WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:03.799 All right, good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome, welcome, welcome. 2 00:00:03.879 --> 00:00:06.879 He is that time now for our community connection, the 3 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:09.480 thing that we call city matters, because if it matters 4 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:11.439 to you, it matters to the city. 5 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:13.839 We've got the whole gang in here. Mike Bailey, make 6 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:15.160 your introductions please. 7 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:17.879 You're right, we got the whole gang. We brought the 8 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:18.320 Hey crew. 9 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:23.559 Okay, So we have our newest library director, Kylie. She's 10 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:27.519 not new anymore, but newest, newest, newest, she's almost the 11 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:30.760 newest director, although now Dea is our newest director. Of course, 12 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:33.679 we have our returners. We've got Jason Monager. He's here 13 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:36.359 about once a month to talk about sales tax. And 14 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:39.600 then we have our assistant city manager, former HR director Laura, 15 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:43.600 who's going to update us on Citizens Academy here. Oh nice, 16 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:46.240 got got it coming back. It was really popular. So 17 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:49.640 we're we're gonna launch another one this fall. So but 18 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:52.920 before we get into all that, we've got a few 19 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:53.840 announcements to make. 20 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:56.960 In fact, we've got quite a few announcements to make. 21 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:00.759 So first off, we have the thep off site for 22 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:04.359 tree debris. It's closed now, so hopefully everybody had a 23 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.280 chance over the last few weeks to get everything there 24 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:08.359 and get it dropped off. 25 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:09.719 This is. 26 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:13.439 If you're not familiar with where the site is, the 27 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:15.319 next time it comes up, you might want to use it. 28 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:17.480 It is actually over by the rodeo ground, so it's 29 00:01:17.640 --> 00:01:21.280 just I guess that would be west of one twenty 30 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.680 three on frank Phillips and then it's on the south 31 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:28.000 side of frank Phillips, which is actually Highway sixty out there. 32 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:31.519 So anyway, it is a site that is specific for 33 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:32.519 the city of Artlesville. 34 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.120 It's just licensed for us. 35 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:37.239 But during these events then the state is kind enough 36 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:39.319 to allow us to collect. 37 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:40.719 Tree limbs for a short period of time. So we 38 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:41.120 were able to. 39 00:01:41.159 --> 00:01:43.159 Do that for a couple of weeks, and we're grateful 40 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:44.840 to the state for working with us on that. And 41 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:48.159 I appreciate Keith Henry's employees, all of our public works 42 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:51.400 guys park streets for help and take care of that. 43 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:54.599 But hopefully everybody's got everything cleaned up. I know we've 44 00:01:54.599 --> 00:01:56.519 still got some trees down in the parks and down 45 00:01:56.519 --> 00:01:59.079 on the pathfinder, but we'll be coming around. 46 00:01:58.879 --> 00:01:59.959 To those when we get a chance. 47 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.159 You'll be fishing them out, just trying to get. 48 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:03.159 The grass mode right now. 49 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:11.199 It's been something so. But in speaking of streets and parks, 50 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:13.960 this is a great This is a great combination of both. 51 00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:18.000 At Monday's council meeting, we had an opportunity to honor 52 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:21.159 one of Bartlesville's longest term employees. I think she came 53 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:23.800 here in ninety four if I remember right. 54 00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:26.520 So a couple of years after I graduated high school. 55 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:27.479 Way last century. 56 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:29.159 Hut, Yeah, it's it. Last century. 57 00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:31.919 I slipped out of town, she slipped in, and the 58 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:34.759 place has never been the same since. We of course, 59 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:38.960 were talking about Lisa Beeman, who served as Community Development Director, 60 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:43.439 park director, and assistant city manager at one point. Well, no, 61 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:45.759 she was actually the acting city manager at one point. 62 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.319 She's been here long enough that I believe she went 63 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:51.919 through four city managers for four of us. 64 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:52.879 Yeah, it was four. 65 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:58.280 So Lisa was an enormous advocate for parks and for 66 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.840 quality of life in Bartlesville, and we thought a great 67 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:05.240 way to honor her and to acknowledge her was to 68 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:09.680 rename a park street into the Lisa Beeman Parkway. And 69 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:12.039 so that's exactly what we've done. So, if you're familiar 70 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:16.800 with MJ. Lee Lake, the park there Lee Lake. Then 71 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:21.800 the road that goes through there, it essentially connects Adams 72 00:03:22.199 --> 00:03:25.800 and Silver Lake. That road will now be named Lisa 73 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:29.240 Beaman Parkway. So the council was kind enough to honor 74 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:32.919 Lisa in that way, and we were really excited for 75 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.800 she is she she meant a lot to this community. 