Business owner tells council Open Records and permitting responses included inaccuracies; alleges officer-report mismatch with body camera footage

WAGONER, Okla. — At the Oct. 6 Wagoner City Council meeting, business owner and resident Travis Mitchell used the unscheduled public-appearance period to tell the council he had encountered inaccurate and incomplete responses to Open Records Act requests, alleged a discrepancy between a police report and recorded body-camera footage, and raised concerns about inspection and permitting records.

Mitchell said he sought records after an incident involving his business and described receiving conflicting explanations when he asked for documents and video. "We were provided inaccurate information and incomplete information in response to some of the open records acts," Mitchell said, adding that supervisors later told him that certain procedures he was told were not standard actually were part of department protocol. He said official documents he received contained what he described as "misleading and false information."

On the police matter, Mitchell said an officer's narrative in a police report did not match body-camera video he received under an open-records request. He said he raised the issue with Police Chief Bob Haley and that an internal review was ongoing; he urged the city to pursue transparency and consistency. He also said earlier guidance from staff that there was no body-camera footage was later contradicted when the chief located footage and staff corrected the record.

Mitchell also described concerns about permitting and inspection records, saying some inspection approvals lacked full contractor listings and that written notes were missing in cases where contractors were instructed to move electrical boxes to meet code. "The inspector's responsibility is ensure the safety and fairness apply to equality to all contractors and property owners without biases," Mitchell told the council, and asked for greater transparency and consistent record-keeping.

Mayor and staff acknowledged Mitchell's comments; Chief Haley and staff were not recorded as giving a public reply on the record during the unscheduled-appearance period, but the transcript shows Mitchell said he had shared email correspondence with the chief and was awaiting further response.

Ending: Mitchell concluded by urging the council to pursue transparency and consistent procedures across departments. Councilors did not take formal action during the public-comment period but the matters raised will be subject to follow-up through department processes.