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Altus council approves package of ordinances, water contracts, sidewalk closeout and equipment buyout
Summary
The Altus City Council adopted a package of ordinances updating the city's use-tax rate provisions, banning handheld devices in school and construction zones, and amending short-term stay definitions; it also approved water contracts with the Town of Martha, purchased a transmission line, accepted sidewalk project closeout, and authorized a John Deere equipment buyout totaling $150,255.69.
The Altus City Council approved several ordinances and administrative actions during its regular meeting, including changes to the city's use-tax provisions, a ban on handheld device use by drivers in school and construction zones, and revisions to definitions and penalties for short-term stay operators.
City Attorney Paul Magna said the handheld-device ordinance "comes on at the request of the municipal court clerk's office" and described it as "a mirror ordinance" that aligns local enforcement with existing law. The council adopted the ordinance prohibiting use of handheld cellular phones and other handheld communication devices while operating a motor vehicle within school and construction zones, with specified exceptions and a provision restricting device confiscation for compliance checks.
Council also approved an ordinance to levy and assess a use tax equal to the prevailing sales tax rate on tangible personal property brought into the city, with an automatic adjustment mechanism tied to changes in the prevailing sales tax. During discussion, a member flagged a potential typographical inconsistency in the draft ("intangible" vs. "tangible"), which staff clarified as a drafting issue and confirmed the ordinance changes the rate rather than the substance of the tax.
On lodging and short-term stay rules, the council amended city ordinance 11-86 to replace references to "taxpayer" with "operator," to change the phrase "offending taxpayer" to "offender," and to move fines into the city's centralized fee schedule. Council members questioned when operators must register; staff pointed to a first return due date of Dec. 10 and cited sections indicating registration deadlines of 10 and 30 days in different parts of the draft.
The council also took a set of related administrative actions on the consent agenda: approving a water purchase contract with the Town of Martha and the Martha Utility Trust, authorizing purchase of the Altus–Martha transmission line from Quartz Mountain Regional Water Authority for up to $100,000 to provide water pressure for a shooting range, and accepting the Navajo Road sidewalk project closeout and related CDBG documents signed by the mayor. Council accepted work by Shoestring Enterprises LLC and authorized the mayor to execute closeout paperwork.
Separately, council authorized an equipment buyout from John Deere Financial for $150,255.69 for tractors and grounds maintenance equipment used at Altus Air Force Base; staff said the purchase leverages a lease-end option and avoided calling a special meeting to meet a Nov. 30 deadline.
All discussed ordinances and resolutions carried on council votes taken during the meeting. City staff announced a Dec. 11 staff event at the Expo Center and the council adjourned with seasonal remarks from the presiding official.
