Good morning. We're going to get started
this morning with an invocation led by
the Reverend Wendy, pastor at St. Luke's
Methodist Church. And that'll be
followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led
by Brett and Luke Santiago representing
Scouting America Troop 226. Please stand
as you are able.
Let us pray. God of us all, we give you
thanks for this beautiful day, a gift
created by you, full of opportunities.
Help us to make the most of each moment.
Give us eyes to see the needs around us
and then fill us with your loving
kindness and courage so that we can
respond in the best manner. Let us
embody the values that have made our
community so successful. Help us to be
innovative in the face of difficulty and
respond with empathy and respect. We
give you thanks for the Oklahoma City
community for all of its diversity and
strengths. Give each one of us the
resolve to continue to work for its
success now and for the future. We give
you thanks for Mayor Holt and the
Oklahoma City Council leadership. They
are committed to a brighter future and
we are grateful for their hard work.
Please bless them and their families.
Ease their worries and meet them at
their deepest point of need so that they
can have clear focus on the greater good
for this community. Fill them with
compassion and resolve, tenderness and
strength, and an appreciation of the
past while they dream of the future. Be
with us all and help us to live lives of
joy and purpose. Amen.
Please stand and join me in the pledge
of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to
the flag of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.
» Thank you, Pastor Lambert, and thank
you, Brett and Luke.
All right, I call this meeting of the
city council to order, and I do have uh
one presentation to make. and I will
make my way to the front for that under
office of the mayor.
[clears throat] So, if you guys want to
go ahead and join me up here at the
front, all of you please.
All right. Well, June is National Safety
Month. And to learn a little bit more
about that, I would ask the clerk to
read this proclamation.
» Whereas the city of Oklahoma City is
committed to providing a safe and
healthy work environment in all forms
for its employees. And whereas the city
of Oklahoma City has taken a proactive
stance in providing a positive, secure,
and healthy workplace through
partnerships with organizations like the
National Safety Council and observation
of National Safety Month. And whereas
the city's risk management division has
worked to ensure the safety of all city
employees by setting standards and
delivering training courses designed
to enhance employees awareness of risk
while continually improving workplace
health. And whereas the risk managements
the city's riskmanagement division
successfully conducted and will continue
to conduct a variety of safety related
activities for city employees to promote
a culture among all employees that
allows them to start safe, work safe,
and finish safe. Now therefore, I, David
Hull, mayor of the city of Oklahoma
City, do hereby proclaim the month of
June 2026 to be National Safety Month in
Oklahoma City.
» Now, of course, uh, safety means a lot
of things. It's a broad word, but in
this context, we're very specifically
talking about the safety of our 5,000
employees. Um, and nothing captures it
better than that phrase, start safe,
work safe, and finish safe. We want
everybody to go home at night. We are
joined here by um most of the risk
management division as well as their
fearless leader. Although if you're the
risk manager maybe there's uh a little
fear uh in your job but um we would love
to hear a few words from you. So I would
hand uh the microphone to Levita Breath.
» Thank you.
So, um, the city has participated in
National June Safety Month for about 10
years, and every year, risk management
seeks to provide meaningful and relevant
training to our employees. This year,
through our internal partnerships, we
were able to provide training on fire
extinguisher training, how to recognize
the signs of a stroke. Um, through our
external partnerships, we did training
on dog bite safety, uh, work zone
safety, and trenching and excavation
safety. Um, we had 21 working days in
the month of June and we were able to
train about 411
employees. So, we're really proud of the
work that we did during the month of
June. We also had an opening in our
safety team. So, we were reduced in
staff, but the rest of risk management
jumped in, made swag bags, hundreds of
swag bags. They signed for doughnut and
coffee deliveries, passed out lunches,
introduced speech speakers, and they
even moved furniture. So, they did a
phenomenal job in making this a seamless
and wonderful experience for all city
employees. And I wanted to publicly
thank them today.
» Very good. And we want to publicly thank
all of you. So, let's show our
appreciation.
» Thank you all so much.
All right, that concludes Office of the
Mayor, which brings us to item four,
items from council. And there is a
[clears throat] resolution here,
resolution 4A, approving travel expenses
for council members Stone, Hinkle, and
Pennington to attend a technical tour of
the Utah Transit Authority in Salt Lake
uh later this month. And we do have a
resident who has signed up to speak on
this item, Tom Elmore.
Thanks for the the time here, folks. You
may all have a a map of the rail system
that was extent surrounding Oklahoma
City Union Station in the year 2008.
14 years before that,
some of your citizens began battling,
teaching, cajoling, begging, pleading
for preservation of Oklahoma City Union
Station's 12 track wide, 8b block long
rail center, which happened to lie at a
strategic confluence of an 866 mile
stateowned railway network managed by
ODOT. But unlike anything else managed
by ODOT, it always more than paid for
its own maintenance. So the highway boys
at ODOT set about to destroy it. In
1989,
Union Station, which had been fully
restored from dereliction with vagrants
building fires on the Terzo floors of
the grand waiting rooms, the great
Thurman Magby, late lamented Thurman
Magby, bought the property, made it the
headquarters of his Zenith Electronics
distributorship. He would never reveal
how many millions of dollars he poured
into the meticulous
reconstruction
and restoration of Union Station. Three
rail platforms in the yard serving six
tracks with underground passages from
the great hall waiting rooms to each of
those platforms, including underground
passages from the express room where
they use tractor trams to bring the
revenue sustaining express freight and
mail to the trains minute to minute
every day. It was all there. It was all
there. It was all there and it was given
by the Federal Transit Administration to
the city of Oklahoma City to be our
transit center in 1989.
Immediately the Department of
Transportation set about to destroy it.
I battled ODOT
and we told the truth to this body for
15 years. You may know that every time
you got by a gallon of motor fuel 2.86
86 cents of the federal fuel tax goes to
the federal transit trust fund. It's
going to buy transit somewhere.
I was asked to sit on the original
citizen advisory panel for the maps wind
project for a 2.7 mile trolley
circulator downtown before the bombing.
That's
» 30 seconds remaining.
» That's that's how far back it was.
Unfortunately, our congressman Ernest is
had other interests and rather than
providing the 80% federal match to the
20% we provided through MAPS one, he
gave us some short-lived Cracker Box
motor trolleys and took money to build a
massive a new light rail line in Salt
Lake City, Utah in time for the 2002
Winter Olympics. By the way, he now
lives there. So, we also battle
congressman took all of those years and
we [clears throat] tried our best to get
the council interested in backing what
we were trying to do and recognizing the
overwhelming value. Mayor Rocky Anderson
of Salt Lake City told we're over time
now. Is there statement you want? Okay.
Thank you.
» All right. Well, item 4A is uh in front
of us now and we could take a motion.
We have a motion in a second. cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously and with the
necessary six affirmative votes. Item
five, city manager reports. Mr. City
Manager,
» Thank you, mayor. We just have a couple
of items on today. [clears throat] The
first one is the June sales and use tax.
So, it's the final sales and use tax for
the year. Um, we did finish, as we had
discussed previously, about $5.8 million
over target for both. Both sales and use
tax finished strong with uh sales tax at
about 4% use tax was I think 14% for the
month and overall for the year um sales
tax ended up at 2.95% growth for the
year above what we had targeted. Sales
tax I mean a use tax ended up at um 6.52
uh% growth and so in both cases they
were over target. We finished with 5.8 8
million over due to some of our
expenditures and other revenues being
other revenues being below target, some
of our expenditures being overt target.
We do right now expect to be just use a
little bit of fund balance in this year,
but with sales and use tax, we finished
really strong.
And then we have um the claims and
payroll on and that can be found on
OKC.gov. That's all that I have.
» All right. Thank you. Item six, journal
of council proceedings. We have items A
and B we could take with one motion.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
» I'll vote yes.
» Passes unanimously. Uh item seven,
request for uncontested continuences.
Item 11 C is listed on the agenda to be
deferred to September 15th. Is there
anything else, Mr. City Manager? Yes, we
have several items on today. Um,
beginning on page 21, [snorts] item 11B,
PUD 21105,
and then item and that will be deferred
to um August the 4th. Then item 11D is
PUD 2124. That will be deferred to
August the 4th as well. And then item
11E,
PUD 2134 will be deferred to U August
the 4th as well.
And then continuing on page 23 with
[music] dilapidated structures. All the
items I list on dilapidated and
unsecured, we will strike from the
agenda. Beginning with item A,
and this is 124 North Allen Street, the
owner has removed. And then item B is
6900 London Way along with other
addresses. We're reworking that for a
new owner. Uh, continuing on page 23 on
1101, unsecured structures. Item A, 124
Allen Street, the owner is removed. Item
D, 17017,
Crest Valley, the owner has secured.
Item E, 4812 Dimple Drive, the owner has
secured. Item F, 2612 South Harvey
Avenue, the owner has secured. Item N,
1416 Southwest 28th Street, the owner
has secured. and item R500 Southeast
47th Street the owner has secured on
page 24 with abandoned buildings item 11
P1
item A 6900 London Way with additional
addresses reworking for an owner. Um and
then if you on page 24 as well item 11T
the exe we have an executive session
that was on there that we no longer
need. We'll bring that back at a later
time. So we're going to strike that from
the agenda.
Okay, thank you. Item eight,
[clears throat] a revocable permits and
events. There are none today and so
we'll recess the council and convene as
the Oklahoma City Municipal Facilities
Authority. We do have a resident who has
signed up to speak. Uh Steve Hunt,
Steve Hunt, 6300 Westbrook Drive. Good
morning to the uh Oklahoma City
Municipal Facilities Authority. Good to
see you all today. Um I just going to be
brief. Uh item B, amendment five to
professional services agreement with the
city of Oakland City and Baker Tilly
Advisory Group for additional support
for annual comprehensive financial
report processes. Estimated cost 1.395
million. And if you turn to the consent
docket, which was originally supposed to
be for things like renewing toner uh for
the printer, there is a duplicate
amendment five to professional service
agreement with the Oklahoma City D Baker
Tilly. So, it looks like this uh
agreement is for $2.8 million with the
double dipping in the OCMFA and the
consent docket. And I just want to make
sure uh I understand what this is for.
Um, there's not a lot of information out
there, but what I saw is that a few
years ago, we signed an agreement with
nice guy Larry Ellison's Oracle software
to do some work for the city and we were
unable to get the uh city employee folks
trained properly. So, we uh reached out
to Baker Tilly and like, "You guys want
$5 million to come do this?" Um, I think
that's correct, isn't it, City Manager
Freeman? No,
» No. What What is it for?
» We don't This is not a Q&A, but I'm sure
staff can queue out in the lobby
afterwards.
» Okay. Um, so and I also would like to
know why it's there and why it's also in
the consent docket. I guess that's
» It's a joint contract.
» Okay.
» So, it's one contract.
» Is it two? It's not 2.8. It's okay.
» We don't have time for this.
» You have your minute and a half. Use it
as you wish, but we're not doing Q&A.
» I'm not going to waste your time.
» All right. That concludes residents
who've signed up to speak on MFA. So, we
can take items A through G now with one
motion.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously. We'll adjourn OCMFA
and convene as the Oklahoma City Public
Property Authority. Uh we do have a
resident who signed up to speak on items
I and L. Robin Jones.
I am at this place in the agenda because
these are PPA funds that are from maps 4
for beautifification and we may be
applying for that project. And I'm also
here representing uh the West 10 and
Windsor district as our CDRP contract is
uh has started uh for FY26.
And just wanted you to know that your
funding for that um in both West 10 and
Windsor has gone to preserving our
history which hardly anyone in the city
seems to know about. uh which is the
beginning of Oklahoma City and uh we are
doing that in the West 10 district. Um
there's very limited public green space
and no public canvas so to speak. So we
are using the traffic boxes and uh
telling our story of the history through
your funding and uh that has helped
create an identity that West 10 to a
great degree didn't have prior and we
are doing multiple other things and uh
in West 10 and then in Windsor district
we are continuing to enhance uh the um
beautiful streetscapes that we inherited
from previous leadership in the W
Windsor district, but Windsor and West
10 district has come together and been
collectively known as West OKC. And we
host community conversations. Several of
you have been to these meetings and
they're on everything from homelessness
to uh civic responsibility to uh the
children in the community and they've
been very successful. We had some extra
funding from the Arnol Family Foundation
which was of a great help.
[clears throat] And basically this part
of town, west, central west Oklahoma
City,
um has a lot of challenges, but we focus
on the bright spots. And our bright
spots are very diverse and uh very large
number. And just one example is um we
recently almost finished, not me
personally, but a contractor almost
finished a 7.9
um building contract um that will house
one of our oldest companies in the
state. And we discovered that and then
the next day I'm walking on my morning
walk and four deer run across in front
of me. So, so our area is very diverse
and has nothing but opportunity even
though you have to be kind of creative
to
» 30 seconds remaining.
» I'm done.
» Okay.
» Before I get hooed away.
» Thank you, Robin. All right. So, uh that
concludes the residents who've signed
her to speak on the PPA docket. We have
items A through M we could take with one
motion.
Have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously. We'll adjourn OCPA
and reconvene as the city council. We're
on item nine, the consent docket. Uh we
have no scheduled presentations. Is
there anything that a council member
wishes to pull out for separate comment
or separate vote?
