ISSUE WATCH
The issue: Ripples in the water
The Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority is a government anomaly: It does important work - overseeing the city's water supply - without the need to beat its chest.
Led by longtime trustee Jim Cameron, who serves as chairman, the authority in recent years has pushed to ensure the long-term economic viability and effectiveness of the city's water and sewer systems.
In other words, TMUA wants to be sure the next glass of water you drink doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth or a hole in your wallet.
Infrastructure Management Group, a consulting firm hired by the authority, is in the process of implementing recommendations - including an asset management program - it came up with to operate the water and sewer systems more like a business.
Things, it appeared, were moving along swimmingly.
So it was surprising to hear during Wednesday's TMUA meeting of a difference of opinion between an IMG subconsultant and city staff over whether the city should move forward with the installation of new pumps at its A.B. Jewel water treatment plant.
The subconsultant's suggestion, made prior to the meeting, was that the city might wait to do the work in order to defer some costs. City officials disagreed, noting that the project has been long planned, the pumps ordered and the design completed. Not to mention that the pumps are nearly 40 years old.
Trustee Richard Sevenoaks expressed frustration not over the difference of opinion, but the fact that IMG and city officials hadn't hashed out the issue before heading to Wednesday's meeting to seek approval of a contract to install the pumps.
"I think that it would make sense that if we spend the money to have IMG come in and do the study, that at least we have the discussion before we go forward with approving this," Sevenoaks said.
Trustees eventually OK'd the contract, and Sevenoaks said such differences are bound to be part of the process, especially early on.
Going forward, he said, communication would be key.
And that was that, a ripple in relations, of note only for its seeming infrequency.
- KEVIN CANFIELD, World Staff Writer
QUOTABLE
"I would argue that you are basically putting an extra burden on our Fire Department."
- City Councilor Skip Steele, speaking to EMSA officials about a proposal to extend emergency-response time by two minutes.
"I certainly understand the Open Meeting Act and having people stay on topic, but I also think they should be allowed enough chance to truly violate that before we warn" them.
- City Councilor Blake Ewing, speaking about City Attorney David O'Meilia's decision to remove a resident from a City Council meeting before he could complete his remarks.
FROM TWITTER
Tweets from Tulsa city officials and World City Hall reporters Kevin Canfield (@KevinCanfieldTW) and Zack Stoycoff (@ZackStoycoffTW)
"Local advocate Mike Workman escorted out of City Council chambers under order of City Attorney David O'Meilia; Councilor Blake Ewing baffled.
City Hall Reporter Zack Stoycoff @ZackStoycoffTW
"How odd is it that walking is deemed 'an alternative mode of transportation'? For 99.999% of human history, wasn't it the ONLY mode?"
City Hall Reporter Zack Stoycoff @ZackStoycoffTW
LOOKING BACK
Improve Our Tulsa: Tulsa's next capital improvements package will be called Improve Our Tulsa.
City councilors voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the tagline and include it in the titles of the two Nov. 12 ballot propositions that make up the $918.7 million proposal, saying they want voters to recognize it by its advertised name.
Other names that polled well were Invest in Tulsa, and Fix Our Streets and City.
Green waste fee: The city's trash board is suspending the pay-as-you-throw fee it charges for yard-waste collection, calling it a good-faith effort to mend fences after the revelation that yard waste is being burned like regular garbage.
The board voted unanimously Tuesday to waive the requirement for trash customers to affix 50-cent "green waste" stickers on bags of yard waste that cannot fit in their regular trash carts. The sticker requirement will be lifted through at least January.
You're outta here: City Attorney David O'Meilia ordered local political activist Mike Workman escorted from a City Council meeting Thursday in what Councilor Blake Ewing called a "completely out-of-line" overreaction to remarks during a public comment segment.
O'Meilia interrupted Workman as he spoke under an agenda item to consider reappointing Tulsa trash board Chairman Randy Sullivan, saying Workman strayed from the topic by criticizing Mayor Dewey Bartlett.
Public comments under specific agenda items must be limited to the topic of the item, according to council policy.
Two city councilors questioned Thursday whether an authorized increase to EMSA's allowable response times on life-threatening emergency calls would result in additional work and expense for the Fire Department's paramedics, who are first responders.
- ZACK STOYCOFF & KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writers
LOOKING AHEAD
11 a.m. Tuesday: City Council Special Meeting: Economic Development, Room 411 of City Hall, Second and Cincinnati
1:30 p.m. Wednesday: Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Second and Cincinnati
Noon Thursday: Mayor's State of the City speech, Cox Business Center, 100 Civic Center
FROM THE BLOGS
Read the City Hall blog at tulsaworld.com/cityhall.
We asked you to send in your suggestions for naming the city's $918.7 million capital improvements package in honor of the recent City Council meeting to do just that.
A number of you came through, and as promised, the Tulsa World's City Hall team of Zack Stoycoff and Kevin Canfield has selected a winner.
That honor belongs to "Transport Tulsa," suggested by @BlakeLoepp.
The name references the package's heavy emphasis on streets, public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. It is, in fact, 71.1 percent transportation - $654.2 million in transportation-related projects.
Some other good reader-submitted names:
Fix Our Streets Plus, by Ed Sharrer, Jr.
4Ever Fixing Tulsa, by @wright_coby.
ReVision, also by @Blake_Loepp.
And notably but not seriously: "Twerk Our Streets," by the infamous @FakeDeweyTulsa - a Twitter account that professes to be the "Fake mayor of the real city of Tulsa."
The word "twerk" is defined by
urbandictionary.com as "the rhythmic gyrating of the lower fleshy extremities in a lascivious manner."
- ZACK STOYCOFF, World Staff Writer
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Tulsa City Council
Mayor Dewey Bartlett and former Mayor Kathy Taylor have eight weeks to make their cases before voters go to the polls Nov. 12.
Michigan-based Horizon Group Properties and Charlotte, N.C.-based Collett & Associates, the developer of the Tulsa Hills shopping center, seek to build a large outlet mall on a 64.8-acre parcel at 129th East Avenue and Interstate 44, officials said.
