It appears the end has officially come for one of Shawnee’s longtime boards — now that the Shawnee Civic and Cultural Development Authority (SCCDA) has agreed to let its board dissolve. Recently, the city, the county and the SCCDA have been working to conclude the matter.

The move marks the end of the authority’s management of the city-owned Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center.

Since its establishment, the SCCDA has been responsible for organizing and managing events at the expo.

“In 2019, the city directly assumed operation responsibility and retained a management company for the facility,” a City of Shawnee press release states. “Since then, the third-party contractor has managed the property, working with events, including the International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR), which was overseen by the SCCDA.”

Ward 1 City Commissioner Daniel Matthews said he was asked to serve as a mediation representative on behalf of the city from mediation between the city, the SCCDA and the county in 2022. “The first mediation took place in the summer of 2022, and mediation has been open ever since,” he said.

“In-person mediation was held again on July 30 (2024), in which an agreement in principle was reached between all three parties on what they believed were terms they could support in front of their respective bodies,” he said. “Another meeting was held on Aug. 12, at which the attorneys provided a draft agreement of the previously reached framework.”

He said the entities left that meeting with handshakes and agreements to take that work back to each of the respective bodies for corresponding action to settle the mediation and hopefully move the community forward.

“Some have criticized the action as appearing to be rushed – and while there has been a flurry of activity recently – it’s very hard to call a mediation that’s been open for over two years, rushed,” he said. “I want to be clear, the mediation process, while frustrating at times, has never been hostile. Those representing all three bodies want what is best for our community.”

He said every person that has played a part in the proceedings loves the community and has invested countless hours in the service thereof.

He said he knows there has been some frustration around the issue and what couldn’t be disclosed to the public.

“I want to make sure everybody understands that the details of the mediation agreement will be public when mediation closes,” Matthews said at the August Commission meeting, adding that releasing the details of the agreement before each party passed them would have been illegal. At that time, the SCCDA still had not approved the agreement.

Mediation approval

The dissolution was approved in mid-August by the Pottawatomie County Board of County Commissioners and Shawnee City Commissioners. There was a hitch in the works, however, when the SCCDA board decided to table the issue at its Aug. 15 meeting.

Noted tension was evident when a week later, at the Aug. 20 meeting of the Shawnee City Commission — SCCDA board member Rob Morris addressed the commission in regard to the commission’s planned executive session that night to discuss the SCCDA situation with its attorney.

“As you know, my (SCCDA) committee did not vote to dissolve the other day,” he said. “Luckily, we got a lawyer. Because the City of Shawnee knew we couldn’t afford one and they were going to push it, so we didn’t have any way to fight back.”

He said, “but the county of Pottawatomie – the three commissioners that sit there – saw it fit to make sure this was done right and legal.”

He then publicly thanked the County Commission for making that possible, adding the city did not do anything to help them with legal representation.

“As, where my committee members threatened that if we didn’t vote the same way the city did and the county did, that we might be kicked off the committee because we didn’t vote right,” he said. “That’s interesting, and that’s recorded, too.”

He asked Shawnee City Commissioners to address that issue.

“What is your plan to do with the expo, is the city going to run it, the county, or a mix of both?” he asked. “Right now, even if I did vote, I wouldn’t know exactly what I’m voting on – which means I’m not going to vote. I’m going to vote no every time until I know what it is I’m voting on.”

Morris said if the city wants the expo to go through, they need to put the information out there and be transparent about it.

“Quit hiding behind things, behind executive session,” he said.

SCCDA did ultimately adopt the mediation agreement after another meeting.

“On behalf of Pottawatomie County, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the SCCDA for their unwavering dedication and hard work, and for entrusting the county to continue the IFYR,” Pottawatomie County Commissioner Melissa Dennis said. “This special rodeo was fostered by the authority for decades and has grown into the great event it is today.”

Shawnee City Manager Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer said SCCDA’s legacy will have a lasting impact, and both the city and county deeply appreciate all that the SCCDA has done for Shawnee and Pottawatomie County.

“The SCCDA efforts have been instrumental in enhancing economic growth and improving the quality of life in our community,” she said, thanking the board for its service.

Members of the SCCDA board are: Chairman Randy Gilbert; and Trustees Tim Barrick; Carl Packwood; Lance Wortham; and Rob Morris; and Shawnee City Manager Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer, serving as secretary. There was one vacant seat.

What’s next

The city will continue manage the expo center’s affairs under the terms of the mediation agreement, a City of Shawnee press release reads.

As one of the conditions of the mediation agreement, the county agreed to pay for the reasonable costs associated with dissolution of the SCCDA.

Moving forward, final negotiations between the city, county, and the SCCDA are slated to be held and completed by Oct. 31. According to the mediation agreement, items that remain to be discussed include:

• Ownership of personal property assets currently at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center (“Expo”).
• Financial arrangements between the city and the county relating to the Pottawatomie County Free Fair, the Pottawatomie County Junior Livestock Show, and the IFYR.
• Finalizing an agreement relating to the transfer of the ownership of the IFYR to Pottawatomie County.
• Finalizing an agreement relating to the transfer of SCCDA personal property assets to owner of the real property in the event of an eventual transfer.

Also, all parties have agreed not to dispose of any assets that are related to the operation of the expo — or any events held at the expo outside of the normal course of business pending full and final settlement of all issues, the agreement states.

For more information, call the city at (405) 878-1601.

Watch for updates.