Heat. Hey, Heat. Good evening and welcome to the 5:00 PM Tulsa City Council meeting. You can view this meeting on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel, Cox Channel 24, or at tgvonline.org. Obviously, we're missing our chair tonight. So, councelor Gilbert, I hope you get to feeling better. Assisting the council tonight are Jack Blair, city attorney, secretary to the council, Lori Doring, and Katherine on council staff. If you wish to speak on an agenda item, please see Katherine to complete a request to speak card prior to that item being read. You will not be allowed to speak on any item that has already been read. Please join us in pledging allegiance to our flag and remain standing for a moment of silence. To the flag of the United States of America and to the stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. >> Okay, looks like we have some proclamations for our February years of service. Councelor Bells is going to join me. Okay. So, the city uh as we you've heard multiple times has an incredible team of over 35 uh00 public servants dedicated to making all aspects of city government run smoothly. Each month, the city council is pleased to recognize all, but tonight some of the exceptional public servants who have committed decades of their lives uh in their career to the city. Obviously, I hope our cheering section is primed and ready to go. >> Okay. All right. So, uh let's see. Uh our first person up tonight, um I'm going to read the I'm going to read this first. This is basically what they all say. Whereas the employees have dedicated years of service to the city of Tulsa, its officials and its citizens. And therefore, we, Mayor Monroe Nichols, and the Tulsa City Council, do hereby express our sincerest appreciation for these employees years of hard work, dedication, and continued service to the city of Tulsa and its citizens. And in witness thereof, we hereby set our hands on this 25th day of February, 2026. And it looks like the first person we have is James L. Condos from Water and Sewer for 45 years of service. >> Where you at, James? There he is. >> Thank you for your service. I'm ready. >> Sorry, I don't want to get wet. Okay, next up uh Karen Carrie L. Noiski from finance for 25 years of service. >> Thank you so much for your service. >> Thank you so much. Two S's. Two L's. Okay. And finally, Tammy R. Fields from Finance as well for 25 years of service. Here, I can put that to the side or you can drop it off right here if you want. >> Yeah. Just before we take pictures. Erica, excellent job as always. Okay. Um, we also want to recognize the employees who couldn't attend with us tonight. Many of the employees who are receiving their years of uh, service award this month couldn't be with us, so we obviously want to recognize them. For 45 years of service, Cheryl Compton from police for 35 years of service, James Wright from public works for 30 years of service. Eugenia Williams from police and Daniel Llewellyn from asset management for 20 years of service. Adrien Salavar from public works. So, uh, again, thank you for all your hard work and your dedication to the citizens of Tulsa, whether it's during normal business. Are you here? Do we have his? >> Are you Adrian? >> Adrian, >> we don't have your certificate. >> Yes, we can definitely take photos. >> Certificate. We're so sorry we don't have it with us. Okay. And again, uh, the continued growth of the city is a direct result of our valued employees that serve our city 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are true representation of service, excellence, loyalty, and commitment. I think that's true in every aspect. Their work does not go unnoticed and their many sacrifice are truly appreciated. So, thank you to our great city employees. Okay. People wishing to speak on agenda items are limited to five minutes total per meeting. Public input is a time for members of the public to provide insight on the agenda item due to the meeting format. Public input is not a time for a question and answer period. All comment should be re excuse me relevant to the agenda item and directed to the entire council. Uh sorry I'm out of breath all of a sudden. We are using an electronic timing system in front of the speakers at the microphone. There is a timer that will countdown the time used. A green light will indicate your time is running. A yellow light will come on when you have 30 seconds remaining of your allotted time and a blinking red light will be shown when your time has concluded. We ask that you stay within your time limit so that everyone wishing to speak will be given equal time. Thank you. Please keep the podium area, railings, and aisles free from recording devices and tripods. Recording equipment and accessories, including tripods, must be set up in the media center as posted on tonight's agenda. Certain items are subject to consideration and possible approval adoption denial amendment or revision. Uh, item 4K has been pulled from tonight's agenda. I call this meeting to order. Lori, will you please call the role? >> Councelor Hall Harper >> here. >> Councelor Archie >> here. >> Councelor Dutton >> here. >> Councelor Bellis >> here. >> Councelor Benel >> here. >> Councelor Dr. Wright >> here. >> Councelor Leaken >> here. >> Okay. Receipt of filing of minutes. Uh, item A, minutes of special meeting held 3 p.m. January 20th, 2026. Item B, uh, minutes of regular meeting held at 400 p.m. January 21, 2026. And minutes of regular meeting held at 5:00 p.m. on January 2026. Do we have any speakers? >> We have no speakers. >> Is there any council discussion? >> Move to approve items 1 A through C. Second. >> Lori, will you please call the role? >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Archie. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. Item 1 A through B or excuse me 1 A through C are approved. Appointments and reappointments. Uh item A to Neil Bent appointment to the T Tulsa Housing Authority replacing Rick Neil. Emily Hall, appointment to the Tulsa Housing Authority, replacing DJ Morrow. Seth Blandon, appointment to the Tulsa Housing Authority, replacing Lisa Alers. Jennifer, excuse me, D. Jennifer Griffin, reappointment to the Tulsa Development Authority. E, uh, Andy McMillan, reappointment to the Tulsa Area Economic Opportunity. and F. Craig Abram Abrahamson reappointment to the Tulsa Economic Opportunity. Do we have any speakers? >> We have one speaker, Mr. John Huffines, for items 2 A through F. >> Good evening, Mr. Huffiness. >> Good evening. Thank you. Peace. Yes, peace. I'm thankful for our honorable leaders, our honorable council chair, Karen Gilbert. Pray for healing to flow into her body this evening. And our honorable acting chair, vice chair, uh our vice chair who is presiding over our meeting, Christian Bingle, honorable counselors, staff, team, and security. We're thankful to the citizens of this great city of love, Tulsa, Oklahoma. It's a joy to be with you on this 25th day of February in the year of our loving Lord Jesus Christ 2026. Yes. Appointments and reappointments. Toniel Bent, Emily Hall, Seth Blandon, Jennifer Griffin, James Andy McMillan, and A Craig Abrahamson. May we continue to honor our volunteers and employees. Thank you, family. >> Is that all is Mr. Huffiness our only speaker. Catherine. >> Yes. Correct. >> All right. Is there any council discussion? >> Move to approve items 2 A through F. Second. >> Lori, please call the role. >> Councelor Bengal. >> Yes. >> Councelor Dector Wright. >> Yes. >> Councelor Leaken. >> Yes. >> Councelor Paul Harper. >> Yes. >> Councelor Archie. >> Yes. >> Councelor Dutton. >> Yes. >> Councelor Bellis. >> Yes. >> All right. Items 2A through F are approved. Are there any commissioners, newly appointed commissioners here tonight with us? No. All right. Well, thank you for your service. Uh, three public hearings. Public hearing for the purpose of providing information, including an analysis of potential positive or negative impacts and answering questions regarding the proposed second amended and restated downtown area economic development project plan. The purpose of the second amendment project plan is to provide an economic structure and funding mechanism to support development and redevelopment in downtown Tulsa. The proposed amendments to the original downtown area economic development project plan as previously amended included in the second amended project plan are intended to provide additional funding opportunities in the cathedral district increment district. Provide for the redevelopment of the Philcade building through the establishment of a two new increment districts separate from the east end increment district. a sales tax increment district and an advorum and lodging tax increment district. The removal of the Evans fin tube increment district and making several clarifying revisions. Each of the two new proposed increment districts will be named and created at a future date. There are no proposed changes to the projects, excuse me, projects project area. Uh is there a motion to enter public hearings? >> Move to enter public hearings. Second. >> Lori, please call the role. >> Councelor Bengal, >> yes. >> Councelor Dector Wright, >> yes. >> Councelor Leaken, >> yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper, >> yes. >> Councelor Archie, >> yes. >> Councelor Dutton, >> yes. >> Councelor Bellis, >> yes. >> Okay, we are in public hearings. Jeff Sabin, the TIFF council >> with Center for Economic Development Law will present a shortformational presentation before we call our speakers. >> Uh, good evening, council. I'm sure you guys are sick of seeing me at this point, but uh, here I am. Um so tonight, uh you have the first public hearing for uh some amendments to the downtown area project plan. And so if we can go to the next slide, sorry. So, uh, for the those in the audience who may not be aware of TIFF, I know council's aware of TIFF, but tax increment financing, uh, is a tool, uh, according to state statute that allows newly generated, uh, tax revenues to be used to support new development or redevelopment areas, uh, that are qualified under the state's enabling statute, the local development act, uh, within the city. So tiff is generally used sorry uh tiff is generally used to help private development or secure private development to locate within these areas. Uh next slide. Uh this is kind of an idea of how it works. It works by aortioning what's called the increment uh into its own aortionment fund. And that aortionment fund can be used to pay authorized project costs in a project plan. Uh the illustration uh to the right here kind of shows how it works. uh when an increment district is created, the county assessor within 90 days goes in and determines what uh the current assessed value is within that increment district and they certify that amount as the base assessed value. Now over the life of the tiff district, advalorum or other taxes applied to that valuation continue to be allocated to the taxing jurisdictions under state law. But as projects happen within that increment district and the valuation goes up, the a portion of the taxes generated on that increased valuation are what's aortioned into that separate tax aortionment fund to be used unauthorized project costs. And then at the end of the tiff district's life, which can go out up to 25 fiscal years, all that new valuation generated within within the increment district goes on the regular tax roles and is allocated according to state law. uh if a tiff district uh can go out up to 25 years but if enough revenue is generated before 25 years expires to pay off all the authorized project costs in the project plan the tiff district will end early. Uh next slide please. Uh specific to the downtown uh tiff district. So back in 2010 the city adopted the downtown area master plan. And so this provides guidance for how public and private developments would happen in the basically in the IDL and some of the immediately surrounding areas and it strongly reflected a desire for the city to revitalize downtown. Recommended several urban design principles trying to design uh some high quality contextual development and placemaking within downtown. um also sought to increase the residential offerings downtown and recognize a specific need for some transportation related infrastructure improvements, parking improvements, and transit facilities. It also calls for the eventual creation of a tiff district to be used to support uh the plan. And so, next slide. Uh based on that uh recommendation in the downtown area master plan, uh the city council in December 2017 adopted the downtown area project plan and then it was subsequently uh amended as a major amendment in December 19 which added uh the 222 North Detroit project which is the former WPX headquarters. The project plan created nine different increment districts and currently seven of those nine have been made effective by council either in the original adoption ordinance or by subsequent action. Next slide please. Key points about the project plan. Uh tiff districts and the project plan itself does not raise taxes. It merely allows for the capture of tax increment revenues from new development generated within that increment district to pay for the authorized project costs. The tiff districts also uh do not entitle any private developer or any other use of the funds through the actual project plan. Separately devel uh separately negotiated development agreements or project funding agreements are necessary to expend TIFF revenues. Uh TIFF revenues in one of the increment districts can be spent technically in any of the other increment districts or the full project area. And each increment district would end with all the authorized project costs to be paid from that tiff district have been collected. Uh next slide. You can kind of see here uh this is how the project plan currently stands. So the project area which is the area outlined in red uh that's the area where increment revenue can be spent. You can see it covers pretty much the whole most of anyway the interpersal loop and the area around the Evans fin tube site on the north side there. And so you can see where the nine different increment districts are based on the different color-coded shaded areas within that. The increment districts are the areas where the increment revenue is generated. Uh next slide. Uh so for the amendments themselves um in reviewing the project plan over the I mean the city constantly is reviewing the project plan and partner Tulsa is constantly reviewing the project plan. And in reviewing the project plan over the last uh year and a half or so, we've kind of keep kept tabs on specific items that needed to be amended and keeping an eye on specific development uh prospects within downtown. We decided that it's ultimately uh worth council's consideration to consider what's called a major amendment. So, a project plan can be amended just by an action of city council if it's a minor amendment, which is something that doesn't change the character of a project plan. Does it increase the overall budget by 5% or doesn't add any more land area to the TIFF district? Anything that doesn't qualify as a minor amendment has to go back through the full statutory approval process, which means the council adopting a resolution, stating that your intent to uh consider a major amendment, reconvening the review committee, having the review committee review the proposed amendments, having them vote on it, and then having TMAPC also vote on it. So, the amendments included in the uh the second amendment downtown area TIFF project plan are a a revision of the sales tax increment formula for TIFF 18 that's listed as TIFF B in the project plan which is the PAC increment district. So, it's the parking lot immediately K uh caddy corner from city hall. Uh it increases the proposed development assumptions