76 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.360 She meant a lot to our organization. So it's nice 77 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:39.960 to be able to honor somebody who has the kind 78 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:41.280 of impact that she had. 79 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:44.280 So it was it was a really good way. 80 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:45.960 I think it was actually towards the end of the 81 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:47.560 evening in fact, in the council meeting, so it was 82 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:50.199 a really good way to kind of wrap up the meeting. 83 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.520 And one other thing, in fact, I saw some comments 84 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.120 on next door, which is always an exciting place to 85 00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:01.039 be that some people were concerned about some discoloration in 86 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:03.879 their water. That is normal right now because we are 87 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:08.039 flushing hydrants and so we do that. It is actually 88 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:10.879 a way to clean the lines and so over time 89 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:13.120 that Terry could tell you a whole lot about it. 90 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:14.879 But he knows things about water. 91 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:17.319 He knows a lot of things about water. I mean, 92 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:19.839 but there is a build up in the lines. It's 93 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:22.600 called a biofilm, and it's actually desirable, believe it or not. 94 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:24.600 You want that in the lines, but you don't want 95 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:27.120 it built up too much. So every so often we 96 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:29.199 go through and we flush the hydrants, usually about once 97 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:32.040 a year, and that speeds up the water in the 98 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:34.279 line and it actually scours them out, and so what 99 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:36.720 you're seeing in there is just a natural deposit that 100 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.560 was placed in the lines. So it's not harmful. However 101 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:41.680 it is it is. It can just color your water 102 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:43.720 a little bit, and so we do ask people to 103 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.240 be careful when you're doing your laundry. So if you're 104 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:49.319 not signed up for city Beat, we would encourage you 105 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:51.279 to sign up for city Beat. In there, we always 106 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:55.279 announce these zones that we're flushing and so out at 107 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:57.920 the Cityobartlesfield dot org you can find this information or 108 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.560 at Citybartlesfield dot org you can sign up city Beat 109 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:02.519 and we'll send it to you, so that will help 110 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:05.439 keep you up to date on when we're flushing and 111 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:07.560 where we're flushing, so that you don't just color your. 112 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:08.480 Laundry by accident. 113 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:13.600 A couple and some really good news actually, we have 114 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:17.240 completed the taxi lane out at our airport This is 115 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:19.319 one of the largest investments that's been made in our 116 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:23.279 airport in decades. It's actually a two million dollar project. 117 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:24.839 And I know it's hard to get excited about a 118 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:29.079 taxi lane, but this is part of the basic infrastructure 119 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:32.120 of our airport that allows us to continue to expand 120 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:36.120 on the airport. And so the taxi lane was actually 121 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:40.720 paid for primarily by the Oklahoma Department of Aeronautics and 122 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:42.680 Aviation I think is what it is now they've changed 123 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:46.279 their name, it's ODAA and the Federal Aviation Administration. So 124 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:48.800 they paid one point two million and seven hundred and 125 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.959 forty thousand, and the city only had to come in 126 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:53.160 for one hundred thousand to make this happen. So it 127 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:56.279 was a great project with a very low local match. 128 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:00.199 It opens up the possibility now of additional hangar. 129 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:01.399 Developments because we're full out there. 130 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:04.879 All of our hangars are full, and so that leads 131 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:06.959 us to the next step. And the next step is 132 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:09.959 actually the construction of a twenty thousand square foot hangar 133 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:12.360 where they refer to it as a spec building because 134 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:14.560 it means we don't necessarily. 