Lawton City Council the agency handled 50 economic-development projects between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, and that manufacturing continues to drive the pipeline.

The LEDC presentation said 41 of the 50 projects were manufacturing-related, and the office has tracked roughly 250 business leads during the last four to five years. Brad said the LEDC recorded nine site visits in the previous year — an indicator, he told the council, that companies were seriously considering Lawton for new investment.

Brad said Firehawk Aerospace, the largest pick announced in the report, had $22 million in state support: about $18 million designated as part of a public-private partnership and roughly $4 million still being secured within state channels. He said the first tranche of state funding is expected in October and that Firehawk would create “over 100 jobs.”

The LEDC representative described several other active projects cited in the report: “Project Pony,” an estimated $33 million capital investment that could create as many as 300 jobs; “Project Elevate,” a project the presentation listed at $400 million of capital investment and about 45 direct jobs; “Project Coco,” which the report listed at about $800 million and more than 200 jobs; and “Project Thesis,” with a $30 million investment and 355 jobs. Brad also described competing data-center inquiries that together could total “over $4 billion” in potential capital investment and roughly 400 jobs, and a solar project led by EDF Renewables that had acquired “hundreds of acres” of school land commission property.

Brad framed the LEDC’s work as a long sales process that benefits from land and infrastructure the city has placed in readiness. He said the office’s five-year targets were exceeded, with social-media reach and website traffic cited as supplemental evidence of outreach success.

Council members and the mayor asked a handful of clarifying questions during the presentation. A council member noted the lead totals had been smaller than some prior years; Brad said the shift in the national policy environment and a stronger domestic industrial focus explained some variation in lead counts and timing.

The LEDC report will be filed with the city clerk and posted to the city website, the presenter said. The report did not propose or request immediate council action beyond receiving the annual report.

Ending: The LEDC presentation painted a picture of sustained industrial recruitment activity in Lawton, with Firehawk Aerospace highlighted as a near-term project expected to bring state funding and new jobs. The council did not take an action tied to the projects beyond accepting the report.","The Lawton Economic Development Corporation told the City Council it worked 50 recruitment projects in fiscal 2025, with manufacturing dominating leads. The presentation highlighted Firehawk Aerospace, which the presenter said will receive $22 million in state support and is expected to create more than 100 jobs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Lawton council approves property sale, transit GM appointment, and several code and policy measures

Lawton council moves public comment to end of meetings after debate over 'weaponization' of audience participation

Lawton economic-development office reports surge in manufacturing leads; Firehawk project to receive $22 million in state support