» Yes, mayor. Could we pull out item A?
» Okay. for um you want to make some
comments or do you want a separate vote?
» Comments.
» Um a separate vote.
» Okay.
» And then mayor, I have a couple of
questions on items AL through ALP.
» Okay.
[clears throat]
» Mayor.
» Uhhuh.
Uh, I would just like to hear a bit of
an update on item V is in Victor,
please.
» Okay.
» Thank you.
All right. We'll take them in order. Um,
Councilman Pennington, we do have a
what?
» Councilman Styver is going to recuse on
item A.
» Oh, okay. Very good. Um, Councilman
Pennington, we do have uh some residents
who signed up to speak on item A. Do you
want to start with their comments?
» Maybe maybe we should hear from the
assistant city manager first, do you
think?
» Okay, sure.
» Jason, you want each you go ahead and
give us an overview of this item on this
item?
» Item A, the record contract.
» Uh, sure. Good morning, mayor
[clears throat] and council. Jason
Fairbrush, assistant city manager. Um
item A is as you can see is a a contract
with Fington Towing for zone 4 record
services. Uh this item uh has been to uh
council previously. Um just to
[clears throat] remind council of the
process. We issued an RFP for zone 4. We
received uh multiple proposals. Um we
had a evaluation uh committee uh
consisting of myself, members from the
police department, finance department,
city clerk's office
uh conducted uh site visits um to uh the
top uh proposers and um in going through
the process,
reviewing the proposals, doing the site
visits, uh staff is recommending that
the contract be awarded to uh Fairing
Towing.
Um,
and so that's what you have before you
today. Um,
do you like me to uh, city manager,
would you like me to elaborate anymore
or just hit the
» Yeah, I I think that's good. Here, we
had we did have an appeal process that
was filed on this after it was deferred
and we went through the appeals process.
It goes through the purchasing agent,
through the finance director, and
through myself. Those all been now
returned and resolved or addressed. Um
and uh so we're ready to move forward.
Our recommendation still is to move
forward with this contract.
» Thank you. Let's let's hear from our
neighbors.
» Okay. So, we have a bunch of people
signed up. So, what I'm going to do is
first remind everybody to say your name
and address when you come to the
microphone and that you have three
minutes or less to make your comments.
At 30 seconds, you will be um warned
that you only have 30 seconds left by
the city clerk. I'll remind you that uh
if if the comments are redundant, I mean
you have every right to be redundant,
but uh know that there is a point of
diminishing returns. If other people
have said what you've already said, uh
you know, you don't have to use your
entire three minutes. And I will
announce um each name and then the next
name so the next person can maybe move
down uh to the first row and be ready to
go. All right, we'll start with Randy
Serite and that'll be followed by
Denovetta Davis.
I've got some
good morning Randy Cite Fairington
towing at 3307 Northeast 10th Street.
Some issues have been brought to our
attention that I would like to address.
The first one is the zoning of our
location. We are zoned I2 with two
unique puds. Oklahoma City's Development
Services sent out a superintendent to
confirm our compliance. Our zoning is
correct. Like many businesses, we have
had some minor code violations that have
all been addressed. At the previous city
council meeting on May 5th, we
discovered that we needed to be a part
of the Garden Oaks Neighborhood
Association. We found the Northeast
Oklahoma City Neighborhood Coalition
online, which covers the Garden
Neighborhood Community. We filled out
the online application and mailed in our
check which was cashed June 1st.
[clears throat] We had a meeting with
Bobby Thomas, the president of the
Garden Oaks Neighborhood Association on
May 18th at Fington Towing's office.
This meeting was an attempt to establish
a good working relationship. We informed
Bobby that we had already submitted our
application with the Northeast Oklahoma
City No Neighborhood Coalition to join
the Garden Oaks Neighborhood
Association. She made no mention of the
fact that the Garden Oaks neighborhood
had their own association. July 2nd, we
discovered that Garden Oaks did have
their own association. When I spoke with
Bobby Thomas and requested to become a
member, she informed me they are not
taking new applications. We have made a
full faith effort to join. Fington
Towing has 18 acres of one of the larger
impound yards in the state of Oklahoma.
There is one pud approximately 5.7 acres
that requires us to be a member of the
neighborhood association. We do not use
any of this area for storage of
impounded vehicles [clears throat] for
the city. We have made our best effort
to be fully compliant and a good
neighbor. Issues have been addressed and
it is in the public's best interest to
award this contract to Fington Towing to
minimize the current wait times for the
constituents of this district.
There have been some questions regarding
two companies at our current location.
We did not buy the company for a record
service. My wife and I did buy the
property at 3307 Northeast 10th. We have
three trucks that are branded as for a
record service. This is for OP rotation
purposes only. Both yards have been
inspected and approved by
» 30 seconds remaining
» By Oklahoma State Trooper Keith Ragland.
There are 15 other companies in the
state that have the same situation with
Department of Public Service. Our
operating authority is based off of one
DOT number and all of our business is
conducted under one EIN number, Fington
Towing. We have one business. I would
like to add that the uh previous
comments to the city council. They had
no issues with for a record service at
the location for a record service at
that point in time did have the uh
district record service. So it shouldn't
be an increase in traffic at that point
in time.
» Okay.
» Thank you, Mr.
» Thank you.
» Dennovetta Davis, who will be followed
by Bobby Thomas.
» Good morning, council. Dennovetta Davis,
721 North Kellum, Oklahoma City. I am
here representing the Northeast Oklahoma
City Neighborhood Coalition. Uh the
garden uh neighborhood council is a
member and we are an organization that
collaborates with 18 uh neighborhood
associations in northeast Oklahoma City.
And so Ferington did submit an
application as well as Metro Towing to
the Northeast Oklahoma City Neighborhood
Coalition. Uh we have not it's the
approval process and we have not
approved either application even though
the check might have been cash. It will
[snorts] be returned if this is not
approved. So we just wanted to make that
clear that they did apply. There is an
approval process. They have not gone
through that approval process. We plan
to do that this month and then uh if
it's not approved then the checks will
be returned. But we are um it's not
personal. Um we are just in support of
Metro Towing because they are not close
to a neighborhood. That is our main
reason. We understand that Fington is
already in existence. Uh but it will
expand.
They are right across the street
surrounded by neighbors. It will just
expand their services. And that's what
we're opposed to. We know they're
already there. they're already providing
record service, but this will greatly uh
expand their services and will um
greatly affect the neighbors
environmentally with the you know 247
service with the amount of vehicles in
and out. So that's why we're concerned
about that for this particular
neighborhood and we support them in
their opposition to this contract being
awarded. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Bobby Thomas, who will be
followed by Bert Woodring.
» Good morning. My name is Bobby Thomas. I
live at 1409 North Standish Avenue. I am
a resident of Garden Neighborhood
Council. We're our interest is right at
the interest of Fington's Record
Service. They have been there for over a
year. They made no effort to join our
neighborhood association. They made no
effort to fix cut their grass. And when
they moved in, we started getting
complaints. Since they bought 4A record
service, the traffic down there at 10th
and Standish has been terrible. When we
try to turn into our interest, we run
into Fington. They not only impound
cars, they tow 18 wheelers. We can see
them from the fence that they have now.
They tried to remove them, but they were
there. We never had a problem with for a
record service and the men that used to
own for a record service, the
[clears throat] cars there were fine.
But since Fington has come, we have had
heavy, heavy traffic to the interest of
our neighborhood. Also, I want to give
you an example. Three Saturdays ago,
Lost Lake had a
entertainment at their Lost Lake. The
traffic overflowed into Fington's and I
drove down there and I was a man
standing out in the street. He directed
me into Ferington's. Randy C. Right came
out and he told me, "Miss Thomas, if you
want to have if the cars are parked in
your driveway, I will impound them."
Well, why will you impound these cars
and you let some traffic come on your
property and sit there when it was a
traffic jam right there at our
neighborhood? And we went down about two
Saturdays two weeks ago and we did talk
with parents. He has never made an
effort until now when he wants to
contract with the city for zone 4. Now
he wants to be a member of our
neighborhood association, but it's not
benefiting us. Not one bit. We're on the
northeast for northeast Oklahoma City.
Why do you want to put that there? You
knew when you bought for a record
service, you were right near a
neighborhood association. So I will say
we're not for far fingtons. We will go
with metro if necessary. Thank you.
Thank you Bert Woodring who will be
followed by Isar Alzubi.
[clears throat]
» Bert Woodring 1400 South Robinson
Oklahoma City. I'd like to address the
issues on the two puds of this and uh
Mr. Cooper mentioned this before, but
I'll bring this up to a deal. The 920
spud, which was back in 2003, is 140
pages. They went through quite a lengthy
deal to even get this spud even
approved.
There were 29 people that protested it.
It went to the council without
recommendation from this planning
commission. They never could even get it
approved. Finally, after several delays,
the council nearly approved this 5 to
four. That was 23 years ago. Everything
has changed in the city now. There are
several violations that's been happened
on this spud. 90 of the spud says the
following conditions in section 11
through34 shall not be changed or
amended in any way without action of the
city council after review of the
planning commission. Several of those
items has been violated and nobody's
done anything about it. Now, the 1479
spud to the west, I looked at that deal
and back in the day when they pulled
that in 2013,
uh, they got a fence permit. The fence
permit was never completed. The
landscaping was never completed. They
never got a final on it. The gravel was
never they said there wasn't enough
gravel on the land to start with, but to
my knowledge, I never found anything at
the city that this was even completed,
so they could even move on it and even
start working.
Um, furthermore,
they're talking about there is two
record services on that property. 3307
Northeast 10th has 4A record service
operating out of that location. They
also have Fington Record Service
operating out of that location. I've
checked with the Department of Public
Safety. Both licenses are there at that
address. They're working out of the same
building with separate offices in that
building. So, there is two record
services. Oh, have double the business
there already. And actually, Fington's
record service is far much larger than a
4A record service. So, it is definitely
an issue there that they have definitely
done that. And by giving them a city
contract, they're even going to double
it even more. I've had a city contract
there for 15 years.
» 30 seconds remaining.
» And they average about 250 more calls a
month. So, that's what's fixing to
happen over there if they're given this
permit or they're given this license.
Thank you.
» Thank you. Um, Eer Alzubi followed by
Joe Cro.
» Good morning, city council mayor, city
major. My name is Acer. I represent
Metro Towing. My address is 13415 North
Santa Fe. I I'm here to talk about uh
the process that we went through in this
project. First, we had a piece of
property that was zoned I2, but it was
nearby a residential neighborhood. It
did not work out. So, we worked hard to
find another piece of property where it
was zoned I2 and uh everyone was
involved in in this process was
satisfied with the new site, the the
community. So, after we secured the
property, we went to the city and talked
to them. They say even if you are zoned
I2, it does not allow you to open your
door and put your sign up. There's a lot
of process you got to go through because
record service is a conditional use. So
we went through the process. We pull a
building permit. You know, after you
pull a building permit, you got to go
through planning and zoning review.
After we passed that, we uh there was a
lot of requirement from the city to meet
the code and we spend the money and we
had to pay for all the permit to the
city. So we had a lot of visit from the
city to make to make sure that we uh in
compliance. They gave us the green
light. They gave us the occupancy
permit. We made sure all the requirement
was completed because the RFP it clearly
required the property the property to
comply with the city code and have all
the necessary permit in place in order
to qualify for the bid. staff had a
meeting about the RFP before the
deadline of the bid and they surely say
that you have to have all the permit and
all the licenses in the place before the
deadline of the bid. Everything we had
done all the building permit that we had
done it was last year and it was
submitted last year in June. So the
process has been in going for more than
a year. It has placed a significant
financial hardship in us as well as
create a significant stress through the
process. It will be a difficult to
understand awarding the contract to a
company that did not complete those same
requirement. Today I respectfully ask
that your decision be based in fairness
and in in the integrity of the process.
We follow every requirement that was
asked of us. We invested the time and
resources to make sure everything was
done correctly before moving forward. If
one bidder is required to meet all the
RFP requirement 30 seconds then every
bidder should be healed to those same
standard. I simply ask process to be
applied fairly to everyone
» And uh I want to say thank you for
giving me chance to speak and thank you.
Thank you. Joe Croal, followed by uh
Bailey McKay.
My name is Joe Crodell. I represent
Metro Towing and Recovery 100 North
Broadway. Um you've heard from some
neighbors that near live nearby the
Fington and 4A record service lot.
You've heard from the owners of Metro
Towing and Recovery who was a co- bidder
on this uh city contract. Um, back when
both of these puds on the lot where 4A
and Fington are now, um, when those were
getting negotiated with the city, there
was significant issues with the
neighbors that were had to be addressed.