135 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:16.279 Have a we don't have. 136 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:19.920 A tenant yet, but we actually do have somebody in 137 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:22.279 mind out there, but there's no no one signed up, 138 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:24.240 and so this will be paid for. It's a sixty 139 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.839 forty split. The ODAA again is paying sixty percent and 140 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:30.720 then the Barblesviel Development Authority is going to pay the 141 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:34.720 forty percent. So this is part of ongoing economic development efforts. 142 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.279 So we're we're really excited to have this happening. It's 143 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:40.240 the biggest change out at our airport. And honestly, since 144 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:42.920 I've been with the city, so super excited about it. 145 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:47.480 Less excited about the vandalism at our parks much les 146 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:52.560 much less excited, but it unfortunately is a It is 147 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:56.519 something that happens in particular in our restrooms. I was 148 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:59.560 sent some photos a couple of weeks ago someone had 149 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:01.759 gotten in and they had destroyed all of the partitions 150 00:07:01.800 --> 00:07:02.360 in the bathroom. 151 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:03.439 And so they. 152 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:08.040 They kicked the sinks off, they destroy the toilets, they 153 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:11.720 tear up the partitions, and it can cost anywhere between 154 00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:13.519 one thousand dollars and forty thousand dollars. 155 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:15.319 When somebody vandelizes our parks. 156 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:19.480 We have cameras, but it is difficult to catch somebody 157 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:22.720 to where you can actually identify them and so we're 158 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:25.079 trying a little bit different tactic. So we're going to 159 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:28.319 announce that there's a five hundred dollars reward for any 160 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:32.439 information that leads to an arrest from park vandalism. So 161 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:34.279 we've got one out there right now as the most 162 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:36.439 recent one, and it was relatively small, but we wanted 163 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:40.000 to get this started. And interesting thing is it actually 164 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:43.079 came from a park employee, probably someone who is tired 165 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:43.959 of having to clean. 166 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:44.879 Up our park bathrooms. 167 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:48.879 And Lord, the name has escaped me emply. 168 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:50.360 Yes, Travis Jones. 169 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:52.680 Yes, it was Travis Jones. So Travis was the one 170 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.879 that made the suggestion. We appreciated that and we actually 171 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:57.959 put that in to put that into effects. So right 172 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:01.279 now there's a five hundred dollars reward for any information 173 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:03.360 leading to an arrest that deals. 174 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:04.000 With park vandalism. 175 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:07.040 So we're we are We're not excited about the vandalism, 176 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:09.160 but we are excited about trying this new way to 177 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:11.959 try to cut that down. It is it is a 178 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:14.839 challenge to keep all of those facilities open. 179 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:15.720 And available to the public. 180 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:18.160 So that's our that's our hope is that will cut 181 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:21.160 it down and speaking on open and available to the public. 182 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:23.720 All of our pools and splash pads are now open. 183 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:29.639 Had the had the. 184 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:30.800 The meat the swim meet over the weekend, so it 185 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:33.399 was to sooner pool was temporary closed, but they all 186 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:36.840 should be open now and everything's running, and so hopefully 187 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:38.960 everyone will all the kids will get out and enjoy 188 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:40.320 that and families. 189 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:43.120 And just in time, because it started to turn the 190 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:43.480 heat on. 191 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:48.360 I noticed that just now, Jason, just now, Jason. Jason 192 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:51.480 is one of these disturbing individuals who believes that it 193 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:53.240 the hotter it is, the better it is. 194 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.879 So I think Jasondas I would agree with that. 195 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:59.279 I think Jason should move somewhere where he can root 196 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:01.120 for the heat out of impacting us. 197 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:02.759 I don't know what you think. 198 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:07.600 You like three months, that's three months too long, don't. 199 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:09.480 I don't want three days in the kind of heat 200 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:13.480 that you like. So yeah, it is a it is 201 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:16.120 a good time year to have that going on. So 202 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:21.120 also at the council meeting we had, we had, we 203 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:22.120 had a really long. 204 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:23.120 Council meeting, to tell you the truth. 