Connectivity appeared to be the topic at the meeting of the Shawnee City Commission Tuesday, Feb. 22. Several citizens spoke about the need for citizens with mental health issues to be able to connect to nature and said the Kayak launch would help with that. Others presented information about the need for public transportation to connect the various areas of the city.
Debbie Dean with Team River Runner spoke about how kayaking helped her heal after a traumatic brain injury.
“My healing began on the water with simple exercises in the pool…,” said Dean. “My husband would take me out to tandem kayak. I enjoyed it immensely and had something to look forward to. I felt like I was getting my life back when I could be out in nature. It was calming, and it was my happy place.”
She said she later found the Team River Runner program. “It’s more than an adaptive sports program,” Dean said. “It’s an opportunity for veterans to participate and enjoy nature and realize its social, physical, and emotional benefits. It has prevented veteran suicide.”
She said, “Team River Runners motto is ‘We are on the river to recovery.’”
Ellen Harwell with the National Alliance for Suicide Prevention and a suicide loss survivor said, “I come here today to mention it to discuss some of the mental health challenges and issues that our community and our young people are facing in regards to mental health, mental health crisis, as well as issues regarding suicide prevention. We have actually seen some suicide rate numbers go down. However, we have seen those numbers go up with many of our youth, especially those of minority groups.”
“These are all things that we can focus on to make our community safer and better for youth,” Harwell said. “There are two specific approaches increasing connectedness that reduce stress and improve attitudes towards help and those are peer programs and community engagement activities.”
“There are many benefits of youth participating in sports,” said Harwell. “And these are not all just competitive sports such as football or baseball, or basketball or other sports that we think of as combat commonly, they can be non-competitive sports, and I think that this body has definitely spent some time with you read the news discussing recreational activities such as kayaking. Given what we understand about mental health and suicide prevention, any opportunity local policymakers have to increase activities, promote positive mental health and expose youth to new and varied types of activities, activity should be given great consideration.”
Rick Young also addressed the board about transparency, stating the commissioners were representatives of their wards put in the position to look at each decision to be made and remember it is for the good of the whole.
He said, “You have to decide what’s best for the whole.”
Young finished by saying, Instead of “Shawnee being the worst place in America to be homeless, flip the script to ‘Shawnee is the best place in America to raise your children.”
Shawnee Forward CEO Rachael Melot presented information from a public transportation Needs Assessment completed by AARP in 2012, a strategic plan from FY 2017-2022, and a Comprehensive Plan 2040 done in 2019.
“Citizen Potawatomi Nation transit and COTS (Central Oklahoma Transit Service) are at capacity,” said Melot. “They are turning people away.”
She said just transporting people to doctor appointments fills all the time slots and does not include transports for work.
Shawnee Forward Economic Development Lead Walter Baker said i approximately 1,000 jobs remained unfilled at the end of 2021. He said, “The workforce committee and manufacturing alliance of Shawnee Forward identified transportation as a top 3 hindrance to retaining employees. American Public Transport Association state[s] that every $1 invested in public transportations yields approximately $4 in economic returns.”
Melot said a survey is being deployed to gather information from city governments, facilities, medical offices, schools, etc. “The goal is 1,000 participants take the survey. So tonight’s ask is, will you please take the survey? Will you please ask everyone that you know to take the survey?”
AARP Will collect the data according to the presentation. If the survey results support the study recommendation for a fixed route bus system in Shawnee:
COCCA has agreed (if feasible) to provide the route as an expansion of their current route.
Shawnee Forward has agreed to help lead the fundraising efforts for the first three years of operation.
Multiple community businesses have agreed to lend financial, marketing, and ridership support.
The board was presented several options for potential lake patrol officers. City Manager Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer gave five possibilities; however, she said first, a revenue stream will need to be identified.
The second extension of time frame was approved to the continued cooperation agreement entered into by the Citizen Potawatomie Nation and the City of Shawnee.
Jacob Bussell said sales tax collections are up $2,423,887 or 16.47%, over the projected budget year-to-date; use tax collections are up approximately $477,616, or 28.34%, over the projected budget year-to-date.
The board entered an executive session to discuss current opioid litigation. No action was taken.
