Council advances several ordinances on first reading and closes FY27 budget hearing with adoption planned for June 1

The Stillwater City Council advanced multiple ordinances on first reading May 18 and completed a public hearing on the proposed FY2026–27 operating budget.

The council advanced an ordinance to amend the employee retirement defined‑contribution plan to allow employees to select Roth contributions; staff said the change implements a plan option administered through OKMRF and has no financial impact on the city. The council also advanced a code change that mirrors recently adopted state law to prohibit use of handheld electronic devices in school and construction zones, with staff noting the local code clarifies enforcement for the police department. Another ordinance was advanced to revise the parks and recreation camping prohibition into an "unauthorized camping" provision with a graduated fine structure and an offer of assistance before fines are applied.

Deputy Chief Financial Officer Jared Thulan opened the public hearing on the FY27 operating budget and said there have been no changes to the proposed budget since April 20. Staff recommended directing staff to proceed with adoption; the council closed the public hearing with no public speakers and staff expects to return for budget adoption on June 1.

Councilors asked staff to provide clarifications on enforcement and penalties for the handheld‑device and camping provisions at second readings and requested a comparison of local penalties with state law; staff agreed to return with additional information on second reading.