I feel hey. Good evening and welcome to the 5:00 PM city council meeting. It's November the 19th. You can view this meeting on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel, cox channel 24 or at tgvonline.org. Uh Jack, Lori, and Chris are helping us. If you wish to speak on an agenda item, go see Chris. He can get you all set up. Please join us in pledging allegiance to the flag of our country and stay standing for a moment of silence. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands nation. Thank you all. You may be seated. If I'm talking quickly tonight, it's because I have to leave at 5:30. I'm going to try to get as much of this done as I possibly can. I've got a plane to catch at 6 to go do some USS Oklahoma related work. Uh we have a timekeeping system up here. Green light means you have about four and a half minutes total. Yellow light means you have 30 seconds left. Red light means you have to wrap it up because your time is up. 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 relevant to the agenda item and directed to the council. As posted on tonight's agenda, certain items are subject to consideration and possible approval adoption denial amendment or revision. I call this meeting to order. Please call the role. >> Councelor Hall Harper >> here. >> Councelor Archie >> here. >> Councelor Dutton >> here. >> Councelor Bellis here. >> Councelor Gilbert >> here. >> Councelor Bengal >> here. >> Councelor Dr. Wright >> here. >> Councelor Leaken >> here. >> Item one. There are no items this week. Two appointments and reappoints. Uh Susan, Jeanie, Kelly, Erica, and Anthony all up for appointment or reappoint. Do we have any speakers? We have one one speaker for item 2 A through E. Mr. John Huffines. >> Good evening. >> Thank you, counselors. Yes, I'm thankful for our honorable leaders, council chair Phil Leaken and Vice Chair Karen Gilbert, our honorable counselor, staff, team, and security. We're thankful to the citizens of this great city of love, Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a joy to be with you on this 19th day of November in the year of our loving Lord Jesus Christ, 2025. Yes, appointments and reappointments. Susan, Jeie, Kelly, Erica, and Anthony. And he's being reappointed to the human rights commission. And may we continue to honor the human right of babies to be born. Thank you, family. >> Thank you, Mr. Huffiness. Any council's discussion? >> Move to approve items 2 A through E. Second. >> Please call the RO. >> Councelor Dutton, >> yes. >> Councelor Bell, >> yes. >> Councelor Gilbert, >> yes. >> Councelor Bengals, >> yes. >> Councelor Dr. Wright, >> yes. Councelor Leaken. >> Yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper. >> Yes. >> Councelor Archie. >> Yes. >> Items 2 A through E are approved. Any commissioners here that wish to speak? Three public hearings. No items for mayor's item. The mayor is not with us tonight. Uh the rest of these items for B through I will not be read aloud. However, public comments will be received on these items. We have any speakers. >> We have one speaker on items for F and H. Mr. John Huffiness. Thank you, counselors. For f in every season, the city of Tulsa is strengthened by people and organizations who generously invest in the well-being of our shared spaces. The donation from the Mary Kay Oxley Nature Center Association of a 61in right ZXL mower expresses a principle we honor as a community. When individuals and groups give toward the stewardship of God's creation, the entire city is lifted. Their gift promotes the beauty of the park grounds and enriches the experience of every person who walks these trails. God's word, the Holy Bible, encourages this spirit of generosity and stewardship as in Luke 6:38 speaks of give and it will be given unto you. We gratefully gratefully acknowledge the goodness of God and we honor Jesus Christ, the son of God, whose grace inspires people to sew blessings into their community, creating peaceful spaces for families, neighbors, and visitors. 4 counselors, thank you for your dedication to our city. I would like to express appreciation for the Tulsa Route 66 marathon event scheduled for November 22nd 2025. This gathering brings people together with purpose and encouragement as runners move through our beautiful city. This event highlights a principle we value. When people pursue excellence and uplift one another, the entire community rises. The Holy Bible presents this truth in uh Ephesians 4:29 where it talks about uh speaking words that edify and minister grace to the hearer. Um, also they that wait upon the Lord shall renew shall renew their strength and shall run and I like to say and stay energized. This marathon expresses the spirit of renewed strength and shared joy. I honor the goodness of the Lord who inspires unity, perseverance, and celebration in Tulsa. May every participant experience encouragement and may the event promote a spirit of blessing throughout our city. Thank you for supporting this event, bringing people together in a joyful way. Thank you, counselors. >> Thank you, Mr. Huffines. Any other speakers? >> We have no other speakers. >> Any council discussion? >> Move to approve items 4B through I. Second. >> Please call the role. >> Councelor Dutton, >> yes. >> Councelor