City Hall Report

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.迷你倉價錢Aug. 25--ISSUE WATCHThe issue: Capital improvements unity?City officials applauded what they said was a remarkable show of unity when the City Council voted unanimously at its 6 p.m. meeting Thursday to send Tulsa's capital improvements package to voters, but the public didn't see the last-minute debate in an untelevised -- although public -- council "pre-meeting" at 5 p.m.That's where Councilor Jack Henderson threatened to vote against the package, saying that the compromise with the county to leave a 0.067-cent sales tax for future county projects was not vetted by the public during recent town hall meetings.Henderson asked his colleagues to delay Thursday's vote until Tuesday to give him more time to consider the compromise, which may have risked missing what the Legal Department termed a "drop-dead" deadline Wednesday to submit the election notice to the state."I'm sick and tired of people coming to me and telling me on a morning that you've got to make a decision today when I just heard about it," he said. "I'm not just going to roll over and play dead when I know people are concerned about this change in the package.""I just thought that we were trying to do this together. And for someone to say to Jack Henderson, 'You don't matter. ... We're going to still push this,' that's kind of insensitive."When other councilors asked if he would campaign against the package, he shrugged.Laughing and shaking his head, he said his fellow councilors were so worried about getting the county's support for the city's proposal that they forgot to make sure that every councilor supported the compromise.But when 6 p.m. arrived and it was clear other councilors supported the compromise, Henderson relented. He cited a minister who said in the routine prayer before the 6 p.m. meeting that councilors should pursue the common good."For common ground, common good and unity, I accept," Henderson said.Councilor Phil Lakin later said he was thrilled and "beyond words" for the unanimous vote.- ZACK STOYCOFF, World Staff WriterQUOTABLE"I look forward to that day on Nov. 13 when we will be celebrating yesterday's victory."- Mayor Dewey Bartlett to city councilors after their vote to send the city's capital funding package to voters Nov. 12."I think we just sort of manned up and said, 'We've got to get something done.'"- County Commissioner Ron Peters on compromise between city and county on the city's capital funding package."I may have to go get my ice ax or something."- Councilor and mountain climber Phil Lakin joking about a committee chairmanship"Offer free candy bacon."- City Councilor Skip Steele on how to draw people downtown.FROM TWITTERTweets from Tulsa city officials and World City Hall reporters Kevin Canfield (@KevinCanfieldTW) and Zack Stoycoff (@ZackStoycoffTW)"A unanimous Council sends issue to voters for smoother/wider streets, sidewalks, & major cap improvements for library, zoo, & Gilcrease."- Councilor Phil Lakin (@phlakin)"Top name possibilities for the city's capital improvements (package) from @WallerPR: 'Improve our Tulsa' or 'Invest in Tulsa' "- Reporter Zack Stoycoff (@ZackStoycoffTW)LOOKING BACKCapital package: City councilors voted unanimously Thursday night to call an election for a $918.7 million funding package that would leave part of a city sales tax for a future county funding package.The decision means city voters will consider the most money ever placed on a Tulsa ballot: a $355 million all-streets general obligation bond proposition, along with a separate ball迷你倉t item to extend 1.1 percent in sales taxes until the remaining $563.7 million is funded.Two of three county commissioners agreed to abandon their push to ask voters simultaneously for a new 0.167-cent countywide sales tax and instead agreed to seek an election in the spring to capture the tax left off the city's package.Hiring freeze: Mayor Dewey Bartlett said last week that the city hiring restrictions he put in place may continue indefinitely.He said this week that the city has largely filled positions only when a vacancy would create an emergency, per the conditions of the soft freeze, and would continue that practice for the foreseeable future.City attorney: Bartlett on Monday vetoed a City Council ballot measure aimed at curtailing mayors' unilateral authority to appoint city attorneys, saying it would intrude on traditional mayoral responsibilities.Councilors sought an election for a City Charter amendment that would give them limited authority to reject a mayor's city attorney appointment, but the measure's author, Councilor G.T. Bynum, said he would not seek to override the veto.FOP donation: Tulsa's Fraternal Order of Police has donated $5,000 to beautify or clean five locations as part of the city's Adopt a Spot program.The donation includes $500 for each of nine council districts and the Mayor's Office. Councilors and the mayor will each select a location to clean."Most of our officers live -- and they all work -- in Tulsa, and we want to make sure that Tulsa is a nice, beautiful, safe place to live and work, and this is a way we can give back to our community," FOP spokeswoman Jessica Caswell said.- ZACK STOYCOFF & KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff WritersLOOKING AHEAD10 a.m. Tuesday: City Council meeting to name the capital improvements package, Room 411, City Hall, 175 S. Second St.1 p.m. Tuesday: Board of Adjustment, City Hall second floor council chambers.6 p.m. Thursday: City Council, City Hall second floor chambers.RESOURCE FOR CITY PACKAGEFind the information at tulsaworld.com/capitalimprovementsThe Tulsa World has launched a website with in-depth coverage of the city's capital package to give readers all they need to know to make an informed decision Nov. 12.The website, which can be found at tulsaworld.com/capitalimprovements, has project lists and links to stories explaining the reason for each project, an explanation and history of the city's capital improvements program, a breakdown of sales taxes in Tulsa, and information on how the package's approval would effect sales and property taxes.The page also contains all of the Tulsa World's stories documenting the development of the proposal, revealing how city officials selected the projects and what feedback and criticism they encountered along the way.Readers will see the website referenced with every capital improvements story published in the Tulsa World until the Nov. 12 election.City councilors approved placing the $918.7 million proposal on the Nov. 12 ballot in two propositions: a $355 million general obligation bond proposition mostly for nonarterial street repairs, and a sales tax proposition for the remaining projects, which include $115 million in arterial street repairs.- ZACK STOYCOFF, World Staff WriterFollow us on TwitterFollow Tulsa World City Hall reporters Kevin Canfield (@KevinCanfieldTW) and Zack Stoycoff (@ZackStoycoff) for the latest news on the City of Tulsa.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) 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