Lawton City Council members expected to make decision Tuesday on CIP extension

The City Council is ready to make a decision on the specifics of a revised Capital Improvements Program.

Tuesday’s City Council agenda has five items dealing with a proposal that city officials publicly revealed earlier this year: asking voters to extend the existing Capital Improvements Program through 2040. Mayor Stan Booker said the idea means Lawton could keep its existing 2.125 percent capital improvements sales tax at the same level — meaning, no tax increase — while providing revenue to tackle a new slate of projects as existing projects are completed.

Voters will receive the ballot proposition Aug. 27 (the same date as the City Council primary election), if the City Council follows the timeline that requires the ballot proposition to be submitted to the Comanche County Election Board by June 12. Tuesday’s discussion keeps that timeline intact, Booker said, adding that should the council run into a snag preventing a decision on Tuesday, members still have two weeks to complete the process before the June 12 deadline.

Without the extension, the 2019 CIP ends Dec. 31, 2034.

Booker said estimates place the potential funding from the 16-year extension at $410 million. He said while the new program anticipates an annual increase of 3 percent through the life of PROPEL 2040, annual increases in the existing program have actually been closer to 6 percent.

City officials have been collecting ideas for projects for months, but have added several new ones in recent weeks. One came during a special council meeting last week, a $720,000 project to give Lawton city lakes staff a new headquarters.

Parks and Recreation Director Larry Parks said the existing building is a converted farm house that is showing its age, with deterioration evident through foundation cracks, broken floors, torn siding, and a roof that leaks despite repeated repairs. The structure is not ADA accessible and has no public restrooms.

“It is in extremely poor condition,” Parks said, of a facility he estimates serves 4,000 customers a year and provides work space for nine lakes personnel and three lake rangers.

The proposed replacement is a new 2,000-square-foot steel building. Council members weren’t convinced.

“I’ve to to think about this,” said Ward 4 Councilman George Gill, a builder who said he has looked at the outside of the structure and isn’t convinced it is beyond hope.

City Manager John Ratliff said the interior is much worse, explaining the structure is cracked and smells of mold. Gill was directed to go to the lake and tour the inside of the building before Tuesday’s council meeting, to ready a recommendation. Deputy City Manager Dewayne Burk said while the lakes staff intends to automate much of its activities (which may mean fewer visitors), the lakes staff also is taking on more responsibilities as the City of Lawton assumes control of concession areas that used to be run by private contractors and staff still will need office space.

Thursday’s decision was to place the project in the ordinance that will define the CIP extension program, although the council still has the option to revise the list.

That could come during a series of actions the council will consider Tuesday, ranging from the resolution and ordinance setting out specific projects for the program to the ballot proposition that voters will see Aug. 27.

The ordinance would extend the 2.125 percent sales tax allocated for capital improvements to Dec. 31, 2040, rather than allowing that program to expire Dec. 31, 2034. The proposal also specifies that 1 percent of the 2.125 percent total would be permanent: one-half percent already dedicated to public safety, water/sewer work and the city’s emergency fund; and one-half percent in the extension: one-quarter percent each to park and streets/bridges.

The ordinance specifies that PROPEL 2040 does not increase the existing sales tax, but authorizes the levying and extending of the existing CIP tax. If approved by voters, the extension would go into effect Oct. 1.

A separate resolution sets the specific projects and operational expenditures to be funded by the extension, setting intended allocations based on an initial revenue estimate of $34 million annually (revenue is projected to increase 3 percent a year during the term of the tax). The resolution also specifies the city’s intent is to “provide funds to complete projects/expenditures being funded by the current 2.125 percent tax, along with the new projects/expenditures enabled by the extension….” The resolution lists those previous projects.

Another item would allow the council to call the election for Aug. 27, while a fourth includes the ballot proposition.