Bellis, >> yes. >> Councelor Gilbert, >> yes. >> Councelor Bengal, >> yes. >> Councelor Dr. Wright, >> yes. >> Councelor Leaken, >> yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper, >> yes. >> Councelor Archie, >> yes. >> Items 4B through I are approved. No business on five six ordinances first reading. The following items in this section of the agenda will not be read aloud and without objection items 6A through B will be forwarded to the next council meeting for action. Seven ordinances second reading. A. Ordinance closing a certain portion of an alleyway located at 3322 West 45th Street. B. Ordinance closing a certain portion of a public way located at South 34th West Avenue. C. ordinance amending the fiscal year 26 budget uh for $500,000 relating to municipal courts and D ordinance amending amending the fiscal year 26 budget for $500,000 related to housing assistance and emergency shelter. Do we have any speakers? >> We have two speakers for items C and D. James and Bernice Alexander. Good evening. >> Good evening everyone. Uh like I said, I made a promise that every time American Rescue Act come up, I was going to speak on it. And this was very interesting to me because what you're doing is taking money from u municipal courts and no you're taking it from uh housing and giving it to municipal courts which is very strange to me with but what's really strange is the next item 7D where you taking uh care money, 500,000 from each and moving it from uh municipal courts and put it into housing. That's that doesn't seem strange to anybody. Seems strange to me because you just flip-flop it. And this money has been sitting in a fund for who knows how long. And this American Rescue Money is supposed to be administered before this year is over. Cutting it awfully close. So, I'm watching you very diligently. I see what you're doing. It's time to stop this crazy and illegal stuff that you have going on. >> Good evening, counselors. Well, we'll just watch the moves that you're making and we will make our requests known to the people that are providing the funding because clearly either money's been held up in accounts or it's been misused. because we shouldn't have this housing issue uh that has been created in this city. Doesn't make any sense and it has deliberately been created in this city. You know, every person in this city matters. As we were coming here, we saw a person lying on the grass. Could have been homeless. Appeared to be sleep by the highway. And then we saw another person on the other side of the street that appeared to be homeless. This is a problem that has been created in this city that should not even exist. And I don't know what you all are getting out of it because every person matters. Every person matters. We should be concerned about people who are without housing. I don't know how you can turn your heads and look the other way or take your time uh trying to put monies together that have been sitting there the whole time to be used for the purpose of housing saying that you're trying to help these people. Uh, I don't personally think that you have a real concern about people who don't have housing and we need to be concerned about each other because every person matters. I would like to meet some of your parents because I don't understand how you all could sit there know the conditions of these people in the community create the conditions uh that the people are in in the community and then look the other way. I don't know. It looks like you you all don't really consider people to be of concern. I've seen people since we talking about housing and the homeless go to Walmart. People are washing up in the in the restrooms. Quick trip. People are bathing themselves in the restroom. None of that makes any sense. None of it. None of it makes any sense. And in some cases, you have deliberately created situations for people to be homeless. Now, I guess for the sake of receiving money that would be targeted for people who would be homeless. I understand. I understand what's going on in this city that we can see people in certain conditions, know we can do something about it, and walk past the people. Don't even speak to the people. If I can interject, there's a a motion that will be well an item that will be heard next week that has $14 million for housing initiatives. And so we we do take it very seriously and we do have action items to appropriate a lot more than $14 million after that is done just relating to a sales tax that was passed a couple of years ago. I will be looking and listening and paying attention and helping those that I can help because it doesn't make any sense to me. It's very sickening what is happening in this city and in this country about how we treat each other. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Have a good night. Any council discussion? Yeah, I would uh can I make a small comment about um um B, item B? I'm super excited. This ordinance is just another step to um uh in the process of upgrading the QT that's on the west side right across from Crystal City. And so um I was at that QT that's currently there this morning and and uh talking with the staff there. Just want to express appreciation for QT and their continued investment in our city and and on the west side. So >> yeah, good words. Anyone else? Okay. >> Move to approve item 7 A through 7D. Second, >> please call the role. >> Councelor Dutton, >> yes. >> Councelor Bellis, yes. >> Councelor Gilbert, >> yes. >> Councelor Bengal, >> yes. >> Councelor Dector Wright, >> yes. >> Councelor Leaken, >> yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper, >> yes. Councelor Archie. >> Yes. >> 7 A through D are approved. 