And due to those issues and their very
close proximity to residential
neighborhoods,
the PUDS include some very unusual
language and some of that is joining the
neighborhood association. Uh 4A back in
the day was a member of the neighborhood
association. Fington apparently did not
know of that requirement until we
brought it up. Um, this is designed to
keep harmony with this very noxious and
disturbing business that happens that is
a necessity in every city, but when it's
next to a neighborhood, um, proper, you
know, balance needs to be struck. And
Fington
seemingly has did not even know of that
requirement. Um, they do not seem
interested in um, coexisting with these
neighbors. And I think um
part of the city's duty is to look at
all these factors um and to see that you
know these puds that were put in place
that were strongly fought for or and
against by these residents um are not
being adhered to the you know the
essence of these puds are not being
respected today. Um, I would be happy to
answer any questions about these puds if
you have uh if you have them. Um, but
you know, it's hard to hear from a
citizen that has gone through the
process and made sure everything was
done correctly when he submitted his
bid. Um, to then see another company get
recommended or their bid get
recommended, that's fine. But when you
see that they didn't go through those
same steps, they didn't spend the money,
they didn't spend the time, and then
they get coached through the process
after the fact after we've brought this
issues to uh your attention. It's very
frustrating and it um I share my
client's frustration and that um we just
want what's fair and we um hope that you
guys see that there are serious issues
with Fington's bid and their property
that they're on and that um you consider
that when you vote to approve or
disapprove and we hope that you vote to
disapprove this contract. Thank you.
» Thank you. Uh Bailey McKay followed by
Rita Freeny.
[clears throat]
Thank you, Council Bailey McKay. On
behalf of Bad Day Towing and Recovery
Company, uh 100 North Broadway app, I
will not bel
this morning. Um, I would just reiterate
the objections and the reasons to
disapprove this contract that have
already been stated today and in our May
6th, 2026 letter filed with this
council. Thank you very much.
» Thank you. Rita Freeny is our final
speaker on this item.
» Good morning, council. Want to say thank
you for all that you do. My name is Rita
McNeel Freeny 1313 Stat Drive and one
thing I can say I learned a lot about
this whole process. I am a novice about
all of this, but I have learned that
what is right is is is right. And I am
here representing the coalition
Carverdale been in the community for
over 50 years working in all capacities.
And this is something that will affect
the neighborhood on a long-term basis.
So, we're just appealing. And I know
you'll be heard a lot already, but the
appeal is just to to do what is fair and
right for the community. It's an old
community just like ours, Carverdale.
And we've been able to protect our
community. So, we want to protect on the
long term. There'll be a lot of
detrimental to have a company that will
come in the neighborhood and have even
more uh negativity. So, we're just
asking that you make a decision for the
right company. And of course I am in
favor for Metro and I know I have seen a
lot of towing companies but in this
process I've been to each of the
companies. I've seen what they've done
and I have also learned a lot about the
integrity of Metro and the staff. So
just asking that you make the right
decision in this concern. So I am here
to appeal and to ask that you do the
right thing in this case. Thank you so
much for your time.
» Thank you. Um, Councilman Paintton, I
don't know if you have any other
comments or if any other council members
do as well on this item and then we'll
take a vote on just this item.
» Well, I don't if my colleagues have
questions, stop me. But just just a few
things quickly. Um, one, I [music]
we this is a long time coming. Um, as I
think we've been dealing with this issue
for the last year. Um, and so I'm
hopeful that we can get to a resolution,
but I'd like for it to be a resolution
that um is satisfactory to the neighbors
and to our need to make sure we have a a
record service that can uh service zone
for zone 4. Um, first I want to say um I
cannot support uh this application
because [clears throat] of some of the
reasons that have been stated uh here.
But before I get into those reasons, I
want to say it's I I have nothing but
respect for Mr. see right in his
business and their operation. I have no
reason to doubt or question his
integrity. And so I don't want any of my
comments or my vote to signal a lack of
confidence in them or their abilities.
But I do think that this area is not
appropriate for us to um put the uh
record service for a very simple reason.
And I I think that you all know that
I've spent a lot of time on the planning
commission um and there is a line in PUD
1479 that was pointed out um that I just
think is worth noting. It says that the
density andor intensity of the PUD shall
not be increased and that was done PUD
1479. That is where this location is. So
while the I2 use is allowed, while the
record service use is allowed, the
intention when this was negotiated was
that there not be any increase in the
density or intensity of the use. And so
to me adding an additional contract is
increasing the density and intensity of
the use. And so I I understand that um
others may have a different
interpretation
of that because there is an existing
record service there. But I think that
that is compelling language knowing how
difficult it can be to try to square
different uses being near a residential
um property. So, uh I I'm not putting my
thumb on the scales of which record
service should be picked, but I do hope
that as we consider [music]
this contract and others, we'll look at
what surrounds these properties because
it is disruptive to have um to have a
record service with lots of cars coming
in and out and how that affects
neighbors. Um, this neighborhood has
also been challenged because of Lost
Lakes and which is an event venue that
as you already heard from Miss Thomas
has a lot of uh tra brings a lot of
traffic to the area. So, because of
those reasons and in support of my
neighbors, I'm going to oppose this and
um I'd ask my colleagues to really take
into consideration the concerns of our
neighbors.
» Councilman, can I ask you a question
since you were on the planning
commission as well? How do you determine
increase so that you can add that line
into that putt?
» It's it is admittedly subjective and I
wasn't on the planning commission when
um when this PUD was negotiated. So
» This company though bought it from the
previous
» Wrecking company. So they've been there
for a number of years.
» I I believe it was stated that that
record company had a contract maybe with
the state or with the city or something.
» The state. I don't know if it was with
the city. I'm looking to the city
manager.
» He had said that he had a contract
previously had this contract. Is that
correct that they did? They previously
had this contract at
» Oh, it was the same contract with the
city.
» So, it won't increase then if it's a
continued contract.
» It this isn't continuing the existing.
They haven't had it for a while,
» But they had previous
» But they have had it previously. So,
it's still going to be within reason on
that aspect. How long was 4A a record
service in this
area by the res?
» 23, I think.
» So, we're looking at 23 years prior to
this. So, the community is well versed
in the fact that this is a wreck or
service a yard. [clears throat]
» And that they they acknowledge that they
know that even if
» I'm just trying to make sure we line
things out and I and I have a clear
understanding. Like you said, we've been
going through this for a year.
» Yeah. We we've had to rebid, we've had
to redo, we've gone back and forth with
all sorts of different selections and we
gave some pretty specific
instructions to the the committee
whenever we redid this RFP and what we
were looking for and what we were doing
and they've guaranteed us that each one
has been met. So, I'm also a little
curious as to what one s uh bid may have
done that another bid didn't do and some
of the accusations that were put in
that. Jason, could you help us with that
one? Sure.
Um if so the question is I think the
question is essentially like how did we
get to award Fington perhaps over others
or
» Well, so Metro just accused Ferington of
not doing everything that they had to do
in this area. So I'm just curious of
what what were those things that one did
that another didn't do?
» Okay. Well, um, [clears throat]
so having having been involved in the
process and having some awareness of
Metro's journey and Ferington's journey
to this point, um, I think the clear
difference is that my understanding is
Metro Towing essentially found a
location and established their business
at that location, right? And so there's,
as we know, many requirements that go
into starting a business at a location.
Um so Fington on the other hand uh
purchased and existing and I obviously
don't want to speak for Fington.
However, um uh to me it seems like it
would be there would be less situational
awareness of all of the intricacies
associated with a putt if you buy a
property, right? I mean you buy a
property is an existing record service.
Um, so, um,
so I guess where I'm where I'm going
with that is [cough and clears throat]
I think Metro perceives there be a lot
more requirements on them and perhaps so
because they're establishing a new
business versus Fington purchasing an
existing. However, when it comes to the
review committee
that those weren't considerations,
right? Right. I mean whether it's a new
business or an existing business, the
valuation committee simply evaluated the
proposals based on the requirements of
the RFP. The requirements are of the RFP
spoke specifically to making sure they
had the proper zoning. So as the
evaluation committee met, we confirmed
with planning department and others that
they had the proper zoning to operate a
record service. And that's different in
in my opinion from code violations. some
of the some of the objections or um
protests had referenced code violations
and I think you know with any business
in the city there's the potential for
code violations that's why we have code
inspectors and when we identify
businesses that are operating in good
faith but yet they have some code
violations we give them an opportunity
to cure and so that's the way we handled
these issues or a few of these issues
with Fington when they were brought to
our attention as As the owner of Fington
mentioned, um we had our code inspectors
go to their site as part of the protest
process to make sure we did our due
diligence.
» Okay. So, in regards to the RFP, there
is not one company who checked a box
that another one didn't. Everybody has
met the same expectations that we lined
out in that RFP.
Well, there were there were a few of the
proposers that did not make the basic
requirements. Um, I can't remember if it
was one or two. It was very few. Uh, the
majority of the proposers move moved on
in the process to the point where uh
they were scored and we did site visits.
So, I guess that's maybe important thing
for for council to know or to remind you
is we went and visited these locations
to make sure they met those requirements
that were in the RFP. And quite frankly,
um you know, the the top scores were
very close, but that's why you have a
selection committee. Ultimately, the
committee comes to a consensus and
awards a contract. And it's not to say
through the process that only Fington
could do it and nobody else could. The
process is we identify hopefully
multiple proposers that could provide
the service and we select the one we
think is going to do the best job for
the residents in the city. And that's
where we ended up with Fington.
» And last question, Fington is located in
zone 4.
» Yes, they are in zone 4.
» I know that was a big issue with us last
time. So, as long as we got that one
answered, too. Thank you. I appreciate
it.
» Jason, before you sit down, how long
does this contract run?
» Uh, this contract, uh, Cle might have to
help me with that. Is this a Is this two
remaining years? Oh, I'm sorry. They're
2020. Yeah, April 2027.
» Thank you.
» My Thank you.
Um again before you sit down would you
be able to share or maybe you don't know
right off the top of your head but what
what was sort of the deciding factor
that put Fington scored Fington higher
than other proposals?
» Uh well you know um again um they met
the criteria or of the RFP.
Um so once they met the basic criteria
then uh part of it came down to the site
selection
um making sure that they met the
requirements of having a [clears throat]
secure uh location for
uh vehicles that were um towed under the
city contract to be secured. Uh part of
that was inspecting their paperwork in
terms of their operators and their
licensing, making sure um you know that
was all available. Um and again um it's
not that Fington was the only one that
complied with that, but at the end of
the day um the selection committee felt
like Fington was the best equipped
um to be able to provide the service.
Um, again, not that this was the
deciding factor, but um, the lot
Fington has is larger than the Metro
lot. Uh, Metro was at a brand new
location. I'm not saying they're not a
proven business or they're not capable
of doing the business, but um, at the
side inspection, it was very clear that
the business was more or less a
generally speaking kind of a a startup.
We didn't see a lot of vehicles there, a
lot of activity. Again, not to say that
they not aren't capable of doing it, but
we did, I think, the committee have some
asurances that Ferington was uh
established and had plenty of storage
room. There are other factors, but those
are a couple that come to mind. I hope
that answered your question,
Councilwoman.
Um,
I I mean maybe it's because I watch the
Lord of the Rings, the Two Towers, and
the Answer in my head where they have a
conversation, but I would like to hear
from more of the council on this. Like,
this is complicated for me because on
the one hand, there's neighbors who are,
I think, rightly concerned about a
business beside them that they do not
find compatible. And initially when an
earlier business went in there, they
helped craft some uh parameters, right,
that Fington
would not have known because I think I
think it was to ACM's earlier point,
sometimes you take over something that's
already zoned, you don't know the
backstory.
Um, so I understand the neighbors
concerns.
Um at the exact same time though there
is a process that ACM is describing
that seems I don't know there is just a
process and I worry about what happened
and I actually really mean this equally
like I hear the neighbors concerns
I am also a very processoriented person
a very data driven person and I worry
what happens if we
look at this process and go, "Well,
we're not going to adhere to it." So, I
worry about the legality of that
decision. Maybe that's something city
manager and um Mr. Jordan can speak to.
But those are those are my concerns. And
I think the third concern, so of the
neighborhood, so I hear what councelor
Pennington is saying. Um the process is
very uh much on my mind. And the third,
and I alluded to this maybe last time,
there is just something that feels
like I don't know that we're all being
direct about what we're really wanting
here. Like some of the people I feel
like the neighbors are being direct.
they don't like this business there. But
I also feel like there's business
interests here that are happening that
um
get
there's a filter rather than saying you
know I'm going to make a lot of money
right if this comes to me there's this
filter well there was the PUD and then
there was this and that and that just
makes it really difficult for me to sus
out what the right thing to do is here
and I just want to be that direct and
blunt about this. I hear what the
neighbors are saying, but I also feel
like there are some interests who are
using the neighbors um because it
benefits them. I'm sorry. I just have to
be that direct. That's just where I'm at
now. That's just where I'm at. I just
think we have to speak very truthfully
about things. I hear what the neighbors
are saying, but I also feel like there
are people who are using your voice uh
to get what they want. And so, I need to
better understand the legalities facing
us as as a body. I'm inclined to go with
councelor Pennington here because I hear
the neighbors concerns, but I just don't
like when people aren't being direct
with with me
» If I can real quickly.
» Is that okay? I'm not an attorney
though, so
» I don't want to uh I think those are
great points that you brought up.
If I'm reading this correctly now, the
contract goes through April of 2027,
so nine months
Right.
And nine months we'll know more.
