Good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome, welcome, welcome. It's time now for our community connection and one that we call our city matters because if it matters to you, it matters to the city. And my Holly, we've got just enough people in here to build a frame. How are we doing?
Terry Larson doing well? Tom, thank you. And we do have a newbie here today with the radio program Snyder. Oh, here we go, Michaeh. Snyder, who is one of the planners. I think he's a senior Planners his official title with the City of Barslows. So he's going to talk to us about some different initiatives there. But before we get into that as well, we have the affable Jason Monager, who I think people call j Money. It's just you guys, just us, okay, and now all the listening.
Gamers here, it's his rap name.
That's his rap name. That's right, that's right. So what do you think of the margin? Do you like Lamar Kendrick? Did you get well?
I've got kids are the age that know a lot more about Lamar than most, and I understood a lot more of the symbolism and the trash talk that was going on behind the scenes and probably the average Super Bowl watcher, So you didn't really necessarily understand it. Research and you'll get a little more glens than what I was talking about.
Yeah, that was nobody going to prison.
Is that.
I'm in the old curmudgeon category. I didn't really get it.
So but anyway, so beef with Drake that was highly highlight last night. Very good.
Well we digressed right into football right off the bat. But well we'll center ourselves up on city matters. But council did meet last week, so they did a couple of items that they had decided on. One was that they reconsidered the library grant and they approved that library grant, so I know that has been a topic of much discussion and h and kind of interest here of late. As well as they approved the up for Trees grant that was a grant provided I believe by Phillips or
maybe Conical Phillips. They provided money to plant some trees in the Center Islands on Highway seventy five and Frank Phillips to beautify the city. So those are two initiatives that council reconsidered and did approve. They also did take action on the long term water supply. So we'll talk just a little bit about water supply. So we have been meeting for the past year and a half, almost two years with the Water Resources Committee and Council on
different initiatives and options for long term water supply. So Monday night, Council heard a presentation and they decided on the direction for our long term water supply options, which include getting the reallocating the flood control at Hewle Lake. In essence, what that means is that that would raise the lake elevation by almost seven feet and that would hold more water in the lake itself so that it
would be available for water supply. To pursue this option does take federal legislation to initiate that, so it has to be done with a study through the Core of Engineers, that has to be done, funding and basically approval of that project has to be made through Congress or sign into law. And so the next available legislation that we can pursue that is in twenty twenty six through a
Water Resource Development Act. So Council approve moving forward with that option to initiate the study, that study, if approved, and signing the law in twenty twenty six twenty seven will take anywhere between three to six years to complete, and then if it is favorable to reallocate that flood control, they'll probably take another five to six years to implement.
So that's certainly a long term option for us. But it does provide up to ten million gallons of water a day, which is what we're looking for, and so that can provide us water for at least the next one hundred years. So that's really our target data as far as the long term water supply option. They also did approve us continuing our discussion with the Town of Copan. So we've had two pieces of legislation that have gone
through Congress and signing the law. One was in twenty twenty two, the other one is in twenty twenty four. But in essence, Copan Lake has two million gowns of water supply that is reserved by the Town of Copan but not yet purchased, and so these legislative efforts will allow the Town of Copan to release these reserve rights and the City of Bars will to purchase those at a much reduced rate or what we call preferred rate. So before the legislation, those reserve water rights would cost
around twelve million dollars. With the legislation that's going to be somewhere around five hundred and fifty thousand, So it
does it's a partnership with the Town of Copan. We have a memorandum of understanding that was signed in twenty twenty one that in essence, says that the Town of Copan will release those rights, the City of bars Will will pay them a negotiated amount to do that, and then the city can purchase those rights, and then the Town of Copen may purchase or lease those rights back from us and pay us the price that we paid
to secure that. So we're currently in discussions with the Town of Copan to formalize an agreement that will specify how much we pay them and some of the other considerations that are with that. And so the council did want to keep that option moving forward, and so they
approved that option as well. And then the last one that they approved was to develop a contingency plan so that if we have some sort of water emergency, that we can stand up a system very quickly and secure water from the North Tulsa area, which is Collinsville and Skytook, and be able to move that water back up north to our system, somewhat similar what New Orleans did about a year and a half ago when they had their drought and water shortage, where they had water pipe that
was on top of the ground and several pump stations that that water into their treatment system. So we're looking at something fairly similar to that where we would possibly secure some contract rights with those entities in the North Tulsa area so that if there was ever an emergency that would come up, we could send up a system fairly quickly to secure water from those communities. So again, it's really more of an emergency item, a contention item.
