Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome, welcome, welcome meeting.
Speaker 1: Is it time now for our Community Connection program? A
Speaker 1: subset of it we called City Matters because of it
Speaker 1: matters to you, it matters to the city. We have
Speaker 1: a Vice Mayor, Trevor dorsse Y. How we doing counselming?
Speaker 1: Very good, well, great to have you here. Beautiful day today.
Speaker 1: Not quite as rowdy as it was yesterday with the
Speaker 1: weather and oil. But we had a council meeting on Monday,
Speaker 1: May fifth. Tell us a little bit about it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we did have a council meeting, and so it's
Speaker 2: always interesting having the community Connection later in the month
Speaker 2: because you kind of forget some things about what all,
Speaker 2: what all transpired, and what all we covered in the
Speaker 2: council meeting. But it was a good council meeting. And
Speaker 2: you know, we as always we talk about the roles
Speaker 2: or I always try to mention if you want to
Speaker 2: serve your community, those roles that we have. We've got
Speaker 2: a couple that are open right now. We got one
Speaker 2: opening on the bars Area History Museum Trust Authority, one
Speaker 2: on the Barbsville Library Trust Authority, one opening on Streets
Speaker 2: and Traffic Committee, and two openings on the White Rose
Speaker 2: Cemetery Board.
Speaker 3: And and all the citizens that.
Speaker 2: Serve on these committees are invaluable because they're they're feedback
Speaker 2: and their interaction kind of helped to craft and mold
Speaker 2: some of the things we do as a city. It's
Speaker 2: always important to get feedback from from your constituents, and
Speaker 2: these roles I think are paramount and serving in that
Speaker 2: way that they're they're constantly involved in these committees with
Speaker 2: other citizens, and they're gathering feedback from from their friends
Speaker 2: and neighbors and the coworkers, and so it's very good.
Speaker 2: These these committees provide tremendous feedback to us as council members,
Speaker 2: and the council members serve, you know, on various committees,
Speaker 2: maybe not every committee we have, but certainly on.
Speaker 3: A lot of those committees.
Speaker 2: And so I have various service roles on some of
Speaker 2: these committees. A matter of fact, we'll have a meeting
Speaker 2: here in a little bit on the Golf uh Committee
Speaker 2: because we've got a good we've got it. We've got
Speaker 2: a new golf pro now and and we're doing a
Speaker 2: lot on the golf course. The greens are starting to
Speaker 2: shape up. That thing is looking really good.
Speaker 3: And I think.
Speaker 2: We've always had one of the better municipal golf courses
Speaker 2: in the state of Oklahoma in my opinion because I've
Speaker 2: played quite a few, but but I think we have
Speaker 2: and we've done tremendous improvements to the golf course out
Speaker 2: there and put a lot of money into it.
Speaker 3: So I think it's going to.
Speaker 2: Draw a lot of folks as soon as we get
Speaker 2: that thing back up and rolling, and we'll be ready
Speaker 2: for the big United Way Golf Tournament, the biggest fundraising
Speaker 2: golf tournament in America, I do believe.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is at least at least.
Speaker 2: Carry in the United Way team have done a phenomenal job,
Speaker 2: and you know, I think that really helps uh funnel
Speaker 2: money back throughout all the nonprofits.
Speaker 3: In our community.
Speaker 2: That really and we always talk about nonprofits too, I mean,
Speaker 2: we have this city is just blessed with some just amazing, giving,
Speaker 2: carrying people that just get back and serve the community. So,
Speaker 2: speaking of we talked a lot about the Seapac Committee,
Speaker 2: which was our comprehensive plan committee, and we had a
Speaker 2: lot of folks that served for gave time for over
Speaker 2: a year on that committee. Chase Alcott, Roger Box, Lisa Carey,
Speaker 2: Leadonna Chancellor being costalist, Sarah Freeman and Keller Heer, Todd Mays,
Speaker 2: Cody Me, Billy Rohone, Schavon Robles, Quinn Shipper, and of
Speaker 2: course myself. And there was a lot of city staff
Speaker 2: involved like Larry Curtis, Greg Collins, Mica Sniner, Holly Mayhew,
Speaker 2: Mike Seemers, Keith Henry, Terry Lordson and Mike Richardson.
Speaker 3: I'm sure there was more.
