MINUTES

SPECIAL CALLED MEETING

LAWTON CITY COUNCIL

MAY 6, 2002 - 9:00 A.M.

WAYNE GILLEY CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Mayor Cecil E. Powell,                Also Present:

Presiding                        Bill Baker, City Manager

                            John Vincent, City Attorney

                            Brenda Smith, City Clerk

The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Mayor Powell. Invocation was given by Rev. Richard Mayer, St. John's Lutheran Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Notice of meeting and agenda were posted on the City Hall notice board as required by law.

ROLL CALL

PRESENT:                James Hanna, Ward Two

                    Glenn Devine, Ward Three

                    John Purcell, Ward Four

        Robert Shanklin, Ward Five

        Barbara Moeller, Ward Six

        Stanley Haywood, Ward Seven

        Michael Baxter, Ward Eight

ABSENT:    Randy Bass, Ward One

COMMENTS - CURRENT ADMINISTRATION

Purcell thanked all the citizens of Ward 4, stating it has been his honor and privilege to represent them over the last seven years, and it has been a privilege to help answer their questions and try to solve their problems. He thanked his wife and family, who have put up with a lot of meetings and phone calls and patiently listened to people when none of them volunteered to be elected to office, and all spouses of all Council members do that but he wanted to publicly thank them for all of their help.

Purcell said it has been great working with the Council, and they are the ones who have to try to move the City forward, and only those people who have served on the Council currently or in the past know all the hard work they do, and all the time it takes; some think they only come to meetings twice a month, but for those who sit here, they know that is not quite true. He said it is not always easy to determine before a vote or decision, except on a few highly visible things, what the majority want them to do; after a vote, people are always willing to tell you what you should have done, and that will continue but we must try to find out what it is people want before the vote, and that is very difficult.

Purcell said he could not name all of the great people he had served with on the Council, but there were three that he had the greatest respect for, and these three gentlemen were always able to get their points across without animosity or hard feelings and when there was disagreement among Council members, they were always gentlemen. He said those three people are Mayor Ted Marley, Councilman Joe Dutcher and the late Councilman Bob Mitchell; it was his honor and pleasure to serve with them, they are true gentlemen in every sense of the word in his opinion.

Purcell thanked the hard-working employees of the City of Lawton who work each and every day to provide services to all the citizens of this great city. He thanked the City Manager, the directors and their assistants, for always promptly answering his questions and requests so he could provide feedback to the citizen. He said to those directors and assistants, there are a lot of people who come to the podium at every Council meeting and he would ask them to not be discouraged when they come forward and Council members sometimes try to denigrate or humiliate them; when they do that, they are the only ones being degraded and humiliated, along with the citizens of this town, so continue to do the good job you all do, hold your heads high and the town and the citizens will certainly appreciate that.

Purcell congratulated Amy Ewing-Holmstrom on her election and wished her all the best and success as she takes on the new responsibilities. He said the Council members have a difficult task ahead and he was glad he did not have to participate in trying to put a budget together and balance it, and he wished them the best of luck, and for some, he just might see them in two years.

Moeller said when she first came on board, and being the only woman on board it was a little bit tough to get the lay of the land, which way to go, and Purcell was one of the few that were always there to answer her questions and did not feel any of her questions were trivial, and she appreciated that.

Hanna said he and Purcell had served together in the military 25 to 30 years ago and it had been his pleasure serving with him on the Council.

Mayor Powell presented a plaque to Purcell in honor of his service on the Lawton City Council.

DECLARE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION TO CEASE - MAYOR POWELL

Mayor Powell declared the current administration to cease.

ADMINISTRATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY OATHS OF OFFICE- MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE

Oaths of Office were administered by Judge Corrales to Councilmembers Devine, Ewing-Holmstrom and Shanklin.

DECLARE NEW ADMINISTRATION TO BEGIN - MAYOR POWELL

Mayor Powell declared the new administration to begin.

ROLL CALL - NEW ADMINISTRATION

PRESENT:    James Hanna, Ward Two

    Glenn Devine, Ward Three

    Amy Ewing-Holmstrom, Ward Four

    Robert Shanklin, Ward Five

    Barbara Moeller, Ward Six

    Stanley Haywood, Ward Seven

    Michael Baxter, Ward Eight

ABSENT:    Randy Bass, Ward One

COMMENTS - NEW ADMINISTRATION

Shanklin welcomed Ewing-Holmstrom to the Council and said she would have big shoes to fill. He said he and Purcell had not always agreed but he appreciated where he was coming from and felt he was a truly principled man.

Ewing-Holmstrom thanked everyone for the support she had been shown by the voters of Ward Four and so many of the leaders of the community. She said she was excited to be here and was ready to get to work.

Devine said this is his second term and he had not been opposed for either term, so he hoped the voters felt he was doing a good job, and that he would continue to try to do so.

Hanna welcomed Ewing-Holmstrom to the Council.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:15 a.m. upon motion, second and roll call vote.