We're not looking to invest a lot of capital or a lot of money to prepare that, but just to see if that's seasable and what would be needed to potentially stand something up in short order for access to that water system. We also did talk about call Aake a little bit. We did a study that looked at
the cost to move water from Calllake to Hudson Lake. Unfortunately, that's a very expensive item to pursue, over two hundred and fifty million dollars for the cheapest option that would if the City of Barzil went at that project alone, that would potentially increase water bills for our average residential customer by one hundred and sixty dollars per month, so really not feasible from a cost perspective for us to
go to Loane. We have been in discussions with Osage Nation and there may be a partnership there possibly as well as some federal grant opportunities that we've been working with our legislative Oklahoma delegation to see if that's even feasible. So we didn't close the door and call ake, but we're going to need some substantial help from a capital perspective to make that affordable for our customers to move forward with. So that's the items that council did approve
regarding long term water supply. So these are long term, long term initiatives that will be pursued and we'll continue that effort as we have with the previous efforts, to continue to secure and make a long term solution for our water supply journey there. So those were the council items that were discussed and approved last last Monday night. So we're gonna jump with with mister Moniger here with sales tax and collections, and so Jason tell us how we're doing.
Use kind of a mixed bag. Yeah, So sales tax collected, this figure was down two percent over last February. It's not a grand amount of forty three thousand dollars. For the year, we're still up bull less than half a percent, roughly fifty five thousand dollars on the year. But budgetarily we're up almost two percent, which is about two hundred ninety two thousand, close to three hundred thousand dollars up
compared to what we had budgeted for. When we jump into the use tax, it was actually up three point three six percent, which is about just a little shy of twenty thousand dollars. And for the year we're down three point two percent compared to last year, which is about one hundred and ten thousand dollars. Then when we compare that to the budget, we're up almost two percent on that, which is about sixty one thousand dollars. So a little bit of mixed bag here. The good thing is we
budget conservatively, so we're ahead of our budgetary expectations. So that's really what we benched mark towards. Anyway, we like looking at the year over year. But sales tax us tax are both pretty volatile given on economic conditions, so we always budget conservatively.
Yeah, so sales tax, that's actually not this month, that's actually a couple of months.
Probably two months ago, a month and a half. It trails. Obviously, if you bought something today, the store would collect and hold it till they remitted theirs to the state, and the state would hold it and they've remde it back to us the following month, So it is a lag.
Yeah. So even though we get revenue from sales tax, we actually don't collect that do we Stay of Oklahoma coles State of Oklahoma.
So it technically the retailers collected, then the state of Oklahoma collects it, and then they.
Remit it to us.
Yeah. Yeah, so there's a kind of a several hops that it takes before it actually gets to us, and it takes a couple of months for that to migrate actually let's get to us. Yes, yeah, So again, just shop locally if you can whenever possible. The use tax has been certainly a benefit for us. When did that go into effect, Jason.
Are use tax when the fact March of twenty twenty three, it took a little bit of a change use tax, did you know, Probably in the twenty four months leading up to that, they started the state of Oklahoma at least codified that online online sales were going to be deemed use tax, which is a companion tax to sales tax. So it really kind of leveled the playing field for
the online retailers. With the brick and mortar retailers we have here in town, you don't get that that incentive to shop online and gets your local sales tax piece omitted from that final sales. So, you know, it took a Supreme Court decision to be reversed from many years ago, back when it was catalog shopping quil was the case. It was referenced that it wasn't feasible for all states know that, or for retail entities to know the tax
rates of all entities. Well, now in the modern day of the internet, that's easily readily available, make a deal for them to assume that these these entities can can pick up those numbers fairly easy. So it's just a big shift. You know, it's technology changes. Everything changes. Probably the Supreme Court changed their decision on the cluelcase.
Yeah, and I think that took a lot of initiative and effort. I believe Dale Copeland was involved with.
It's been from a city perspective, it's been it's been a long, long journey. I know, probably twelve to fifteen years the city's been having this discussion. And at the end of the day, I mean, you just didn't know on how how much sales tax dollars or use tax dollars we were missing out on. You know, I remember back in those days we were assuming maybe a million, million and a half, but we look at it and it's closer to five four and a half to five
million a year. And you look at all the years we didn't have taxation on those sales, the city be sitting a lot better. Well, we're in a good financial position as it is, but if you can just imagine all those dollars were left off the table from those times.
So if you buy on Amazon or online, you'll notice use tax. That's part of that is coming to us.
Amazon when you look at the thing as the largest, the largest contributor to.
