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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Broken Arrow City Council Meeting Summary - October 21, 2025

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, October 21, 2025

BodyBroken Arrow, Oklahoma

SessionMeeting Portal

DateTuesday, October 21, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:57:13

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

2:33

I don't know what to do.

2:40

Hi, call the Broken Arrow City Council meeting to order.

2:44

We have invocation by Pastor Chauncey.

2:48

I do not see him.

2:52

I would love for you to, sir.

2:55

All right.

2:56

Let us pray.

2:58

Lord, we come before you.

2:59

We thank you for this day.

3:00

We thank you for your many blessings, your graces, and your mercies you renew to us each day.

3:04

We thank you for the opportunity to come together in this place, Lord, and to serve as citizens of this great city.

3:09

We pray you would be with us, you would give us wisdom, you give us your leadership and your guidance, and you would order our steps.

3:15

And we trust you, and we thank you in all things in Jesus' name.

3:18

We pray.

3:27

Ford.

3:27

Here, Parks.

3:28

Here.

3:29

Wimpy.

3:30

Here.

3:30

Please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

3:57

All right.

3:58

Are there any items being removed from the consent agenda?

4:02

I'll make a motion that we approve the consent agenda as it stands.

4:06

Second.

4:18

All right.

4:19

Item seven public hearings, appeals, presentations, recognitions, and awards.

4:23

Seven A presentation of the resort results of the micro survey about the potential proposition to fund improvements to public sports facilities in Broken Arrow.

4:33

Thank you, Mayor.

4:34

Good evening.

5:00

Uh that will include about 400 million dollars worth of capital improvement projects.

5:02

That's going to be transportation, that's gonna be public safety, parks and recreation, public facilities, stormwater drainage, and a possible partnership with Tulsa City County Library System for a new library in South Broken Arrow.

5:13

That now leads us to the eighth proposition that may possibly be on the ballot, and that's gonna be at your discretion.

5:19

And at this time, we will get into the results.

5:23

So we wanted to know from folks.

5:25

We asked them to indicate their opinion about a temporary sales tax increase of half of one cent to help fund needed improvements to the sports facilities in Broken Arrow, and that temporary increase would expire after five years.

5:40

What we found was 68% of the people who responded did support said that they would support this proposition.

5:47

We have a total of 3,304 responses, and that uh 88% of those responses said that they were registered voters here in Broken Arrow.

5:56

If you're curious about how that relates to some of our other uh surveys that we've done, this is the third highest behind the the comprehensive survey that we did there at the beginning of 2024.

6:07

And uh one other one, I can't remember which one it was.

6:10

Um, but it's the third, so not bad of a really good response.

6:15

Whoop, go back one.

6:17

We asked a couple of demographic questions of folks.

6:20

One of those was do you have children under 17 living in your household?

6:24

And 54 percent said that they did.

6:28

We wanted to know how they responded.

6:32

Um, and so with those who said no to children under 17, 56 percent of them supported uh the proposition.

6:39

For those who said that they did have children under 17 um in the house, 78 percent of them supported the proposition.

6:47

We also asked about age demographics as well.

6:51

These these age categories here are listed in the order in the highest amount of participation, and 35 to 44 year olds represent about almost a third of the responses that we got.

7:02

And then you can see they're followed by 45 to 54 year olds, all the way down to 18 to 24 year olds who represented about one percent of the responses that we had.

7:11

All these age categories did respond in support of the proposition to fund uh to fund this potential proposition.

7:18

I've got technically and a little star there by it.

7:20

I'll explain that caveat here in just a little bit.

7:23

So now, how did they actually respond?

7:26

Well, we discovered that 80 percent of those between ages 35 and 44 they support the proposition.

7:32

66 percent of those between 45 and 54 years of age supported it.

7:37

65 to 74 years, it was split right down the middle as far as the uh percentages are concerned.

7:42

However, you've heard the adage that every vote matters if this petition, if this proposition does get on the ballot, it would be one of those that's 50 percent plus one in order to pass.

7:55

Support had five more votes than the opposition, and so once again, that's one of those things where every vote does matter when it comes to elections.

