The Okmulgee City Council conducted an extensive and multifaceted regular meeting Tuesday evening, addressing a wide range of city business that included zoning changes, infrastructure funding challenges, surplus property sales, public safety concerns and citizen input on long-standing community issues.

Council members unanimously approved the minutes from the Nov. 18 regular meeting and the Nov. 20 special session, followed by approval of claims authorizing payment of city expenses. Council then approved a modification to the order of business to move one agenda item until after executive session and dispensed with the reading of lengthy legal property descriptions to streamline the meeting process.

One of the early items of business involved approval of an ordinance closing a long-unused public right-of-way located between 4th Street and nearby downtown properties, including the Episcopal Church and the homeless shelter.

Logan Phillips, executive director of the RESSA Foundation, addressed the council, explaining that the rightof- way dated back to a structure that no longer existed and had effectively functioned as a parking area for decades. Phillips said relinquishing the right-of-way would allow for improved parking, resurfacing, and long-term development with no cost to the city.

After discussion, council unanimously approved the ordinance and declared an emergency, allowing the action to take immediate effect.

One of the most detailed discussions of the night centered on a proposal to hire R.L. Shears Company, P.C. to prepare grant applications and design work for a sidewalk project tied to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s 2026 Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program.

While the proposal involved a $15,000 cost to apply for the grant, City Manager Rick Pearson cautioned council members that the true financial impact of the project could be far greater, particularly due to railroad safety requirements associated with a pedestrian crossing near the tracks on 6th Street.

“They won’t really tell you what it’s going to cost until you get into it,” Pearson said, explaining discussions with railroad representatives. “To put a crosswalk over there and a sidewalk across the tracks, they’re talking about anywhere from $300,000 to $350,000 just for that crossing.”

Pearson said the expense stemmed from potential requirements to widen track pads and relocate or replace railroad crossing arms on both sides of the tracks.

“If we have to move the arms or replace them, we have to replace both sides,” Pearson said. “And we’re talking about spending $300,000 or more for maybe 15 or 20 feet of sidewalk.”

Councilman John Neal Jr. questioned whether the city could limit the project scope and still qualify for grant funding.

“So what we’re really talking about here is zoning and permitting on one hand, and then construction under another process,” Neal said. “Is there a way to go up to the tracks and stop, or do we have to cross them?”

Pearson responded that stopping short of the tracks would likely disqualify the city from the grant requirements tied to pedestrian connectivity.

“The sidewalks already exist on both sides, but they stop short of the tracks,” Pearson said. “To go across, that’s where the cost comes in, and I don’t think it’s worth it right now with everything else we have going on.”

Council members ultimately agreed that the potential cost outweighed the benefit at this time, and no motion was made to proceed with the grant application.

Council approved awarding a contract for trash abatement services to Nichols Lawn & Trash Service in the amount of $43,650. The work will address privately owned properties throughout the city that have become blighted or pose health and safety concerns.

City officials noted that multiple bids were received, with Nichols submitting the lowest responsible bid. The company has previously performed similar work for the city, and council authorized the mayor and city clerk to execute the contract and related documents.

— Utility franchise agreement, communication tower approved Council also approved a franchise agreement with ECO Services LLC, doing business as ecoLink, allowing the company to use the city’s rightsof- way to install fiber infrastructure as part of a larger regional network. Officials clarified that the project would not directly connect homes within the city limits but required formal authorization to pass through Okmulgee territory.

In another item, council approved a special use permit for a communication tower to be constructed near North Wood Drive on leased property adjacent to an existing industrial area. Representatives for the applicant explained the tower’s placement and purpose, noting it would be located near Pump & Motor Works and would improve communications infrastructure without encroaching on residential neighborhoods.

— Rezoning request sparks lengthy public comment Perhaps the most emotionally charged portion of the meeting came during consideration of a rezoning request for property near Wood Drive and U.S. Highway 62. The request sought to change the designation from residential single-family to commercial general. A longtime resident, Chipper Baughman, addressed the council with concerns about stormwater runoff, drainage failures and infrastructure strain in the area, describing decades of flooding issues dating back to the 1960s. Baughman said increased pavement and development had worsened water flow and caused repeated damage to his property, including costly foundation repairs.

City officials acknowledged the concerns, explaining that stormwater systems built decades ago were never designed to handle modern levels of paved surfaces. They noted that recent drainage improvement projects in the area have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and that stormwater requirements are governed by federal and state regulations.

Planning staff indicated that the property’s proximity to major highways made commercial zoning appropriate from a land-use perspective and that detailed site plans, including drainage considerations, would be required at the permitting stage. The rezoning request ultimately passed by council vote.

— Surplus city property sale continues

A significant portion of the agenda involved the approval of multiple special ordinances authorizing the sale of surplus city-owned properties across Okmulgee. In total, officials noted that approximately 54 properties had been identified for sale, many of them vacant lots or long-unused parcels.

Properties approved for sale included addresses on N. Central Avenue, N. Porter Avenue, S. Alabama Avenue, W. 10th Street, S. Morton Avenue, 13th and Taft, S. Chickasaw Avenue and several other locations throughout the city.

City staff explained that grouping properties together increases the likelihood of successful bids and reduces administrative costs, while individual properties with higher values would be sold separately. Each ordinance included a 30-day window during which a referendum petition could be filed.

— Citizen addresses council over cemetery conditions During the citizen comments portion of the meeting, Karen Mabrey, president of the Okmulgee Cemetery Association, addressed the council regarding ongoing challenges facing Okmulgee Cemetery, describing a difficult period marked by financial strain, operational instability and public scrutiny.

“We are working tirelessly to stabilize our financial and management conditions,” Mabrey told council members. “But the bottom line is we need much assistance to do so.”

Mabrey said the cemetery has endured a series of setbacks in recent months, including physical damage and administrative challenges that have placed additional strain on volunteers and board members working to restore order and dignity to the historic site.

“In the past five months since I volunteered to serve on the board of the Okmulgee Cemetery Association, the cemetery has been the victim of a fire, financial freefall, a Fox News report featuring the neglect of the cemetery, lapsed policies, shady deals, overdrawn bank accounts and other problems too numerous to list,” Mabrey said.

She emphasized that despite those challenges, progress is being made under new leadership.

“We are addressing these issues as timely as we can – and it is a lot – but there is hope,” she said. “We hope to show honor to those who rest in our cemetery. We hope to pay the bills. We hope to work continuously to raise much-needed funds to highlight our progress and our improvements.”

Mabrey noted that the association now has a fully seated board working toward long-term stability.

“We now have a full, seated board of directors, and we have a team of people who care about the state of our cemetery,” she said. “So here we are – people who care for an Okmulgee cemetery in need of lots of help.”

She reminded council members and the public of the cemetery’s historic significance to the community.

“Since 1909, our cemetery has served Okmulgee very well,” Mabrey said. “It is a beautiful place for many to be laid to rest. So let’s honor those here in our cemetery by giving it the care and the dignity it so deserves.”

Mabrey closed by thanking the council for allowing the association to speak and expressed a willingness to continue discussions moving forward.

“We would be willing to meet with you at any time regarding our situation,” she said. “Again, we thank you for hearing us, and Merry Christmas.”

City Attorney Lou Ann Moudy noted that the cemetery is not owned or operated by the City of Okmulgee, as it functions independently. However, they indicated the issue has been discussed previously and that further conversations could be scheduled to explore possible avenues of cooperation and public understanding.

The council voted to enter executive session under Oklahoma law to discuss confidential matters involving legal counsel and a pending investigation related to the county dispatch contract.