These tax yeah, yeah, So.
We went their trucks running all over our roads. We better get some money there everywhere.
That's for sure, absolutely, so, yeah, so it's really been a benefit. How much did we collect last year, do you remember?
Off top of last year was four point eight million.
Four point eight million, So it's been certainly a shot in the arm and much needed for that because really with city services, which historically has relied only on sales tax, that's the majority of the services that the city provides.
Yeah, it's it's it's most of the scene services, correct, you know, the public safety, parks, recreation, that's side, that's I'm wholly funded from the.
General Police and fire all funded through sales tax or general funds. So a bulk of the city services really rely on sales tax and now a little bit of use tax to provide that service. So it helps.
You know, in the day and the edge of the internet, you could see you know, internet sales going up, breaking mortar sales, I wouldn't say going down, but not not increasing at the at the rate they would had there not been online sales to.
Take that legs. Yeah, very good, very good. So overall we're doing well. So continue to shop locally if you can.
Yes, appreciate it, Appreciate our citizens for shopping locally, and then we'll take that all day, every day.
Absolutely absolutely, So we're going to bring in Micah Snyder, the other Micah as what we call you, uh, Micah Seemers, Yeah, Micah Seemers, Micah Snyder. So we've got to Micah Micah ass with the city first name.
Yeah.
No, so it's been uh but Micah, you've been with the city for for a little while. Tell us a little bit about because you're a you're.
Actually a homegrown I am, yeah, coming up on two years being with the city.
Yeah.
I think my family moved here in what ninety five or ninety.
Six, So I went all the way up through the Bartlesville Public School system, nothing but good things to say about it. Graduated in twenty thirteen. Don't let that jar you. That actually is over ten years ago. So now I would I love being with the you know, old radio pros, you guys. It's nice to hear you guys talk. Sounds like you really know what you're doing. I almost didn't say old radio pros, but earlier you said Lamar Kendrick instead of Kendrick Lamar. So oh my goodness, sorry, that's right,
that's true. Yeah, I could see why that would be confusing but yeah, I've been with the city about two years. I am, as you said, the senior city city planner, So I'm over the planning division in the Community Development department. Larry Curtis, the Community Development Director, is over that department. And before that I was with the City of Broken
Arrow doing kind of similar work. So really anything that has to do with zoning, you want to do a lot split, you know, platting, things like that, the very fun technical things that comes through our office. So definitely feel free to reach out give us a call anytime you have a question about, you know, how you might want to use your.
Property or or develop it. There are just two, you.
Know, quick things that we were gonna I was going to mention that community Development has going on right now.
One of those things is.
The sidewalk Cost Repair Partnership.
And so before we get in that, I think there is sometimes confusion on who owns a sidewalk, So takas or walk us through. I'm actually owned sidewalk.
I'm glad you bring that up.
So a lot of people don't realize, at least in the city of Bartleslow many cities in the City of Oklahoma, the abutting property owner is actually the one who's responsible for maintaining that sidewalk, or if there's not sidewalk there and you're going to develop that property, that developer is responsible for putting that sidewalk in. So this initiative is kind of born out of the recent updates to the sidewalk regulations that went into effect in July of twenty twenty three I believe now.
Yes, it's twenty twenty five, so.
We didn't change the fact that the sidewalks are still maintained by the abuding property owners.
So that is still still applies.
But this program is basically designed to assist those owners if there are substantial repairs needed, like cracks and even services that are really just busted up they've been there for a long time. If those costs end up exceeding five hundred dollars, then you can apply for this financial.
Assistance for the city to help with.
So basically, like you can kind of think of that five hundred dollars as a.
Deductible I guess you know.
If you happen to be selected for the program, there is an application online excuse me on the city Atbarlsville dot org And if you look at the February fifth edition of City Beat.
You can actually find the link just right to that application.
Those applications are being accepted from February fifteenth through March fifteenth, and then we would hope to award that assistance in sometime in April. And we do have a scoring system that's prioritized as repairs that are going to improve public safety, preserve infrastructure, and meet community standards. We definitely think about, you know, a wheelchair going over sidewalk, We wouldn't want for it to run into a bump where you can't
really get over very easily. So uneven surfaces things like that. If you happen to notice that in front of your property or property that you that you own or use, maybe look into how much that cost. And the application does require you get some bids on that on that repair before you submit it, so we will evaluate those, as I said, later in March after the application period closes.
And then have some selections made in April.
Very good so, but at a minimum, each applicant's going to put in five hundred dollars toward that program, so you will have at least five hundred dollars that you will have to put in of your own money. Do you know how much money is available for that program from the grant or the city side of it?