205 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:26.600 In fact, several months ago, the council created rules for 206 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:28.279 how they were going to govern themselves, and one of 207 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:31.000 those rules was that our council meetings were going to 208 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.159 be two and a half hours, and they could be 209 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.840 an extended. They could be extended to a maximum of 210 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:38.240 three hours. And there are a lot of reasons for this, 211 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:42.279 not the least of which is the the example that 212 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:44.440 the City of Norman gave to us when they had 213 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:47.200 about a ten hour council meeting and made some really 214 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:48.960 terrible decisions at four am. 215 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:51.559 In the morning. There are no really good decisions meet 216 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:52.159 at four am. 217 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:57.200 I would agree with you one that's that's now. 218 00:09:57.240 --> 00:09:59.080 Maybe if you're Kevin Potter and you got up at 219 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:00.039 four am, that's. 220 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:03.840 I'm still sleeping in thought, there's something. 221 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:04.440 Wrong with you as what. 222 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:08.120 So. 223 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:12.320 But anyway, we had at a lengthy council meeting, honestly 224 00:10:12.440 --> 00:10:14.159 was a really good council meeting. Had a lot of 225 00:10:14.200 --> 00:10:17.919 great discussion, and one of the more important items was 226 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:21.759 to consider an ordinance that had been suggested by the 227 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:25.399 Unsheltered almost task Force, and so the council did. They 228 00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:30.399 had great deliberations on it, and then ultimately they unanimously 229 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:33.840 elected to adopt this ordinance. And so I won't go 230 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:36.919 into the ordinance in a lot of detail, but just 231 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:40.279 so everybody knows that this is. This was the result 232 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:43.600 of a lot of discussion amongst the Homeless Committee and 233 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:45.399 that Unsheltered Homeless task Force. 234 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:46.960 I think it's worth. 235 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.799 Mentioning who's on there because of the sort of the 236 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:53.559 qualifications and the depth of who's present there. This is 237 00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:57.000 not This is not a group who's uninformed about homelessness. 238 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.919 In fact, it's exactly the opposite. So on the task Force, 239 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:03.000 we have two council members. We have Aaron Kirkpatrick and 240 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:07.720 Larry East, both of them. We have Keith and Christy McPhail, 241 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:11.440 which they are the they run Beat the Light YEP, 242 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:15.600 which is a it is a just recently opened homeless 243 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:19.120 shelter and also a sort of a homeless recovery center. 244 00:11:19.559 --> 00:11:21.519 I don't know exactly what the right term is, but 245 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:24.200 that sounded sounded pretty good. Don't be mad at me, Keith. 246 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:27.200 I'm sure I got it wrong. We have jud Strong, 247 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:32.080 he is our state representative. We have Rachel Shaller or 248 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:36.440 Shoulder Dang. I knew I was going to get it wrong. 249 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:39.679 I've shoveler Shoulder. 250 00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:42.639 I did it both ways. Tom, I was wrong. No 251 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.279 matter what I did, I should have just stopped. 252 00:11:44.840 --> 00:11:46.679 I should have just stopped it, nobody would have noticed 253 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:50.320 except for poor Rachel. So anyway, Rachel is the executive 254 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:52.600 director of Grand Mental Health. So we have someone on 255 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:56.279 there who's very familiar with mental health and Bartlesville. Sierra Compton. 256 00:11:56.480 --> 00:11:59.840 She is a police officer, but more importantly, she's assumed 257 00:11:59.879 --> 00:12:03.000 she is assigned to our mental health coresponse to him. 258 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:06.240 So actually she is paired with a social worker from 259 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:09.720 Grand Mental Health and they have a lot of interactions 260 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.759 with the homeless people. Errol Hada is part of this group. 261 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:15.919 If you know, I'm not familiar with Errol. He runs 262 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:21.080 Lighthouse Shelter. Tom Gorman, So Tom Gorman is a former mayor, 263 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:24.000 very familiar with city government. But he also he also 264 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:28.480 operates Gorman Management, which has a lot of a lot 265 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:31.320 of properties in Bartlesville in particular, some of them are 266 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:34.879 low to moderate income properties, so he has a lot 267 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:36.360 of familiarity with this issue. 268 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:37.799 Sherry Smith. 