and adds potential sales tax increment for TIFF D which is the Cathedral District which is one of the two increment districts that is yet to be effectuated. It provides for two separate increment districts uh given preliminary designations of J and K for the rehabil rehabilitation of the Phil Kate building. It increases the authorized project costs by $260 million as a result of uh the changes to TIFFD and the new Phil project and it removes TIFF E which is the uh Evansfin tube project so that it can be uh accommodated on a future project plan specifically focused on North Tulsa. It also cleans up several of the entities and authorizations provided for in the project plan. uh when the project plan was created uh it was still under the authority of the Tulsa Industrial Authority and obviously that's been uh subsumed by Tulsa Authority for economic opportunity. So we made some other uh cleanup on those. Um next slide please. The overall project plan objectives with the second amendment and restated project plan remain the same as they were when they were first adopted. Facilitate downtown development. uh generate new private investment so that it has a catalytic effect on the rest of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Provide a funding mechanism for those project costs authorized in the project plan that'll help that development actually occur. Enhance the tax base and make possible investment or economic growth that would be difficult uh otherwise but possible with the use of the tools of local development act. Uh activate the street level and try to enhance pedestrian connectivity. establish minimum standards and for projects that receive assistance and to promote those uh high quality development and placemaking objectives from the downtown area master plan and increase residential opportunities. You'll see a lot of carryover between those objectives and what was in the downtown area master plan. Uh next slide please. So kind of going over the proposed amendments uh one by one. uh as it was initially adopted in 2017, the PAC increment district had a sales tax increment that was defined as 3.65% of the construction and retail sales generated on that project. Subsequent to that adoption, the city adopted a charter amendment in 2018 that prohibited the use of the 2017 public safety sales tax for any other purpose except what was authorized uh in that adoption. The project plan was never adopted. So, uh, I'm sorry, it was never updated to reflect that charter amendment. So, the city can never really include the full 3.65% in that, uh, increment district after that charter adoption, but we never updated the project plan. So, we're adding that as a correction here. So, we're amending that revised, uh, sales tax percentage back down to the 2%. So, there's basically the city's undedicated portion that you see in all of the other increment districts downtown that include sales tax increment. uh the cathedral tiff uh tiffd uh which is the south end by where all the historic churches are located and the Tulsa community college campus. It was originally considered to be adorum increment only. There's been a new planning effort spearheaded by the downtown Tulsa partnership uh that's resulted in some dramatically increased development goals for the area. uh and some of those assumptions have resulted in the need to uh update the budget for this particular increment district and to add sales tax increment. At this point, I'm going to yield temporarily to uh downtown Tulsa Partnership who has a brief presentation. >> Good evening. Emily Scott, interim president and CEO of Downtown Tulsa Partnership. Um, I'm here to talk to you about the Cathedral District and the work we've been doing over the past 10 months to work on a pre-development planning effort aligned with this tiff amendment proposal in front of you today. As many of you may know, the Cathedral District is one of downtown Tulsa's most historically rich and architecturally significant neighborhoods, home to century old heritage cathedrals that define our skyline and have anchored generations of community life here in Tulsa. It's also home to Tulsa Community College, the central and growing metro campus, which is one of the strongest engines for education and workforce development and daily activity in our urban core. It's also a district with opportunity. It's a walkable, connected location with strong transit access, proximity to services and amenities, and immediate adjacency to some of Tulsa's most active commercial and residential areas. Yet today, despite all of these strengths, private investment has largely bypassed this area of downtown. The conditions simply haven't existed until now to translate its strengths into meaningful development. And the district does remain one of downtown's most underutilized areas. More than 47% of its developable land is surface parking, and nearly half of the district land is taxexempt property today. Yet, even with these barriers, the area still captures 0.5% of the city's total taxable value on just.1% of its land area. That tells us there is a significant underlying value opportunity here and that there's some better economics that we can play into. Over the past year, Downtown Tulsa Partnership with our colleagues at Partner Tulsa, City of Tulsa, and many engaged land owners and property owners, hopefully you hear from some of them today, have worked together to define a shared vision for this district and to unlock this kind of uh last uh I guess the most underutilized part of downtown. It's kind of the wild west, the last frontier, we'll call it that. So, the result is a pre-development plan, which you have some visuals in front of you today. Um, we've worked to understand what an area that currently holds 5,000 surface parking stalls can how it can translate into a mixed income, mixeduse, walkable neighborhood and start to meaningfully contribute to our need for over 13,000 housing units over the next decade in the city of Tulsa, notably over 3,300 of which will be needed downtown across various affordability and accessibility scales. Our plan identified six catalytic development sites staged as near-term or phase one advancement. It developed a framework for urban design and public realm up upgrades to go alongside that private investment. And it also worked on us shaping a clear understanding of the financial feasibility of these projects. Most notably, uh all of our residential products analyzed require roughly 30 to $40,000 subsidy per unit to be viable in today's real estate market. So the amendment before you is to update this uh tiff the private and public contribution in order to unlock some of that development potential some of that opportunity for housing. It also allows our uh faith institutions to partner with private developers. It leverages our non-tox non-t taxable land for community benefit and it will position the district to contribute meaningfully to Tulsa's housing supply and our local tax base. So lastly, just leaving you with some general numbers uh over our planning process. Our phase one catalytic site development, which we feel is our phase one pipeline, shows nearly over $300 million in potential uh development coming to the district and for a full buildout vision of o almost a billion dollars, $900 million in potential development here. So, we're excited to work with you to shape this next decade of downtown Tulsa and this district and to move forward toward um unlocking this catalytic growth opportunity. Thanks. U go back to the original. Okay. Um moving on, the uh the next proposed amendments uh relate to the Philcade building. So the Philcade building uh was originally included in the east end tiff which is the central business district area. Uh there's been some recent uh development and redevelopment interest uh that has highlighted the need for additional tools and additional resources for its uh complete rehabilitation. Uh the amendments proposed uh in the amended and restated uh downtown area project plan remove the Philcade building parcel from the east end tiff district and establish two new tiff districts in itstead that cover that parcel. uh one is a sales tax increment district and the other one would be an advorum and hotel tax increment district. >> Good evening counselors. My name is Robert Ly. I'm president of American Residential Group. Uh thank you for allowing me to speak with you this evening. Um I'd like to share our vision to redevelop and fully activate the Phil Gate building. Our plan addresses two of Tulsa's most discussed priorities. Increasing housing and addressing the significant shortage of downtown hotel rooms. The Filcade will be a true mixeduse development. One integrated project will include residential, a full-ervice hotel with multiple food and beverage outlets and ground floor retail. One partnership between two development firms. Yes, it adds complexity, but we believe the complexity is worth it because each developer brings a core knowledge, deep experience, and focused expertise to the table. On the residential side, ARG, our firm will lead. We've been based in Tulsa for more than 40 years, and my partners helped pioneer the revival of downtown Tulsa apartment housing more than 25 years ago. Since then, we've developed more than 800 apartment homes across six projects in five downtown districts. We spent significant time in capital in the arts district, blue dome, greenwood and east village district largely because of the level of public and private investment that had already occurred in these areas. The fill kit will be our first project in the deco district. Candidly, if you walk down Boston in the evening, it can feel deserted. Office occupancy is not recovered to prepandemic levels, and it's difficult to see such an iconic building sit vacant. This project will help change that. A mixeduse development with residential density. A full-ervice hotel and active ground floor creates energy day and night. It helps form a true entertainment district. It paves the way for others. It creates momentum. We're long-term holders. We do not build to sell. We build to own, to operate, and to steward these assets for decades. This project will further support and increase demand downtown demand for core services, including the grocery store and retail that everyone agrees downtown needs. density drive services. Hotel guests drive restaurants. Residents drive everyday retail. The redevelopment of the Filcade will be challenging. Historic buildings always are. But we believe this represents a unique opportunity for us and for the city to continue downtown Tulsa's evolution. This is about more than one building. It's about activating an entire corridor. It's about restoring a landmark and it's about taking the next step forward for downtown Tulsa. We're committed to doing it the right way with long-term vision and partnership. I'm now proud to introduce you to our development partner, Hank Morris, with Morris and Alice. We've spent the better part of the last year working together and getting to know one another. Hank is one of the smartest and hardest working individuals I've come across and we look forward to partnering with Hank and his firm. Robert, thank you counselors. Good evening. Um just very appreciative of your your time today and throughout this process. Um you know we've we've been working arduously really for six months with the city with the economic development team partner Tulsa and most recently with ARG um on this vital amendment to the downtown tiff that yes will pave the way uh to the redevelopment of the Philcade building. Um, I know that many of you have been briefed on this project multiple times by now, so I want to um probably keep the time short, but I figured I would touch on some of the highlights of the project um and just be available for any questions um that anybody has. Uh so we'll start here. I think just just touching on some of the the highlights. I think this is a comprehensive $95 million mixeduse development. Um, it will not only restore the beloved Philcade building, but will actually bring back to life a largely vacant city block in the heart of the city on the fifth and in Boston intersection. Um, the project includes a 125 room upscale hotel. It'll be positioned as one of the finest hotels in the region. Um, the hotel rooms will go a long way to addressing the city and the convention cent's significant shortage of hotel rooms. specifically high quality hotel rooms in the downtown city core. On the residential side, we'll be adding 115 apartments um all together attracting about 300 new residents to downtown. And then I think most importantly and and worth noting here um we'll be activating about 30,000 square feet of retail first floor uh retail level space. So, the project will include multiple restaurants, bars, a cafe, um more than 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Um really creating a true entertainment district, as Robert said, in the heart of downtown. Now, on the city tax revenue side, I I just want to stress that even during the proposed 25-year TIFF period, the project is estimated to bring $19.5 million of new tax revenues to the city. that that equates to about $800,000 of new tax revenues created even during the tiff period. Um you know versus a scenario where the project was not developed um at the sunset of the 25-y year tiff period that equates to about $3.8 million of new taxes generated for the city. Now during the Philcad's 28month uh estimated construction timeline, we're estimating approximately 200 new construction jobs would be created and upon upon completion over 150 long-term jobs again to the center of downtown. Do you mind? Uh just a few words on us and our background. So we are a New York-based uh hospitality development group. Um we focus almost entirely on identifying emerging new exciting tourism markets that we believe in um and delivering high quality uh experience and design driven hotels and resorts. I think Robert did a good job of touching on American Residential Group um our partner in the project. Uh these are just some examples some of some of the past uh some of our past projects um over the over the last decade. Um, I will say that over the last five years, we've focused almost entirely on smaller markets. In past our, in fact, our last three or four projects were in markets significantly smaller than Tulsa. Uh, our last significant project was in Lexington, Kentucky, uh, city of about 350,000. Uh, we did the Manchester Hotel there. Uh, redeveloped it in a distressed area of downtown. Um and that pro project really um paved the path um for the for that previously distressed area to develop into you know a a newly vitalized um downtown entertainment district. This is just to touch on some of American Residential Group's projects uh really over the past uh three decades since its inception. Um, so as Robert mentioned, more than 800 units they've developed in in the downtown core. And then just circling back on the Philcade. Uh, so, you know, I I don't think the building needs all too much introduction. Uh, obviously one of the most beloved iconic um buildings in in in downtown. Uh, built by Weight Phillips in in the late 20s. Uh, in fact, when he when Mr. Phillips donated the Philbrook mansion to the city in the early 30s. He commissioned a penthouse on the top of the building. He spent his last 10 years in Tulsa there before he retired out out west. Um, and one thing that I always think is so interesting about this building is um, you know, while the majority of the upper floors were initially used as supporting office space for um, for Mr. Phillips Oil Company and and and his offices across the street at the Phil Tower building. uh he was really a visionary at the time and that the first two floors of the Philcade were developed as as the first true modern retail arcade in Tulsa. So for