The City Council convened for a meeting focused on general authority business, specifically the consideration of a new economic development agreement. The session featured presentations from the Broken Arrow Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Solar Turbines regarding a capital investment and job expansion project. The council deliberated on the performance-based nature of the agreement before moving into an executive session.
Pickle here green here forward here parks here Wimpy here are there any items to be removed from the consent agenda make a motion approve the consent agenda as it stands second roll call there are no public hearings appeals presentations recognitions or awards item six is general authority business six a consideration discussion and possible approval of an authorization to execute economic development agreement between solar turbines and broken air economic development authority Travis Stevens Amber Miller good evening beta chair wempey vice chair parks trustees Ford Green Pickle and Beta General Manager Michael Spurgeon I am delighted to be here tonight before you to present this agenda item because we get to talk about new job opportunities for the citizens of Broken Arrow. So my comments will be very brief because in all of our business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts. The EDC leads the way. And so I am going to turn this over to Vice President of the EDC, Amber Miller, and she's gonna fill you in on all the details. So Amber. Good evening, Chair, Vice Chair, Trustees, and General Manager. I'm here this evening to speak on an economic development agreement for Project SAPling, which we we've all uh known this project as or solar turbines. Uh this agreement is a performance great performance-based agreement and it's structured to support that continued um investment and employment growth in broken arrow while ensuring accountability to uh for those public dollars. Um Project Sapling or Solar Turbines uh represents the expansion of an existing employer in Broken Arrow and includes a capital investment of 32 million dollars and the addition of 52 new full-time jobs, bringing new new manufacturing capacity to our community. Um this project does support the retention and expansion of jobs and investment that we already have in Broken Arrow while encouraging a long-term reinvestment. Supporting existing employers as they grow is a critical part of maintaining a stable and resilient local economy. Um this agreement is structured so that incentives are tied directly to performance. Capital investment and job creation occur before those incentives are realized, which does help protect the taxpayer dollars and ensures a measurable return on that um investment. So beyond the immediate uh job and investment numbers, this project does strengthen Broken Arrow's manufacturing base and reinforces the city as a place where employers can grow and invest with confidence over the long term. Um at this time I would like to invite um David Simon uh general manager to share a few words and provide any additional context on the uh project and the agreement. Good evening, city council members. My name is David Simon. I'm the general manager of the solar turbines broken arrow facility. Uh we are in a manufacturer of industrial gas turbine engines for the uh oil and gas industry and power generation industry, and we're experiencing incredible growth, primarily being driven by the power industry and and the energy needs across the U.S. I'm proud to say you know we are a uh our company's based out of uh headquarters based out of California, but I'm proud to say that the Broken Arrow facility is one of the fastest growing manufacturing facilities in solar turbines. So we have facilities in California and Mexico, but we're growing significantly here in Broken Arrow. In the last five years, we have expanded our head our workforce by over 75 percent, and we are in the process of growing our footprint by over 50 percent, and we plan on continuing to grow out as we see this growth for energy consumption for many years to come, and we we are really proud of what we've been doing. We're thankful for the relationship that we have with the City of Broken Arrow and the Economic Development Corporation. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Happy to answer any questions that you may have. Any questions? It's exciting. I know it is very exciting. I would ask council's consideration approving the the economic development agreement that's before you that provides some some incentives for per the per the policy for for job creation based on the uh the the income for those in those positions as well as the capital investment that that's being proposed and the funds would be coming out of the PSO uh one percent from the job creation as well as the capital I'll make a motion to approve and authorize and execute the economic development agreement between solar turbines incorporated and the broken air economic development authority. I'll second roll call. Thank you guys. Thank you. All right, we do have uh executive session back in regular council. Entertain a motion to clear the room. So move second. I'm sorry, who made that motion? I entered I entertained a motion, so you made the motion that you need a second. I'll second. I thought we said I'll make that money. And then who's second? Lisa please second. We haven't voted yet though. No. Here, yes. Green, yes. Board? Yes. Parks, yes. Would be.