Council calls April 1 bond election for new animal welfare facility, advances rezoning for airport site

The Stillwater City Council on Jan. 27 adopted a resolution to place a $8,750,000 bond question before voters on April 1 to fund construction, furnishing and equipping of a new animal welfare facility.

Councilors voted 4-0 to adopt resolution CC-2025-3, with Councilor Clark excused from bond discussions and not participating in that vote. The council also advanced ordinance 3554, which would rezone a portion of the airport property at 2020 West Airport Road (also referenced as 3111 North Hargis Road) from Light Industrial to Public.

Staff said the proposed new Stillwater Animal Welfare facility would replace an undersized existing building and more than double animal housing and support spaces. The proposed building footprint presented to council was about 12,200 square feet, compared with the current facility of less than 4,000 square feet, and would add kennels, catteries, medical and intake space, separate adoption and surrender areas, training yards and room for future expansion.

Josh Brown, project manager in Development Services, told the council the Federal Aviation Administration has approved the facility use at the airport-area site and that the property is nearly surrounded by public zoning. Brown also said the Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning 5-0. Don Dodson, who presented the facility plans to council, described HVAC, ventilation and space shortfalls at the existing building and said the new facility would improve the city’s capacity to remove sick, dangerous and stray animals from neighborhoods.

City staff outlined a financing example associated with a 15-year bond scenario “at 8.75” as presented during the meeting; staff provided an illustrative tax example that a property with $200,000 in taxable value would see an annual property tax increase of about $53.12 under that scenario. The staff presentation also included a construction timeline that, if voters approve the bond, would move into permitting, bidding and contracting with a target of construction completion around winter 2027–28.

Architect Barrett L. Williamson and Engineering Director Candy Starring participated in the presentation, and Assistant City Manager Christy Cluck joined staff comments about project finance and schedule. Councilors and staff repeatedly invited public feedback and noted that a separate ballot proposition would be required before construction could begin.

Next steps: the council forwarded paperwork to the county to place the bond proposition on the April 1 ballot and advanced the rezoning (ordinance 3554) to second reading; final adoption of the ordinance and the election outcome will determine whether the site is rezoned and the project proceeds.