WEBVTT 1 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:13.039 Good money, good money, good morning, and welcome, long and welcome, 2 00:00:13.080 --> 00:00:15.119 and it's time now for city matters. It matters to you, It 3 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:18.079 matters to the city. We got is honored a mayor and with this, 4 00:00:18.199 --> 00:00:21.039 Hey you doing that, mister Coplan, Good sir, how are you well? 5 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:23.640 I'll tell you why I find is any finary betwins They got the size 6 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:27.879 for it. But anyway, we busy night last night with the City Hall, 7 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:31.839 just a whole lot going on. But it seems like you guys got 8 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:36.600 it over rather quickly. Talk about being expedient. Things went well. We 9 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:40.079 had three different meetings. Actually, first was the Bartipal Education Authority, the 10 00:00:40.119 --> 00:00:47.600 BEEA. In that meeting we primarily passed, discussed, and then approved funding. 11 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:51.560 It's what's called conduit funding, which is perhaps not something everyone is familiar 12 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:55.320 with, but it's past three funding. The schools have limits on their funding 13 00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:58.719 levels. The city does not. So there's a situation where perhaps they would 14 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:02.079 have to take a project into two or three pieces, which would not be 15 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:04.359 very efficient or cost effective. The city, on the other hand, can 16 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.560 fund, in this case ten and a half million dollars. I think they 17 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:11.480 told me that that was primarily for Ranch Heights. One of the elementary schools 18 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:15.439 and get all of that done at one time with one contractor, and try 19 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:19.319 to get that accomplished in an efficient manner. So that was our first meeting, 20 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:23.640 and then the second meeting was the Bartlesville Municipal Authority, which deals with 21 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:29.840 primarily the water plant, the wastewater plant, and in that one we again 22 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:36.120 discussed and approved potential funding. I stressed potential of a little over eighty three 23 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:38.920 million dollars. That's important and you and I have talked about this before. 24 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:44.359 The biggest municipal project that has ever been done in the city of Bartlesville was 25 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:48.159 the water treatment plant several years ago. I think it was around forty two 26 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:53.560 million dollars. That was funded through not GEO Bond's property tax, but through 27 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:59.640 the Oklahoma Water Resources Board OWRB and a low interest financing agreement. It has 28 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:05.640 worked very well. Last night we approved a request to the OWRB for a 29 00:02:05.719 --> 00:02:08.199 similar loan when we need it. We're not ready to start that yet. 30 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:13.240 We think it'll be twenty twenty six, but when that comes that we could 31 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:15.919 have the funding for up to eighty three million. We may not need that 32 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:21.520 much. We do what they now call value engineering and so you look at 33 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:23.719 things and say, can we do this better? Can we combine and say 34 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:28.919 what are all the options that are possible to make this as effective and efficient 35 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:32.400 as possible. So in any case, we approved that. Essentially, what 36 00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:37.479 it does is set a cap on what we would pay. It does not 37 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.719 set a floor. And we also discussed, well, what if there's always 38 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:45.319 the what ifs. If interest rates go up, then we the citizens of 39 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:49.680 Bartlesville, are protected. If they go down, then we can what they 40 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:54.000 called de obligate and go back for an approval at a better rate. So 41 00:02:54.159 --> 00:03:00.280 it really is something that is just a prudent practice to give the best rate 42 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:06.080 to do what we have no choice. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has 43 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:09.680 mandated. The City of Bartlesville has been under various consent orders to upgrade our 44 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:15.159 wastewater system for literally decades. The most recent one, I believe was in 45 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:19.639 twenty nineteen. As we complete one, they issue another, and so we 46 00:03:19.719 --> 00:03:22.240 have to build a wastewater plant. We have known that for some years. 47 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:25.120 We've done design and engineering, we've gone through all the phases. We're getting 48 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:29.439 very close to the phase where we have to actually begin to do the work 49 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:31.560 on that plan. It's going to be expensive. So that's was that one. 50 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:36.639 And then finally the regular city council meeting. Now, I see we 51 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:43.319 got that thing taken care of for Oquo, that apartment to complex. The 52 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:50.319 rezoning, Yeah, that is kind of different. You know, heard the 53 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:53.319 president say that, well, we can only do one at a tile and 54 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:57.199 some make crops a few million dollars on us. Everything is expensive, but 55 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.719 you got to get the zoning taken care of first before you get etta shovel 56 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:04.120 in the ground. Over the years, OAKLU has been a tremendous local success 57 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:09.520 story. They have grown. They have done a very good job not only 58 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:14.000 training the student population, but also in their physical plant, their