Speaker 2: So if I've left somebody out, I do apologize, But
Speaker 2: a lot of city staff were very involved and influential
Speaker 2: in that process. And then we had half An Associates,
Speaker 2: their consulting team, Christian Lynz and Jordan Evans, a lot
Speaker 2: of other people were involved in that. But you know,
Speaker 2: they gave us very good directive and collaborate, you know,
Speaker 2: helped us collaborate as a as a group.
Speaker 3: And of course that group of people you know the show.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and so they they're very plugged into the community,
Speaker 2: They're very engaged in the community, and you know, they
Speaker 2: garnered a ton of feedback. We had a lot of
Speaker 2: community interaction surveys, we had meetings again started in twenty
Speaker 2: twenty three and the schedule is to roll that out
Speaker 2: to the city October November twenty four, which which we did.
Speaker 2: And again, that group is very plugged in. And you know,
Speaker 2: I know all of those people very well, and the
Speaker 2: reason is because they're always volunteering, they're always giving back. Uh,
Speaker 2: serve on some committees and various nonprofit boards with a
Speaker 2: lot of those folks, and so just great citizens and very.
Speaker 3: Well to engage.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So, and and you know, if you for those people
Speaker 2: that maybe didn't watch the meeting or didn't attend the meeting,
Speaker 2: I offered a public apology to this group, even though
Speaker 2: it's not mine to give because you know, there's a
Speaker 2: subset of the local political group and that leadership has
Speaker 2: has tried to foster the idea that there's somehow you
Speaker 2: and conception and agenda that was funneled through this committee,
Speaker 2: which just isn't true. Uh you know, I guess that
Speaker 2: was done in an effort to create an errative that's
Speaker 2: just not there. So I want to make sure that
Speaker 2: that this group knows how valuable and how appreciated they.
Speaker 3: Are for for putting a year of their time. You know,
Speaker 3: they gave gave a lot.
Speaker 2: Of time in working on this and there's a big
Speaker 2: commitment and just like all these other committees, there's a
Speaker 2: there's a commitment when you put your name in the
Speaker 2: hat to serve and we appreciate that. I think the
Speaker 2: city again, it's it's very invaluable. Uh you know, I
Speaker 2: didn't I didn't properly get to think may occurred who
Speaker 2: was vice mayor at the time, But he was very
Speaker 2: instrumental and plugged into that. Even though he didn't serve
Speaker 2: on the committee, he was very involved in and throughout
Speaker 2: the process. And so and then we have a new
Speaker 2: council member, Aaron Kirkpatrick. Aaron took the time and the
Speaker 2: due diligence to you know, I think.
Speaker 3: He created some AI tool.
Speaker 2: That that plugged it in and it gave you a
Speaker 2: lot of different feedback. But he also went above and
Speaker 2: beyond that and talked to each committee member and talked
Speaker 2: to city staff, talked to the consulting firm, and I think,
Speaker 2: you know, one of the things he came out of
Speaker 2: that with which was nice for him to take that
Speaker 2: time because he said, well, you know, it was kind
Speaker 2: of messy and sloppy a little bit, and and but
Speaker 2: it was a true collaboration and it's not a one
Speaker 2: size fits all for everybody in the community. But I
Speaker 2: do think that we we came together with a pretty.
Speaker 3: Good plan that encompasses all areas of Barsville and all
Speaker 3: you know, all.
Speaker 2: Geographical areas as well as is all of our constituents.
Speaker 2: So I felt like it was a good plan. And
Speaker 2: I think that group, again a political subset, a grassroots group,
Speaker 2: was a little bit frustrated and upset because they decided
Speaker 2: that that plan was not what was best for Barsville
Speaker 2: and wanted to rewrite it.
Speaker 1: Hmm.
Speaker 3: Interesting.
Speaker 1: There were a lot of meetings, as you said, where
Speaker 1: tons of people could have participated and you know, had
Speaker 1: their voice in it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we were.
Speaker 2: We were in an election cycle, and so everyone had
Speaker 2: the opportunity to participate and be involved in attend meetings.
Speaker 2: And there were several presentations of this in the months
Speaker 2: leading up to it. No no feedback, no pushback, you know,
Speaker 2: and I especially in the campaign season, I would think
Speaker 2: it would be important for everyone to know what's going
Speaker 2: on in the city, be involved in that and uh,
Speaker 2: you know, maybe participate or at least understand. Yeah. Uh
Speaker 2: So at the end of the day, again, I feel
Speaker 2: like we did a good job of rolling rolling this out,
Speaker 2: and you know, and I think that, and I'm very
Speaker 2: grateful that this group continues. You know, the group of
Speaker 2: people that I name, whether it's citizens in the community
Speaker 2: or city staff, continues to be very engaged and involved
Speaker 2: in trying to make Barsville the best city it possibly
Speaker 2: can be. And we have so much positive things going on.