Now, I believe it's Anyone can correct me if I end up being wrong. I'm pretty sure there is a pool of about fifty thousand dollars.
But it's supposed to be split between I mean, I've seen.
Okay, but I believe that's supposed to be split split between these repair potential repairs and also some gap filling that we may do.
Good.
So the end, I believe that grant opens up Friday, fifteen fifteenth. I believe this Friday. So that's that.
I know we've had several people interested in that grant.
So, yeah, so you have a month to submit tom your grand application there for your for your Yeah, that's smooth and good, good.
Little subtle slope toward the road.
Fantastic, son, get the water out there. Yeah. So if you have a sidewalk that is in disrepair or is really in need of some love and attention, then this is your program. That's this is your program. So all the applications are online. If somebody is not maybe technically savvy for internet applications, is there a way they can come in to fill something.
Just well we can help you get through it. Just come up to the second floor City Hall and give to calling. In previous life did tech sports. I'm really good at navigating over the phone, navigating, navigate online.
Good.
So what's a what's the number they can call if they have questions about the sidewalk program?
Three three eight four two four four four two four four.
I know she didn't give Larry's direct number there on that one, so that.
Would be four two three s.
He's catching up. Yeah, he's a quick stety and the next thing you know, he'll have the hay Bailey button too.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, well I usually throw that in there. Just that's my stick.
It's what he does.
Yeah, sidewalk application program is going to run for a month, So it opens up February fifteenth, which is this Friday, and goes through March fifteenth, and I guess it'll be someone on a first come, first serve basis possible kind.
Of No, Actually, we have a pretty pretty good sheet to evaluate each application up against him.
Like I said, it's going to.
Prioritize public safety, preserving infrastructure probably also so if it's a critical area, that there just happens to be a gap in and that's a gap. As far as the condition of the sidewalk, that would be something that would vector in as well.
All right, very good. So I'm sure there's not a lack of projects or opportunities out there for property o ours. But again, if you have a sidewalk that's in disrepair, this is your opportunity to receive some financial assistance to improve that. So let's talk about the startup incubation programs.
Yeah, okay, so this is a concerning Centennial Park, which maybe that name isn't super familiar to everybody, but I think the pink Buffalo and the older building on Johnson and Frank Phillips should be familiar to everybody.
So this is.
A newly established startup incubation program where basically we're trying to facilitate early entrepreneurship. Now this building, I think it's about six hundred square feet. Now there's no there's no kitchen, so it would kind of be potential businesses that maybe don't involve a kitchen necessarily or full from marcial grade kitchen and any use of the space if you do end up having to make repairs of course that's going
to be up to you to make. But this program was approved by city Council on January sixth, and it was a recommendation by the park Board to take advantage of this space since it is a city park.
The park Board is over over that space.
The applic for this one, the application is already open and they're going to be going through February twenty eighth, and those will those applications will be again there's a score sheet existing that was developed alongside this initiative, and the park Board itself, perhaps with some input from the Chamber, would be the ones reviewing those applications and making those selections.
I don't know the selection date necessarily, but I know the applications are being accepted through the end of this month. And again that's something that if you look at that February fifth edition of City Beat, you can find the link directly to the application or just going on our citywartslow dot org website.
Go So again, an application process so really intended for startup, small type businesses. I think the facility has one room, one restroom type of layout. Rent and city services will be furnished at no cost to this commute or to this entity or a program. I think electricity will be the responsibility of the tenant utilities would be, So how long can somebody stay for whoever selected, how long can they stay within.
They it's a six month test run right now, So you really kind of got to hit the ground running with whatever concept it is you have. One of the evaluation criteria is marketing because of that time short time frame. Really want to see that you're willing, ready, and able to get the word out as quickly as possible so that this is a successful venture for you as an
early entrepreneur. So it is a six month time frame once you get in there, and I'm not really sure, you know, if we've gone much further and you know, if that is something that could be renewed after that, I'm sure that conversation could be happened.
Yeah, So really a new initiative I think for the city of Barstow to this offer this opportunity. So it's fantastic. I'm sure things may be tweaked ordj Justed as we get Yeah, as we get some experience with it. So again, if you are a kind of a small business or a possible startup, this is an opportunity to get rent and water sewer for free, and the only thing you would have to provide is electricity and probably internet if that's so necessary for your for your entity or for
your operation there. So again, the application process is open. When does it closed?
Closes at the end of this month of February twenty eighth, Feber.
Twenty eighth, And then who's gonna Is the parkboard going to make decision or are they going to select which ones? Okay?