8:04

55 to 64 year olds, 60 percent supported, 79 percent uh support in 25 to 34 years, 57 percent support, 75 plus, and then 72 percent support 18 to 24 years old.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████████23%

Film Industry Promotion████████████████████20%

Procedural██████████████████18%

Parks and Recreation████████8%

Land Use Planning████████8%

Veterans Affairs█████5%

Fiscal Sustainability███3%

Public Safety███3%

Public Engagement██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Broken Arrow City Council Meeting - October 21, 2025

The Broken Arrow City Council convened on October 21, 2025, to review results from a voter preference survey regarding a potential sales tax proposition for public sports facility improvements, consider additional general obligation bond series, and address various municipal development and policy items. The meeting featured presentations on a new downtown master plan, the approval of a film festival, and the adoption of ordinances related to the Oklahoma Food Truck Freedom Act and municipal firearms carrying.

Consent Calendar

The consent agenda was approved unanimously with no items removed.

Public Comments & Testimony

Survey Participation: Council members thanked the public for high turnout at the third public forum, with 3,304 survey responses (88% from registered voters) indicating support for the sports facility proposition.
Film Industry Representatives: Cassidy Loonman (Red Clay Studios) invited council members to visit the set of the "Live Like That" movie and discussed the economic impact of film incentives.
Community Members: Concerns were raised regarding potential flooding and land use (e.g., dispensaries) on a specific zoning amendment property, prompting clarification from staff that no specific use had been proposed yet.
General Public: Several speakers congratulated Vice Mayor Wimpe and City Manager Spurgeon on their induction into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Honor and promoted upcoming Veterans and Pride of Broken Arrow marching band events.

Discussion Items

Item 7A: Public Sports Facilities Survey Results
- Director Shannon presented survey results showing 68% of respondents support a temporary half-cent sales tax increase to fund $400 million in capital improvements (transportation, public safety, parks) over five years.
- Counselor Green expressed full support for the proposition, citing the immediate need for facility improvements and the desire for construction to begin within five years rather than a decade.
- Council deliberated on adding this as a potential eighth proposition alongside six existing bond items. Staff noted that if passed, design would begin immediately.
Item 9B: New Municipal Services Building Subcommittee
- Director of Engineering Construction Charlie Bright proposed selecting two council members to serve on a subcommittee for the new city hall design at Washington and Main Street.
- Council members expressed varying positions: Councilor Green expressed a desire to serve on the committee to stay informed on the design process, while others preferred reviewing recommendations from the full council periodically rather than attending weekly technical meetings.
- A motion was passed to appoint Councilors Lisa (Green) and Justin to the subcommittee to engage in real-time design decision-making.
Item 9C/D: Bond Series Authorization
- Council discussed the remaining 2026 obligation bond package, aiming to reduce the total from $600 million to $404 million based on community priorities.
- Resolution 1711 (Series 2025 A, $13.795M) and Resolution 1712 (Series 2025 B, $2.5M for drainage) were approved to proceed toward a December closing.
Item 9F: Broadband Provider Regulation
- Assistant Attorney General Trevor Burrus clarified that the City can regulate broadband providers via permit fees but generally cannot impose franchise fees on pure information service providers (like Metronet) without a franchise agreement, as Oklahoma Constitution grants telephone companies (telecommunications providers) statewide franchises.
- Councilor Green expressed strong support for increasing accountability and permitting fees for all right-of-way users to address issues with sinkholes and lack of restoration.
- Councilor Spurgeon expressed caution regarding franchise fees, noting that such fees are passed on to consumers and may increase bills for non-franchised customers if not applied equitably.
- Staff was directed to review permitting fees and potential right-of-way rental fees.
Item 9G/H: Film Festival and Incentives
- Proposal Approvals: The council approved a $50,000 grant from hotel tax funds for the inaugural Broken Arrow Film Festival & Convention and a film rebate of up to $53,750 for the production "Live Like That Movie LLC."
- Presenters expressed strong positions that these events will significantly boost tourism, local spending, and community culture without requiring future city general tax dollars.
Item 9I: Comprehensive Plan Amendment
- Proposal Approval: A change to the comprehensive plan designation from Level 3 to Level 4 for 2.42 acres at Washington and Lin Lane Road was approved, aligning with surrounding CN (Community Neighborhood) commercial designations.
- Staff clarified that the property is currently unplatted and intended to be marketed for commercial use, with specific zoning to be determined by a future rezoning request.
Item 10 & 11 (Ordinances):
- Ordinance 3980 (Downtown Master Plan): Council approved the formation of a 18-20 member committee to study the next phase of the Rose District development.
- Ordinance 3898 (Food Truck Freedom Act): Adopted to comply with state law.
- Ordinance 3897 (Concealed Carry for Officials): Adopted to recognize the 2025 state law change allowing elected officials to carry concealed firearms.