Speaker 2: We know, we heard from the BDA the other night
Speaker 2: at the council meeting, and we've got several new jobs
Speaker 2: going in the industrial park. We've got a lot of
Speaker 2: new job creation out in the old Siemens building. There's
Speaker 2: a spec building that we're gonna be putting up in
Speaker 2: the industrial park, and I believe we've got considerable activity
Speaker 2: and interest in that building already, So it's very possible
Speaker 2: before we drag out the shovels into a groundbreaking that
Speaker 2: we could have some serious interest in somebody being in
Speaker 2: there and signing a lease and getting that thing going.
Speaker 2: We also are expanding an industrial park for the group
Speaker 2: the Phillips Machining that was out there at the old
Speaker 2: Seamens building. They went to the industrial park and built
Speaker 2: a building. They've outgrown that and they are looking to
Speaker 2: create maybe a potentially thirty more jobs. So I mean
Speaker 2: a lot of good job creation going on in bars Bill,
Speaker 2: which is good, good paying jobs, be good careers for
Speaker 2: a lot of people.
Speaker 1: So you know, every time I see Chris Batchelder with
Speaker 1: the BDA, I say, hey, Chris, what's cook it lots?
Speaker 3: Can you tell me?
Speaker 1: Not yet? Then he smiles and it's like, oh, you're
Speaker 1: killing me. Yeah, and you're doing that right now? Yeah, yeah, say.
Speaker 2: Anything, and you know there's a it just continues. I
Speaker 2: think that group and I want to thank David Woods,
Speaker 2: who will be retiring at the end of this year.
Speaker 2: David has done a tremendous job in leading that organization.
Speaker 2: But as he said, you know once he steps aside,
Speaker 2: Batch and Jared are are ready to go.
Speaker 3: I mean that team is.
Speaker 2: Has done some very phenomenal and good things and they
Speaker 2: continue to work to improve Bartlesville, bring quality jobs, and
Speaker 2: help existing employers create quality jobs. We saw a company,
Speaker 2: I think Monday nine that is just on the outskirts
Speaker 2: of the hub of the city there that's been was
Speaker 2: it sixty eighty years something like that, Yeah, and they're
Speaker 2: looking at potentially creating another forty jobs.
Speaker 3: And they could have done.
Speaker 2: That in Georgia because as they've grown, they a lot
Speaker 2: of foundery in Georgia, but they chose to do that
Speaker 2: here and there's incentives that we can help recruit and
Speaker 2: get those forty jobs here, and then we have the
Speaker 2: resources with Tri County Tech. A lot of these jobs
Speaker 2: will be machining and welding and those type of things.
Speaker 2: And so I know, Trick County Tech has really partnered
Speaker 2: with a lot of our local businesses in the new
Speaker 2: businesses they're coming to town to really try to hone
Speaker 2: in and put together curriculum that will help these businesses
Speaker 2: recruit and fill those jobs.
Speaker 1: So that Tray County Tech, you want to talk about
Speaker 1: a gym, not only does it help businesses.
Speaker 3: It helps the city, helps kids, helps.
Speaker 1: Families in the way that they're able to train up
Speaker 1: and get people interested in different types of things that
Speaker 1: are going on around town to fit the jobs. The
Speaker 1: kids have the opportunity to stay home and mom and
Speaker 1: dad get a chance to watch their children's families grow.
Speaker 1: And that doesn't happen in America very often. Everybody just
Speaker 1: kind of flies away. But this is a good thing,
Speaker 1: good anchor.
Speaker 2: Well, it's one of the things that attracted me about
Speaker 2: the council row when that opened, and Ed Gordon and
Speaker 2: Mike Belly kind of cornered me and said, hey, you
Speaker 2: need to throw your name in that. Well, I really
Speaker 2: you know, I've got three sons and I know Beth
Speaker 2: and I would love for them to be in Barsville.
Speaker 2: We get to see our grandchildren grow up. And it's
Speaker 2: a great community living. It's a great community to raise
Speaker 2: the family and uh, and so I hope to be
Speaker 2: able to get back in that regard and hopefully create
Speaker 2: jobs and keep jobs here and and continue to make
Speaker 2: it the great city it is and expand upon that.
Speaker 3: So I think that's the role that all the council
Speaker 3: wants is for.