about 40 years the Filcade was really the center of um entertainment, retail um and downtown life. It had barber shops, restaurants, department stores, cafes. Um it really was a social hub for downtown and in many ways that's that's what this project does. it it it it recreates um you know some of weight Philip's initial um um inspirations for this property. So alto together and just to give you a breakdown uh ground floor has about 25,000 square feet um of retail so that will be a combination of restaurants, bars, a coffee shop, lounge and amenity spaces. The second floor will be a combination of banquetss and events rooms um as well as all of the residential uh apartment amenities. Floors 3 through 9 will have the 115 rental apartments and then the 125 hotel rooms will be on the top full um four floors of the building 10 through 13. >> Thank you. So just to touch on on some of the specifics of the program. So altogether about 13,000 square feet of lobby, lounge co-working wellness and amenity spaces. Uh the majority of these will be open to uh obviously to hotel guests. They'll serve the residents of the building. Um but they'll also be open to the public for the most part. Um and the ideas, you know, would really be to open the doors, you know, for the first time in 40 years, um to the Philcade building back to the public. Uh so on the on the first floor uh there will be a 4,000 4,000 square foot grand bar and lounge. Um we'll also have a smaller um about thousand square foot cocktail bar and then a 40 seat cafe and coffee shop just adjacent to the hotel reception on the restaurant side. to the uh corner of South and Fifth Boston will be converted to about a 5,000 square foot upscale restaurant that will do three meals a day. And then adjacent to it on Fifth Street will be about a 50 seat all day cafe that will focus more on sandwiches and salads um catering to uh the residents of the building but also to the downtown office and uh residential community. Uh the the hotel will also have a series of private dining rooms and then room service will be available for uh both hotel guests and residents of the building. Councelor Bellis is looking at me. I know I'm getting into too many details here. Um uh so the second floor of the building will be transformed into, you know, one of Tulsa's finest uh banquetss and event spaces. So, uh, multiple pre-unction rooms, boardrooms, meeting rooms, um, and then all anchored by a 5,000 square foot grand ballroom on the corner of Fifth and Boston on the second floor of the building. The 125 guest rooms again would be positioned as some of the, you know, some of the highest end rooms in the state. Um, altogether averaging about 350 to 450 square feet. The 115 apartments um will be a mix of studio one and twobedroom units. Um they will be branded alongside uh the hotel residents will be able to take advantage of all the hotel amenities, valet, housekeeping, room service, etc. And then just to briefly circle back on the TIFF itself and and why exactly it is that we're before you today and and why this tiff is absolutely vital to the project's financial feasibility. Uh I think the truth is that most of this just simply comes down to timing and the times we live in. Um I I I think it's no secret that this is an incredibly challenging environment for any type of commercial real estate development. And I I think in in no place is that more true than when we think about complex mixeduse developments and full-ervice hotels just like this one. So, you know, really just in the last five years, we have seen almost 35% cost inflation. Um and and that's just just to paint a picture. this $95 million project we have before you today, this would be delivered for somewhere in the $69 million range where it built just five years ago. Interest rates are still very high. Um, our cost of debt service, specifically for hotels, is still hovering around double the rates of of of where they were um pre- pandemic, drastically affecting developer returns. On the hotel side of the picture, you know, I think as an industry, we've had our own unique challenges. So, the cost of labor and cost of goods sold to operate our hotels, restaurants, and bars um have have increased significantly um outpacing inflation and the cost we're able to charge for our for our hotel rooms. And then finally, um, and and I I'll just stress on some of these, but, um, specific to Tulsa and Oklahoma, there are a number of historic incentive programs that have paved the way and helped incentivize, um, comparable hotel and mixeduse developments like this um, that are simply not available to the Philcade building. And I you know I just I want to be clear um we can we can flip back to that prior slide. I just want to be clear that I think you know almost every full service hotel and largescale mixeduse development in the state has received some form of significant incentives over the past 10 years. Um we can go to the we can go to the next And I just want to highlight here some of the programs that were previously available to other projects that are not available to us. Um so many hotels, Oklahoma City, Tulsa benefited from highly distressed property acquisitions. Um the Philcate is being purchased at its market value of $7.5 million. uh a big significant state program um the Oklahoma Tourism Development Act um meaningfully incentivized um more than 10 hotel projects throughout the state including several several hotels built in the past 10 years in Tulsa um rebating 25% of the total development costs over 10 years that program has reached its ceiling. It is no longer available to us. Other projects have uh relied on 0% interest long-term uh loans from the downtown development fund program from vision 2025. Uh those funds are not available to the to support the hotel development here. The new market tax credit program similarly has been used to assist a lot of projects in need across the state. Um the new market tax credit market is extremely weak right now and will not um be supporting this project. And then finally, full property tax abatement programs previously uh available in um in Tulsa have been phased out and replaced with the tiff program. So all that to say and and I'll end here. uh you know there has been a there has been an arduous effort really over the past uh year working with the seller of the building with partner Tulsa with the economic development team and with ARG to really find a path forward for the Philcade building without incentives without this tiff that's proposed this project is not financially feasible it will not work it needs the help and the help brings you know brings the level of assistance up to the equivalent of what other projects have received throughout the city and throughout the state. Um so I'd like to just thank you all today for your consideration um of this amendment and support for this project. Um and we'll hang out for any questions that may come up. Thank you. >> Thank you for that comprehensive presentation. So the uh going back to the more broad view of the amendments being proposed uh this is the new proposed budget. So public improvements and infrastructure which is what the city typically dedicates a third of increment revenues towards is jumped to $192 million. the assistant to development financing, which is the other twothirds, has jumped to 373 for a combined total authorized budget of $565 million. Again, this is over the 25-y year life of all 10 increment districts. Uh, and so that comes from uh, TIFFD. Uh, the Cathedral District's initial estimated TIFF generation potential was only $25 million, but with the uh, new development assumptions, uh, it's capable of generating up to $225 million over effective life. Uh, TIFF J, which is the sales tax increment district for the Philcade project, uh, has a generation potential of $14 million. and TIFF K which is the advalorum and lodging tax increment district for the Philcade project has a generation potential of $86 million. Um moving on to the other amendments, Tiff Evans fin uh the city is really kind of moving in the direction or at least partner Tulsa staff of trying to uh ingratiate that particular project site into its own project plan that'll be moving before you guys uh in the near future. uh that really focuses on the development of North Tulsa specifically and ties that more into the neighborhood of North Tulsa. Um the other uh amendments are the cleanup amendments. So uh replacing uh the references to TIA with TEO and the specific parties that were listed as administrators of the project plan. Uh so the amendments have updated those references and then the maps and the exhibits for the project plan have been updated appropriately. Uh here you can see the revised map uh with TIFF E removed. That's that northern finger there. TIFFs J and K which is the brighter yellow uh section there in the middle of the green uh east end TIFF district uh are established as independent tiff districts. And then there are no proposed changes to the project area. the impacts. Uh there's significant new development potential uh that was not previously uh contemplated when the city initially adopted the downtown project plan or its major amendment in 2019. Uh also the opportunity to oversee full rehabilitation of the Philcade building uh is a tremendous opportunity. The project plan also maintains 10% of the advorum increment revenue generated as a specific revenue source to Tulsa public schools uh making them effectively whole when accounting for the offsets in their state aid allocations from new increment uh generation. uh the taxing jurisdictions who are members of the review committee uh when they provided their recommendation provided that there'd be no measurable negative impact on their taxing jurisdictions uh but that there would be positive indirect benefits that spread throughout the rest of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Uh with that, uh open the floor to any questions from council that come to me downtown to post downtown Tulsa Partnership uh or the Phil project developers. >> And just a point of reference, we will have other opportunities to ask questions to when this comes before us for consideration outside of public hearing. >> This is Yeah, this is the first public hearing. The second public hearing is scheduled for the March 11th regular council meeting. So that's 5:00 PM in this room on March 11th. >> Okay. I think I'll just hold the questions for now on my side. >> Okay, Katherine, how many speakers do we have on agenda item 3A? >> We have three speakers on 3A. >> 3A. Okay, just three. All right, call the first speaker. >> Richard Winsley. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, counselors. My name is Richard Wansley. Um, I am a retired uh vice president for Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and I am currently the uh volunteer church lay leader for Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. It's in that latter capacity as the church lay leader that I've come to you to speak tonight. And I'm here um to encourage your vote uh when it does come around to that point uh in favor of the proposal um that's been presented that I'd discussed uh in part already about two and a half years ago. Um, our administrative board at the church appointed a small group of church leaders for the purposes of exploring uh opportunities for alternative mechanisms by which we could apply our church assets looking at assets in total toward our core values of our mission which is uh centers around the mandate for loving our neighbors. Um very quickly our attention uh turned to the issue of the shortage of affordable accessible rental housing uh in Tulsa and particularly uh in the downtown sector within the IDL. So uh much of our study that we have put together over the last two years plus have uh centered on that issue of housing and how we might best uh apply that. uh we have determined that we have postcoid even though we have a congregation that remains strong uh within the church that we do in fact have resources in terms of property some of our parking lots which we feel um can be put to better use uh than they are currently uh as a part of that vast sea of parking lots that was described a little bit earlier by Emily Scott. So uh we have uh moved to a brand new place in our ventures of thinking about this. Last Friday we actually issued a request for proposals to uh seek out uh the ability to negotiate with a uh development partner who would be constructing uh rental apartments and commercial space i.e. mixed development on one or both of the two parcels that we have identified and targeted at this point. uh one uh is uh across the street from our church uh bordering Cincinnati. The other is across the church and bordering uh Boston Avenue. So um I did come here tonight with the idea specifically of you looking at that cathedral district uh tiff at $225 million. We feel our group of leadership that have been researching and studying this for some time that um such would incentivize a development into a new vibrant robust urban neighborhood that has accessible housing. It has retailers, restaurants, health care providers and others. And that in essence be promoting uh the general good of economic uh growth in the south end of the IDL. As I kind of complete this and I'm certainly open for any any questions that you might have about this. And I'm I know that I'd sent you each a letter uh earlier this week and I'll be happy to share the RFP with you as well uh just so you have a little bit more of a spectrum about what we're looking at. Uh and I and I must also say that we've been working uh closely with downtown Tulsa partnership and their pre-development master planning in such a way that that we can uh coordinate and complement our development as we consider it with others that are looking at that such as the possibility of Tulsa Community College going on in the future uh as well. If we can be, if you will, kind of the spark uh for a groundup development in a cathedral district that meets these um these particular characteristics, uh then we're more than willing uh to take that risk to make that happen because we think that there is such a a good probability and possibility that that region of Tulsa uh will become a beautiful, gorgeous, desirable place to live, work, and play uh within the state or within the city >> 30 seconds. >> As I uh complete my remarks, I do want to express uh some thanks uh to councelor Bellis and Mayor Nichols uh for their encouragement as we have um uh began to to talk about and and reached this point within our thinking for development. Um I want to give my thanks to downtown Tulsa Partnership for engaging us with their pre-development master planning and partner Tulsa. uh both of those entities for their uh support and their good counsel and my appreciation to Mr. Gene Bulmash and uh Erin Pley uh for their guidance and uh especially for their assistance as we've considered this. So I'm open for some questions. