Council approves raises for city workers

By Jeff Harrison
Managing Editor

Midwest City employees will soon see a little extra in their paychecks.

The city council approved a 3-percent cost of living raise for all municipal employees during last Tuesday night’s council meeting. The raise will be given to all full and part time employees as well as police and firefighters, which are represented by labor unions.

City manager Tim Lyon said the city was able to provide the raises because of strong revenues, primary sales and use tax collections. The contracts with the police and firefighters included a 3-percent raise if the city’s sales and use tax collections increased by 4.25 percent from the previous year. Lyon said based on the June report, the city’s sales and use taxes are about 4.75 percent higher than the previous year.

Lyon and other city leaders expressed gratitude for all city employees.

“I appreciate all of our staff,” said Sean Reed, city councilman. “Whether uniformed or not, they all deserve this raise.”

The cost of living adjustment will be effective July 1.

In other items, the city council approved:
• A zoning request at 9925 SE 15th Street. The request will allow the owner of the 7-Eleven to expand the existing store and add another tenant.

• A lot split for a vacant residential lot at 329 King Ave., including a waiver for required street and sidewalks. The owner plans to divide the 4.55-acre property into two parcels for single family development. City councilmembers discussed a precedent of granting waivers for street and sidewalks on properties that do not connect to existing streets and sidewalks. They approved the request but agreed to explore options in the future.

• A special use permit to allow a new restaurant, 6805 SE 15th St., to serve alcoholic beverages. Paden Weatherford, a Carl Albert alumni, plans to open Bad Nonna’s, an Italian restaurant, in the vacant City Bites building. Weatherford said he hopes to have the restaurant open in late July or early August.

• A preliminary plat of the Pieper Addition at 2750 Hand Road. The applicant plans to divide the property into two parcels for single family development.

• A final plat of Oakes Crossing at 10225 E. Reno Ave. The applicant plans to subdivide the property into six individual parcels for single family residential development.

• A request to close a public easement at 1103 S. Air Depot Blvd. The ordinance was needed to accommodate a request to expand O’Reilly Auto Parts Store at 1109 S. Air Depot Blvd.