269 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:42.720 She is the founder and operator of a gape that 270 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:44.639 provides two warm meals a day. 271 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:46.600 So Sarah Rowe. 272 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:49.080 She actually comes from Barlsbow Public Schools and she is 273 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:52.759 their homeless specialist, a little different situation. Most of the 274 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:57.080 homeless children she deals with they're not unsheltered, but they 275 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.000 are experiencing a lot of the same issues, so she 276 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:03.360 was able to add all perspective Dustin Ainsworth. Dustin Ainsworth 277 00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:05.919 is a veteran and he also had been homeless at 278 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:08.759 one point in time, and he's very open about his story. 279 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:11.639 It's very powerful, it's very informative when you have someone 280 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:14.360 like him in there. And then we have the Municipal 281 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:18.320 Court judge, which is Alan Genties. We have the executive 282 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:21.879 director of the United Way, Lisa Carey, and then I 283 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:25.799 believe she's a nurse practitioner, a family nurse practitioner, So 284 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:28.559 this is amberview, so we brought somebody in that could 285 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:31.799 talk to about the health aspects of this. So really 286 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:35.399 it is a very powerful committee. They've done a lot 287 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.519 of work and so anything that comes out of there 288 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:41.080 is first off, it was rooted in compassion. 289 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:43.600 They've ensured that that's the first thing they talk about. 290 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.039 And I think once you see this list, you realize that, 291 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:48.240 of course it is because that's literally what most of 292 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:52.600 these people do. They're in the business of compassion. So 293 00:13:53.320 --> 00:13:56.360 they adopted a model early on. They refer to it 294 00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:58.440 as a golden circle, which is who why how and 295 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:03.000 what Everything leads to something else, And the real purpose 296 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:06.879 of it is is who are our homeless neighbors, why 297 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:10.240 are they homeless, how did they get here? 298 00:14:10.679 --> 00:14:11.679 And what can we do to help? 299 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:16.720 And so those four sort of guiding principles are what 300 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:18.879 has led to this. Now, the other side of that 301 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:21.519 is is recognizing that we have to be able to 302 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.480 help them, but we also have to have accountability for everybody. 303 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:27.600 It doesn't matter whether you're homeless or not. There's accountability. 304 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:30.320 And so we talked about vandalism in the parks in 305 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:33.159 the past. The forty thousand dollars that I mentioned earlier 306 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:36.240 was actually caused by a homeless person who vandalized and 307 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:40.240 he actually committed arson in our park bathroom. And so 308 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.000 you don't think there's that much in there that burn, 309 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:43.440 but I promise you there is. 310 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:44.320 It'll burn. 311 00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:49.519 And so these are very expensive. That is not a 312 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:51.759 problem of a homeless person. That is a problem with 313 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:55.000 someone who's committed a crime. And so we wanted to 314 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:58.720 balance out assisting our homeless neighbors with at the same 315 00:14:58.759 --> 00:15:00.519 time holding them accountable for their actions. 316 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:02.000 That wouldn't be acceptable for anybody. 317 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:04.759 And so that was the purpose of the ordinance, which 318 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:07.639 I thought was extremely well thought out. And as I said, 319 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:09.639 I won't go into all the details, we won't have 320 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:13.840 time for it, but there is it is. It was 321 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:18.240 a really well thought out and compassionate piece of legislation. 322 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:22.440 So thus far this group, they have conducted a census 323 00:15:23.080 --> 00:15:26.519 so that they know who are homeless are, they know 324 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:28.559 where they came from, they know why they're homeless, they 325 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:32.399 know why they're here. And the good news, I guess 326 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:34.279 it's good news bad news, I don't know which way 327 00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:36.399 to look at it is that almost all of the 328 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:40.240 unsheltered homeless people in Barblesviellt are from this area. There 329 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.279 was a rumor early on, of course, that they were 330 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:44.360 being bust in and that's not. 331 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:47.960 You and I both and that is not the case. 332 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:51.360 And so over eighty percent of these people are from 333 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:54.279 our area and so they are our citizens. So I 334 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:56.360 think it changed the minds of some people on the 335 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:58.440 task force once they realized who it was we were 