Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.
It is the time now for city matters and pinch hitting today for a
councilor Dorsey Advice, James Kurt, how you doing, Jimmy Hood, glad
to be here. Tom, thank you, oh man, it's great to
have you on board. Trevor's a traveling man today, so he's uh asked
me to fill in and be happy to fill in for him. Great.
Well, I'll tell you what city council has been been busy, water and
other things and changing of roles. I didn't mean to pun there with Tracy,
but yes, but da it's been. There's been a lot perking in
the summertime. Yes, we've had I mean with our budget and our bond
issue and uh, we've got a new assistant city manager, We've got a
new uh police chief. Um, we've got water restrictions, wedn't have our
pools open. We've got Civitam Park kind of in a in a state of
flux trying to get repaired. So there's a there's a lot of activities the
city today. Where do we start. Well, I've just on my way
here this morning. I did texts to try to get the latest update on
Civitan, our our dinosaur park or our covered park that a lot of people
call it, and uh, you know, the latest has been that the
structure is going to have to come down, prepares made to the footings that
the structure sitting on, and then reassembled. So it's not the end of
the world, but it is going to be a major undertaking. And I
know currently that we've been looking for our contractor to get that done. We've
been taking bids for that, So I think at this point that's the best
update I can give is that it's a repairs are in progress. We're just
looking for a contractor we get started and get that date on the books and
get going. On the plus side, the rest of our parks are looking
great. The parks have been due. We've we have been getting adequate rain
for the city and within the city limits and around the city. But so
the parks are growing, the grass is growing. City Cruiser out mowing every
day, and we've had a great summer of a baseball and soccer so far
spring and are so far so Yes, the parks look great, They're in
good shape. It had a lot of activities between SunFest and uh some things
here in town. So it's been a it's been a good summer season so
far. You know, the signage on the parks, I really like that.
That looks major well things that those are, those are those have been
some of the best highlights we've had. In fact, in our bond issue,
we included some additional money for some neighborhood parks that we didn't get in
our first phase. And so we're gonna have park signed, another sign out
at Douglas Park, another signed at Civitan Park, I mean at at at
Civitan Park, and a sign at um Um the Veterans Park, So we're
gonna have some new signage going in there. And uh, Billy run our
councilor has been working on a new display of flags for our Veterans Park,
So that whole area right there by a frontier pool that's going to change dramatically
with some signage and a better display of our veterans for our Veterans Park.
One of the things that came out of the last City council meaning of course,
was talking about the continuation of the geo bine and the was it the
cip I guess, yeah, yeah, I got it right. We got
in a row. Yeah, but with the continuation, I understand that one
your taxes don't go up, but two our roads are going to get fixed.
This was a roads issue primarily. We've got about twelve million dollars that
we're putting into our roads. We normally put about eight to nine million dollars
in, so we put another three or four million dollars in this year.
Parks was caught up significantly in the last bond issue. We did get some
good Parks project. But yes, we're going to do more than we typically
do on our roads to try to even even the curve a little bit.
We're that our roads are in generally good shape as opposed to generally poor shape.
So we've we've been fighting that for years and years because of the needs
of the community. We balance roads with all the other needs within our bond
issues, and roads are getting done and getting and this time we'll hopefully we'll
take a nice little bite out of what we need to get caught up on.
Sure, and I know what happens on this too. You know you're
here too, Well, what about mine? Yes, it's always but but
there's only enough to go around. So this time around. We're going to
get the ones that are better traveled, right, and get those taken care
of first, right, and we'll get around some maybe later. They're all
rated. We have a rating system, so we have good, better,
best kind of rating. Okay. Machine goes over them and basically tells you
which roads are in the worst shape. And that's how we categorizem and categorize
them and then and then we approach it in that in that way. So
there are special needs. Sometimes we can move roads a few projects around,
but typically we stick right to that process of trying to do the roads that
need it the most, no matter where they're at, and we try to
distribute them on throughout the whole town in the community. And I think our
map that we put up each year shows that we're fixing roads throughout the city
that is that is outstanding. Now. The water situation seems to improve a
little bit with each rainfall, but not significant enough to get us all off
the restrictions. No, no, We've we've been holding at that fifty eight
percent level at Hula now for about four or five six weeks. So the
good news going right, The good news is that our usage that's spiked up
to about five million gallons a day now normally it's around four million in the
winter. But we're sustaining our water level, which is good. But yet
we're as we do get rains up north, and we have gotten rains up
north, we're just not getting the significant flows that will increase the storage to
get it above that sixty percent or over that seventy percent. So we could
do some other things, relax the restrictions, open pools, things like that.
We're just we're just not getting there with the rainfall at this point.
Well, Charles Lewis from Sunfast even offered to hold sun Past up at Heula
Lake as you know what happens dreams. Yeah, that's right, that's right.