facilities, 59 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:17.079 beautiful facilities. But then if you're going to have more students, where are 60 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:20.600 they going to live? Yeah, and for all of us that have had 61 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:25.680 opportunity to go to college, you know that is a question. College towns 62 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:29.959 are different, there's different student needs and things. They have been very proactive 63 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.199 over the years. They have acquired a number of properties to the east of 64 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.319 the university. They're off the Silver Lake, and so last night they said, 65 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:40.600 you know there's four point two seven acres I think just about over four 66 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:46.160 acres that they wanted to rezone. Some of them are empty lots presently, 67 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:50.000 some of them have houses on them, older houses. The streets are older. 68 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:54.680 I suspect they go back to the county that many years ago. So 69 00:04:54.800 --> 00:05:00.040 it was an interesting discussion. Change is always concerning to people, what you 70 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:02.480 know, what's going to happen, what's it going to be like, how's 71 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:06.319 it going to work? But doctor Dunn came and I think spoke quite well 72 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:11.959 that they intend to do what they have always done is take care of their 73 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:15.959 facilities. This would be no different, and that their students are held to 74 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:20.759 a certain level of accountability and that they would maintain that. But I think 75 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:24.639 some other things that were in the packet we didn't really get into last night. 76 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:28.720 They have agreed to upgrade the Parkway Street, one of the streets that 77 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:31.240 abuts this, which would be a benefit for everyone that uses that street. 78 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:35.680 It would. Yeah, And to your point, funding everything is expensive if 79 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:40.079 you build a house for yourself, Well, they're building housing for students. 80 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:46.000 They're looking ultimately at eight housing units. Initially they would do one, but 81 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.639 they had the what I call conceptual drawings of what will this look like? 82 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:55.079 It can be done with computers now and very attractive. It looks much like 83 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:58.439 the rest of the structures at the university. Nice, so it was just 84 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:00.920 nice. Yeah, I think it will be and I think that they addressed 85 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:05.439 a lot of the concerns the unknowns, and everyone that spoke last night spoke 86 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:09.920 in favor of it. What's now The library master made a lot's going on. 87 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:15.160 He's been busy. A lot of changes inside. If you haven't been 88 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:19.199 inside, you need to visit your library. A lot of changes outside. 89 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:21.879 I think in the next week or two. We didn't talk about it last 90 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:25.720 night, but the outdoor sign there on Atoms is due to be replaced. 91 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:29.199 We approved that some months ago. Like everything today, it takes a while, 92 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:31.160 but that's about ready to go. In last night we talked about two 93 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:35.879 specific things. One of them is the Wi Fi. You can't see it, 94 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:41.839 but it's what allows your laptop or your Chromebook or your phone to connect. 95 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:45.879 And with lots of users, it had reached pretty much its capacity, 96 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:48.399 so they will be able to go in and expand that, putting in more 97 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:54.240 hardware, improving the connections to expand that to make it available and faster for 98 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:57.959 even more people. The other piece was the skylights. Tom. It's hard 99 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:00.480 for me to appreciate it seems like they just built that library. It's a 100 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:04.240 beautiful, modern facility, but it was built in nineteen ninety three. I'd 101 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:08.360 have a hard time thinking that that through too, because you'd say it was 102 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:12.480 probably built ten years ago. I start counting, and that's thirty years to 103 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:16.160 you and me. In thirty years wonderfully maintained. It has been been well 104 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:20.160 taken care of. We have taken care of issues with the heat and air 105 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:24.959 system last night. The skylights, which is a unique feature and makes it 106 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:28.839 bright and area inside. But they're also thirty years old, and so we 107 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:32.639 did a prove a contract to get those replaced. Just like you have to 108 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:36.399 put a roof on your house you don't want to leak, we would do 109 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:39.480 that for the library. So a lot going on the library. If you 110 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:43.360 haven't been there, you need to go visit. I understand that pickleball is 111 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:46.360 back on the uh. Pickleball is a great, big, big popular thing, 112 00:07:46.519 --> 00:07:49.160 you know, so it draws a lot of people when they do the 113 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:54.519 tournament every October. Hundreds of people show up for that. I mean it's 114 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:58.560 cars on top of cars. It is a big local draw. A lot 115 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:03.240 of our local citizens are really playing packleball and participating, but also out of 116 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:09.199 