336 00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:02.360 dealing with. Gathered information on all the nonprofits who are 337 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:06.960 referring to them as helping agencies. We've identified the services 338 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:09.720 that they provide and the gaps that are in the 339 00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:12.720 gaps that are in there, we were trying to identify 340 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:15.000 what the agencies need and then of course they had 341 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.799 the ordinance that they that was adopted by counsel. So 342 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:22.159 really the next thing for this committee is to focus 343 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:25.759 on ways that the organizations can collaborate, determine where we 344 00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:28.600 have resource gaps, and try to figure out how we 345 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.320 can help and we not just the city, but how 346 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:34.279 they can help each other. So anyway, it has been 347 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:37.200 a fascinating process. I think they have gotten to know 348 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:40.840 each other better, these agency directors, and so there have 349 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:43.320 already been some collaborations that have come out of this 350 00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:47.039 that that didn't exist prior to it. So one of 351 00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:48.879 the big ones will be transportations, so you hear a 352 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:50.120 lot about that coming up. 353 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:51.759 But yeah, it is a. 354 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:58.320 Monumental task and I truly love and appreciate all of 355 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:00.759 these people have who have taken this on as their 356 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:06.519 life's mission. So to choose to run a shelter or 357 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:09.880 a food pantry or to provide meals to homeless people 358 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:13.400 is it is a calling and a passion that, as 359 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:16.799 I said, I love and I'm grateful for people like them. 360 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:19.599 So but that expect to hear more out of this 361 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:22.599 task force their goal. They have a two part goal, 362 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:26.480 and number one is to reduce the number of unsheltered 363 00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:29.240 homeless people in Bartlesville, and they're trying to help their 364 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:31.720 homeless brothers and sisters to get out of homelessness. 365 00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:33.119 And then the other thing is. 366 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:36.599 Is to protect the community from some of those damaging 367 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:41.240 effects of growing homelessness. So we'll be hearing a lot 368 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:44.880 more from them. The committee was actually extended. We'll continue 369 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:47.680 meeting through the end of this year, and then it 370 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.960 may be extended beyond that so that we can continue 371 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:51.759 to measure. 372 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:54.440 The metrics and make sure that this is accomplishing what 373 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:55.240 we'd hoped it would. 374 00:17:56.680 --> 00:18:02.079 But with that, talking about community programs, we have Miss 375 00:18:02.200 --> 00:18:04.799 Kylie here with us, and as we said, Kylie is 376 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.079 our library director, and this is the time of year 377 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:09.200 to where the library really kind of gets moving and 378 00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:11.960 there's a lot of programs that are offered, including our 379 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:13.000 summer reading program. 380 00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:16.200 That is true, it is officially summer at the library. 381 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:19.000 It may not be officially summer everywhere else, but it 382 00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:22.519 is summer reading time at the library and we are 383 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:23.599 in full swing. 384 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:27.480 This is the most exciting time of the year for 385 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:29.359 our library because we offer. 386 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.720 Dozens and dozens of programs for people of all ages, 387 00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:37.319 and then the big piece being the Summer Reading program. 388 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.960 So we've changed things up a little bit this year. 389 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:42.400 In the past, it was a little bit convoluted. You 390 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:44.400 had to track the minutes and some other things, and 391 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:46.720 it just got a little complex, and we want to 392 00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:51.039 make things as easy as possible to encourage that continued learning, 393 00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:52.960 continued reading throughout the summer months. 394 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:57.039 So this year we have four different programs. 395 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:01.200 So we have our ages zero to five and you know, 396 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:03.720 those are our little biddies that we know may not 397 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.960 be fully reading on their own just yet. So for 398 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:10.240 that age group, we just ask that they have a 399 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:13.880 caregiver read twenty five books to them and that is 400 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:17.440 their completion of the summarine program. They can be board books, 401 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:21.680