Um, but we've been going around with
this thing for a year. So I personally I
mean we made some changes to the RFP,
went back through the process. We've
done a lot of things there that um I
thought were going to ensure the
fairness of the decision that was made.
So, uh, I mean, now it's a nine-month
contract, and if it has the impacts, the
negative impacts that we're hearing
about, then if we know that in nine
months, then, hey, we can always, the
committee can always change things. But
to fight this for over a year and now
it's down to a nine-month contract, I
just go ahead and move for its approval.
» I'm a weigh in, too. I was on the
planning commission 7 years prior to
being on the council. And I remember
when the Lost Lake, is that what it's
called? The entertainment. They came to
the planning commission and wanted to
expand and the neighborhood came out
against it. And they're horrible
neighbors. They I don't know, Weedfest
or whatever it was they had there. They
had cars packed all the way back out to
I35 and music going on late in the
evening and and that venue wanted to
expand. And it was a unanimous decision
to not let that happen because of how
negatively it impacted the neighborhood.
And that's what a planning commission is
supposed to do, right?
This is a heavily industrial street.
Right across the street from this is a
metal recycling place. Three or four
blocks further to the east is huge oil
field storage tanks. You have the
Canadian River that runs through there.
And the neighborhood's been there
forever and ever and ever. But if you
can't put a industrial use in an
industrial area. Where else do you put
it? You see what I'm saying? I mean, the
And I don't I hope I never need a
wrecker, you know? But if I do,
I'll call whoever's closest and can come
get me the fastest, but I realize the
city can't operate that way. But to
deny an industrial use in an industrial
area is is not good planning because
where else do you put it? You know what
I mean?
So that's my two cents.
» I guess I'll say in conclusion, we've
had to make difficult decisions on the
commission and yeah, we were that was a
diff that was a challenging um case, but
I think it's important for us to
remember that sometimes we get it wrong.
Sometimes we've made decisions and we
got it wrong and and it's up to future
uh planning commissions and councils to
correct sometimes the mistakes that have
been made in the way that we've made
zoning decisions. And so I just ask you
to keep that in mind before we as we get
to a vote.
» Anyone else from council want to speak
before I go?
» I was going to add something. Oh, did
someone over there?
» Um, so I think that you made a great
point, Councilman Stone, in that we're
at a nine-month contract and there's a
lot of politics that politics, I don't
know if that's the right word. a lot of
um
a lot of business that's tied up in this
conversation and being able to
re-evaluate PUDS if there is um you know
decisions that are made and we look back
and say hey how do we do this how do we
fix it those are those are all great um
observations that I think are all true
at the same time what I hear is two
different things we have a PUD that was
approved over 20 years ago a business
operation that's had this contract and
this approval and this business use for
over 20 years. And we have a new city
contract that's worth a whole lot of
money. And we've had
protests of every decision that's been
made over the last 12 months tied to the
towing contract. So before this protest,
we had a different protest. And um I
think at some point we have to trust
that there has been due diligence that
there has been um documentation of
process and we have a window of
assessment a short window of nine months
to see what impact would be. Um,
I actually think that there's something
that we need to consider in the future
and I would throw this out there um for
our city manager council um to consider
and that is some municipalities are no
longer using a four quadrant process but
they actually have a call out and that
improves speed to the um speed to the
officer, speed to the um the person that
needs a road road cleared from a scene
which is really what we're responsible
for as a city is speed of clearing
roadways, safety, security of assets
that are secured. And if there is a way
that we can approach that that improves
competitiveness across our businesses
consistently throughout the year um and
is amenable to our process, I think that
that would be a really wise thing for us
to consider so that we aren't in a
situation where we have a protest
following a protest following a protest
around one contract for a year or two
years when it really could be
distributed work. um because we have
many many great companies in our area.
» I thanks for that perspective. I'd love
for us to explore that and also I hear
what both counselor Stone and Hinkle
what you're saying about the nine months
I think those are really those are fair.
Uh but I think for that reason
um in terms of 9 months I'm I'm happy if
9 months from now you know if this
council approves this today and nine
months from now we find there has not
been an increase in the traffic
problems. Um then my mind might change.
I really actually think both of you have
made like a pretty reasonable like
point. Um,
for now though, it's just going to be
difficult for me because of what I'm
hearing from the neighbors. But I want
to be on record about what I said
earlier and let this be a note to other
residents. I do not appreciate when
people speak and double speak. Like I
want people to speak directly about
things like it it really bother and I
honestly and I know that's happened
before at this council where people have
come and they they're you know speaking
out of one side of their mouth but
they're actually meaning something else.
I know it's happen but there's just
something about this issue that really
rubs me the wrong way. Like re maybe
it's the amount of time to your point
counselor Stone that this is drawn out
the amount of staff time that this is
drawn out. uh the way this has muddied
the process because even if Fington
doesn't get this what Metro is gonna get
it suddenly like that's not I that
doesn't strike me as what's going to
happen even though it seems like that's
what some people would hope would
happen. So I just want to be on record
that while I'm supporting the neighbors
in this moment I have a lot of issues
about the process and some of the other
um people who were speaking in in
opposition here and also to the
neighbors. I do understand some of the
trepidation around
Fington joining your group and maybe
once I vote no maybe they won't want to
hear me on this but I drove by the the
business on the way home from my mom's
out in Midwest City like I like to take
back roads instead of interstates and I
took that back road and I think a
question I would have I still think it
would be nice for you all to sit down
and actually have them join your
neighborhood association. I just do. Uh,
you know,
there have been more bitter divides in
this country where people didn't think
they could reunite.
There just have been and we know that.
So, I would encourage you all to do that
because I think one thing I would like
to see from when I drove over there is
there's some trees, some real tall trees
that are on one side of the property and
I wonder if those trees couldn't exist
within the neighborhood. There's like a
street that abuts the neighborhood. And
I wonder what happens if you actually
put some trees up to do some of the
blocking. And then I think another thing
is we're kind of known for murals these
days. What if you all painted that fence
and it spoke to the neighborhood
history? You just heard Robin from
Winter talk about what they're doing
with utility boxes.
So regardless of whether or not you all
get this contract today or you don't,
you're still going to be there. And
this, I think, is an opportunity to
break some bread, do some public art
that speaks to your willingness to be
part of the area. I can't force you as
the council. We can't force a private
business to do that. But I think those
are two things is if you're worried, if
if the neighbors are worried about
sight, what they're seeing above the
fence, then find ways to put some
barriers up that are aesthetically
pleasing and provide a service in terms
of shade. You've already done it on one
part of the building. And then the art
like you just heard Robin describe.
Those are some ideas. I I hope you all
can do that. It's just for now I can't
join
and it has nothing to do with your
business best I can tell. So it's just I
have worries based from what I'm hearing
from the neighbors for now. So I'll see
you in nine months is where I'm at.
[snorts]
» I think Councilman Stone move for
approval.
» Okay. All right. Are we ready then?
We'll take a motion to vote on just item
9A.
There we go. We have a motion and a
second. Cast your votes.
passes five to three. All right. Now we
are back on the remainder of the consent
docket. Uh the next item up was uh item
V. Councilman Cooper, you wanted to
speak to that item.
» Thank you, Mayor.
Yes. I just remember this being a pretty
important item for
residents across the city. And I just
wanted to hear uh where we are because
this is a renewal. Like to kind of uh
hear a little bit more about what we've
accomplished,
where we're heading, and then maybe even
outside of the update right now, maybe a
presentation at a future date.
» Yeah.
» Regarding what this service is doing and
um
» Absolutely. Yeah. I you know, I don't
have a lot of numbers with me. Um, but
what I can say is that this is a renewal
for the contract that we started last
year uh with Decker to do the home
sharing to make sure people are getting
their license and that they're becoming
legal in the city. Um, I do know that
code code enforcement has been working
heavily with them. I have the code
enforcement superintendent here too. He
can kind of address those how that
process works and all of that. But I
will share a little story that um Decker
did find a home share on this one
property in our city and it was through
Airbnb and we contacted the owner. Uh we
actually issued a notice a violation and
the con the owner contacted and said,
"Hey, I don't have a home share here."
And what we found out was someone else
had created a home share uh through
Airbnb to share their property. And I
think it was an existing owner of the
property. they just never took it down
and so we were able to get that off of
Airbnb for them. Uh so that was kind of
a success that Deckard allowed us to be
a part of. But Chris, if you got do you
have any information about how many how
that process works and if you want to
come up and share.
» Yes. Good morning. Thank you. Um, we use
Deckard as a as a frontline tool in our
toolkit to help us identify properties
that that no longer have licensing
um for for proper home share in Oklahoma
City. Um, basically that process we're
we're alerted. They're also kind of
sorry to step back a little bit about
what Deckard actually provides for the
city. So they they are our frontline
responders so to speak. So they take the
initial calls from the complaining
parties of the party's too loud or it's
operating illegally or it's just not
operating correctly. So they make the
complaint to Decard. Decard reaches out
to the property owner that has the
listing directly and tries to resolve
that issue um prior to the city getting
involved. depending on what the issue
is. Uh we're they they basically enter a
complaint for code enforcement to
investigate. We'll go out to the
property, verify the existence of the
listing, the rental activity, and then
we will proceed forward with either a
notice of violation or a citation for
operating a home share without a
license.
» Yeah. And I think that's good work. A
followup is my understanding of what the
technology
that exists would also be able to do is
to actually go through and look at
properties that are presenting
themselves as this is a home share and
then kind of vin diagram to see
who has an actual license to operate as
one. Is that happening as well?
» Yeah. Yes. So that's spot on,
Councilman. So essentially what the
software does, it's it's proprietary in
nature, but essentially what it does is
it does a data scrape of of all listing
sites. So VBO, Airbnb are the two most
common, but there's others out there as
well. So what their software does is it
goes through and it scrapes through all
of those listing agencies and it and it
compares that data to water records and
and current lensure statuses. And if
they find an anomaly to where you you
let's just for an example, you are
operating an Airbnb and you've listed
the property on Airbnb and that data
software finds that you are not licensed
with the city. It will create a case for
us to go out and and provide you the
opportunity to come before the board of
adjustment and receive your proper
license for that for that activity.
So, what I would request is just I mean
I like this is I'm not trying to pull
this out for a separate vote or anything
like that. I think it's great. What I
think my request is I'd like to know a
how frequently is the latter happen
happening uh because that was the
complaint I hear, you know, from Bell
Ale to you name the Wu neighborhood is
uh operating as a home share without a
license, right? Um so I'd like to better
understand what those numbers are.
Um B,
and maybe this has already happened, but
I'd like to know what kind of
educational outreach is happening to
neighborhood associations or just
residents generally whenever uh they
have the suspicion that an entity might
be operating in such a way,
» Right? Is it maybe that's already
happening? Um but I'm wondering about
water bills. I'm wondering about uh in
terms of, you know, putting a note in
there. Um I'm wondering about outreach
to the neighborhood alliance so that
they could communicate to neighborhood
associations, but this was just a I hate
to sound dramatic, but for a lot of
neighborhoods, they felt like this was
an existential threat, the home share to
their neighborhoods, the the the
community itself, right? So, I I really
would like to have not just a
behind-the-scenes briefing. I think that
the public would uh benefit from um
knowing what work we're doing, what
we've discovered. And again, that
outreach to the resident singularly, but
then to the neighborhood associations as
entities. I'm seeing
» I'll I'll second that request. And
specifically I just sort of you know
maybe I sort of got a little over my
skis with sharing about this when maybe
the city wasn't ready to sort of take it
public but in you know a monthly update
from the city manager you know saw that
oh they're up and operate you know
decards operating and so I shared that
in my monthly newsletter and very
quickly got a handful of responses of
like what should you know like I
submitted all these things I'm not
seeing any action you know in a few
weeks later and come to find out kind of
like [clears throat] you know that we
kind probably need a plan of like how
we're communicating about what the
expectation should be of, you know, it's
not that we can immediately go and like,
you know, board up the house or
something, right? Like, you know, that's
a little um extreme of, you know, an
example, but like, you know, just
helping people understand what the
process is, what their expectation
should be based on different types of
complaints. if it is like loud party
versus I think this is operating as a
you know short-term rental without a
license. um and kind of what that
process is because I and I had a long
conversation with Kelly Williams where
she sort of walked me through that you
know some of it some of the like delay
that people were experiencing in that
initial you know a few months ago maybe
it was the end of last year was you know
that there was a flood of request you
know submissions and it was like whoa
we've got to process three 400
submissions in you know um and so that
that there was that but then also I
think there was sort of a a disconnect
and sort of the expectations of what the
software should do and how quickly
people should be able to get see a
response. And so I think it'd be helpful
to have that presentation during council
so that it can be public. And you know,
one of the folks that has been in
contact with me about this does operate
short-term rentals and is I think trying
to do it, you know, as compliant with
the city as possible. And so, you know,
I also worry about some of those folks
that are trying to do it the quote
unquote right way, the way that we would
like them to do and be in compliance and
that it feels sort of like, you know,
other people are getting away with stuff
when we are supposed we're paying a lot
of money for the software. And so, I
think it I I would just sort of uplift
that request um given that there's been
just a lot of confusion, I think. And
again, I take take my part of that of
whoops, maybe I I shared a little too
quickly when when maybe we weren't ready
to kind of publicly roll it out to to
not to avoid, you know, 400 whatever
requests in a matter of days. Um, but I
think that does demonstrate that there
is a lot of pentup energy um and
frustration around this issue and um and
the better we can be like proactive and
and really clear about what people
should expect would be really helpful.
