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February 24, 2026 City Council Meeting

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February 24, 2026 City Council Meeting

--- date: 2026-02-24 governing_body: City Council meeting_type: Regular Meeting location: Lawton City Hall, Wayne Gilley Auditorium start_time: 6:00 PM duration: 5:15:12 public_video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/pQHHHzGMiRc ---

City of Lawton — City Council Meeting

Date: February 24, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Lawton City Hall, Wayne Gilley Auditorium

Attendance

City Council Members Present

  • Roll Call: TBD

Quorum: Yes
Absences: TBD

Agenda / Packet / Minutes

  • Agenda: City Council Agenda — February 24, 2026
  • Packet: TBD
  • Minutes: TBD

Summary

The February 24, 2026 City Council meeting included presentations and routine consent items, followed by extended debate over a zoning ordinance for data centers and digital asset mining, a discussion about the future scope of the Library of Tomorrow committee, a status report on the Gore Boulevard traffic signal project, and executive session on pending legal and personnel matters.

The most consequential legislative action of the night was approval of a revised data center / digital asset mining ordinance on a 5–3 vote, after extensive discussion about state law limits, water availability, electrical capacity, and how much control the city could retain over future large-scale development. Later in the meeting, council dissolved the existing Library of Tomorrow committee and reconstituted its work under a clarified mission and new chair on an 8–0 vote.

Opening Proceedings

Call to Order / Invocation / Pledge of Allegiance

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Meeting called to order; invocation and pledge conducted
  • Vote: N/A

Roll Call

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Roll call conducted; quorum established
  • Vote: N/A

Presentations

Item 1 — Defense Community Champion Award presented to Mayor Stanley Booker

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Presentation
  • Vote: N/A

Item 2 — Clean Sweep Award — Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association OK 10-3

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Presentation
  • Vote: N/A

Item 3 — Recognition of Eisenhower Middle School’s Media Class

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Presentation / recognition
  • Vote: N/A

Item 4 — Recognition of 25 Years of Service (Oklahoma Municipal League)

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Presentation / recognition
  • Vote: N/A

Reports

Mayor / City Council / City Manager Reports

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Reports given
  • Vote: N/A

All items listed below were considered routine and scheduled for a single motion unless removed for separate consideration.

  • Start: TBD
  • Action: Consent agenda considered
  • Vote: TBD
  • Notes: Earlier transcript portion not visible in current excerpt

Item 5 — Damage Claim Recommended for Denial

  • Claimant: Michael Cowing
  • Amount: $750.00
  • Vote: TBD

Item 6 — FYE26 Budget Amendment (Medicine Park Water Treatment Plant Roof)

  • Amount: $1,127,193.02
  • Action: Reduce transfer from Enterprise Fund to General Fund and appropriate funds for roof replacement
  • Vote: TBD

Item 7 — Rogers Lane Lighting Project

  • Contractor: TLS Group, Inc.
  • Amount: $1,487,501.50
  • Vote: TBD

Item 8 — Pavement Maintenance Program Management Task Order Supplement

  • Consultant: WSB
  • Amount: $130,500
  • Vote: TBD

Item 9 — Park Modernization Lighting Project Contract Extension

  • Vendor: First Light of Tulsa
  • Vote: TBD

Item 10 — Change Order No. 2: SW 11th St Bridge / Wolf Creek Project

  • Contractor: Sewell Bros, Inc.
  • Action: Add 40 calendar days
  • Vote: TBD

Item 11 — Amendment No. 13: Garver, LLC

  • Amount: Not to exceed $584,100
  • Project: Industrial water main replacement along Goodyear Blvd
  • Vote: TBD

Item 12 — Amendment No. 13: Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.