Key Outcomes

Motion Passed: Authorization to add a potential eighth proposition to the April 7, 2026 ballot to fund public sports facility improvements via a half-cent sales tax, pending final package formulation by January 2026.
Appointment: Councilors Lisa (Green) and Justin appointed to the Municipal Services Building Subcommittee.
Resolutions Approved: Resolution 1711 ($13.795M) and Resolution 1712 ($2.5M) for General Obligation Bonds Series 2025 A and B.
Grants Approved: $50,000 for the Broken Arrow Film Festival Convention and up to $53,750 in incentives for "Live Like That" movie production.
Ordinances Adopted: 3894 (Food Truck Freedom Act), 3897 (Concealed Carry), and 3898 (Downtown Master Plan Committee formation).
Direction Given: Staff to investigate permit fees and right-of-way occupancy fees to increase accountability for utility providers (e.g., Metronet, Windstream).
Committee Formation: 18-20 member Downtown Master Plan committee to be finalized with two representatives per council member and other stakeholders.
Administrative: New Economic Development Director Travis Stevens introduced; Vice Mayor Wimpe and City Manager Spurgeon honored as Military Hall of Honor inductees.

Meeting Transcript

I don't know what to do. Hi, call the Broken Arrow City Council meeting to order. We have invocation by Pastor Chauncey. I do not see him. I would love for you to, sir. All right. Let us pray. Lord, we come before you. We thank you for this day. We thank you for your many blessings, your graces, and your mercies you renew to us each day. We thank you for the opportunity to come together in this place, Lord, and to serve as citizens of this great city. We pray you would be with us, you would give us wisdom, you give us your leadership and your guidance, and you would order our steps. And we trust you, and we thank you in all things in Jesus' name. We pray. Ford. Here, Parks. Here. Wimpy. Here. Please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. All right. Are there any items being removed from the consent agenda? I'll make a motion that we approve the consent agenda as it stands. Second. All right. Item seven public hearings, appeals, presentations, recognitions, and awards. Seven A presentation of the resort results of the micro survey about the potential proposition to fund improvements to public sports facilities in Broken Arrow. Thank you, Mayor. Good evening. Uh that will include about 400 million dollars worth of capital improvement projects. That's going to be transportation, that's gonna be public safety, parks and recreation, public facilities, stormwater drainage, and a possible partnership with Tulsa City County Library System for a new library in South Broken Arrow. That now leads us to the eighth proposition that may possibly be on the ballot, and that's gonna be at your discretion. And at this time, we will get into the results. So we wanted to know from folks. We asked them to indicate their opinion about a temporary sales tax increase of half of one cent to help fund needed improvements to the sports facilities in Broken Arrow, and that temporary increase would expire after five years. What we found was 68% of the people who responded did support said that they would support this proposition. We have a total of 3,304 responses, and that uh 88% of those responses said that they were registered voters here in Broken Arrow. If you're curious about how that relates to some of our other uh surveys that we've done, this is the third highest behind the the comprehensive survey that we did there at the beginning of 2024. And uh one other one, I can't remember which one it was. Um, but it's the third, so not bad of a really good response. Whoop, go back one. We asked a couple of demographic questions of folks. One of those was do you have children under 17 living in your household? And 54 percent said that they did. We wanted to know how they responded. Um, and so with those who said no to children under 17, 56 percent of them supported uh the proposition. For those who said that they did have children under 17 um in the house, 78 percent of them supported the proposition. We also asked about age demographics as well. These these age categories here are listed in the order in the highest amount of participation, and 35 to 44 year olds represent about almost a third of the responses that we got. And then you can see they're followed by 45 to 54 year olds, all the way down to 18 to 24 year olds who represented about one percent of the responses that we had.

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