Well, and I will tell the citizens if they'll get on our city
website and look on our city beak. Terry Lawrences has got three or four
wonderful articles about our water situation. The questions we've had about why we've done
build a pipeline to call lake, or build sand Lake, or do some
other things in the past. And I think those are great questions and need
to be asked. But I think Terry's answered really well. So on that
city beat, there is several good articles that really say where all our water
comes from between Hula Copan, the Hudson, and the River. It shows
what percentage we get from those and what percentage of a storage capacity they're at
now. So there's a lot of great questions that can be answered if they'll
read that. And great things are on that city beat, especially related to
water and current affairs. Now I haven't been here but four years almost to
the day, but I can't remember the pools not being opened, you know,
other than for repairs right there close. Is this something that's not happened
in a long time, you know, I think it happened back. I
think it's happened once before. But it's you know, it's a very troubling
issue. It would we would do anything to get the pools open. I
just think in the air or prudence that we're we'd think of the costs of
opening them, and then if the water level continued to go down, and
then we'd have to shut them. And so those are things that they consider
at the city level, and uh, you know, I think the council
for the most part, agrees it's the right thing to do. Yeah,
I think a lot of people deep and they're hard to know that it's the
right thing for you, but it And we've got local pools between a down
in a waso and up and call Independence. We've got places that people can
go. And we've got wonderful lakes and they're down here locally either are pretty
in pretty good shape. So there are places that people can cool off in
the pool and what lake. But it is it's a shame we don't have
our pools open. You know the budget? How big of a forklift did
you guys have to have to haul that thing in? I still got it
in my car and I'm going to use it for the winter weight around the
streets around here. So it's you know, that was right down to the
penny, wasn't it? And we did it. Budgets always been great.
And I'll tell you our city council, city for a volunteer council, we
have more information available to our fingertips, I think than anybody. Uh,
we've got a great plan. I've been This is my sixth budget, so
um uh it's we've got a framework that they come out with and they virtually
start on it the very next month after the budget starts. Because things start
to happen and money rolls in and uh, but they do a wonderful job
and we can ask questions, we can see if things can be moved around.
Um, it's a very open process. But it happens in a you
know, it happens pretty quickly. In June and May and June we get
ready for it. And then this year we had we had the bond issue
on top of that, so we had a we were kind of drinking from
a fire hose for a couple of days. Oh yeah, but it was
it was a good it was a it was a great experience. And uh,
I think all the councilmen did a great job and trying to get their
projects that were important to them and getting things done. We're talking with Weisman
or James Gourd right here on City Matters on K one one. You trust.
It's eight forty two, sir. We've always got some boards and committees
that kind of need some attention because sometimes folks either you know, retire or
they move away, and we always seem to have just a couple of openings.
We do, we do, and I'll tell you, I mean,
I've served on boards for twenty and twenty five years and still marvel today at
the willingness of public in this town to serve on our committee. So we
do have some openings. I don't have them here with me, but I
know there's a gambulance committee. I know there's some on the park board.
And I'll tell you the city is hiring for some positions too around town,
so for parks and maintenance work and maybe streets. There are some applications available
on our city website for jobs available in the city too. So yes,
well, if you're interested in the city, you can go down to the
city or can get online and fill out an application and see what positions are
available on what boards. If there's an interest there too, you filled it
out, send it in and the council will consider it. All right.
That is a City of Barnsville dot org. City of Barnsville, Dartowler.
Did you can find anything on there? I mean stuff that I wouldn't even
think about. It's on there. I don't know who your your web baster
is, but boy, they thought it's about everything. Well, I'll tell
you they do a great job. And Kelly Williams, of course on the
city beat, does a great job. So I mean, it's good for
people to know that's out there because there is information. There are still questions
that people want to ask, and there I was an always answer for it.
But the city website and the city beat gets can answer a lot of
questions for people. And then if it hasn't answered the question they want,
they can call in and they call me or call it a city councilman or
called Mike Bailey, our city manager, and ask those questions and we can
get them answered. For now, all right, I'll tell you what.
City Hall is kind of a neat little place. I've only had the opportunity
to go upstairs like once, and that was to to get a business.
By the way, we got to get those ticket business licenses or due.
Yeah, I got to remind myself of that. Actually I'm usually tardy a
few days and I get no special free. But I just walk in.
I'd have to plead innocent. So yeah, they are due, but business
licenses are due. I want to tell you that's a very pleasant experience.
You go upstairs. Yeah, what is the third or fourth floor or something
like four second floor? Well it looked like it was up higher than but
anyway, they treat you like gold up there, and it's a very very
very nicely taken care of. So if you do have a business in town,
make sure you get to don't get in there too early because then the
mess things up. Right, But wait till July first and then get filing
in a quartering, get in and get your license and get set and uh,
you know, business has been really good in barrels and we've had a
lot of new things opening up here. Uh been a great article on the
old Panic hooking house and now going to be a lot of burger and uh.
So you know, the town seems to be really doing well. It's
come out of COVID well and uh excited about to We've got an increase in
sales tax for the first time in many many years. And uh, I
think with that sales tax increase, we've tried to hold some money back for
special things and special needs, and uh they get we're able to continue to
supply the services that the community had demands and know we're wanting to bring to
them. Well, one thing that's kind of interesting about that talking with mister
Munninger and mister Bailey and mister Rolls, was that not so much Tracy over
this, but over the years mister Munninger and mister Bailey trying to figure out
where did all this sales tax increase come from. Well, first we thought,
okay, well people were spending COVID money. Well maybe they were.