Speaker 1: Good to shakes.
Speaker 3: Yeah, bartle Bille continued.
Speaker 1: To attend of the day.
Speaker 2: For sure, But yeah, it's uh, you know, I do
Speaker 2: believe that, you know, and when you see Batch, he's
Speaker 2: always wound up, excited and uh, you.
Speaker 3: Know, one hundred miles a minute, that guy.
Speaker 2: And it's good that we have he and Jared in
Speaker 2: the in in that position in that organization because uh,
Speaker 2: I think that they will continue to facilitate and drive
Speaker 2: a lot of good things.
Speaker 3: In the community.
Speaker 2: But even even though David's retiring. We we were very
Speaker 2: blessed that he came to this community. And I'd butchered
Speaker 2: if I said, what year, But I know you've been
Speaker 2: here at least ten years or longer, and so throughout
Speaker 2: that time there's been just a lot of expansion and improvement.
Speaker 1: So it has been it has been very short time.
Speaker 1: I can tell you, I've only been here for six years,
Speaker 1: and in that six years, the old Kmart came alive.
Speaker 1: It's a nice shopping center. We've seen a lot of retail,
Speaker 1: a lot of other things come in. And of course
Speaker 1: the big job makers that are coming into town now
Speaker 1: are all you know, pieces of the puzzle that just
Speaker 1: really make the town take and fly.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: When when we're creating jobs, it's gonna it's gonna provide
Speaker 2: and push retail.
Speaker 3: They want to be here. I mean, you've seen.
Speaker 2: Eastland revitalize, Like you said, the Kmart shopping center.
Speaker 3: Revitalized. We've got over on.
Speaker 2: Near Low's you know Silver, Yeah, like that, that area
Speaker 2: took off. And even the downtown. When we moved to
Speaker 2: Barlsville in twenty fourteen, the downtown there was a lot
Speaker 2: of empty, empty buildings.
Speaker 3: Not so much no, not empty space but now.
Speaker 2: And I think that's one thing that proves up thriving
Speaker 2: cities that you go to the downtown and if it's
Speaker 2: thriving and going. And you know, there was a survey
Speaker 2: done around the time I came on to council about
Speaker 2: what was wanted in Bartsville, games that people wanted to see,
Speaker 2: and I think a lot of folks that were being
Speaker 2: recruited either by Phillips, Konaco or Abb or Seemen some
Speaker 2: of the larger companies slumberga that that you know, younger
Speaker 2: people wanted to see more retail and they want to
Speaker 2: see more you know, restaurant options and those type of.
Speaker 3: Things, maybe even housing options.
Speaker 2: And so I think Bartstill's done a good job of
Speaker 2: creating those opportunities where we can recruit those people here
Speaker 2: and they want to live here. I think sometimes it
Speaker 2: takes people actually working here to realize, oh, you know's
Speaker 2: be a great place to move before they end up
Speaker 2: coming here. I've seen this year several people that may
Speaker 2: have lived in a y O or Tulse area mover
Speaker 2: and that's really good.
Speaker 1: It is it is a lot of a change of address.
Speaker 1: We even have people from far away as cal California
Speaker 1: in New York planning down roots here and they pretty
Speaker 1: much said they're gonna die here, and they they they
Speaker 1: mean that they're stinging here for good. They're not going back.
Speaker 2: Well, and it's uh, I think you you get you
Speaker 2: get a taste of Barsville, you realize what a special
Speaker 2: city it is. And it is a great, great get
Speaker 2: a great place to live, work and play. And we've
Speaker 2: got tremendous things going on.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: I guess I've always been glass this half full kind
Speaker 2: of guy.
Speaker 3: So I think every day.
Speaker 2: We continue to take a little bit, uh further positive
Speaker 2: step to make it, make it better, and that's good.
Speaker 1: So well, I want to thank you for being here
Speaker 1: today and to drop by anytime you wish.
Speaker 3: Yeah, well it's always open. I was always on.
Speaker 2: Yeah at the uh, looks like we're gonna get a
Speaker 2: little sun today hopefully maybe maybe drive a little bit
Speaker 2: of the rain way.
Speaker 3: We've been blessed, God's really blessed. Yeah.
Speaker 2: It's kind of one of those things where you want
Speaker 2: to pray and say can you turn it on? And
Speaker 2: to speak it on and off and periodically because well
Speaker 2: we'll probably get into you know, the normal July auguess
Speaker 2: we're kind of kind of not seeing that and complaining,
Speaker 2: but we're certainly being blessed right now. And I do uh,
Speaker 2: you know, my my thoughts and prayers go out to
Speaker 2: everybody affected. I know we've this time of year, there's
Speaker 2: always a lot of tornados.