» Absolutely. We we would be more than
happy to do that. I'll work with Kelly
in office of innovation and we'll get
something together and we'll bring it to
council.
» Yeah, I think we'll try to start with a
briefing to the council. You know, get
the information together, start with a
briefing of the council and then discuss
some options of how we can best
communicate this out to reach the most
people.
» Can we add to that list? I think it's
also time for us to look at the board of
adjustments um decision-m with regard to
non-compliant properties. So, how are
are they authorized to take any punitive
actions against non-compliant
properties? Can people correct it? What
does that process look like? Because I
think they're pretty inundated with
cases right now of people who are not
performing the way they should be. And
so, I think it's an opportunity for the
planning department perhaps to make some
additional recommendations. Last year,
we we made some changes to short-term
rental that I think were improvements.
Maybe it's time to re-evaluate um those
changes to make sure they're aligned
with our current goals. So, it's a big
list of short-term rental stuff. City
manager,
» We'll add plenty at that as well.
» If you have nothing else to do on a
Thursday afternoon, watch a board of
adjustments meeting. There's like 30
cases per meeting on people trying to
get right with the Airbnb permitting
issues. and they do a good job of of
penalizing them is not the right word,
but if they're blatantly
ignoring the rules, then they are paying
a a time penalty. They don't get their
license for six more months or or or so.
The board of adjustments is inundated
with people trying to get right with
this new ordinance.
» Thank you. Appreciate it.
Okay, next up in the batting order was
Councilman Stone. You wanted to inquire
about items AL through AP.
Thank you, Mayor. Uh, you know, I just I
saw this come up and I really had some
questions. I want to start off by saying
first off, I appreciate what these
groups do. I think they do great work.
I'm not questioning that at all.
What I noticed is there's like out of
all these lists of different
organizations that we're providing money
to to help with their district, uh there
wasn't anything southside. So, I was
hoping someone could explain to us which
Southside districts and are are they
given considerable amounts?
Donna, Donna is with our planning
department to manage is it as many of
her other duties helps to manage the
community development revitalization
program and I'll let her give us an
update.
» Thank you, Donna Cervantes. It's
commercial district revitalization
program in the planning department and
thank you for the opportunity. This is
um there's a new process this year,
you'll be happy to know. And um as you
know, we have 10 districts that are
receiving uh general funds through our
CDRP program. and there's an annual
renewal. So, we've ended FY26. They will
be coming in um kind of a rolling basis
as they prepare all their documentation.
Um today you have five of our CDRP
contracts up for renewal. Um this year
we've been um blessed with
beautifification funds through MAPS 4.
Um this is the new beautifification
funding. Uh Route 66 is a named uh kind
of program that will is able to receive
the beautifification funds and several
of our districts were also named as
recipients as well. So to help manage
the funds through that beautifification
program,
um we we found u an area to focus on
through Route 66. This being the
centennial, the Route 66 Centennial
Commission has gifted many locations
across the state and Oklahoma City is
receiving four large monument signs that
are in the shape of the Route 66 emblem
and they are customized to represent the
districts that will be receiving them
and that was done with district input.
Um the signs are quite large. are
basically 6x6 and they sit on a large
concrete base. So while the signs were
gifted,
the installation fees were not. So
there's installation and permitting and
all that would go into that. Um so uh
our recommendation is to use the maps
for funding which has is now under your
OCPA
to include in the district contracts so
that they can pay to install these
signs.
Um the four districts that are receiving
the signs are 39th Street, Asian
District, Britain District, and Western
Avenue Association.
Western Avenue Association
um is under is is a business improvement
district. So they do not receive the
same CDRP contract, but they are managed
in our department and they will be
receiving a sign as well.
Um, we've allocated $15,000
per sign for this installation. So,
that's a known
project that needed funding.
For those that we knew were ready to
receive the funds, it's been added into
their FY27 contract
so this can proceed. We're trying to get
this done within the Centennial as soon
as possible. Um
what we've included in the other
district contracts is kind of a
placeholder additional PPA funds if you
will so that PPA becomes party to their
annual contract and at such time as the
district will come in with a proposal
for another beautifification effort
perhaps it's some installation art
improvements perhaps it's maintenance
that been deferred that needs to be
managed. These kind these funds can be
approved through um a staff process and
we would come back with an amendment to
their CDRP contract
at that time to approve the project. So,
in order to create that placeholder, all
of your CDIP contracts this year you'll
see have PPA as a party and it's either
the placeholder of $100 knowing that
they'll come back for more at such time
as they might have a project
or the four districts, actually three
CDRP that have a known project right
now. they need their 15,000 for that
um sign installation. So,
I hope that's helps. These are the 10
districts that have been in the program
for a number of years. Um
as uh Councilman Stone well knows, um
our southside districts are Capitol
Hill, but they're a bid. Um Stockyard
City again is a bid. So you won't see
Southwest 29th is um also our southside
district and they too will be receiving
the um opportunity to apply for the
additional beautifification funds. So
» Good.
» I hope that helps explain it.
» It does. Thank you very much. I
appreciate it.
» Thank you.
» Okay.
I think now all we have remaining are
citizens who signed up to speak on
different items on the consent docket.
Um we have three who signed up on item
BX
and we'll start with Steve Hunt
6300 West Drive. Thanks again for the
opportunity to uh speak. This particular
item is something that I hope we can
have quite a bit of discussion on. Um,
in 2009, I came up here to speak on some
log rolling issues regarding maps 3 and
then started getting into the
unaccountable private uh Oklahoma City
Chamber of Commerce. And here's what
transpired.
» Chamber of Commerce who gets $5 million
from Oklahoma City citizens. And I
thought maybe
» Chamber of Commerce doesn't get $5
million from Oklahoma City.
» That's Jim Couch saying it's not true.
» Yes, they do. No, they don't.
» I've got the documents to prove it. It
comes from the hotel tax. From the hotel
tax for the CVV.
» Yeah,
» There's a pause and then I
» There's contract with the CV.
» So, this was 2009 and it was an
embarrassment to the horseshoe that we
were giving $5 million to the completely
unaccountable chamber of commerce. Um,
and today they're asking for that number
to be quadrupled. Uh they're asking for
$19 million from Oklahoma City taxpayers
via the hotel motel tax which they ran
the campaign for the election which was
held outside of primary season. I don't
think that was very smart but um the
breakdown of their contract is
interesting because uh $3.751
million of this contract goes to
executive salaries. I think you all know
that Christy Gillanwater makes $620,000
a year. All the while, we have a temp
agency bringing in day laborers to work
in wastewater because I guess we don't
want to hire full-time folks to do that
and it's not wastewater whatever. It's
not cool and vibrant. But also, um, on
top of the 3.7 million that we're asked
to give them for executive salaries of
this, there's a this is crazy. this
there's a $390,000
administration fee direct to the Chamber
of Commerce for the trouble of receiving
this money. I mean, how the hell does
3.75 million in salaries not cover
administrating that money? Um, I have a
lot of concerns about it. Um, chamber
obviously very unaccountable. I went in
there yesterday to ask if they could
clarify and they called security and
then they called the cops. I reached out
to one of my officer friends and they
just laughed about it. Um, so they came
and and I'll I'll put a video up on it
for the people out there in channel 20
land watching on YouTube that want to
see it. But one of the big concerns I
have
uh is the uh
the quality of work that they produce.
If you go to visit OKC and go to search
» 30 seconds remaining
» Type in the word vibrant you will come
up with 375
results. Elevate your event with the
vibrant energy of Oklahoma City Thunder
Britain District. Elevate your uh
neighborhood with vibrant murals,
LGBTQowned businesses. Support OKC's
LGBTQ owned businesses and welcoming
vibrant bars. I my gay friends would
never want to be called vibrant. They're
much more fabulous than that. Um and it
goes on and on and on and it just shows
that they're just dialing it in and not
even trying and taking $19 million.
I mean, we gave 80 million to the Omni
and taxes that come from that go to
these guys.
» Thank you.
» We can't do this. Uh I would prefer
flight agency get this. They would do it
for half and they wouldn't take an admin
fee.
» All right. Mari Williams.
» Good morning. My name is Mari Williams.
I've lived in the OKC Metro for my
entire life and I currently reside in
Ward 5. $19 million is a lot of money.
On the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of
Commerce website under their what we do
page, they state the education and
workforce development team promotes
higher education and a highquality
workforce and OKC through a variety of
programs. They list key legislative
issues they work on such as fundamental
education reform and increased
curriculum standards and graduation
requirements, but with no elaboration.
Of course, Oklahoma needs education
reform. We all know this. But how would
increasing graduation requirements and
overpacking curriculums help our
students with the current resources that
our schools have? Some of our middle and
elementary school children in our city
are testing as low as 10 and 12
proficiency in med in math and reading.
Why are we not funding these schools
directly more so that we're not cramming
45 kids into classrooms where our
overworked and underpaid teachers don't
have the physical resources or time to
help all of their students understand
the curriculum? The chamber also of
course puts a huge emphasis on
attracting new businesses to our city
and tourism. But I'd like to ask why is
making our city a better place for the
people that live here not a bigger
priority? I personally have been doing
outreach with unhoused people in OKC for
almost almost every week for a year now.
And I've met so many incredible people
who would love to be an accepted member
of this community again. People who have
had awful life experiences that led them
to where they are. And people who have
been set up with nothing from the
beginning. I know a man named David who
has been homeless since he was 16 six
years old. He's in his 50s now. Another
man whose wife passed suddenly when he
wasn't able to quickly recover from the
grief. He lost his job. then the house
they shared, then their dog, then his
vehicle. A young woman let go during
COVID who subsequently lost her
apartment and has been on the streets
ever since. I also know a couple named
April and Shane who have been trying to
get housing and employment while
sleeping in a tent. But this past Friday
night, something terrible happened to
them. In the middle of the night, two
cars were driving past the medium where
their tent was, where they were
sleeping. A car collided into a truck
which jumped over a median and ran over
their tent, crushing April and Shane. I
spoke to their neighbor who described
April's screams while under the truck as
gut-wrenching. I have photos of the skid
marks on the curb and the spot where
their tent and all they owned used to
be. Now April is in a wheelchair from
her injuries. So I would like to ask the
council, would it not be of economic
interest to actually help people like
this get back on their feet and have the
opportunity to reintegrate into our city
and be off of the streets? Would it not
be a bit benefit tourism if our most
vulnerable people had helped and weren't
left to do what they had to do to
survive? Would it not be in the city's
best interest to start getting unhoused
people into housing programs now before
we have the Olympics being hosted on our
river right next to downtown and running
through South OKC? I'll end by saying
that I know that our city having a
chamber of commerce is absolutely
necessary, but an almost 400% budget
increase from 2009 when the majority of
our hardworking people are living
paycheck paycheck to paycheck is
deplorable. Thank you for your time.
» Thank you. Uh, Jessica Scott,
» 317, Delmare Rodell City. I'm here to
ask why $19 million giveaway is on the
consent docket. $19 million of taxpayer
money is just thrown in the consent
docket like some small insignificant
afterthought.
Is it because we wanted to hide this
exchange of money in to the Chamber of
Commerce, or is it because $19 million
of taxpayer money is unimportant to the
council? I don't come here often, but I
see these giveaways to the Chamber of
Commerce pretty frequently. Executive
bonuses, fees to process bonuses, or
whatever charge people come up with for
the month. And time and time again, it
just seems to get passed without pause
for concern, without any push back or
questioning of the countless absurd and
unnecessary charges. The people of this
city, who are working two jobs to make
ends meet, would like to know how giving
the Chamber of Commerce $19 million more
dollars of their tax money will help
improve their lives, or will it not? Is
that why it's in the consent docket? So,
I'm asking you to vote no on this,
asking you to stop hiding these in the
consent docket and informing you that
Oklahoma City residents are becoming
aware of this. And also, you know, just
to add on to what Steve was saying
earlier, um you know, as Oklahoma City
Council, it's your job to
uh be careful with the taxpayer money um
that you're in charge of. And allowing
allowing charges to process a bonus is
insane.
It's just like it's not fiscally
responsible. it's not
being careful with taxpayer money um to
not only give them these huge amounts of
money, but then they charge
they charge this city to take the money
and I've never seen anything like that
before and so um I hope that you would
consider take into consideration these
things before doing this. Thank you.
» Thank you. And the final uh item that a
resident has signed up to speak
regarding is item DN and Steve Hunt.
This is just a quick statement on this
item in this uh contract renewal to ADG
BLAT. First, I'd like to say I'm
grateful that we're using a local firm
uh for administration uh of maps 4. I
spoke recently about the administration
of the arena uh contract being a CIA
icon which has an office in Colorado,
but their ownership is in France. uh
Artemis. Uh
I mentioned that the the guy that owns
it's married to Selma Mahayek, which is
he's living pretty good and we're
helping. Um so I I noticed that this is
the seventh uh iteration. Um the
original contact was contract was 1.475.