And then we figured, well, that movie's in town, and geez,
we've got full hotels and full restaurants. Must be that. And then after
they left town, it just kept continuing. People. If people are just
buying and staying home here because we've got just about everything you could ever want,
You're exactly right. We've We've done a good job and trying to bring
services and things here that people wanted, choices that people wanted, and I
think it's kept people here and spending their money here more. We've still got
a ways to go. There's still more we can do, but it's exciting
to see the sales tax increase with population on the census was a minimal increase,
but it's people are staying here local more locally, and people are visiting
more. I tell you with Pahuska and the things going on there and some
new things happening at the Price Tower and here locally, Uh, you know,
we do have people come through town spend the night. We've got had
some baseball tournaments recently with our new manager of our baseball and softball program,
that's really helped. The engines are planning now so people do come to town,
and that tourism money goes in our city coffers and helps us a great
deal too. You know, that Price Tower has always been a draw,
but they're adding to some many more new interesting features to it, and it's
gonna be with with the marketing that I understand they're coming out with, it's
really gonna be busy. It real busy. It's gonna be exciting to see.
And with the FCC project, but the building right just to the east
of that, we're gonna be hopefully having a great economic development kind of our
project going on there with the movie company put in a kind of a movie
studio and even somewhat of an academy of training academy for some film institute.
So there's a lot of positive things happening in downtown and throughout the community.
We might want to thank our neighbors over an No Sage Nation because they're picking
up a real huge hotel just across our city level. It certainly did.
And you know darn well that you can probably do a lot one of those
big hotels, but you're gonna have to get gas, you're gonna have to
maybe get a munch ye or two, and you might want to see the
site. So hey cheap, Jeff, No by the ATM. That little
extra cash for the casino, Yeah, there's plenty to do. Spend it
here. Yeah, it's gonna be great, too, great to see those
things just even around the community doing well. So those all led to our
economic development and we're doing a great job down at the BDA where we've just
had a lot of great projects come our way. The airport is expanding,
a lot of great things happening out that way. So it's a positive outlook
coming ahead. That airport thing might be the best kept secret going because I
know that piece by piece is adding up, it's really coming together, and
you know that just selling our lap and we knew it was always a possibility,
and I don't think we were quite expecting it when it happened, and
it was kind of a shock to the economic system to have to take that
under our wing, but were retaining the management was there previously. We've done
a great job, and then we've just opened it up to a whole lot
of expansion and things to improve the area, improve that and then also make
it part of our economic expansion tools so that we've got an industrial park out
there. You can locate out there near the park. We're gonna have some
road work done out there. So it's really really coming together in the next
couple of years. It's going to really change itself. One I forgot,
we've got that big new business that's they've already got an office right now,
they guess at Roger State University building. But they're going to be going big
time with about eighty five workers. And we understand and this is going to
be kind of cool. This is a company that deals with the rare earth
materials, so we don't have to go overseas to deal with it's the only
one in the United States. And their home base is going to be right
here in Bartlesville, America. Yeah, they're going to have their manufacturing somewhere
south in Tulsa and Watton, and then we'll have their headquarters here. That's
the plan, and I hope it comes together because, yes, those rarest
materials that we're having to mind and get out of foreign countries. If we
could recycle products here to make those available to us here for the first time
for something it seems to be kind of groundbreaking. So it's going to be
really interesting to see how that project comes together. Looking forward to seeing how
that does. See folks Willever, you say, well, nothing happens in
Bartlesville. This Remember Philip sixty six and the research facility. They're been adding
things to your life all your lifelong, like even plastic milk, Judge,
would we take for granted? And now we've got something that's going to run
your car and probably a lot of other things with the rare earth materials.
So yeah, I'd like to have to work ground zero for a whole lot
of good things here. Yeah. Having those two companies kind of our flagship
companies here in town is nothing but adds great value to our community. And
I know they represent as well when they're out in the business market. So
uh, it's great to have them here, and I think they are.
They play a large role in how we develop and grow every year. How
about missed anything? I get the feeling I'm thinking a half just just to
continue to ask people to conserve water, Um, you know, the outlook
for the summer is not very good for heavy rains. So I think the
thing we can do is follow those watering restrictions as one of today watering restrictions
and um to conserve water and every I'm tired of shaving with cold water,
but I don't wait for my hot water every morning I shave with cold water.
Uh. You know, it's these things we can do on small side
that will continue that usage below five million and and help stretch out so we
can get to the fall and get some fall rains and get us into spring
next year hopefully and get those lakes replenished. You know, there've never been
more people praying for a blizzard come December, Jay, Well, I'll tell
you, and a real wet one too. We need we'll need that,
and we'll lead some good fall rains too. But we'll just keep praying and
hoping that we get some rains. And so far, like I said,
at least we've been sustaining our levels and using kind of what we've been getting
and that's been helping. So we would be further down if we had gotten
nothing. So we're at least sustaining our laker levels. To some level right
now, Vice Mayor, thanks for being with us. I'm glad to be
here today. All right, folks, you've been listening matters. How does