Broken Arrow City Council Meeting - January 6, 2026

The Broken Arrow City Council convened on January 6, 2026, to review and approve a comprehensive 2026 Geobond package consisting of seven General Obligation propositions and one Temporary Sales Tax (Proposition 8). Key agenda items included establishing a Memorandum of Understanding for a new public library facility and finalizing the legislative framework for citizen voting on the bond measures in April. The meeting concluded with council remarks regarding an upcoming special session for the zoning code amendment and a brief discussion on infrastructure partnerships with Tulsa County.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval: The council approved the agenda as stated, with Mayor noting a partnership with Tulsa County to improve the intersection of New Orleans (Garnett) and Mingo, acknowledging the collaborative effort with Tulsa and Bixby.
• Resolution 1732: Approved the closure/foreclosure of a 2,000 square-foot easement at the intersection of Houston and Garnett as it is no longer needed for public purposes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Councillor Ford: Expressed appreciation for the Tulsa County partnership regarding the New Orleans/Mingo intersection improvements, highlighting the potential for future collaborative jurisdictional projects.
• Councillor Parks: Shared a personal anecdote supporting the new library initiative, stating the South Broken Arrow library was "full of activity" during a recent visit and commending the staff for their "incredible" assistance, countering previous comments about low activity.
• Councillor Green: Asked for clarification on the timeline for the $4 million reimbursement to the Library Commission, suggesting an amendment to set a "no later than" date of December 31, 2030, to ensure the city could plan for the funds, which Fire Chief Moore and the City Manager supported.
• Councillor Ford (Prop 8): Inquired if excess funds collected beyond the $53 million estimate would be used for additional projects or debt retirement, noting that council would decide the allocation of any surplus, provided it remains within sports user facilities.
• Councillor Hare: Asked if the updated HazMat ordinance allows for remuneration for law enforcement hours, to which General Counsel Trevor confirmed the language is broad enough to include costs for all responding city departments.

Discussion Items

• Memorandum of Understanding (Library System) (Item 9A):

  • Fire Chief Jeremy Moore: Explained the MOU obligations contingent on the April ballot passage of Proposition 7. The City will bear all election costs and reimburse the Library up to $4 million (or 40% of construction costs, whichever is less) starting January 31, 2030. The Library is obligated to construct a 20,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility by December 31, 2029.
  • Kim (Library Executive Director): Clarified the project cost is $13 million total, with $10 million for construction. She noted that if private fundraising raises the total project cost beyond the $4 million obligation, the city's contribution remains capped at $4 million or 40%, and the Library would welcome a clause to adjust for over-funding if raised.
  • Councillor Green (Amendment): Proposed amending the reimbursement clause to include a hard end date of December 31, 2030, to prevent indefinite delays in fund receipt.
  • Fire Chief Moore & City Manager: Supported the amendment, noting that bond sales typically occur in the fall of 2030 and that the schedule could be extended back to the Council if necessary due to bond market conditions.

• Allocation of 2026 Go Bond Proposition 8 (Item 9B):

  • Charlie Bright (Finance): Presented a proposal for $53 million in revenue over five years, with an estimated $46 million available for projects in Year 1. The plan prioritizes sports user facilities:
    • Arrowhead: Field turf conversion, LED lighting, regrading/soding, backstops, warm-up renovations, and parking lot improvements.
    • Indian Springs: Major parking lot improvements, road upgrades, common area shade structures, a new maintenance building, and additional turf fields for soccer and baseball.
    • Challenger Sports Complex: Playground addition, year-round batting cages, a bridge connection across the channel, and parking lot expansion.
    • Neah Heis: Repaving, drainage improvements, restroom facilities at practice fields, and entryway plaza upgrades.
  • Councillor Green: Asked about the "dreadful circle" entry at Indian Springs; Bright confirmed design improvements were being studied.
  • Councillor Hare: Asked about the fate of funds if collection exceeds $53 million; Bright and Spurgeon confirmed Council would decide whether to expand projects or retire debt early, but all funds must remain with sports user groups.

• 2026 Geobond Legislative Package (Items 10A-10F):

  • Trevor & Nate Ellis: Outlined the legal strategy to place Propositions 1-7 (General Obligation Bonds) and Proposition 8 (Sales Tax) on the April ballot. They explained the distinction between calling a sales tax via ordinance vs. resolution and the need for an emergency clause to meet election filing deadlines.
  • City Manager & Council: Acknowledged the complexity of the legal drafting and the collaborative effort required over the last two years to prepare the 70% ballot language.

• HazMat Ordinance (Item 11A):

  • Trevor & Chief Moore: Presented an ordinance (3902) to amend hazardous material response regulations to allow the city to invoice the responsible party for fire department response costs (approx. $750/hour/vehicle). This addresses rising incidents of natural gas leaks from directional boring.
  • Councillor Hare: Confirmed that law enforcement costs incurred during these incidents are also recoverable under the broad liability language of the ordinance.
  • Charlie Bright: Noted that contractors performing directional boring have been forewarned of this new accountability measure.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Broken Arrow and the City-County Library Commission, including an amendment to set a reimbursement deadline of December 31, 2030.
• Approved: Resolution Number 1732 to close the Houston and Garnett easement.
• Approved: Resolution Number 1730 to call the sales tax election for Proposition 8.
• Approved: Authorization to execute the special election proclamation for Propositions 1-7.
• Approved: Ordinance Number 3902 amending the HazMat ordinance to allow cost recovery from responsible parties, with an emergency clause.
• Approved: Ordinance Number 3903 for the proclamation notice of election for Propositions 1-7.
• Approved: Ordinance Number 3904 establishing the framework for the Proposition 8 sales tax.
• Next Steps: A special council meeting is scheduled for January 12 to vote on the zoning code amendment; a video reminder will be released on January 12. The City Manager will draft a resolution of support for Secretary [Name Redacted/Gnome] regarding the New Orleans/Garnett ($8M+) hazard mitigation grant to be presented on January 20. The City will seek to secure the remaining funding for the New Orleans/Mingo intersection improvements via Tulsa County partnership.
• Election: The special election for Propositions 1-8 is scheduled for April 2026 (specific date to be confirmed with Election Board).