  • Amount: Not to exceed $913,417
  • Project: Industrial High Zone Booster Pump Station / West High Zone Pump Station No. 3
  • Vote: TBD

Item 13 — Replat of Lot 3A, Bilbrey’s East Plaza Part One

  • Location: North of SE Lee Blvd and east of SE 36th Street
  • Vote: TBD

Item 14 — Underground Right-of-Way Easement to PSO

  • Project: FISTA-related project south side of the mall
  • Vote: TBD

Item 15 — As-Built Drawings and Maintenance Bond: Scissortail Point Development

  • Location: South side of NW Cache Road between NW 47th Street and NW 53rd Street
  • Vote: TBD

Item 16 — Fence Height Waiver for FedEx

  • Location: 1813 SW 11th Street
  • Action: Allow 12-foot screening fence instead of 8-foot maximum
  • Vote: TBD

Item 17 — Council Policy 04-09: Customer Water Usage Discrepancies

  • Vote: TBD

Item 18 — Amendment to Council Policy 8-01: Engineering and Architectural Selection Process

  • Vote: TBD

Item 19 — FY2027 Oklahoma Highway Safety Office Grant Application

  • Amount: Up to $425,000
  • Vote: TBD

Item 20 — Donation to Lawton Public Library

  • Donor: Carnegie Corporation of New York
  • Amount: $10,000
  • Vote: TBD

Item 21 — Claims List Approval

  • Period: December 8, 2025 through February 20, 2026
  • Vote: TBD

Item 22 — Appointments to Boards and Commissions

  • Vote: TBD

Item 23 — Approval of Minutes

  • Meeting: February 10, 2026
  • Vote: TBD

Unfinished Business

Item 24 — Data Center / Digital Asset Mining Ordinance

  • Start: 02:29:38 (YouTube)
  • Action: Public discussion and ordinance consideration regarding data centers / digital asset mining uses in industrial districts
  • Vote: 5–3 (passed)
  • End: 02:59:34 (YouTube)
  • Notes:
    • Council and staff discussed the city’s limited control over development outside city limits and the distinction between water sold by agreement outside city limits versus groundwater rights.
    • Public Utilities staff explained that under the Arbuckle-Timbers Aquifer framework, landowners may obtain roughly 2 acre-feet per acre per year, and estimated that about 260 acres would be needed to support 1 million gallons per day.
    • Staff and legal discussion emphasized that state law defines digital asset mining around a greater-than-1-megawatt threshold, which constrained how restrictive the city could safely be without increasing litigation risk.
    • Mayor Booker framed the issue repeatedly as one of maintaining city control.
    • Motion text, as read into the record, amended the ordinance to:
      • allow digital asset mining / data centers with peak electrical demand not greater than 2 megawatts in I-1 subject to written clearance from the local electrical provider; and
      • require use permitted on review in I-4 for digital asset mining / data centers with peak electrical demand greater than 2 megawatts, also subject to utility clearance;
      • delete Sections 3 and 4 entirely.
    • Discussion included concerns about:
      • water demand,
      • electrical infrastructure,
      • long-term job creation,
      • abandoned facilities,
      • state legislative gaps,
      • and whether the city could require review for every size category.
    • Staff stated that under the current code, without amendment, a qualifying use could potentially proceed in industrial zoning with far less council control.
    • The revised title of the ordinance was read beginning at 02:57:13.
    • Vote confirmed at 02:59:27 and announced as passed 5–3.
    • Mayor Booker also directed staff to return with additional recommendations to help the city maintain control going forward.

Related Video — Public Comments Clip

Public Comments Clip: Watch on YouTube

This clip contains the unedited public comments from the February 24, 2026 Lawton City Council public hearing on proposed zoning changes for data centers / digital asset mining.

Topics raised by speakers included:

  • Water use and infrastructure
  • Electrical demand
  • Noise and neighborhood impacts
  • Environmental concerns
  • Economic development questions
  • Alternative site proposals, including FISTA

Agenda Reference: Item 24 — Data Centers / Zoning
Council Vote on Ordinance: Passed 5–3
Yes: Hooten, Brown, Epps, Williams, Warren
No: Hampton, Dimery, Weger

Note: The city camera overlay may display an incorrect date. The recording is from the February 24, 2026 City Council meeting.

