Council adopts CIP, construction-manager standards and multiple resolutions in unanimous votes

Oklahoma City — During a business-heavy meeting, the City Council unanimously adopted several resolutions and policy changes, approved the five-year capital improvement plan and authorized a legal action, while scheduling an executive session on collective bargaining.

The council passed resolutions declaring identified structures dilapidated, unsecured and abandoned, moving forward with code-enforcement actions. The council then adopted the previously considered five-year capital improvement plan; the mayor reminded members this was the second meeting to consider the CIP before adoption.

Debbie Miller, public works director, briefed the council on a new construction manager-at-risk delivery process the city will use for complex projects, including the downtown arena. "This is a new delivery process, that's starting with the arena," Miller said, describing a standardized approach developed with legal and departmental input.

Council also approved a resolution authorizing the municipal council to confess judgment without admitting liability in Stafford v. City of OKC; staff did not request an executive session on that matter. Separately, the council voted to hold an executive session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations with several unions.

Several consent-docket items, including revocable permits for the Festival of the Arts and the Martin Luther King Jr. parade, were approved by unanimous vote earlier in the meeting.

All votes recorded in the meeting transcript on these listed items were unanimous; in most cases motions were made and seconded with no recorded opposition.

Next steps: Implementation of the construction-manager-at-risk standards will be led by Public Works for projects where that delivery method is appropriate; the CIP will guide capital spending priorities for the coming five years.