8A counselor's announcements. >> I have an announcement. >> I want to uh put an announcement on everyone's radar, especially those who are on the west side. I have um read your DMs. I have heard your cries. And we are going to talk about it. Let's talk about it. We're going to talk. Am I out? They may not want me to talk about it. Okay, we're going to talk about bike lanes um on December the 9th at the Red Fork uh at the Route 66 depot at 6 p.m. Uh please come out. We're going to have folks from the city and we're going to talk about how we got the bike lanes that we have particularly on Southwest Boulevard. Talk about uh the community engagement that did happen years ago and um a path forward. Some people like them, some people don't. But uh I want to create a space where you all uh those on the west side can engage with uh with the professionals to get an understanding of of the overall comprehensive plan for um travel in in the city. And so uh please come out. Thank you so much. >> Would like to remind everyone that we now have our winter shelter open from now until March. The city has a winter shelter open for the first time and we are uh seeking um support for the folks that will be operating the shelter. So, um as Miss Bernice said, um we should all be thinking about people who have less than us right now. So, if you have coats or things to donate or time, hats, gloves, um hygiene supplies, um we have posted this on the city of Tulsa gov channels. It's also with the Be Herd movement in Cre Oaks. And so it's open now and it'll be open through March. And um I know that every one of us will be uh doing what we can to help support that winter shelter. And I'm really proud that um we finally in a place where we can do that and not be scrambling as soon as the temperatures drop. Um thanks. 8B is a resolution of the city of Tulsa adopting the economic development incentives policy titled Tulsa Housing Impact Fund Policy dated November 19th, 2025. C. Request by Tulsa Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 577 uh for waiver of fees of about $10,500. Do we have any speakers? >> We have two speakers. First on item 8B, Bernice Alexander. >> Next speaker. >> Next speaker on item 8 C, Mr. John Huffines. Thank you counselors. Thank you for your service to our city. And God almighty, we invoke your guidance. A lot of decisions y'all are making as you consider the request from Tulsa VFW Post 577 regarding the Veterans Day parade. Like to take a moment and honor these veterans and the taxpayers who generously strengthen every part of our Tulsa. Their support promotes gatherings that uplift our community and celebrate the courageous men and women who served our nation. I pray a blessing from the Lord over our veterans and over every Tulsa taxpayer. May the goodness of God surround their families, promote peace in their homes, and increase joy throughout our city. Thank you for helping Tulsa flourish. Yes. And 8D in a moment. >> Any council discussion? >> Move to approve items 8 B through D >> through >> Oh, sorry. B through C. >> Second. >> Please call the RO. >> Councelor Dutton. >> Yes. >> Councelor Bellis. >> Yes. >> Councelor Gilbert. >> Yes. >> Councelor Bengal. >> Yes. >> Councelor Dector Rice. Yes. >> Councelor Leighton. Yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper. >> Yes. >> Councelor Archie. >> Yes. >> B through C are approved. D is a travel authorization for councelor Bingle to go to our sister city for the 25th anniversary in the amount of $2,000. Uh Mr. Effines. >> Thank you counselors. Yes. Thank you for your leadership. As you consider travel for councelor Bengal to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our sister city in partnership with cell, I would like to honor all of Tulsa's sister cities, including Tiberius. Tiberius holds a beautiful place in history and in the hearts of many. Its connection to the Sea of Galilee and to the ministry of Jesus Christ brings inspiration and joy to large numbers of people. I give thanks for the friendships these partnerships promote and the goodwill they create across the nations. May the Lord bless all our sister cities, bless Tulsa, and bless every effort that strengthens unity and peace among cities and communities around the world. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Eience. Any other speakers? >> We have no more speakers. >> Council discussion. >> Move to approve item 8. Second. >> Please call the role. >> Councelor Dutton, yes. Councelor Bellis. Yes. >> Councelor Gilbert, >> yes. >> Councelor Dr. Wright, yes. >> Councelor Leak, >> yes. >> Councelor Hall Harper, >> yes. >> Councelor Archie, >> yes. >> Item 8 is approved. Uh, the appeal and new business, there are none. The appeal has been postponed. 11. Hearing of public comments. This concludes the televised portion of our meeting.