town there are tournaments all over. Some months ago we approved the design and 117 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:18.680 worry a contract to construct more pickleball courts there at Sooner Park. When you 118 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:22.319 turn in Sooner Park off of Madison where the tennis courts are, it'll be 119 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:26.040 in that area between that and the fire station more or less. One of 120 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:31.680 the things that we couldn't fund at the time was lighting. And so if 121 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:35.399 you have lighting, soccer fields makes no difference where then you can use them 122 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:37.480 more each day in the evenings and a lot of people are off in the 123 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:43.120 evenings and that's convenient. We just didn't have the funding. The group that 124 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.080 supports pickleball locally said we're going to go out and see if we can get 125 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.519 that funding, and they have worked on that, and what was explained last 126 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:54.799 night is they have a lot of that funding. They're still pulling together loose 127 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:58.039 ends. They have some more things to come up later this month to make 128 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:03.960 the product flow. Last night, after fairly lengthy discussion bringing up a lot 129 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:09.840 of different topics, we approved moving forward so that the contractors but a call 130 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:13.399 of change order so that the contractor can go ahead and do all the pieces 131 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:16.159 as they you don't want to pour concrete and then later you have to go 132 00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:20.559 back and cut in the run, lighting power and things. We have the 133 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:26.039 capacity of the city through unencumbered sales tax funds to cover that. But really, 134 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:31.559 as City Engineer Staff explained that there, he said, ninety five percent. 135 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:33.679 I don't guess anything's over one hundred percent, but ninety five percent. 136 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:39.559 Confident that the funding will come forward, the city can actually bridge that gap 137 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:45.120 and get that project moving forward and get a pickleball court it pickleball courts plural, 138 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:48.080 constructed and ready to go hopefully in the next three to six months very 139 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:52.200 quickly. Sounds kosher. Okay, let's see what we got. Oh yeah, 140 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:54.080 the housing study. That was a big deal. That really is if 141 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.679 you get a chance, and I tell people at council meetings more and more, 142 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:03.919 anything that the council has, including this study, which ran to multiple 143 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:09.720 pages. They had a huge data set of information drawn from a variety of 144 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:13.240 the senses HUD several different places. And then people that are adept at that 145 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:18.000 go in and take that data and slice and dice and parse and figure out 146 00:10:20.039 --> 00:10:24.720 not just housing, but housing for this age, that age, parents with 147 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:30.399 children, families without children, veterans, disabled people, all the different functions 148 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:35.679 of housing, how much homeowner versus rental, how much do people prefer apartment 149 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:43.440 living versus independent housing? So all those pieces that help us to see not 150 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:48.279 only where we are, but where are we going, and any of that 151 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:52.919 is available. The entire city Council packet is available online, not just to 152 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.480 me, but to you and anyone that wants to go to Cityobartlesbell dot org 153 00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:01.360 download that packet. The city council packet this time, I believe was around 154 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:05.000 two hundred and sixty eight pages. The BMA packet and the BA packets were 155 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:11.039 ten to fifteen pages. But everything that I read on Friday and Saturday and 156 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:16.559 Sunday in preparation for a council meeting is available to everyone. So that housing 157 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:24.320 study you can drill down into some really obscure data points to see about how 158 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:26.559 many of this age, how many in the county versus how many in the 159 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:28.879 nation versus how many in Oklahoma. That it'd be a big thing. You 160 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:31.320 know, that wasn't a stunnard to know that we were going to need some 161 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:37.039 more houses with Blue Whale ABB. We also have that electric company now Lincoln 162 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:43.039 Electric, and into Buffalo Roum bringing people into I mean that's just tip of 163 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:46.720 the iceberg. There are a lot of Floridica. There are a lot of 164 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:50.039 ourtues in front of us. Obviously, people need housing the university. Yeah, 165 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:54.039 the same thing as someone described. If you're going to bring in more 166 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:58.279 students, where are they going to live? And so all these things. 