Business Items

Item 25 — Library of Tomorrow Committee Update

  • Start: 03:09:09 (YouTube)
  • Action: Committee update received; committee structure and scope discussed; committee dissolved and reconstituted under clarified mission
  • Vote: 8–0 (passed)
  • End: 03:40:20 (YouTube)
  • Notes:
    • Committee leadership reported that the original mission had become muddled and that the conversation drifted into defending the library rather than conducting a structured long-range evaluation.
    • Chair reported approximately $6 million in identified and suspected needs, but stressed that many figures were preliminary and not derived from a full architectural / engineering assessment.
    • Concerns raised included:
      • concealed building conditions,
      • possible mold or moisture intrusion,
      • code compliance gaps,
      • long-term service model changes,
      • digital versus in-person library use,
      • and whether the city should invest heavily in an aging facility without clearer long-term planning.
    • An initial motion beginning at 03:25:04 sought to disband the current committee and create a new Library Facilities Review Committee with a fact-finding mission extending conceptually through 2075. That motion died for lack of second at 03:27:07.
    • A new motion then followed to keep the same committee but clarify the mission. During discussion, the mayor requested a friendly amendment to install Kirby Brown as chairman.
    • A further amendment clarified dissolution of the original time-limited Library of Tomorrow Committee and re-establishment of the work under the updated mission.
    • Public-facing distinction discussed on the record:
      • daily library operations remain with the director / library board;
      • this committee’s role is broader capital and future-planning review.
    • Final vote passed 8–0 at 03:40:20.

Item 26 — Gore Traffic Lighting Project

  • Start: 03:40:26 (YouTube)
  • Action: Status update received from Public Works
  • Vote: N/A
  • End: 03:45:47 (YouTube)
  • Notes:
    • Public Works reported that initial CMAQ-related funding had been approved later than first projected, with usable funds available by January 23, 2026.
    • Staff stated the initial $50,476 scenario had been funded and equipment ordered, including:
      • GPS timing units,
      • electrical wiring,
      • signal heads,
      • and related controller upgrades.
    • Additional funds had also been committed toward the next phase because those funds would otherwise expire.
    • Staff stated the first equipment was expected in April 2026, with implementation targeted before June 1, 2026.
    • Mayor Booker pressed for:
      • a full council report at the next meeting,
      • intersection-by-intersection ranking information from the WSB report,
      • and a clearer connection between spending and anticipated traffic-flow improvement.
    • On the record, staff affirmed the first phase was intended to improve traffic flow by roughly 25% once equipment was installed.

Executive Session

Item 27 — Pending Damage Claim of Ansin Sloat-Davis

  • Start: 05:13:35 (YouTube)
  • Action: Executive session summary read into record
  • Vote: N/A
  • Notes: No action needed in open session

Item 28 — Employment Review of City Manager John Ratliff

  • Start: 05:13:55 (YouTube)
  • Action: Executive session summary read into record
  • Vote: N/A
  • Notes: No action needed in open session

Item 29 — Joseph Gonzalez, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Tshante Gonzalez, Deceased v. City of Lawton, et al.

  • Start: 05:14:10 (YouTube)
  • Action: Executive session summary read into record
  • Vote: N/A
  • Notes: No action needed in open session

Audience Participation

Audience Participation

  • Start: 05:14:47 (YouTube)
  • Action: Mayor announced one speaker request; no speaker present
  • Vote: N/A
  • Notes: Zeb Hendris was called but not present

Adjournment

Adjournment

  • Start: 05:15:02 (YouTube)
  • Action: Motion to adjourn approved
  • Vote: Roll call vote; adjournment approved
  • End: 05:15:12 (YouTube)
  • Notes: Meeting adjourned

• Public Comments — Data Center Hearing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U12r9wl_R4

• Full City Council Meeting Recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHHHzGMiRc

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