The second was 1.199.
The third was 2.463 million. The third
uh the next one was 1.562 million. The
next was 2.6 784 million. The next was
2.193 million. And then the next one was
2.924
million for a total of 14,61,761.98.
So just kind of wanted to get that out
there. Um people are wondering where
what's up with these contracts.
um you know the 390,000 on the uh
Chamber of Capitalism's contract is
actually 2% of the total and I had
mentioned that the French private equity
firm was charging 2% of the total arena
costs and you know the uh the dude with
the long hair came up and talked about
how it was for additional things and I
said it was for keeping up with the 2%
charge of the overall arena and it turns
out after study both are group. So, put
those extra things in and then charged
an extra 2%. So, I just want to get that
out there that we're paying this. Again,
thanks for giving it to a local firm. I
don't know if 14 million is is a lot of
money if we need to be more efficient,
but yeah, thanks and great discussion so
far. It's been a good day.
» That concludes um everything we've uh
got in front of us for the consent
docket and now we could take up all of
the remaining items except for item A,
which was previously approved.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously. Uh, next up is item
10, the concurrence docket. And we can
take items A through double A with one
motion.
Have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously.
Uh item 11 A is well item 11 are items
for individual consideration. And item
11 A is an ordinance on final hearing.
It was recommended for approval
reszoning 4912 North Bartell Road from
double A to RA A2. Councilman
Pennington, no one has signed up to
speak. Thank you, mayor. This is just a
um simple application to add some more
residential um housing on Barto Road,
and I happily move approval.
All
right, we have a motion and a second.
Cast your votes.
Passes unanimously. Okay. Items B, C, D,
and E were all previously deferred,
which brings us to item F. Uh, an
ordinance on final hearing that was
recommended for approval reszoning 2331
Northwest 18th from R2 to SPD 1798.
Councilwoman Hammond, no one is sent to
speak.
» Thank you. Yes, this is an application.
Originally, I believe it was for a
little bit higher density, but after
some meetings with the neighborhood, um
the applicant has amended it to be just
two single family residences, um and I
think they were able to come to a happy
um compromise. So, I will move for
approval.
Have a motion, a second. Cast your
votes.
passes unanimously.
Item 11 G is an ordinance on final
hearing that was recommended for
approval reszoning 501 Northwest 30th
from R2 to SPD1823.
Councilman Cooper has stepped out. We'll
come back. Um,
item H is an ordinance on final hearing
recommended for approval resoning 14301
South Rockwell from DA to SPD 1824. Uh,
Councilwoman Avers is no one to speak.
» Okay,
we have a motion and a second. cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously. Item I is an
ordinance on final hearing recommended
for approval resounding 111 Northwest 14
from C4 NHL to SPD1828
NHL. Councilwoman Hammond, no assigned
to speak.
» Yes. Can the applicant please um just
come give us a little bit of a overview
of this project and um kind of the I
know it's been [clears throat] through a
lot of process with various commissions.
So just like a little description.
» Absolutely. Jessica Boy with Johnson and
Associates representing the applicant.
The application before you today is for
a multif family development. Uh so this
block is very interesting. There are no
residential homes on this block. Um so
what we are looking to do is to
redevelop it, redevelop it, add this
building. Um, architecturally it will be
in line with the uh surrounding
structures and we are uh currently it is
most of it's vacant and a lot of this is
zoned C4 which is very interesting.
That's a very high that's our highest
density commercial use in Oklahoma City
and it's also a zoning district that has
not been is not approved um today at
all. So what we are looking to do is to
redevelop the site. Um, we have a day
spa immediately adjacent to us and uh
the HP and planning commission both
recommended approval.
» Thank you. Um, yes, I'm happy to move
for approval.
» All right, we have a motion in a second.
Cast your votes.
» Thank you.
» Passes unanimously. Now we'll go back to
item G. Councilman Cooper, this was uh
reszoning 501 Northwest 30th from R2 to
SPD1823.
No one has signed up to speak.
» Thank you, Mayor. Um, would the
applicant mind
visiting with us and describing this
project and then I'm going to have a
couple questions and comments.
» Sure. David Box, 525 Northwest 11th
Street here on behalf of the applicant.
Um this is a small multif family project
at 30th and Walker. Uh it's a
three-story. We limited the uses of
planning commission as well as the the
total number of dwelling units. Uh there
was discussion about uh the seventh
dwelling unit and so that seventh
dwelling unit is limited to uh a certain
use unit and that being ground floor. So
uh we believe it to be compatible with
the area. It is the same developer that
is developing the apartments at the what
would be the southwest corner of 30th
and Hudson. Um it's in an area obviously
with the PO and the commercial exists to
the east and to the southeast uh that we
believe density to be appropriate not
just because of what the area represents
but also it is fully in line with the
comprehensive plan.
» Thank you. Would you mind uh going back
to Yes. this image right here. Um
and this there are going to be a series
of questions. This might be a good time
for public works director uh Miller to
join us because I council, you might
recall there's a streetscape that's
under construction in this area. And uh
I'd like to hear a little bit first
about that streetscape and then I'd like
to hear about
where should council approve this item
today. What is its next step? Where
would it go from there?
» At Debbie Miller, public works director.
Um the Walker Streetscape is under
construction. It goes from Northwest
23rd up to 32nd. Um we're putting in
sidewalks and lighting on both sides and
a couple of rain gardens um as a trial.
So that is under construction and this
is within the area that we are doing the
streetscape. So what we would do is we
would just resurface up to where their
parking starts. I mean there are some
questions that we'll need to work out
with them or some issues with the
parking on how many spaces and the angle
and the distance out. And then also
there may be an issue with the sidewalk.
We may need an easement for that to be a
public access sidewalk.
And then is it is my understanding
correct that
should council approve this proposal,
the next step would be a visit for the
applicant to our city's traffic
commission.
» Yes, they would have to take it to
traffic commission for angle parking and
for the ADA space.
» Okay. Thank you. So,
let me preface
my uh remarks by saying that um density,
especially gentle density, is something
that I uh advocate. I'm excited uh when
I see it. I think this location makes a
lot of sense for it. Uh my concern
are about three-fold. One is process.
It's confusing to me.
This item would appear
at planning, then city council, then
traffic commission. In my mind,
because this proposal is putting forth,
here's where parking is going to go. Um,
I really feel like that should have been
worked out at the planning commission
maybe level or after planning go to
traffic commission before it comes to
city council. And so I'm just very
confused why that is the process would
be my first question.
» I can answer that.
» Go ahead. We can't get approval for
parking as part of the project without
entitlements to go build the project
because if we don't get approved to
build the project to city council
through an ordinance on a zoning case,
we don't want to independently build
parking for nothing along Walker.
This is the the way the process works
every single time. What you see in this
image is simply we're we're forecasting
what we'd like to see on Walker. The
bold black line is the outline of the
property. The legal description is just
that. Nothing about the approval here
does anything as it relates to the
parking along Walker. That will be a
wholly separate discussion at the
traffic commission. But in terms of
process, you would never go forward and
get parking approved for a project that
isn't a real project because it's not
approved to the city council.
» I hear what you're saying. I don't know
if city manager would like to speak to
that as well.
» Well, I I would agree. I think I think
the issue would be if the project isn't
here that I mean, you could go to the
planning commission to get parking, but
there wouldn't be a purpose for it at
that time. And so, I think I think it's
just it's the order that I understand it
creates a confusion here of like what
happens if you don't get this parking,
right? Do you approve this first and
then that parking doesn't happen? Do
they have sufficient parking to meet the
requirements?
» Right. And here are my concerns about
and again I think Matthew is doing
really smart work in terms of infill and
uh increasing the density where it's
appropriate. I think this area is an
appropriate area for that entity. I
think my concerns and it I do hear what
both of you are saying about the process
but now here at the council level I have
to decide whether or not to approve this
uh when there are a couple factors. So,
one, um,
the streetscape, right, is trying to
make this street safer for pedestrians,
vehicles, and people riding a bike,
right? And so, I'm worried that this
sort of parking, this angled parking
across from where you have the parking
on the east side of the street,
I'm worried about the safety for someone
on a bicycle.
And I know this council has had some
discussions, we'll call them, about
bicycles and where they are appropriate
on which streets, but if they're not
appropriate on Walker between
neighborhoods and I don't even know what
we're doing anymore. [laughter]
Um, this is my neighborhood. I bike here
all the time. All the time. Um, so it's
just kind of difficult to um, you know,
just sign off on this project right now
when in my mind there should have been a
conversation prior to this council about
where parking should go here,
particularly as it relates again to
someone on a bike
who's not just doing this for
recreation. Like I live in this area. I
biked here today. I live in this area
because of the bike biking possibilities
to get to work or to school, right? It's
not just, you know, a recreation thing.
Secondly, you know, on the right night
of the week, parking in this area, if
you have a bunch of cars that are parked
at that intersection on the east side or
the west side, I worry about congestion.
I'm just saying that there are some
concerns here. The additional thing I
would say and bike safety, car safety,
uh or rather people in cars more
concerned about their safety than the
car itself. Uh the other thing that I'm
you know concerned with is with the
streetscape. The whole purpose of this
streetscape is to make this area uh more
pedestrian friendly. If I'm
understanding this right,
to accomplish what you all are wanting
to do with the 60deree angled parking,
we would have to reduce the sidewalk
from what is to be 6 ft to 5T. And it,
you know, I when possible, I'd like to
see the wider possibility, especially on
a street called Walker, [laughter]
right? If if there was ever going to be
a street where pedestrian and walking
are important. Um, so again, I think I
think Matthew's doing great work. I just
and I would have preferred there had
been some way for this to um have been
worked out before it got to this body.
» Um, because it all ultimately matters.
The the literal uh proposal that
Councilwoman Hammond just had in front
of her, you all saw. My preference would
be no parking on the street. Let me just
say that. maximalist. Like that is my
position here. There should be no
parking on the street. And I keep
hearing people say uh we can't do away
with parking in these sorts of places.
Maybe the day will come where people
won't drive a car, but that day is not
today. Well, not with that attitude,
right? Like we have to start building
for the city that we want. And we are
sending council members from this body
to Salt Lake City to go research their
transit system so that we can have a
better connected system by public
transit, whatever your options are,
bike, car,
etc. Um, and so, you know, adding
parking here on the street just sort of
worries me where in the previous
proposal you saw that the parking was
behind the building. And so I don't
understand why that's not happening
here. Uh maybe my only option is to
voice all of this so that when it goes
to the traffic commission, my
commissioner and that body are aware of
these concerns, but you know, I've
already spoken to him and one of his
concerns is the order of the process
here and that this is not the first time
that something like this has happened.
So this is not just my concern.
» So we do have parking on site. We're
we're getting hung up on the parking
that is nothing about the vote today
touches in any sort of way the parking
on Walker. It is outside of the legal
description. It is not part of the SPUD.
It's simply showing that, you know, if
we're going to have retail that is
successful, we think some element of
parking in a manner that's safe with
pedestrian, safe with bicycles, safe
with vehicular would be appropriate.
similar to what is existing to the east
of us and to the southeast of us. All of
those commercial businesses have
parking. But whatever it looks like
through your public works director,
through your traffic and transportation
commission, whatever they say the rules
are is what we'll have to follow. But
absolutely nothing about this touches or
dictates the parking if it were to occur
along Walker. The question before you
is, is a multif family development that
is consistent with the comprehensive
plan appropriate on this site?
» I hear that and you and I talked about
that yesterday. My
my note of caution here is that this
rendering puts forth a parking plan. But
I hear what you're saying, David, but it
puts forth a parking plan. It says this
is how we will meet the demand of the
residents who not just shop here but
live here, right? You have four on-site
parking like on your private property
and then you have these on the street.
So clearly this proposal is relying on
the on street parking to help meet the
needs of the people who live there.
» We think it would make it a successful
um at least the retail component of it.
So this is spud number 1,823.
The reason that there's a conceptual
site plan is because the ordinance
requires it. If you looked at all 1,822
SPUDs, my guess is almost all of them
have site plans that once fully
developed weren't perfectly consistent
with the site plan that was approved as
part of it. The ordinance specifically
calls it a conceptual site plan. So yes,
this is what we'd like to do, but of
course it's subject to perhaps your
public works and perhaps perhaps the
traffic commission say no, we don't like
it. Here's what the rules need to be and
we'll work within the confines of that.
» And the only thing I would add too,
Councilman, is once we go to traffic
commission, that item will come to the
council and the council also has the
authority to make a decision that's
contrary to the planning comm I mean the
traffic commission. if the traffic
commission approved it in a way that the
council didn't agree, you know, the
whole council didn't agree with.