Speaker 3: We experienced that.
Speaker 2: I think it was almost a year ago it was,
Speaker 2: and you know Barnes always hit with that one. And
Speaker 2: so I know a lot of communities in Oklahoma, Kinnsas,
Speaker 2: Arkansas this last two weeks have been hit pretty hard
Speaker 2: with with this. So again, just praying for those that
Speaker 2: have been lost and and those those communities rebuild, that
Speaker 2: they can come together and get the help they need.
Speaker 1: So well, I guess I'll see you graduation Friday.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll be there. I got got one that's gonna
Speaker 3: gonna walk.
Speaker 2: And so it's a it's an exciting time. Uh may
Speaker 2: have to do a little consoling. I think there may
Speaker 2: be some eye sweats from some people. There will be
Speaker 2: so but it is an exciting time and hopefully the
Speaker 2: weather is like today for that because it'll be it'll
Speaker 2: be a really good event. And I know those kids,
Speaker 2: as you well know a lot of them are excited
Speaker 2: to step into that next next phase of their lives
Speaker 2: and grow.
Speaker 1: And so this is the first time I think I've
Speaker 1: ever seen kids say they wish the summer was over so.
Speaker 3: That they could get started together.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it doesn't happen very often, but sometimes in that
Speaker 1: senior year wanting to go off to college, and it does.
Speaker 2: And my younger ones, they they enjoy that that break
Speaker 2: from school, but they'll usually a little ways into it
Speaker 2: they're like, you know, I'm ready to get back sea friends.
Speaker 2: They see friends throughout the summer, but you know, it's
Speaker 2: just not the same.
Speaker 1: So you'll still be running around doing pop patrol on
Speaker 1: the baseball.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, baseball's hot and heavy. And although it seems
Speaker 2: the last few years, I know, we got rained out
Speaker 2: last night, so those games will be made up tomorrow night.
Speaker 2: So but it is fun this time of year.
Speaker 3: You got you got.
Speaker 2: You can drive by our soccer fields or our baseball
Speaker 2: fields and you see baseball, softball, soccer going on.
Speaker 3: So it's it's a you know, everything's.
Speaker 2: Greened up extra green this year because we've got We've
Speaker 2: gotten again blessed with an abundance of rain, and that's
Speaker 2: a good thing.
Speaker 3: We're not talking about water issues either, because we got it.
Speaker 3: We got a lot of rain. I'm sure the lakes
Speaker 3: are above the normal levels.
Speaker 1: Jerry Lawrence, who thinks he's on vacation.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, he's not.
Speaker 2: He's not having to field all the concerning calls. And
Speaker 2: hopefully we continue that trend in when we don't have
Speaker 2: another year where we get.
Speaker 3: Into a later, later part of the summer where we're.
Speaker 2: Parked up or worrying about, you know, how to conserve
Speaker 2: water to make sure we have enough.
Speaker 3: But you know, we continue to.
Speaker 2: Work on those issues, and I know our our our
Speaker 2: local legislators and then our federal officials also continue to
Speaker 2: help us push forward in that battle. And I think
Speaker 2: that's just one of those things that takes time. You know.
Speaker 2: It's just too bad none of us have a you know,
Speaker 2: a family member that runs the federal Corps of Engineers
Speaker 2: or whatever, so that we can we can for.
Speaker 3: The Corps of Lawyers is what they're calling, get them
Speaker 3: on our side.
Speaker 2: But you know, I think, uh, we have had a
Speaker 2: few interesting times at least the eleven years we've lived
Speaker 2: here where we you know, water is a little bit concerning.
Speaker 2: But you know, hopefully again good Lord, I pray that
Speaker 2: you continue to space this out and continue to give us,
Speaker 2: give us a good rain. But right now, man, it's
Speaker 2: it's you drive around town, and you drive around Oklahoma
Speaker 2: and it's greened up beautiful.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: Of course, then it also means you got to break
Speaker 2: out the lawnmarer and the weed eater and and get
Speaker 2: after that.
Speaker 1: So I, oh, price of paradise, brother, Price of paradise. Yes, sir,
Speaker 1: hey that traffic. Thank you for being with this strebor
Speaker 1: door see vice mayor here the city of barlowsvill Thank
Speaker 1: you for being under show.