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Katherine, can you call our next speaker please? >> Jay Helm. >> Good evening. Well, I'm Jay Helman and um I the 40-year founder, actually 42 now, of American Residential and I quick story. Mayor Randall called me in 1992 and said, "We need some housing downtown." It' been 30 years since any housing had been built downtown. So I said, 'Well, is you have to incentize this. Well, in 1996 in the one cent sales tax, $4 million was set aside for housing downtown. And by 99, they had collected the $4 million and they did uh Tulsa Development Authority did an RFP and we were selected and we did a project at uh 11th in Denver uh Renaissance Uptown. And then we also took the Tribune building, which had been the Tulsa Tribune building, and rehabbed it into multif family. The project at 11th in Denver was 145,300 square ft. I built a building, an apartment complex out on South Memorial 145,200 ft². So they're almost identical in their square foot. And it cost 38% more to build a building downtown than it did in South Tulsa. It's it every project that's been done and I've done five more downtown. Every project has been incentized in some way. It's the only way we can make these things work. This building is so large, 300,000 square feet. you can't go do an apartment deal with it and you can't do a hotel that big. So, this is a perfect blend and and we think that the hotel side will help us on the multif family side because it gives our residents someplace to go, someplace they can get room service, they can get those things. This is exciting what what what it'll do for downtown Tulsa. And thank you, Councelor Bellis, for helping us with this. Thank you all for the time. >> Thank you, >> Katherryn Caller. Our last speaker, >> Brian Elliot. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Brian Elliot. Thank you for letting me speak. Um, I just want to speak quickly in uh in support of the uh Cathedral District TIFF expansion. Um, I work for Sharp Development here in Tulsa. We're a real estate company that's been operating around downtown for 45 years. Um, we recently acquired the f former First Christian Church building uh in the Cathedral District. It's an 85,000 square foot building. sits on a full block with a half block adjacent to TCC that will have sort of phase two project. This first phase of the project is a uh we're going to move Wildflower Cafe, a great little cafe from 11th and Poria to uh to the to the south end in the former chapel. Um she's going to open a small grocery bodega um in the facility and we're going to bring uh 31 affordable and um workforce so mixed income housing in the former uh education building. And then in the north building, the green dome, the larger sanctuary, we've partnered with some music venue operators and they're looking to bring about a 1300 person music venue. So, I mean, with we have a kind of first mover risk over there and so that the tiff is a critical piece for us. Um, we're asking we've got a an improcess application asking for about 18% of the current tiff, so about $4.5 million and we'll generate about 40% of the of the increment currently at 25 million, about 10 million over the life of the tiff. Um, and that's just kind of one relatively meager project. So the expansion to 225 million I think has opportunity to bring a lot of a lot of other exciting developments to those surface parking lots and we look forward to those. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Without objection, we will exit public hearings on item 3A. Item 3B, public hearing for the council to receive and consider proposed charter amendments. Is there a motion to enter public hearings? >> Move to enter public hearings. Second. >> Lori, will you please call the role? Councelor Bengal. >> Yes. >> Councelor Dector Wright, >> yes. >> Councelor Leaken, >> yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper, >> yes. >> Councelor Archie, >> yes. >> Councelor Dutton, >> yes. >> Councelor Val, >> yes. >> Okay, Katherine, how many speakers do we have on item 3B? >> We have 22 speakers. >> 22. Okay. So would we would consensus be about two minutes per speaker? >> No. Public hearings everyone gets five minutes per council rules. Yes. Yes sir. >> Oh because this is a public hearing. Sorry about that. >> Yeah. So okay Katherine call our first speaker. >> The first speaker is Jamal Dyer. Good evening. >> Good evening, council. I am Jamal Dyer. I uh serve as a pastor here at North Tulsa, so I'll be tipping out. I got Bible study tonight, but this was extremely important to me. And so, for more than a decade, my work has been rooted in a goal of helping to build trust between law enforcement and community. Uh that work began over 10 years ago when uh Devon Douglas and I launched the Tulsa talks series to bridge the divide through honest public conversation. Later I accepted an appointment to the police cab or community advisory board because I believed it would give the community members a meaningful seat at the table and active role in shaping policies, practices, and procedures with trust, transparency accountability and collaboration at the center. But that's not what happened. What I expected to be interactive and in effective became informative and performative. We were told things, not engaged. We were updated, not empowered. There was no consistent meaningful process that led to real change. No measurable transparency and no true accountability. Too often, it literally felt like a rubber stamp. We consulted the community without actually hearing the community. And that's why I'm here today uh to tell you that Tulsa must implement a strong office of independent monitoring through a charter amendment because we have the duty to protect Tlson's from police misconduct and to protect taxpayers from paying the price for a broken system. And let's be honest, the price is already staggering. Just last month, the city paid $4.5 million to settle a wrongful incarceration lawsuit. You settled $800,000 in a civil case involving a a rape survivor who called police to help. Help that failed to come only for her then boyfriend to later strangle and sexually assault her. We cannot ignore what many in this city already know through lived experience and through data that black Tulsans face officer use of force at an alarming rate. So this is not about money, my friends. This is about harm. This is about dignity. This is about whether people in Tulsa can trust those sworn to protect them. And if we are serious about trust, then we must be serious about fairness. We must be serious about integrity. We must be serious about honesty. And we must be serious about accountability. Not just in outcomes, but in process. Because if in fact we act upon the process and if in fact we build that trust and accountability, relationships will be able to sustain. And a fair process isn't about what happens at the end. It's about transparency. It isn't about transparency. It's about how decisions are made. And transparency is what makes fairness possible. Without accountability, it disappears. An office of the independent monitor. done right, staffed right, empowered right, will provide real oversight, real policy guidance, and real accountability for TPD. It will create a structure where community concerns are simply heard, simply not heard, but acted upon. Where patterns are identified, corrected, and prevented, where the public can finally have the confidence that policing in Tulsa is guided through integrity, not impulse, not secrecy, and not damage control after the fact. Tulsa does not need any more panels to advise. Tulsa needs a system that protects. A system that investigates, a system that demands accountability. Because trust isn't requested, trust is earned through transparency, through fairness, and through consequences when those standards are violated and the time is now. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Katherine. Call our next speaker. >> The second speaker is Paula Warlick. Hello. >> Hello again. Good evening. I'm Paula Warlick and I live in Councelor Karen Gilbert's district, District 5. She's probably watching. I hope you get well soon. Um, I wanted to speak more about why this oversight committee is so important to me. My my personal reasons. I I spoke a couple weeks ago, and I didn't have a chance to really share some of that as a late middle-aged white woman from District 5. I planned something else to say tonight, but I had an experience this morning that had me coming back tonight to share. And it really highlights that there is such a need for this independent this office of independent monitoring. Before I start um to tell you this experience, I wanted to start off by saying everyone is okay. Nobody was arrested and nobody was killed. And yes, I know this is all could have gone differently, but I met a gentleman this morning while I was waiting for my order, and it gave me a new personal connection to an oversight committee and why it's so important. While waiting for my to-go drink, this gentleman came in to get a Door Dash order. Like many that uh came to our homes during COVID, uh when meals at our favorite restaurants were closed in 2020 and 2021, we could at least have a taste of our favorite restaurant. They continued to deliver for Door Dash and Uber Eats to make ends meet. And I'm going to be honest, based on his appearance, I did think he was homeless. his torn sweatshirt, a faded welding logo with holes, real wear that come from wearing your clothes to work and not pre-bought rips and holes from the gap, but from real life. And he was missing teeth, including most from his front mouth. Um, and on his head, he had a ball cap and he was picking up an order as well, but to deliver it, it was his job that he does for pay. and he was telling me about his runin with an officer on his way to pick up his Door Dash order, his job in which the officer had assumed because of his appearance that he was homeless. I did the same thing. We all do. It's okay. We know what we're we learn and we act accordingly. and he was on his way to the cafe for his job and the officer called him a tweaker to which he responded, "Would a tweaker would a tweaker drive a car like that?" This man reminds me of our city's finest, those who work to try to make things meet. They are the essential workers and their shifts and their late at night work. Or maybe it's before sunrise. maybe they're going to their second job and it might be past curfew because they are under 18. And while we both waited, I heard more of his story. And he told me he had had a drug problem 20 years ago. And if you know me, this conversation is a very common one because I'm going to talk to people when I see them. I mean, we're waiting for our orders. His is hit to work and mine is for pleasure. It was a coffee. Didn't have a roadie. He told me he had a drug problem 20 years ago and that he had been sober these past 20 years and without dental care, one would lose their teeth and when you lose your job and now deliver for Door Dash to be able to live. He was once a welder and I pointed to his sweatshirt that I mentioned earlier and I was like, "Did you work there?" Yes, I actually owned it. But I lost it all when his life took a turn. And it has been a struggle since then. And I can only assume that that sweatshirt is probably the last thing left of his. >> You have one minute. >> Thank you. I'm I'm about done. But I did push the I will call people back who are texting me. I love you all. Stepping inside somebody's shoes. Yes, he is white. His car is his office and his home, his castle on wheels. And if you think about it, he lives in each of your districts where we can park his own home. And if he is delivering that time, you call in your order for Door Dash, I think he qualifies as working in your district. And I learned this in three minutes. He is a Tulsen and we all are. An oversight committee allows us to learn about how Tulsa can do this so much better each time. And when the Tulsa Police Department keeps repeating mistakes that are both deadly and instigate unavoidable trauma, we are no better off as a community. We're no safer. And we will continue to learn and improve together. Together instead of paying out millions for life or death errors in three minutes, he said, "How many of your constituents tell you every day?" He told me, "Ma'am, I'm trying to work, live, and survive." And as Muhammad Ali said "Me we >> thank you. >> Please support." Katherine call our next speaker >> Tiffany Shaw. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, counselors. My name is Tiffany Shaw and I am in district a resident of district 1. I spend a lot of my time working on workforce and public policy issues. And one thing I've learned is this. systems only work when there is accountability built into them. Right now, when something goes wrong with the Tulsa Police Department, it feels like the only time we get answers is after a lawsuit, after a payout, or after the damage is already done. And that's expensive and it's also draining for the community. We've paid out millions in a short amount of time and tens of millions over the last year. That's taxpayers money. That's money that could been going towards things we need like streets, street lights, programs, youth programs, job training, mental health response. I mean, all of it. And that's why I'm asking you to support the establishment of an office of the independent monitor, a full-time monitor with trained professionals and support staff and the ability to actually do the work like review police records, investigate patterns, and make policy recommendations that prevent problems before they happen. And that has to be independent. If the monitor's office is tied to political influence, mayoral influence or council influence, then people are not going to trust it and it won't work. The community should have a real role in appointing that office so it stays fair and unbiased. This isn't about anti- police. This is protosa. Good oversight protects residents and also protects good officers. And it protects our city budget from paying for the same avoidable mistakes over and over and over and over again. Tulsa deserves accountability that's consistent, not just accountability after the fact. I'm asking you to move forward with a strong community-led office of the independent monitor. Thank you for your time and for your service for our city. >> Thank you, Katherine. Call our next speaker, >> Tesha Ziggler. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, city council members. Thank you for all you do for us. My name is Thea Ziggler. I am a mother of two adult children and I am a resident of District 1. My remarks today is a personal one. I will be a firsttime grandmother this year and I'm so excited. And we had the reveal. It's a boy. Okay. So, as soon as I heard about uh my son um having a boy, we were so excited, but the excitement died down. Okay. There was fear and concern moving forward thinking about the future of my soontobe grandson. I am a Gen Xer and was um a teenager during the 80s and 90s. I've seen the terrors of police uh misconduct and in the last 15 years um it hasn't been a cakewalk either. Tulsa is spending over $26 million in restitution for misconduct which is unacceptable. It is terrifying to for me to know my grandchild could be grown mean grow up in this predicament here at in uh in the city of Tulsa. I have hope that we can turn this around. As a taxpaying Tulsen, there must be accountability for those who choose to step outside the lines of proper training. And at the same time, we can hold accountability for the residencies of this city. I am asking the city of Tulsa to adopt a charter amendment to implement office of independent monitor. It is a community-led office with power and responsibility to examine the proceeds of the Tulsa public I'm sorry Tulsa Police Department and propose cost lifesaving policy measures. This will protect all Tulsans because the way things are being managed right now is unacceptable, unsustainable and it is dangerous. And I hope each and every one of you hear me. I am so excited and I'm also terrified and I don't like this feeling. So I thank you for your time today and God bless each and every one of you. >> Thank you. >> Katherine call our next speaker >> Renee Brummit. Good evening. >> Hello and good evening. Um, my name is Renee Brummit and I'm a Tulsa resident from District 1. I am here because I care about and am very concerned with the lack of accountability and oversight from within the Tulsa Police Department. This is something we should all be concerned about. As a taxpaying Tulsa resident, I am concerned about how a lack of accountability and oversight, especially for law enforcement, is costing us, not only financially, but also our humanity. What happens in the dark needs to be monitored with oversight and accountability and brought into the light. Just in the past two weeks, the city has agreed to pay out over $5 million in lawsuits related to police misconduct. Last year alone, the city paid over 41 million. So, in 14 months, over $46 million has been paid out of all of our pockets. Tax increases are being proposed to cover the fledgling city finances, and you ask the citizens of Tulsa to pay more due to the police misconduct payouts. I believe it would be more prudent to have oversight and accountability to prevent the lawsuits and payouts. financed by your regular workingclass citizens. Police should be held to a higher standard, not a double standard, not a do as I say, not as I do. No one is above the law. I am not going to list the litany of police misconduct as I know you are acutely aware of the misdeeds as you've all voted to approve these payouts. rapes, investigation misconducts, racial disparities, DUIs, unnecessary force, and etc. The city of Tulsa's own 2024 equality indicators report scored a two out of a 100 on officer use of force by race. Black Tulsson's experience officer use of force at a rate that is nine and a half times the rate of Hispanic and Latino population. And interestingly enough, there is not a column for excessive use against white people. Out of the equality indicators, the justice category is the only category which has scored worse over time instead of better. Despite various reform discussions, studies continue to find that black residents are far more likely to be arrested or have force used against them compared to their white counterparts. I believe reform and oversight mechanisms in Tulsa have lacked power to hold the department fully accountable for disproportionate use of force, pointing to a need for a more independent oversight. This is not only fiscally irresponsible, it is morally reprehensible. I implore you to look into your conscience and adopt a charter amendment to implement an office of the independent monitor for the city of Tulsa, a community-led office with the power and responsibility to examine the process of the Pul Tulsa Police Department and propose cost and life-saving policy measures. This is a transparent layer that builds trust in our community. Thank you. I appreciate your time, your attention to this issue, and thank you for your service to this city. And thank you for your time today. Thank you, Katherine. Our next speaker, >> the next speaker is Brian Turner. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, sir. I am Brian Turner and I reside in district nine. I'm here tonight to speak on the adoption of the the charter amendment establishing an office of the independent monitor. The city of Tulsa must implement a robust office of the independent monitor and OIM via charter amendment. The purposes of the OAM shall not be only to one protect Tulsans from police misconduct and two protect taxpayers from paying millions of dollars in misconduct lawsuits, but to three provide accountability for our police department to the people for to the people for there to be trust and support for the police in our city. For these purposes to be fulfilled, the OIM shall one consist of a full-time monitor. Two, be fully resourced with appropriate professionals, support staff, and contract services as required. Three, the staff of the OIM shall be appointed by the citizens of Tulsa. Four, be insulated from institutional influence. Five, provide oversight and policy guidance for the Tulsa Police Department. And six, comprehensively investigate police records and seven issue policy recommendations. My commitment to these purposes stems from a lifelong trust in the ultimate wisdom of the people. Some egregious examples of police misconduct resulting in wrongful death and injury to Tulsa citizens motivates me to advocate for this charter amendment. We can be the safest city in the US through the adoption of this charter amendment. I earnestly implore the council to adopt this charter amendment. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Catherine, call our next speaker. >> The next speaker is John Kenny. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, counselors. My name is John Kenny. I'm a resident of district 2. I hope I do my Latin teacher proud. Quiz custodia. Ipsos custodi or in English who watches the watchmen. This 2,000year-old Latin phrase is not new, nor is the concept of holding power accountable. I am here tonight to advocate for the office of the independent monitor. Accountability is the obligation to own your actions, decisions, and results encompassing both successes and failures without making excuse. It is the backbone of public trust and the institutions that govern us. And without it, there is a swift erosion of that trust and an unraveling of the social fabric that binds us all together. As of right now, there is no outside accountability of TPD. The office of the independent monitor is that mechanism for accountability over TPD and their practices that the city so crucially needs. In last year alone, the city has had to pay out over 41 million in wrongful conviction settlements and an additional 1.3 in civil rights violations and discrimination settlements. These are not isolated incidents, but rather indicative of deeper patterns and practices. In this city's long and storied history with Tulsa Police Department, your constituents are consistently left on the hook to pay for property damages, civil rights violations committed against civilians, wrongful incarcerations, improper use of force, and increasingly murdering civilians for the having the audacity of a mental health crisis in public. Changing the language used to officer involved shooting does not change the reality of another Tulsen in crisis receiving an extrajudicial death sentence instead of the life-saving mental health response warranted. This is not the first time your constituents have asked for oversight and accountability of TPD after improper use of force incidences. And after each time, the official response from the department is that officers are receiving additional training and deescalation tactics, again paid for with our tax dollars. The office of the independent monitor would ensure that the department is actually using those tactics and those tax dollars appropriately and would begin the long road of restoring public trust in the institutions that have failed us. In short, it is financially, ethically, and morally imperative that this office be created and funded independently from city council, the mayor's office, and the Tulsa Police Department. Everyone faces accountability at the end of the day. It is time for Tulsa police to face their accountability to civilians. Thank you for your time. >> Katherine, call our next speaker. The next speaker is Tim Newton. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. How are you guys doing today? Uh good afternoon, counselors. Uh my name is Tim Newton. I am a Tulsa resident, a pastor, and a nonprofit leader serving families across north and west Tulsa. I've served as a bridge builder between community and law enforcement for many years and me standing here is no different. I have also served on the Tulsa Police Department Community Advisory Board or CAB for over a decade now, ever since Wendell Franklin was the major at Gil Division. I care deeply about this city. I care about our officers and I care about the families who call 911 expecting protection and fairness. Let me say this clearly. I believe in the community advisory board. I've given over a decade of my life because I believe in dialogue and I believe that dialogue matters. Relationship matters. Being in the room also matters. But I do not believe that the CAB should be viewed as a replacement for an office of independent monitoring. They serve different purposes. The CAB creates conversation and community connection. That is all. And independent monitoring will create structure oversight and measurable out accountability. Both can coexist and both would strengthen our community. Accountability is not an attack on law enforcement. Accountability is a vote of confidence in the system. It says we believe in doing things the right way. It says we want trust to grow and not to erode. As a taxpayer, I am concerned about the financial and relational costs our city continues to carry when trust is broken. Millions of dollars in settlements represented more than budget lines. They represent missed opportunities in investing in housing, youth programs, mental health services, and infrastructure that our city direly needs. But this conversation is bigger than money. Our city owns our city own data shows that trust gaps remain, especially in communities of color. And when trust gaps widen, public safety becomes harder for everyone, including officers. Independent monitoring is not about looking backwards. It's about building forward. It creates a system where good officers are protected. Policies are strengthened, transparency is normalized, and the public can have confidence that concerns are reviewed and are reviewed objectively. The vast majority of our officers serve honorably and independent monitoring helps ensure that their good work is not overshadowed but preventable. Tulsa has an opportunity right now to lead. You guys have an opportunity to lead. We can choose to build a model that says we are serious about safety and serious about accountability. We can say that trust is not optional. It's foundational. This is not this is not about division. This is about durability. It's about creating a structure that allows our police department and our community to thrive together for generations. I urge you to adopt a charter ad a chart amendment establishing an officer of independent monitoring not as criticism of what exists but as to strengthen what we already have to build a bridge and to strengthen relationships between our law enforcement and to our community. Tulsa deserves safety. Tulsa deserves trust and Tulsa deserves systems that reinforce both. Thank you for your time and I hope you guys do the right thing. Thank you. Thank you, Katherine. Next speaker. >> The next speaker is Lauren D. Lumpsford. >> Good evening. >> All right. My name is Lauren Lensford. I also go by Rainbow Girl as my artistic name. And I came before uh this council June of 2024 uh with complaints about the Tulsa Arts Commission. And I still have complaints about the Tulsa Arts Commission. After that meeting, absolutely nobody contacted me after the what I complained about. Nobody talked to me. And then before the meeting started, one of the counselors told me that three members that were on the Tulsa Arts Commission were not going to be there because they were part of AHA. But then when I said the three names, she said, "Oh, they're not AHA." And I was like, "Yes, they are." And so that was a little uh frustrating to me. And then right before I came up to talk, you guys turned the cameras off and nobody told me that that was going to happen and it was kind of strange. And so I feel like I was silenced by you guys. That's just cuz Laura, I did reach out to you and you never reached out to me. I I sent you an email. And so when I try to come multiple times and I went before the Tulsa Arts Commission complaining about three members of the Arts and Humanities Council still on the Arts Commission making decisions that it's just like that was not a big deal. So I have some revision um suggestions for the Tulsa Arts Commission. Um, and I did attend many of these meetings to kind of understand what was going on within the arts commission, but two of the members are still on the two people that are still from um, arts and humanities council are still on the commission. Um, number one, I think there needs to be more outreach to cultural organizations like Tulsa Powell, German Fest, Greek Fest, IrisFest. I work with all these organizations as an entertainment artist. I book artist. Um, this year I I worked with 30 different artists. I sent out 1099s to artists. I'm working with these organizations that are barely surviving. Like they're trying to raise their money. And actually, I give them a rate a half the rate or even less that just to support their organizations. And I feel like I've I've reached out to them about applying for the vision arts grants and all of them are like they just don't want to do it. They just they don't they don't trust the system. They don't think it's going to work for them and they just don't want to do it. And I feel like these areas are our cultural areas. And we need to and here these organizations are generally volunteer-run and create an outlet for artists and performers. Helping to cover their talent entertainment will give them more space to grow and fund raise for other organiz for their organization. So for instance like German Fest, they could use $5,000 to cover their arts and entertainment and then the rest of the money could go towards um their doing what they do. But they they have to cover the arts and entertainments and they're bringing people in. I've watched German Fest grow and grow and grow. Tulsa Powwow's been here for 70 years. They should be number one on our list of people that we're giving money to. Um I also don't agree with the uh vision arts grants anymore that we have to go through a nonprofit to about to be our fiscal sponsor. I'm I'm so over that right now. I've seen Arts and Humanities Council and Arts Alliance Tulsa do artists wrong. And Phil knows because I've reached out to Phil because Phil is now the new coverup crew for the arts and humanities of Tulsa. >> Make sure we address the council. Please. >> Okay. Sorry. So, um, limited funding to organizations whose executive directors make over $100,000, which is what I do for my when people I have so many people call me and they're like, "Oh, can you work for free?" It's a it's a nonprofit and um we don't we're but this is how we're making a living. This is how we're surviving. And I'm always seeing artists, they're like, "Hey, is there any jobs coming? How do we we do that? And so I feel like right now we just don't really have um an accountable system. I'm hearing all this accountability and I'm definitely feeling that in the arts we've haven't had any accountability for what's happened. And I also feel like sustainability like Crybaby Hill thing $250,000. We could have broken that up five different Mary Beth did hers for 50 grand. We could have put five artists to work right there. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Katherine, call our next speaker, please. >> The next speaker is Lydia Cheshawala. Uh, hello, my name is Lydia Cheshawala. Uh, I'm a career artist. Um, I was here to talk really about the vision grant and the inaccessibility to individual artists, but I also wanted to >> I just have a question. This is um we're talking about charter amendments. Is there a charter amendment that you're proposing pertaining to the arts? >> Yes. Um, actually what I really want to do is to just um reorganize what I was going to say and say that I also am here in support of the independent uh monitor. We really need that in our communities and as an artist. I find that this like not only affects us as a community um as people of color, but it does trickle into the arts when there is no trust to be had in our systems, when there is no oversight in our systems. It's not just in the police department. We need oversight committees at every level. In the arts, what we have seen is the massive embezzlement of taxpayer dollars, of community dollars, and that is nationally known. That is something that I hear as I'm moving as a career artist from Oklahoma through the communities nationally. We have a bad reputation of no oversight. We have a bad reputation of no transparency. That affects how we're bringing people into this community. We have a the Tulsa Artist Fellowship. It's drawing people in. How are we going to keep them here when we can't even keep them safe? when they see that our community has no oversight at any level financially in the police departments. My question is how are we going to shift this? We have an answer. That's what everybody's come here to talk about. But this needs to happen at every level. We need these changes and this accountability at every level. There have been so many arts organizations outside of the state that work with lateral leadership that don't have this structure of hierarchy that prevents people from actually getting their needs met, from actually being heard or met on a real level. We see in other communities that they have not only like communityrun oversight committees, but they have been integrated all the way to the executive level. that they aren't just this like oversight committee that they are in the organization appointed by the community. They know everything. They're at every table. They get to bring that back through a community oversight committee, but there are already people who are actively entrenched in the systems who are being given a seat at the table literally. Um, and so yeah, I I think that we not only need um an independent monitor for the police department. I think that we need oversight committees at every level in the arts is where I'm like focused at because I am an artist. Uh I find it pretty difficult to work or get funded inside of this city. I find this city to be pretty punitive towards artists, particularly artists of color, and to not be aware of our realities in this city as people who live here. Um, so yeah, I just I stand with everybody in this room. I hope that we as a city can grow into more accountability at all the levels that we need it at. That we engage our community directly and put out surveys also like for the arts in particular is what I'm talking about. You don't need a survey about the independent board. It's here being spoken to you tonight. So, um thank you all for your time. Uh and yeah, >> thank you. I want to make sure that folks understand the agenda item here. We're hearing for possible charter amendments, right? I want to make sure that when you come to speak that you're on agenda and that you're speaking about a potential charter amendment item that the council would potentially put to a ballot for the citizens to vote on. And I understand some people are passionate about certain things, but make sure we stay within the agenda item if we can. So, Katherine, with that, can you call our next speaker, please? >> The next speaker is Okate Smith McMas. I'm so sorry. >> Good evening. >> Hi, I'm Oak Chadi. I'm a resident of district 3. Um I'm also an artist and um a community member. I'm also a caregiver for my parents and um I am also a um daughter of a police brutality survivor. Actually, the last time I was here was I spoke about it and it happened out in Georgia where I grew up. Um still can see it to this day. Um, we do need oversight in the city, in the law, in the arts, in all kinds of ways. I was recently went up to Minnesota during the uh the heated heated moments up there. I I decided to I had a job offer to uh go work with some folks um about cultural tourism and um I decided, you know what, if not now, when? because it's always going to be something, right? And I was up there the day that they announced that the ICE troops will be um being pulled out of of Minnesota. And it's really true. They're very, very nice up there. Um they were all so grateful that we didn't stay away, that we weren't afraid to come and help um shape their economic system and their future and their um communities. And um I felt from them, from the citizens of Minnesota, the people at the tourism conference that I went to, they were from all different careers. There was law enforcement, there were artists, there were all kinds of folks, um hospitality people. I felt a very an overwhelming feeling of abundance from them. They had ideas. They had potential. They had ideas for potential. They had ideas for um things that could be if they really really embraced their citizens and what their their native tribes um can bring to the table. But all of the communities, their immigrant communities, their their um communities of different ages and different walks of life, if they really embrace the uniqueness of Minnesota, the uniqueness of their of their cities and their townships and in Tulsa, you know, I came here 21 years ago this summer. Um, basically because 200 years ago, my tribe got moved out of my homelands and, uh, while my mom grew up here, uh, we actually I was I was my parents raised me down south. Um, and I want to stay in Tulsa and I want to continue to be an artist. I want to be able to be a community member. I want to be in a place that feels safe and welcoming and supportive of the uniqueness of the people here. One of the very nice gentlemen, he was a young man. I told him where I was from. He goes, "Oh, yeah. I've been to Oklahoma. I mean, it's pretty cool even if it is regular state." And I was like, "A regular state?" He was like, "You know, we don't you don't have like giant mountains." And you know, I was like, "That's true." But he said, "You know what I really like is the people there that I've met." And that's what we have. We have over 52 people or 52 countries represented in our immigrant population. We have native tribes. We have people of all ages. We have people of so many different disciplines. And we have an abundance of great ideas and minds. And when things are when people are silenced and when things are not when people are not given the the ability to share their ideas openly without going through entities that do not represent the majority of the people that are trying to put these ideas out there. They are run by people who don't represent them. Those ideas are not they never come to fruition. And you see a degradation of the morality, the morale. >> You have one minute. >> Thank you. of the city, the morale of citizens, the morale of artists, the morale of mothers and fathers and grandparents and people. There will be no people to fill those beautiful Philcade, you know, restaurants if we if we strip our city of the unique culture we have and if we don't allow our citizens to feel safe overall. We need more accountability in this city. And I say that because I care and I do, even though I'm a transplant, I do want to stay here and I want it to be good for everybody here. And I want people to feel safe and heard and embraced for their uniqueness and not shoehorned into something that does not represent them or make them feel safe. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Katherine. Call our next speaker, please. The next speaker is William A. Franklin. >> Something's just >> Good evening. >> Um, I'm just going to make this really quick. I uh I wasn't exactly sure why I was or how I was included with this group um of artists. I'm a local artist and I wasn't sure about the specifics of um what kind of charter amendment we could be putting together. And I guess we should have had that discussion a little bit before. Um, but I would like to say that uh um there is a problem I see with the arts and how arts are funded in the city. And I don't know if we can come up with an amendment to fix this, but so many times um when a grant opportunity, for instance, comes up, it's only allowed for nonprofits and not us forprofits. And I think that's a lot of the artists were worried about that and concerned about that. Um, you it seems like everything wants to go to a nonprofit and I'm a for-profit business. I have a for-profit art deco museum that I'm trying to build. I'm in >> Sir, I hate to interrupt you, but please stick with the agenda item. This is about I will let I will let it go and leave specific agenda item. >> Okay. I appreciate that. I will let it go and thank you so much. I was just trying to >> work that in there. Thank you, Jar. Thank you. >> One thing. >> Yes, sir. >> William, I'm happy to get together with you after this. It's a it's it's an ordinance that really does relate to the arts commission. So, if you want to talk about the arts commission, that's great. I'll be happy to meet with you and talk um about that, >> right? But that's not a chart. That's an ordinance. >> It's just an ordinance, not a charter thing. Y >> please. >> Hi, Mr. Franklin. It's good to see you in person rather than on Facebook. I just want to clarify I'm also a professional artist and um transplant to Tulsa. So, I can relate to some of the comments. I do want to say it is a state statute that requires uh contracts with the city of Tulsa for anyone including artists. Um it's a it's a state statute that requires a public purpose. So, um when you're starting to look into policy and I'm sure councelor Leak can explain it. I can explain it. Others can too. There's guidance. There's guidance that we have to adhere to. So I I know it's frustrating if if I know it's frustrating when it feels like it's structured to leave people out. And maybe at the state level it is, but I just want to say that we're working within the guidance, the guidelines and the guard rails that we have to. And so we can talk about how to amend things. And Jack, correct me if I'm wrong. This arts commission is not chartered. it's by ordinance. So, it's a different legislative process we can discuss, but um I appreciate that you saw a public hearing and you wanted to be heard. So, I just wanted to say that >> now we're all making our own public comments up here. No, and I also want to let um the artists that are here know as far as next steps now that there is someone um in the mayor's office whose role is focused on art and community. I did. Um, Lauren, I found your I dunk your email in my spam box. I'm so sorry. But I did connect you to that person. That way you you have someone to really specifically work with to help structure things and then bring ordinance suggestions forward. Oh, great. >> Okay. Great. >> All right. Thank you, Katherine. Call our next speaker, please. >> The next speaker is Joyce G. Smith Williams. Call the name one more time. >> Joyce G. Smith Williams. >> All right. Thank you. Call the next speaker please. >> The next speaker is Sydney Salis. Good evening. Good evening, council. I uh my name is Sydney Cells. I'm a member of the amazing district 1. Um I am also a business owner here and a mother and I'm here today as a concerned citizen in support of allowing voters to consider a charter amendment to establish an office of independent monitor. Tulsa is growing. We are attracting businesses interesting in development as we heard earlier and positioning ourselves as a city where families and companies want to want to build their futures here. Hence why I'm here. I am a proud transplant and been here for three years almost four. Strong institutions are essential to that growth in both corporate corporate and public se sectors. Independent oversight is considered a best practice. It strengthens systems, protects employees who are doing their jobs well and build trust through transparency. An independent monitor is not about criticism. It is about continuous improvement. In recent years, the city has paid from what we all heard a significant um amount of taxpayers dollars to resolve legal settlements. Regardless of individual perspectives, that signals an opportunity to examine whether additional oversight could reduce risk, strengthen governance, and protect public resources. The city's own data shows that outcomes The city's own data shows that outcomes in justice category has not improved over time. When data highlights challenges, responsible leadership responds by evaluating systems and asking how can we do better. Establishing an office of independent monitor simply gives Tulsa voters the opportunity to decide whether additional oversight would benefit our city. Transparency and accountability and fiscal responsibility. There are not partisan values. They are foundations of strong governance and economic stability. Tulsa deserve institutions that are trusted, resilient, and forwardinking. I respectfully urge you to do or to allow this conversation to literally move forward. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Katherine. Call our next speaker, please. >> The next speaker is Tracy Jones. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. My name is Tracy Jones and I'm a licensed clinical social worker who serves the North Tulsa community. In my daily work, I witnessed the deep trauma that occurs when our community's most vulnerable members face crisis without proper support. Today, I stand before you to address a crisis that threatens the very fabric of our city, the broken relationship between Tulsans and our police officers. We recently experienced a heartbreaking tragedy tragedy that illustrates this fracture perfectly. Michael Glunt, a man suffering from a severe mental health crisis, left his home with a gun. Eyewitnesses reported that before the police interaction, he was walking slowly down the sidewalk and didn't seem aggressive or violent. His terrified mom called 911 not to report a crime, but to desperately ask for help to save her son's life. However, TPD's Facebook post just said it was a man with a gun call. He was met not with deescalation or clinical care, but with lethal force. He bled in the streets without first aid while bystanders filmed him. Mr. Glenn is dead and his family is mourning and our community has lost faith that our crisis response system can handle a mental health emergency without turning into a tragedy. As we speak, Mr. Glunt's family is protesting at the site their loved one was killed. As an Army veteran deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom, I understand firsthand the split-second decisions that must be made as a soldier. Even as such, we have rules of engagement and a continuum of force that must be followed. And if we don't, we would face legal action. I wish I had the same confidence in the T in TPD to resolve its own misconduct, but I don't. This incident is not an anomaly. It's a sis. It's a symptom of a system where trust has eroded. When police respond to mental health calls with force instead of care, we tell families that their loved ones are not that tells we tell families that our loved ones are not safe in the hands of first responders. We've created a cycle where people don't trust the police and the police don't trust the people. This divide prevents us from healing our communities. Our current system is broken because it lacks transparency and independence necessary to rebuild that bridge. We can't rely on internal reviews that often fail to provide the answers family deserve to ensure that deescalation becomes a standard practice. The human cost of the distrust is measured in lost lives like Michael Glunts and the millions of taxpayer d dollars we spend on lawsuits that could be prevented with better protocols. In order to heal our city, we must prioritize trust, transparency, collaboration, and accountability above all else. We need a mechanism that ensures mental health call that that ensures every mental health call is handled with care that it requires and that officers are held accountable when they fail to deescalate. This is why I urge you to adopt this charter amendment to create a robust office of the independent monitor. We cannot continue on this path of fear and division. Only through a truly independent body can we rebuild the trust necessary for our communities to heal. I urge this council to adopt a charter amendment so that a mother's call for help results in care, not death, and so that Tulsans and our police officers can once again stand together in mutual respect. Thank you. >> Thank you. And thank you for your service. Katherine, call our next speaker, please. >> The next speaker is Ali Moreno. Good evening. >> My name is Olly Mareno and I live in district 4 represented by councelor Laura Bellis. Hi. Um, I have previously worked as a pre-K teacher in our state and I currently wear many different hats within the cosmetology and hospitality industry. I also volunteer my time helping to f fund local organizations that I'm passionate about. I care deeply about Tulsa's future, about the kind of community we are shaping and the way we choose to invest our public resources. As someone who pays taxes here and calls Tulsa home for the last decade, I'm troubled. I'm troubled by the financial and human costs our city continues to absorb due to insufficient oversight of law enforcement. In the last month, Tulsa has committed more than five million to resolve cases involving police misconduct, including $4.5 million tied to a wrongful incarceration and $800,000 in a case where officers failed to protect a 911 caller from rape. Looking back at last year alone, the total exceeds 41 million. That figure includes 26.25 25 million awarded to William Jamerson, who lost more than 20 years of his life to imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. These numbers represent more than line items in a budget. They reflect preventable harm, broken trust, and repeated financial strain on our community. Continuing down this path is neither responsible nor sustainable. I am asking you to move forward with a charter amendment establishing an office of the independent monitor for the city of Tulsa, an independent community- centered body empowered to review Tulsa police department practices and recommend reforms that protect both lives and taxpayer dollars. Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your continued service to our city. >> Thank you, Katherine. Call our next speaker, please. The next speaker is Mononttoya Boaz. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, council members. Please give me a little grace. I just gave birth three weeks ago, but yeah, I do a baby girl. Uh, but I felt compelled to come down here and speak on this matter. My name is Mononttoya Boaz. I am a proud resident of District 73 and a North Tulsa native. For nine years, I have served this community as a child care provider as a child care provider for its children and supporting working families. I'm here because I care deeply about the safety and the future of our city, especially now as a mother of a newborn. In the past three months, my cars has been broken into three times. Each time I filed a police report, each time I provided a video footage, each time there was no followup and no action. This sends a message to me that everyday residents and working families are not a priority. As a taxpaying Tulsson, I expect basic neighborhood safety and responsive public service and police mis Oh, I'm sorry. Um safety and responsive public service. Instead, our cities are paying millions in police misconduct. 5 million recently and more than 41 million last year alone. That is money that could be invested in parks, streets, child care programs, and community development. Instead, it is paying for preventive preventative failures. This is not sustainable. It is not physically responsible. It is not just. When there is no meaningful oversight, there is no accountability. When there is no accountability, the people pay the price financially and in trust. I urge you to adopt a charter amendment establish an office of the independent monitoring for the city of Tulsa. A true independent community-led office with the authority to examine police processes and recommend cost-saving and life-saving reform. Remember, transparency builds trust, accountability builds safety, and we deserve both. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Katherine, our next speaker, please. >> The next speaker is James Alexander Jr. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. My proposal to the council for amendment is that the council becomes more patient with the uh the constituents and people in general because I've been noticing that uh through your uh uh committees public input is not accepted in your uh council meeting. Public input is accepted, but there's no feedback from the council. We need feedback. I need feedback out at least because I have some hell of a good question. >> Next speaker. >> The next speaker is Bernice Alexander. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, counselors. Um, first I want to say that every person matters. That's something that's really important to me. >> Every person matters. And that's something that's very important to me. I don't care who you are, what you do, you matter. And we know that the charter document serves kind of like a constitution giving uh how the city should work. My husband and I have been working on the behalf of the North Tulsa community for over 30 years. And I know there there's a lot of concern about the police and having a monitor. But I have a lot of concern about how we treat each other because when you make decisions that are harmful to people, they should not be made and you know they shouldn't be made. And when you take actions uh in the work that you do that you know is harmful to people that you know is not helpful to people. You I'm starting with the council now. I know the people are talking about the police. I'm trained in corrections criminal justice from Langston University and Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Miss Bernice, make sure you steer steer towards the agenda item. >> Understand crime and understand the rules that you all make and implement. And a lot of the rules that you all make and implement are not beneficial to the people. Now, these people, you know, I hear them talking about the police, but just a little note that one of the reasons we've been working for 30 years for the district one community is because you allowed the sewer and the water systems to fail over there. You allowed five major streets. We had to get federal complaints in here to get work done in that area. Now, that's not in agreement with the charter. that is not in agreement with how you serve the people. Now, the people are concerned about a lot of police misconduct and we understand that. But if they're just operating like a lot of your systems are operating to not serve the people or to do harm to the people, the people will not benefit from your charter. And so I'm saying that you need to be more considerate of the people that you're serving because you're not you're not I don't know what what your purpose is. I mean what you're trying to do, but you have a lot of upset and concern in the community right now because of how you do business toward your districts. District 1 is not the only area in the city that's had major major problems, major problems, continue to have major problems and your charter is not helping. So the people may have to just be vigilant and continue to stand before you. Somebody said, "Who watches the watchmen?" Well, if you all are the ones putting the charter together, who's watching you? The people are. So you need to listen to the people and you need to act like you hear the people and are concerned about what the people are saying. District one counselor, >> Miss Bernice, you know the entire council. Don't call out a counselor, please. She's not alone. You're not one of them, though. I think you're a good counselor. There's some good counselors up here. And there's some that don't give a darn. Mean, that's what you are. You need to stop because the people, there's enough going on in the world where the people cannot have to live in just absolute dissatisfaction. >> You're at time. >> Thank you, Miss Bernice. Okay. So, I'm going to stop, but you know. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Miss Bernice. Your time's expired. >> You all along with this the police and some other situations. >> You going to have to work for the people. >> Thank you. >> Other people will come and talk to you about it. >> Katherine, call our next speaker, please. >> Next speaker is Will Stringer. >> Good evening. Good evening. >> Hello everyone. Good evening. Uh my name is Will Stringer and I'm a lawyer and a resident from District 9. Uh I'll try me quick since there's been so many uh speakers already. Um to me the issue is primarily about transparency and accountability. Um it does not make sense for TPD to be responsible for investigating themselves whenever there's allegations of misconduct. um even setting aside important concerns over civil rights abuses or harm that will befall Tulsa citizens. Um it's also a huge drain on our coffers. Um as people have already said, we're talking tens of millions of dollars o over just a few years. Um and so uh for that reason I would urge you all to uh vote uh in favor of creating an independent monitor um to uh oversee Tulsa police department and um uh I appreciate y'all's attentions on this matter and uh thank you for your time today. Thank you. >> Thank you Katherine. Next speaker. >> The final speaker for item 3B is Aaron Kaine. Good evening. >> Hey, good evening and uh first of all, thank you for your service uh with all of you and uh thank you to everybody that got up today. It's real a lot of passion I heard. Um my name Well, first of all, Helito. Uh my name is Aaron Laai Kane. I'm currently a resident in District 7. Uh I love my city. I returned last year from about a 13-year hiatus. Um, I take pride in what I call a Tulsen, also an Oklahoma is what I like to call it. Uh, every day, uh, my family is approached with fundraising opportunities. My, my brother is a cardiologist out here. My sister's a realtor. I work for Progressive Insurance as well. And there's a lot of different companies, businesses, and people on the streets really trying to rebuild our city and take it to new heights. uh resources are precious and I would never uh waste any resources for our city, but it it has been apparent since I've been back and and hearing the voices of our people here uh that resources are being wasted. Um last year alone, we paid over 41 million in police misconduct. When I came back and found that out, I was very disappointed. Um, I am worried about a lack of accountability and oversight as everyone mentioned tonight and more importantly like what is this costing us? Where can these resources go? Uh, this is not the city of Tulsa I know. Uh, my father uh grew up as a janitor. We cleaned the city of Tulsa building when I was a child. I met a lot of different people and I've been around a lot of great law enforcement officers. Uh, husband appreciate his service and a lot of others. Uh but what we're doing right now is not sustainable. I'm hopeful we will uh adopt a charter amendment to implement uh the office of independent monitor for Tulsa um all four communityled operations as well and just oversight of TPD. Uh I don't want to take too much of your time, but just let you know I do appreciate your ears today and everyone out here and hopefully we can come to a resolution. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to all of you who signed up to speak tonight. Appreciate your input. Uh let's see. Without objection, we will exit public hearings. Okay. Mayor's items. Uh report from the mayor is designate on community events, briefing, city activities, city efforts, and new business. Mayor's not here with us tonight. We thank you. Thank him for his service. Uh the remaining items 4B through 4 AAA with the exception of 4K will not be a read aloud. Remember 4K was pulled. However, public comments will be received on these items. Katherine, do we have any speakers on item four? >> We have two speakers. The first speaker is Jolie Horn on item 4B. Good evening. >> I'm going to stopwatch myself. >> Say that one more time. >> I'm going to put the five minute stopwatch on, but I'm going to try to be less than five minutes. >> Okay. She's got you on a timer. >> 22* 5 is 100 minutes. So, bless you all for >> That's long days, isn't it? And I did start out one time at one o'clock with you all and it was a long day. And one time I Googled what city councilors made and they said $100,000. So that wasn't right, was it? >> I didn't think so. Were they trying to get a ri out of me or something? Somebody. Okay. So let me Okay. Five minutes. Okay. So um have I started five minutes? My five minutes. Okay. I and I um didn't I thought that it was going to be on public on the monitoring and um so I was going to chime in on that but so um but I guess I was and I thought I could speak about the racing and that sort of thing safety on the roads but um and I'm uh Julie Horn I am oh let's see lived in Tulsa since 71 moved from Bartlesville so speaking of Phillips if people go to Willow Rock you can tell the kids when they get to the airplane room and the shrunken heads. They're going to get to go eat pretty soon. So anyway, so in 71 I went to Jinx and I graduated from Booker T and um went to OU, got a degree in uh business and accounting, worked for Sicko Petroleum for 19 years and um okay, so how does that have to do with uh the um 800,000 being allotted for this incident and um EI can be wrong, but uh it saying that um it was because of um they didn't wear body cams and they didn't give them the victim rights card to let them know that you know what their rights were and how they could get help. They didn't do a lethal lethality assessment and they didn't notify that they could contact child protection agency and that was a deviation from the standard police practices. Um, the main thing was that by leaving the victim, they left, they called the 911, the lady called 911, and the police left when she went inside the house to, um, get the ex-boyfriend's phone. And so then the police left and so, um, which essentially signaled to the attacker that the police would not intervene, leading directly to the assault. And I would like to address that as part of the monitoring. What they need is um let's see culture. There's a problem with the culture, the oversight and the training of the officers. And also uh they didn't have the c the body cams on. So the police can lie in investigations and they do I guess. And um I wonder if th those things these like character traits or whatever that uh there's kind of an issue going on about the non-feasibility the the dangers of allowing the police to be deceptive. And um so I feel like you know I was put on a crime watch in 2010 and the year that the uh oh the police corruption trial was 54 due process lawsuits and I have not had due process which means you have the right to know your face your accusers, know your charges, speak in your defense and uh cross-examine witnesses. And so um then my situation involved revenge porn and um people I don't even know that is freaky. You have one minute. >> Okay. Thank you. Really? Is it? It's up now. Huh? Okay. So then there are some laws about that. Um video prevention act of 2008. It's uh against the law to film someone where there's an expectation of privacy and to take it down. Uh Melania and Ted Cruz just reenacted that for revenge porn and the police are totally giving the message that they're not going to intervene and they're pretend like they don't know what's going on and uh you know I get working in neighborhoods uh citations and what is really a nice neighborhood? Oh, we're watching you in the bathroom or I got a tire touch touching the grass. Thank you. $90, which the fee is the the punishment is supposed to be 50 and I got two $90 ones. That's harassment. And so also misogyny if the police uh in doing the monitoring and training, >> no lies, no qualified immunity. >> Thank you. >> Misogyny. >> One thing Michelle uh Murphy got 170,000. >> Thank you. 19 years. Your time is expired. Thank you. >> Catherine caller, next speaker, please. >> That's misogyny. >> The next speaker is Mr. John Huffiness