» See, I didn't even that that step like
so that's another step. So, I didn't
even know that that was, you know, part
of it. I just there's Okay, that's fine.
uh fine enough. But I would encourage uh
the city manager's office to if if again
if it's not just my concern, if my
traffic commissioner is having this
concern, if my planning commissioner is
having this concern, and both of them
are, then I just think that that's worth
rethinking
the process, like I don't like having to
negotiate parking up here for a zoning
case. Um and I would challenge any
developer going forward applicant and I
hear what you're saying David like when
we are doing infill missing middle
housing in the urban core in W 2. It is
really worth our time to rethink
the parking location. I biked here this
morning from just a couple blocks away
from this proposal to the BRT on 31st in
class and it took me 4 minutes to do
that. It was no time at all. hopped on
the BRT, got to city hall. They were
even making fun of me because I got here
before the council meeting started that
way. It was better than me driving. So,
I'm just saying like it's we've got to
rethink
how we are positioning parking and the
applicant in W 6 just did. So, that's
just a challenge that I would put forth
to anyone watching thinking about infill
and missing middle development. And then
Craig, city manager, to your point about
this coming back to council, part of my
concern is if the traffic commission
comes back and they're like, "Well, this
is fine." And then this council's like,
"Well, the traffic commission said this
is fine." But
I live in this neighborhood and I was
literally just looking at notes from the
losing campaign and my two winning
campaigns. And I am telling you, Walker,
when I knock doors, the concern is about
pedestrian safety. people with
strollers. And I don't know, this is no
shade to the rest of the council
members, but I know this area. I know it
like my DNA. And I worry that people
might go, "Well, the traffic commission
and Rob's my commissioners already
thinking the way I am." But maybe the
other commissioners don't because they
don't live in and represent some of the
most densely populated parts of town.
And they might think, "Yeah, well, when
I go someplace, I drive." And I'm just
that's my worry is that there are just
limits on what I can do in terms of
representation of this part of town when
people are asking me to count I think of
Councilwoman Avers I would never I'm not
again I'm not for like street widenings
that's not something I love but that is
something her residents say that they
want out there. You see what I mean? And
so that's something she hears and that
is something that a majority on this
council also has a lot of their uh words
that think about street widenings. But a
majority on this council don't think
about because it's not their parts of
town narrowing roads, the necessity of
sidewalks, the necessity of parking
that's behind buildings and putting the
sidewalk and the building right up
against each other the way grandpa and
grandma did during the main street days
a 100 years ago. So, that's my concern
is that this is going to just come right
back and then we won't have like I'm
just going to be outvoted if I if the
traffic commission
I'm sorry I'm just taking time on this
because this is something I hear from my
residents. So,
» But but I think I think the same issue
is true right now that if you had
concerns with this you would have you
know we'd have to the rest of the
council would have to vote with you on
this like if you didn't want to move
forward with this because of parking
concerns the same issue would be there
when you come forward if there's a
parking item. We don't typically have a
lot of debate on the parking items, but
we just haven't had an issue like this
that was sensitive that was raised with
the council and brought to their
attention. So, I think in fairness,
you're right. You it has to be the whole
council and there's nothing in our
process would ever change that it's not
going to be these bodies approving it.
But, I do think it's like sharing what
the concerns on and why why the concerns
are there um and trusting the judgment
uh of the body. Well, hopefully, and I
appreciate the way you're saying that,
hopefully, council, the way I'm
articulating this by noting what I hear
are your concerns within your words
about the necessity for widening roads
that I would never in a million years
use funding to do. But because you all
hear that, I end up going along with it.
And I am imploring this council to hear
me when I tell you that the residents in
Central Park, Jefferson Park, PO,
um, Edgemeir, they tell me that Walker
needs to be safer for pedestrians and
having an intersection here where you
have all of these cars just park park
and then people biking north and south
here while meanwhile the city is
investing millions of dollars in the
streetscape. I go to weekly update
meetings about this streetscape and we
are doing such important work over here
and I just want to make sure again I
it's important for Matthew to know I
support this project. I just want it to
be done as responsibly as possible. So
» We hear you
» Councilman. I would wonder if they if
maybe the applicant could provide some
conceptual renderings and maybe consider
parallel parking along that space cuz
I'm not one to like let's take out
landscaping, but it does seem like if
you if you did alter the landscaping
that there'd be a little extra room and
you could probably fit some parallel
parking there. So, I just wonder if
that's an option to explore.
» I I think there's
» Recognize you might not be able to make
pro promises right now.
» All options are on the table. I mean,
we'll have to go through civil engineers
to draw it out and all that, but again,
this is just kind of shown as
conceptual. When we get to that phase of
it, we'll we will work with traffic
staff, traffic commission, and whatever
is deemed to be the the safest and best
that that's what we'll move forward
with. I think councilwoman puts forth a
good idea and then I would just
encourage you and the applicant to
revisit this rendering to rethink
where parking could go in a way that
fits with a street that is getting a
streetscape that is prioritizing
walkability, bikeability, and the safety
of vehicles. Um,
» What I am convinced of is it'll be much
better done than the uh developer to the
east with no landscaping and
» Oh, hey, trust me. I have my critiques.
They're they're quite there, but that
would be my encouragement. Um, and keep
me involved as appropriate.
» We got
» What is there now? Just a curb.
» What's that?
» What is there now? Just a curb.
» Yes, sir.
» Okay. Well, thank you for hearing that,
David. Thank you, city manager. Thank
you, council, for hearing that as well.
So with those noted concerns, I would
move for approval.
» All right, we have a motion and a
second. This is item G. Cast your votes.
» Thank you.
» Passes unanimous. Now we're back in
order on item J.
» That was for
» Um this is a ordinance on final hearing
that was recommended for approval
resoning 5235 North Lincoln from O2 UD
and HNO to SPD1 1829 UD and HNO.
Councilman Pennington knowing his sign
to speak.
» Thank you, Mayor. um excited to bring
this new um uh medical manufacturing
facility right here on Lincoln in W 7
and I move approval.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously.
Item K is an ordinance on finally
hearing that was recommended for
approval reszoning 225 North Indiana
from R2 and I2 to SPD 1833. Councilwoman
Hammond no one decided to speak.
» Yes, this is um some infill development.
Yeah, I'll have second Indiana and I am
happy to move for approval.
We have a motion and a second. cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously. Item L is an
ordinance on final hearing recommended
for approval that uh reszones 1107
Northwest 42nd Street from C4 to SPD
1836. Councilman Cooper, no one is
signed to speak.
» Is the applicant's representative or
applicant here?
» Okay. Well, this was uh recommended for
approval, so I will go along with that.
Have the motion in a second. Cast your
votes.
Passes unanimously.
Item M is an ordinance on final hearing.
It was recommended for approval closing
a single bypass portion of North Bartell
Road uh near Northeast 50th. Councilman
Pennington know.
» Thank you, Mayor. Um this is I think an
improvement to this intersection and I
move approval.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
passes unanimously.
Okay. 11 in1 is the public hearing
regarding the dilapidated structures
here listed except for those previously
struck. Amy, has anyone signed up to
speak?
» No, they haven't.
» We have not. So, we'll advance to the
resolution founded in two declaring that
the structures are dilapidated.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
passes unanimously. Item 1101 is a
public hearing regarding unsecured
structures here listed except for those
previously struck. Amy, has anyone
signed up to speak?
» No, they haven't.
» So, we'll advance to the resolution then
found at O2 declaring structures are
unsecured.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
passes unanimously. 11 P1 is the public
hearing regarding the abandoned building
here listed. One of them was previously
struck. Uh Amy, has anyone signed to
speak under this public hearing?
» No, they have not.
» They have not. So advance to the
resolution declared that the building is
abandoned.
Have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
passes unanimously.
All right. Item uh Q1 is an extension of
our collective bargaining agreement with
the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 123.
Uh executive session is not requested by
staff.
[snorts]
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
» [clears throat]
» Passes 5 to one. Uh item R1 is a
resolution authorizing the firm Pierce
Couch Hendrickson Basinger and Green to
represent municipal employee Chance
Alexander in the case of Ewa Yode versus
City of OKC. Executive session is not
requested.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
passes 5 to one. Uh, now we have item S.
This is an executive session to discuss
collective bargaining negotiations for
fiscal year 2627 with the FOP, IIAF, and
ASME. Um, we'll just take a vote to go
into executive session, but we'll handle
that at the end of our other business.
So, for now, the vote.
We have a motion and a second. Cast your
votes.
passes unanimously.
Uh, item T was previously struck, which
brings us to item U, claims recommended
for denial. Executive session is not
requested. We could take the claims uh,
as a group.
We have a motion and a second.
Cast your votes.
Passes unanimously.
All right. Item 12 are comments from
council. Word two.
» Thank you, mayor, and congratulations on
your I Well, oh no, you did drama when
you were in high school, I believe,
somewhere in there, but u I'm understand
Lyric Theater had you [laughter]
» Recently walked to the boards again.
Yes. Thank you.
» So, thanks for paving the way because I
got to join uh former state senator Kay
Floyd
» A couple days later. Um, I was not a
theater kid. It was film. Um, so I got
to uh join that uh have that experience
with her. And her experience I learned.
So we did a Q&A. I'm guessing you all
did prior.
» And during the Q&A I learned that state
senator Floyd working with a Republican
colleague in the legislature. They were
able to designate Oklahoma's lyric
theater as the official theater of the
state of Oklahoma. And so that was that
was some cool history that I did not
know.
Uh, so and Judge Me as Judge Will. I had
never seen Annie, so that was my first I
know I knew the Jay-Z song and that was
about as far as it went. Um, but I just
want to thank Lyric for that experience
and for inviting uh so many elected
officials uh to join them for that. Um,
I also wanted to say thanks to Crown
Heights, Douglas, oh, sorry, Crown
Heights and Edgeir Heights for inviting,
uh, some electeds to their Fourth of
July parade. Uh, that Saturday morning,
uh, I got to sit in as a judge, which
I've done every year since I've taken
office. Um, [clears throat]
and then also to uh Edgemeir uh because
uh right afterwards they had a
neighborhood barbecue and it was just
really nice to get to hang out with uh
those two uh neighborhoods. And uh
that's all I have for you.
» All right, board three.
» I'll just give a quick shout out. um
Robin Jones here representing the West
10 district earlier today and I just
want to give kudos to that district and
the investment that our community's made
in beautifification and improving areas
and I really appreciate the leadership
that she and her sister have made in in
the West 10 district and the whole
board. Um but she did make an illusion
to a history series that they've been
hosting at Castle Falls and they're
typically running around a hundred
people per event and uh just some great
cool Oklahoma history of Oklahoma City
and its infancy. So I would encourage
you if you're a history buff or
interested in that to check out Castle
Falls in the West 10 district work
there.
» Thank you. Work for [clears throat]
Thank you, mayor. Thank you for calling
her out because I was as she was
speaking u I was very appreciative of
that and I had some questions but it had
nothing to do with what she was doing.
So I just wanted to apply that. And then
u Councilman Cooper evidently you didn't
see me lyric Theater. No,
» You did it, too.
» Yeah, it was like 50 years ago.
» Okay. [laughter]
» You might have missed it, but you know,
congratulations, mayor. That was very
awesome. So, thank you.
» Whoa, whoa, whoa. But you were in a show
50 years ago.
» What?
» Oh, yeah. I I worked at Lyric Theater,
Oklahoma Theater Center, Jewel Box, all
of those. It was fantastic. Really fun.
» All right. Well, we'll have to explore
that.
» I don't think we had videos back then.
That's probably a super eight or
something.
» Uh, word five.
» He was the third mushroom from the lift.
» That is that it for word five. Word six.
» That's it for word five. Um, I'd just
like to thank the housing authority, um,
their staff, Lilyfield, um, family
services. Uh, I think it was last
Monday. I had the pleasure attending um
their sort of celebration for their
early action project through the choice
um neighborhoods initiative. Um for
those not familiar and maybe a refresher
if you are familiar the choice
neighborhoods is a housing and urban
development program that um the housing
authority has applied to for Will Rogers
courts. I [music] believe we're still
waiting on a response about how that
grant is going, but um we did get a
planning grant through them and over the
last few years they have been working um
with a consultant and some local um
putting together a lot of local partners
who were also present um last Monday.
And one of the components of the
planning grant is an early action event
to um invest in the the the area um to
to do something that shows that um that
action can happen um based on what
they've heard from residents and and
neighborhood um groups. Um specifically
they they've uh wanted to sort of
improve the this parking lot area at
South Rotary Park where a lot of folks
tend to do like burnouts. um it wasn't
really like well maintained or kept up,
you know, just sort of the regular
mowing that happens um through the parks
department. But now it has some art,
some color, um a new sort of median
space that can be um a gathering space
as well as um sort of a deterrent to
that kind of um doing those donuts um
activity. Um as well as some space for
like food trucks um different partner,
you know, Goodwill's um mobile van was
there parked in that space. I know the
um city county health department's food
truck van um uh pantry van goes around
and and that's a one of their sites. So
now they'll have like a really nice um
queuing area and space that um works a
lot better for that that sort of
activity. Um and it was just a really
lovely event. Lots of folks out and
about. Um it was very hot, so I was
amazed that they had the turnout they
did. Um but it was really nice to see
that space activated as well as um get
to tour Lilyfield's new community center
that's just across the street. Um which
is also a um a part of that early action
project. And um we're crossing our
fingers that we we get the the grant,
but um really just appreci appreciative
of um the implementation grant, I should
say, but really appreciative of the
housing authority um and all those
partners that are really coming together
to support the neighbors there, find
those, you know, ways to support folks
um getting into different types of
employment, supportive services like
through family supports and um all the
the youth programming that Lilyfield has
is really exciting for the area. So just
want to prov uh yeah share those
appreciation and um if you go look at
the housing authorities I social media
you should see some pictures from the
event. It was a really really great
time.