167 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:01.480 It's a good problem. It is a great problem to have, but we 168 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:05.320 need to address it and this was a step in that direction. Great David 169 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:09.240 topping our fire chief is going to step down. I hate to see that. 170 00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:13.200 As I said last night, Tom David is not only a great fire 171 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:16.440 chief, he's a friend. He has become a friend. He has been 172 00:12:16.440 --> 00:12:20.679 with the department for a long time. As he moved up through the ranks 173 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:24.519 to become chief, he has moved that department forward. We've made a lot 174 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:31.799 of changes and improvements under his leadership. But that is a process that happens 175 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:35.879 may times. Each of us reaches that place, and so I really am 176 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:39.519 happy that he has the opportunity to do that, and the city, as 177 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:43.200 we always do, will begin the process. He's here with us until June, 178 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:46.480 so we've got a little time, but we will begin the process of 179 00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:50.799 finding that replacement. As we have seen in other positions that came open, 180 00:12:52.039 --> 00:12:56.600 there's always been strong interest, not only internally but also externally, and we 181 00:12:56.679 --> 00:13:03.279 will get not one, but more multiple applications from both people that already are 182 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:07.159 with the department versus people outside, and it'll let us pick that best choice 183 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:11.360 to lead that department. That's an important department. We had a meeting with 184 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:18.840 the ali USU group and explained that the operating budget for the city, about 185 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:22.720 fifty percent of that goes to public safety, which is police environment, and 186 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:26.639 they're about evenly split, and so the leadership in the fire department is important 187 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:31.720 for so many reasons. My guysh but I tell you what. He was 188 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:37.320 one of those guys that came right home after during a tour of duty in 189 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:41.600 the Armed services and decided he was going to run into burning buildings instead of 190 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:46.039 out of them. Not something of course like being in the military. It 191 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:48.440 takes a skill set that not all of us have to run toward the problem 192 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:52.840 instead of running away from. Now we appreciate him a great guy, great 193 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:58.840 chief, and we now have a special week coming up where you're allowing us 194 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.039 to help ourselves here a little bit, a lot of work. This the 195 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:05.879 weather, and it brings up a point I think that is perhaps misunderstood. 196 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:11.080 Why did they do the pickup in November when the weather was so nice? 197 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.600 I didn't get my yard done. The leaves didn't fall, so I didn't 198 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:18.120 finish for December some years other years, this year here we are. I 199 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:22.080 had the windows at my house open last night. It was so warm out. 200 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:26.120 It's great. But people are already working in their yards and doing all 201 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:28.080 the things. Somebody said they had scalped their yard, and you know ten 202 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:33.000 twenty thirty bags. Why are we waiting till May? Well, when you 203 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:35.440 plan these things, it's a little bit like planning a camp out. Is 204 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:39.399 it going to rain, is it gonna snow, Is it gonna be hot? 205 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:41.320 Is it gonna be I don't know. We're just planning a camp out. 206 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:46.519 It's Oklahoma. Nobody knows. Tomorrow is another day. So this quite 207 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:50.399 some time ago, was scheduled to be from Look made the sixth through the 208 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:54.399 tenth on your normal trash day. You do not have to use special bags. 209 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:56.360 They can be clear, they can be opaque, you do not have 210 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:01.320 to use stickers. You just put those bags of yard debris, leafs, 211 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:07.039 grass clippings at the curve, not on your trash carts, but near him. 212 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:11.200 That being picked up by another truck. Later you set the magic word. 213 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:16.279 It's another truck, another truck. Don't get crazy if your polycart got 214 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:18.440 emptied and the other stuff still that machine that goes out and get your polycart 215 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:22.399 and made just for that, and not pick up your yard tracks. Likewise, 216 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:26.279 limbs and sticks as long as they're cut to no more than four feet 217 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:30.960 in length in a bundle, tied up and no more than fifty pounds, 218 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:33.080 some of us pick those up. So you don't want a five hundred pounds 219 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:37.240 log that's laying out there by the curve, but they will pick those up. 220 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:41.240 There is no charge. We do that twice a year in the fall 221 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:43.759 in the spring. So that's coming up. And made the sixth to the 222 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:46.960 tenth on your normal trash dack. Very good, very good, Thank you, 223 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:50.320 don't thank you anything else you'd like to add. It was a great 224 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:54.799 time to live in Bartlesville. Lots of opportunities coming. Those opportunities always bring 225 00:15:54.919 --> 00:15:58.519 challenges. We adapt and get ready for them, but I can't think of 226 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:00.960 any of the place so i'd like to live. Nor can I. It's 227 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:03.080 why I came here, and I said, that's it. We're done. 228 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:08.039 We're not moving, we're not we're not going anywhere. App great, happy 229 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:12.440 to pay taxes here. Thank you very much. You've been watching it and 230 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:15.840 listening to our City Matters program on K one.