on items 4, M, O, Q, and R. >> Thank you, counselors. Yes. Agenda item 4 M, a special event application, anniversary coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe, scheduled for August 14th. Supporting documentation tells us they will have police escort and traffic control. The police, they can use our prayers. Catholics are precious family whose love for people and their promotion of the culture of life and the rights of the unborn is well known by many. I'm grateful also they celebrate the eukarist, the body and blood of Christ. And yes to this yes to this procession. Agenda item O a special event application Marquette field day and fun run scheduled for May 8th. On their website at Mar I read at Marquette Catholic School. We have been educating the next generation for more than a hundred years. Offering preschool through 8th grade. Marquette is a place and community that first and foremost belongs to Jesus Christ. That's what I read and this is quite remarkable. We know Catholics are an awesome part of our Tulsa family. Yes, the Marquette Catholic School is a strength to our community. This school was named after Jacques Barquette, a brilliant man who was able to who was able to converse in six languages. And I'm working on one. He's this is quite remarkable. Six languages and had clear understanding the scriptures are sacred and Jesus to be the son of God. Agenda item Q. A special event application Tulsa Irish Fest scheduled for March 13th. An Irish pastor Paul Brady came from Ireland and started Millennial Church in Tulsa. He said, "People like the late Tulsen's, Ola Roberts, Kennethy Hagen, TL Osburn, and Billy Joe Dherty blazed the trail and built the foundation for the future." The council backup documentation tells us this event is celebrating the music, culture, art, and food of the Irish. Yes, celebration of Irish culture with music and a kid zone. And here we can mention Paul Brady's church has a lively music worship band and a full children's ministry. He said his desire is to help people find the intimacy, love, and fellowship of God. Agenda item for our a special event application St. Patrick's Day run scheduled for March 14th starting at 39, excuse me, 3920 South Peoria. The 42nd annual St. Patrick's 5K run will be held on March 14th, 2026. Both the 5K and onem run will start and finish at Runner's World, Tulsa at 39th and Poria, right in the middle of beautiful Brookside. A firm conviction and understanding that the gospel of Jesus Christ positively transforms lives led St. Patrick to evangelize Ireland and beyond with truth that lifted women, children, and men. There is merit in honoring this special person, St. Patrick, an evangel an evangelist who brought the powerful message of Jesus Christ, the son of God, to his generation. Thank you, counselors, for always doing your best to help Tulsa be her best. >> Thank you, Mr. Huffiness. Katherine, was that our last speaker? >> Yes, that is correct. Okay. Is there any council discussion? >> Move on item four through AA. >> Are we on item four without >> We don't know what year it is. >> Move to approve items 4B through 4 A with the exception of 4K. Um and the emergency clause on 4 B and 4 C. >> Mr. Chairman, uh I believe that was 4 A. >> Correct. >> That's what I said. >> I just heard a >> I just heard a myself. items 4B through 4 A with the emergency clause on 4B and 4 C and the exception of 4K. I made a motion. >> Second. >> Thanks for the clarity. Uh Lori, will you please call the role? >> Councelor Bengal, >> yes. >> Councelor Dr. Wright, >> yes. >> Councelor Bush, Councelor Hall Harper, >> yes. >> Councelor Archie, >> yes. Councelor Dutton, >> yes. >> Councelor Bellis, >> yes. >> Okay. Items 4B through 4 AAA with the exception of 4K are approved with the emergency clause on 4B and C. Authorities, boards, and commissions. Item A, reszoning application Z7842 from RS2 to RM2 for property located at the west of the northwest corner of E62nd Street South and Truce Avenue. Uh B, reszoning application Z7844 from AG to RS5 for multiple properties located east of the northeast corner of 41st Street South and Lin Lane Avenue. Uh C, reszoning applications E7845 from RS to O for property located north of the northwest corner of East 36th Street South and South Yale. D resolution number 2952 uh 1077 of the Tulsa Metrop excuse me Tulsa Metropolitan Area Area Planning Commission um neighborhood to multiple use approximately 1.03 acres northwest corner of East 36th Street South and Yale. Um this is a resolution Let's see. City council must act on this within 45 days of receipt. No action is taken. The amendment will officially be approved, which should be irrelevant. Uh E. Reszoning applications E7846 from RM1 and RS3 to RM1 for property located at the southwest corner and southeast corner of East Young Street and North Quaker Avenue. F. Reszoning application Z7847 from CH to RS3 to CH for property located at the southwest corner of East Latimer Street North and North Mingo Road and G reszoning application Z7701 from RS3 to CS for property located at the northeast corner of South Sheridan Road and East Fourth Place South. Do we have any speakers on these items? >> There are no speakers. Is there any council discussion? >> Move to approve items 5 A through G. >> What was that? I'm kidding. Second. >> Please call the role. >> Councelor Bengal, >> yes. >> Councelor Dector Wright, >> yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper, >> yes. >> Councelor Archie, >> yes. >> Councelor Dutton, >> yes. >> Councelor Bellis, >> yes. >> Okay, so items 5A through G are approved. Six, ordinances, first reading. The following items in this section of the agenda will not be read aloud and without objection items 6A through 6M will be forwarded to the next council meeting for action. All right. Uh seven sec ordinances second reading reszoning ordinance Z7843 from CSRM and RS to CS for property located northwest north of the northwest corner of West 71st Street South and South Union Avenue. B. Reszoning Ordinance PUD159-C abandoning PUD59A and partially abandoning PUD59 for property located north of the northwest corner of 71st Street South and you South Union Avenue and C ordinance closing a portion of a waterline easement requested by Ruben Vogle and Restaurant Depot. Do we have any speakers on these items, Katherine? There are no speakers. >> Is there any council discussion? >> Move to approve items 7 A through C. Second. >> Lori, will you please call the role? >> Councelor Bengal? >> Yes. >> Councelor Dector Wright? >> Yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper? >> Yes. >> Councelor Archie? >> Yes. >> Councelor Dutton? >> Yes. >> Councelor Bellis? >> Yes. >> All right. Items 7 A through 7C are approved. Council items. Councelor Dutton. >> Yes. So, for those that are still listening um with us at this hour, um I would like to announce that tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. at 555 South Memorial Drive at the International Gospel Center, I will be hosting a neighborhood town hall to discuss the Creo's Winter Shelter. So, if you live um near or around that neighborhood, um we will take uh suggestions from residents as well as comments and I'm um still not sure who all is going to be showing, but I definitely will be there and I hope to see you there. I'll even bring snacks. How's that, >> Councelor Bellis? >> Yeah, I um wanted to just extend to people. We have two more public hearings on charter amendments and I just wanted to offer to people who want to propose charter amendments. If you need help crafting that concept or making sure what you're proposing is an ordinance or a charter amendment, I'm happy to help. I myself have once been someone who came up and was told by city legal that I was off topic. So, um, as an audience member in the past proposing what I thought were charter amendments, but former city legal David Amelia was very excited to tell me I was wrong. So, if I would just wanted to extend that service to anyone who would like help proposing charter amendments. >> Thank you, councelor. Um, I will also announce and remind folks that I have a town hall tomorrow night at St. Thomas Moore Church on 129th East Avenue um in between 31st and 21st. It'll be 6 pm. We'll have the um normal folks that are there. Additionally, we'll talk about um IOT2 funding and the parks. Um so, you'll definitely want to come out to that. So, um are there any other council announcements? Okay. Item 8B, request for waiver of administrative fees for work completed at 1518 North Harvard Avenue. Uh this is brought to us by councelor Hall Harper. Uh we will hear from Bober Sed. Uh sir, are you here? >> Yes. >> Okay, sir. You will have 10 minutes uninterrupted to present your case. >> Well, thank you for having me and I appreciate your time. Um I don't have much to say. um just um other than uh I acquired this uh old piece of property about four years ago and I had plans to redevelop uh because it's an it's a very unique structure. Um it's approximately 27,000 square ft. Uh but due to some finan uh financing issues uh I have not been able to start the project. But in the last year, I was able or in the last few years, I um I was able to to save some and able to direct some of the funding for this project. And I'm getting ready to start. Uh we're almost uh we have completed all the engineering drawings uh ready to submit for permits within the next couple weeks. Um um and during this time we had uh the the property was vacant and obviously it required maintenance and stuff which I was trying to do as much as I could but due to uh repeated you know um trespassing issues and due to the sheer size of the property has been very challenging. I I am here to request for waiver uh on these uh administrative fees. I take full responsibility um for everything and uh I'd like to take care of my part and if I can have some cooperation from you guys. I would highly appreciate it. Thank you counselor. If you have any questions for me, I know you guys have a long night. Uh just hang back uh have a seat and then uh we'll hear from uh our code enforcement. >> Yeah. uh in in between there are a couple of things to uh I'm sorry I just remembered um I don't know if I should mention it but I mean because I do take the responsibility but in between I had an officer city uh code enforcement officer that had actually given me citation for being on the property but that's just you know but I I I I want to put everything behind and move forward. Okay. Again, >> Brett can speak. >> Council may have some questions, so you'll probably want to stay right here accessible. >> All right. So, now we'll hear from code enforcement counselors. Brent Pitchford, code enforcement. Um, no presentation this evening because we're just talking about uh admin fees. I would like to bring to y'all's attention. There are se seven invoices listed in on the backup packet. Invoice number 444604. um it will be um rescended by my authority because if you'll notice, if you look at it real closely, we didn't bill him for anything. It was only for a $300 admin fee. So, our contractor got out there and fixed the fence, but then didn't bill us. But I'm somehow in the billing process, he still got a bill. So, I'll resend that invoice uh tomorrow. So, >> so the amount we're considering has is reduced 1,800. Is that correct? 300 >> reduced by 300. >> No, no, no. That's what I'm saying. But the total >> is 1,800 that we're considering. >> Yes. >> Okay. I just want to make sure. >> Sorry. You you were calculating the admin fee. Sorry. >> Yeah, exactly. I was calculating the removal. It's >> been a long time. So, >> thank you. >> Are there any questions? Councelor Bellis, >> I was just going to check for um since No, no, no, no. Van, this is for you. I'm sorry. No, since since he mentioned >> the something about not supposed to be on the property or and I then I also just wanted to check on just some of the overall just debatement or history here if you could just give us a little bit more detail. >> Yeah, you bet. So, uh, as Mr. Sahed said, fairly large property. It's at the corner of for uh, uh, Admiral, I'm sorry, Pine and Harvard. It's the old Bolan Alley uh, on the northwest corner. Um we started back in 2023 uh ranging from mowing to uh different special uh fees uh securing uh Tpost for securing and fencing trash a few times had to mow a few times. Uh so we had several invoices. Uh Mr. Sahe reached out to me last year started asking questions and what he should do. We had a communication a time or two through email and gave him lots of suggestions. We haven't had to go out there since December and it was for a real small well it was for that just to fix that fence. So that was something minor that could have been overlooked. >> And then just one other question for Mr. or sorry council Harper. >> Oh yeah Mr. Say if you would I just I had one other question um related to the request for fee RA waiver. Is there um like I appreciate you saying okay taking responsibility and it sounds like a really large property. Um is there like a is there a specific hardship or a financial hardship? I know you're starting to develop the property it sounds like. So I just wasn't sure about um what if the fees what was challenging for you about paying them or if you could share a little bit more. Uh well in between I had um as you know it started in 23. Um some of these invoices were um were forwarded to the collection agency and I think somehow they had some accounting error where they actually build me for over $10,000 and and there were some invoices that were uh duplicate. So I brought this to Brent's attention and he looked through it and of course you know we came down to seven which you know in total comes out to be about 2100 fees and the other remaining 20 uh 2700 is what I owe. >> Was that it any counselor? So, um I would just re reiterate what they've said. So, uh Mr. C uh reached out uh about this this property, which is I don't know if you all are familiar with Harvard Lanes. Um but it is a significant um uh development and he showed me what his what his plans were and I think um first thing I did was talk to Brent uh to make sure that it was not something that that involved bad acting and and Brent assured me that that was not the case. And so given that he is he is diligently trying to um redevelop this the space into a what would which would be a significant uh uh taxing entity once once it's on um online. Uh I agreed to at least request that we wave the administrative fees and then he would pay the balance which I would be believe it be around $2,700 that he would still owe. Um but he is um being very attentive to to the needs. Most of the time it was because of you know trespassing and unhoused people breaking in consistently as he's making the repairs are or closing up the the building. But we know what what that entails. And so just excited about him being able to uh the the plans and he probably have them here but we can if you're interested in seeing those we can send send those to you. But what he's planning I think would be of a great benefit to that to that corner to that area. So I'd appreciate your support in waving these administrative fees that we can uh what's the agenda item? >> Uh I move that we accept uh item 8B. >> Second. >> Lori, will you please call the role? Councelor Bengal. >> Yes. >> Councelor Dector Wright. >> Yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper. >> Yes. >> Councelor Archie. >> Yes. >> Councelor Dutton. >> Yes. >> Councelor Bellis. >> Yes. >> Okay. It looks like your waiver has been approved. Congratulations. Hopefully you can get your property developed quickly. >> Thank you guys. >> Thank you. Thank you, Brandt. Appreciate it. Okay. So, uh, item nine, no new business. Item 10, no hearing of appeals. Um, 11, hearing of public comments. This concludes the televised portion of our eating.