» Thank you 7.
» Thank you mayor. Just just want to say
quickly addressing some of the comments
that were made to this council earlier
today regarding um the hotel motel tax
and the convention and center uh
visitors bureau.
I'm not going to address whether or not
the chamber is the appropriate person to
administer um our convention and visitor
services. Seems appropriate to me
personally, but I think it's up to
debate if you agree with that or not.
What I do want to address is the
comments from one of our residents that
is concerned that our spending is not
towards other per spending on the this
hotel motel tax is not towards other
social services that both me and the
speaker think are great expenses for
this city. We are expending the funds
that the voters said we have to spend it
this way. That's why. So I just want to
be clear. I I appreciate that there are
a lot of people who are hurting in our
city. I also appreciate that our city
does a lot of work to try to make it
better and improve it. And that's why
we're here. That's why all of us serve.
And so in some of these more um in these
challenging times, I think it's
important for us to remember what
commitments we've actually made. The
voters told us to do this, so that's why
we're doing it. Again, um I know that
there are other priorities that are
important, and I think we're trying to
work towards how we address those social
concerns, too. So, just worth noting.
» Okay. Thank you. That concludes uh
comments from council. forward. Item 13,
citizens to be heard. And I'd remind
everybody to uh state your name and
address, keep your remarks to 3 minutes
or less, and you'll be warned when you
have 30 seconds left. First up is Steve
Hunt.
Steve Hunt, 6300 West Drive. Uh first of
all, I want to say Mayor Hold, it's an
honor for you staying for citizen
presentations today. You don't normally
do that, and it's great to see you. Um I
want to thank you all for bringing up
Decard. Uh I didn't see that on the
agenda. I've been noticing a lot of SAS
uh meddling lately with uh specifically
Granicus that owns Prime Gov. Uh they
are now owned by a private equity firm.
The initial contract with the city was
50,000. It is now 300,000.
And also um consent docket. I I was
looking at the municipal charter to see
what was allowed to be put in the
consent docket. And basically the way it
works is you can do whatever you want
because the mayor dictates how it works.
Um, and I noticed that Munichode is now
also owned by private equity. So, this
$75,000 to Decard is going to probably
be 150, 200, 300 in in the future. So, I
thank you all for for mentioning that.
Um, awesome. I'm still at three minutes.
Uh,
okay. Um, yeah. And what I wanted to to
talk about uh regarding the um the
chamber contract is that yes, it was
voted on by the people, but the the
campaign was run by the chamber and it
was held during a time of year that was
outside of primary season. They always
have special elections when they don't
want the masses to come out and vote so
they can specifically target their
people. I thought it was funny that the
uh Oklahoma had an article about me and
Matthew Polaris uh saying that and and
it was Dave's friend Pat McFaren. It was
not verified or denied by uh the
Oklahoma reporter, but it was Pat
McFaren said Steve Hunt cost the
taxpayers $350,000
by forcing a unnecessary election. And I
was like, what the hell?
you all had a a special election for the
hotel tax, for the fix the jail
campaign, for the arena. That's over a
million dollars, but I'm the one that
gets mentioned in the Oklahoma and it's
like, oh my god, what the what planet is
this? Um, [clears throat]
lastly, uh, uh, I'll I'll try not to
mess with the time there. Um, last
thing, my main concern is that this
brings about an enormous inefficiency
when the chamber dictates who gets what
contracts and and the greatest example
is the Thunder TV and radio. I spoke
about uh Main Street uh sports, which
was the revived corpse of Diamond Sports
is now insolvent. They no longer exist.
They thought they were going to be able
to sell to a a a UK Saudi group, but it
was such a piece of crap that it's
dissolved. Now, Cumulus, who does the
Thunder Radio, is handed over to their
creditors. I spoke with people in the
FCC. They're not going to renew the
licensing uh for the creditors until
after Thunder starts. So, again, we need
to think about giving the Thunder rights
to Perry Broadcasting or another local
group. I know that you all don't dictate
that, but you do influence it. I could
go on forever, but thanks so much for
the time.
» Thank you. Uh, Mari Williams.
» Good morning again. My name is Murray
Williams. I've lived in the OKC metro
for my entire life. I currently reside
in Ward 5.
I'm here to ask the council to please
not renew the Flock contract at your
next meeting. At the meeting on June
16th, I detailed multiple instances in
which Flock and its AI made mistakes
that traumatized innocent people and
cost cities money for lawsuit
settlements. There have also been
several cases where law enforcement has
used it to stalk romantic partners. The
company claims they perform 20 billion
scams of vehicles every month. All of
these files are held in a database for
at least 30 days. But it just does not
just detect license plate. It detects
people 30 days of your life at every
intersection, every errand. Every
predictable pattern is stored,
searchable, and charitable globally. No
warrant, no probable cause, no knock at
your door. You're not a suspect. You're
just driving and going about your normal
day. But Flock doesn't care. It takes
pictures anyway. It records you. It
tracks your movements because it can.
because someone sold the majority of
this council three years ago on the
illusion of safety. It's government
overreach to have this private company
holding all of this warrantless data
with full access given to police and
certain federal agencies across 49
states and other countries.
Over 40 municipalities have canceled or
paused their contracts with Flock since
early 2025. This system gives the
illusion of safety, but it's also used
to stalk ex-wives, harass protesters
exercising their First Amendment rights
and target certain religious communities
with discriminatory discriminatory
searches. Either these cameras are
undermining the freedom that they claim
to defend or they were never about
safety in the first place. They were
really about control and turning every
public road into a data corral where
your movements belong to belong to
whoever logs in first and can access
them.
Our innocent people are being actively
logged, branded, and filed. Please vote
to not renew the flock contract at this
next upcoming meeting. Thank you for
your time.
Thank you. Um, Lance Gil,
uh, Ibraham Moralsa,
Brady, Herrell,
Hello. Uh my name is Brady Herrell. I
live at 424 Colberg Drive. Uh and I'm
also here to talk about um uh flock
cameras. Um ALPR or automated license
plate reader surveillance technology
such as uh those paid for by taxpayers
in Oklahoma City by Flock. uh taking
photos, videos, and capturing audio from
microphones attached to these
polemounted cameras have proven a tool
of potential extensive abuse,
not just from city uh from cities uh
local officials uh who Oklahomaans uh
could expect to monitor. Um, Oklahoma
City has seen a dramatic increase in law
enforcement activity, particularly in
collaboration with federal agents such
as ICE. Uh, I'm confident the city
council knows that ICE agents have
repeatedly performed numerous arrests in
Oklahoma City, uh, reaching 10 to 15
arrests a day multiple times. Um June
27th, Oklahoma City saw a reported 30
ICE arrests, which was also uh reported
to be the first wave of an escalation
going into this month, July. Uh these
are uh people with no criminal records
except uh for crimes such as seeking
asylum. Um they are unconstitutionally
ripped away from families and lives that
uh often support the rest of us here in
the community and uh then sent over uh
to crowded detention centers for months
where they are um in very confusing
situations, forced to work or uh and uh
provided little opportunity to afford
calls to their families and lawyers. Uh,
flot cameras, particularly the more
advanced Condor camera with AI
controlled pan, tilt, zoom functions,
have been used to log behavior and
movement data of persons beyond the
vehicle they drive.
These cameras will follow a human
presence whenever detected. That means
tracking personal movement, people on
the streets, audio of anyone and
everyone who has traveled around the
technology. Every physically, everyone
physically in Oklahoma City is
experiencing an increased surveillance.
» 30 seconds remaining
» That is putting our neighbors in harm's
way and tracking data from immigrants to
citizens, uh, drivers and the unhoused.
We are all being monitored uh, rather
unnecessarily. Our neighbors are being
taken away and be uh just for being
driven to work or getting groceries. All
flack cameras and ALPRs should be
removed from Oklahoma City streets and
buildings. The flock cameras contract
should not be renewed. I encourage the
city council to respect the privacy of
our neighbors in Oklahoma City. Don't
renew the flock contract with uh the
city. Do not allow this increased
surveillance of Oklahoma's people. Uh
please uh please take down every camera.
Uh, thank you for your time.
» Thank you, Jessica Scott.
» Jessica Scott, 3017 Delmare, Del City,
and I'm here to also talk about flock
and ask you to not renew any contracts
next month. This is a bipartisan issue.
Republicans, Libertarians, Democrats,
independents
do not want um the government sur
surveillance uh tracking every movement
they make and the bumper stickers on
their car. I have not really seen
anybody, let alone a big crowd of people
that are advocating to be surveiled. Um,
and also I just want to note that this
doesn't even just affect Oklahoma City
residents. Um, I mean those of us who
live right out of city limits pretty
much have to go through Oklahoma City
all the time. And so it's affecting
a lot of people in the state. Um, right
now we're in the early stages of AI and
have no idea how it will affect us.
There's almost no regulations or
protections against AI as it begins
taking over almost every aspect of our
life. Flock the newer flock cameras use
AI. What protections does the city have
in place for that? Oklahoma City PD
seems to have zero protections for that.
No use policies, almost zero oversight.
It's not only reckless to renew these
contracts
um with the AI and everything that we
have going on, but it is extremely
unpopular. I'm sure you've seen around
the country um you know, residents
retaliating when city council goes
against them to vote for data centers. I
view this very much the same way
um with how unpopular it is. And also
the crazy thing is if if you are to use
your power to go against the people to
do this um you'd be giving your power
away because it's my understanding that
Flock can change their capabilities and
add new features without your approval,
without the city council's approval. So,
you wouldn't be able to guarantee
um that you're able to keep that in
check if they can just go around you to
rewrite those contracts
and these issues, especially in the
current political climate.
» Um, and like I said with AI, should be
more than enough to vote no on this at
the next meeting. But if you still
choose to, I hope that you really take
time to ensure that there is going to be
oversight and policies put in place
because as of right now, there's seems
to be almost no oversight or uh
protections for the residents of the
city. Thank you.
» Thank you, Kristen Schubel.
Hello, I'm Christian Schubel. I live in
W 2. Uh, I wanted to show you guys this.
You might recognize it.
This is Flock's logo. Uh, I work in
marketing, so maybe that's why I'm This
catches my attention. What I find
fascinating about this is if you didn't
know any better, you would think this
was Kashi or Patagonia or some all
natural brand good for the whole family,
but it's actually a surveillance
cameras, soon drones, and that tells me
a lot about how they want to be
perceived, and it makes me very
suspicious of them alongside all the
actions they've taken in recent years.
Um, a lot of people have made really
good points, so I don't want to belabor
those too much. Um, I did want to jump
to I was recently reading a speech from
2006. I fell down a wormhole in the
internet by Senator Widen. Uh, he was
talking about the careful balancing act
of protecting civil liberties while
fighting terrorism.
Uh he was explaining how there were
certain just in case mechanisms built in
to make sure we were checking back and
making sure we were safely approaching
this this uh tightroppe walk of checking
against civil liberties and fighting
terrorism. Uh he said if civil liberties
are not prominent in our thinking and
our governing our efforts could result
in the demise of the uniquely American
freedoms we seek to hope and maintain.
Now, our new surveillance technologies
aren't reserved terrorists. They're just
normal, mundane, day-to-day tools used
against American citizens without nearly
enough respect for the liberties at
risk, in my opinion. And uh like the
woman who spoke just before me said,
it's just getting started. This is just
the beginning. There's a lot more coming
down the pipeline.
uh as someone who grew up feeling very
optimistic about digital technologies
uh seeing it as seeing the internet as a
place where you can meet people from all
over the world learn all kinds of things
I feel like it's becoming completely
corrupted and purchased by people who
don't have people's best interest at
heart I do think the council here is is
different
um I think I'll just summarize by saying
I really think we should consider
modifying or cancelling our tract with
flock. Um, I also want to make a note
about state question 832.
» 30 seconds remaining.
» I'm going to read this real fast. Um, I
wanted to catch up with some of the
criticisms of why people didn't vote for
this because I am a supporter. One of
the criticisms was that it's connected
to the National Consumer Price Index.
Um, that made me wonder, well, what if
we had a local uh CPI, one for Oklahoma
City, uh, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and
Milwaukee, who have less residents than
we do, all have their own CPI. If that
is one of the things that's preventing
us from coming up with a minimum wage
that
uh that is actually
won't cause stagnation among our
essential workers. Sorry, I've got so
much little time. I'm just trying to
rush it all in there at once. Um, I want
to say why I supported this. 33% of
Oklahomaans make less than $15 an hour.
They include caregivers, bus drivers,
janitors, retail workers, receptionists.
All these people deserve the dignity of
an independent family life where they
don't need to constantly worry about one
surprise upending all their hard work.
I've been there and I don't wish it upon
anyone who's still stuck there. I I
really hope we revisit this question
locally. Thank you. All
» Right. Thank you. That concludes
citizens to be heard. We will now go to
the executive session we previously
approved and then we will return. Thank
We have concluded our executive session
and returned for item 14 adjournment.
And we are adjourned.