So yeah, so I think something that still needs to be done as a part of this program, but it's something that's already been talked about, is creating a committee or subcommittee out.
Of the park board to orde these applications and make a selection.
All right, So if somebody has a question on that one, same same, yep, or they can call three three eight.
Four two four two.
Four four four two four four. Now who's four two four four is that? Go?
Just fourteen four four is just the general Community Development Department.
So they get a host of people.
Yeah, they pick that line up, possibly brings several phones, several phones.
So well, let's talk a little bit about development going around town. So I know people have noticed on Highway seventy five at the old hot Sooner Hotel or Sooner Motel there at Woodland and Highway seventy five. What's going there has gone up.
They've started doing some some earthwork there that is supposed to be a fast tracked tire. There is an existing location over here on West Frank Phillips. Once this facility is constructed, I think the idea would be for them to relocate.
Really glad to see that site.
You know, being redeveloped, and I think it's going to be something really nice along our MA your corridor, Highway seventy five going through there there go.
And then so maybe people who have traveled to Tulsa have noticed that the old hotel that was at.
Camelot, the Hotel six, whatever you want to call it, what's going there.
Yeah, that was originally.
I think three two residential structures, and of course the hotel was there. It's now all been cleared out because city council proved a beauty plan unit development just kind of like CUSTOMI zoning for a new Hyundai dealership. Now that would be the Patriot Hunday that's existing already but shares the facility with GM GMC on the west side of the highway up north a little bit from the site, basically getting their own unique space just for Patriot Hunday.
Therefore, So anything else newsworthy or noteworthy for development around town, Yeah, I think if you've gone, you know, north of the roundabout on Silver Lake, you may have noticed that Oklahoma West Sans got their first quadplex UH standing and I think probably exciting will be put on it pretty soon.
That's looking looking really nice. We're we're happy for them.
That's one of ultimately the plan is supposed to be eight of those, and that was something that was approved last year. So I think they're you know, getting their feetbat with this first one, and it's it's looking really good.
It's we're excited about that.
One other thing you may have noticed is on Noada Highway sixty and Madison in the northwest corner. That's also UH vacant site, and that's going to be a an asap gas station and UH plans are still being reviewed for that, but we're hoping that they start construction, are able to start construction fairly soon.
So so they.
Score down a gas station, they're going to put back at that station exactly right, so sometimes you just don't change, but the building and facilities do quite a bit. So and the last but not least, we are, believe it or not, we will be in the growing season not too far away likely, and so Creity Development has to stink a pleasure to handle the weed and trash for the City of Barsville. For code enforcement. Yes, so let's talk talk to us a little bit about kind of
weed and trash. What'sh what's the limits of stuff. We don't have to worry about it necessarily now since the growing seasons. Yeah, yeah, upon us, but it will.
Be shortly well, I mean, I think you know, as far as trash, definitely can't have that strewn about. It's something that if we get a complaint on, we're definitely gonna come out and check it out.
Now, it's not something that you get in trouble.
For immediately when we say, you know, please fix this within a reasonable amount of time. And nine times out of ten that's exactly what happens. People just pick it up and it's no issue. Same thing with weeds and trash. I think if it gets to be Now I'm not in the code enforcement division, but.
I believe if it gets to be like eight to twelve inches something like that.
Okay, that's when somebody could say, hey, this person's lawn is way too tall and let us know, and again we'd come out there and kind of give you a courtesy notice, Hey, this is something needs to be taken care of. And again, nine times out of ten, that's exactly what happens. Well for as many causes as we get that, that extra ten percent does end up keeping our CUD enforcement has pretty.
Different but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's certainly a full time job. It is, but it's really a community standard. So we've have rules and regulations as far as property and maintenance, and really that's what they are there to ensure that it's maintained. So, uh, it's not My understanding is they're not driving around looking for for violations. It's
really a complaint based type operation. So they do a tremendous amount of work and certainly help keep our community beautiful and so we're very appreciative of the efforts that they do. But it's a full time job. I think they have what two or three officers.
Yeah, they've got so they've got three Neighborhood Service officers.
Is the official name of that position.
And then they've got an abatement officer who's really the.
One guy doing all They.
Cleaned up all the hardware. Yes, they don't abide by the rules and the orders, and he gets the opportunity to clean.
It up, yeah, and does a great job. They all do a really great job.
That's a busy division and they're they're always at it.
There you go.
All right, folks, you have been watching and listening to our program Today's City Matters, and of course if it matters to you, it matters to the city terry.
Thank you.