OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Broken Arrow City Council Meeting - May 5, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, May 5, 2026
BodyBroken Arrow, Oklahoma
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, May 5, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:12:11

Transcript — Verbatim
0:49

Call the Broken Arrow City Council meeting to order.

0:53

We have invocation by Pastor Miss Maganero.

1:00

I know.

1:00

We're just switching it up a little bit today.

1:05

Just keep everybody on their toes.

1:07

That's right.

1:08

I'd like to start with a scripture from Proverbs 2.

1:12

My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands, so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understand.

1:23

Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

1:38

For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

1:44

So if we can bow our heads.

2:09

Protect our first responders and keep them safe.

2:13

We thank you for them.

2:15

We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus.

2:18

Amen.

2:20

Thank you, ma'am.

2:21

Roll call.

2:26

Green, here.

2:27

Ford.

2:28

Here.

2:28

Parks.

2:29

Here.

2:29

Whoopee.

2:30

Here.

2:32

Are there any items to be removed from the consent agenda?

2:36

Oh.

2:37

Please stand and join Councillor Green for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:45

Salute.

2:51

And to the Republic for which it stands.

2:54

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

3:01

Yes, sir.

3:09

Okay, now are there any items to be removed from the consent agenda?

3:13

Make a motion to accept the consent agenda.

3:16

Second.

3:18

Roll call.

3:46

Big ideas.

3:49

Yes, thank you very much.

3:50

I would like for uh Lizzie Browns and uh Kaylee Morse.

3:55

If you'll come forward, please they did tell me right beforehand in case anybody has any questions about their presentation.

4:03

They'll be happy to answer those.

4:05

Is that correct?

4:06

Yes, sir.

4:07

Okay.

4:10

Good evening, council.

4:12

I hope you are doing well tonight.

4:13

I'm Lizzie Grounds, and I'm also here with Kaylee Morris, and we serve as the mayor and vice mayor of the Broken Arrow Youth City Council program.

4:20

We wanted to come to you tonight and speak to you about our big idea project.

4:24

This project is something that our youth city council works on all year and hopes to improve the broken arrow community.

4:30

Students in Youth City Council collaborated on ideas, participated in committees, and truly put their hard work and dedication into this project.

4:39

This year, we would like to propose the idea of an addition to the current BA.gov website for volunteers to connect with local organizations to receive service hours.

4:48

The general idea is that local businesses would be listed and provide any forms for volunteers in need of these service hours.

4:55

This puts all the businesses in one place and makes it easier for volunteers to find these service hour opportunities.

5:00

In order to assess whether or not local organizations would be interested, we sent out multiple emails and received positive responses from the following organizations.

5:09

Broken Arrow Senior Activity Center, filling the void Inc., One Hope Tulsa, the 11 Project, NSTA, Iron Gate, Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Green Country Habitat for Humanity, Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful, and Happy Hands Education Center.

5:26

We hope that the addition would look similar to that of a sign up genius.

5:30

Sign up genius is an online sign-up software to simplify volunteer management and event planning.

5:35

Our council believes that the community service is an integral part to the betterment of our community, and we understand that in a digital age, paper sign-ups can be difficult and often get forgotten.

5:44

In order to best connect the broken arrow community, a one-stop page that connects our local businesses and volunteers is what we believe is the best way forward.

5:52

According to Volunteer Matters, which is a website that outlines the importance of community service, they say that when signups are on a paper sheet, about 30% of volunteers do not show up on the day of the event.

6:03

Our hope is that this page will reduce the number of no shows by adding email and text reminders.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Arts And Culture████████████████████20%
Veterans Affairs███████████11%
Youth Programs██████████10%
Data Center Regulation████████8%
Transportation Safety███████7%
Tourism Promotion██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Broken Arrow City Council Meeting - May 5, 2026

The Broken Arrow City Council met on May 5, 2026, at 12:30 PM (UTC) to discuss a variety of topics including youth initiatives, annual reports from cultural organizations, a public hearing on a planned unit development, and a citizen proposal for a veterans rehabilitation facility. The meeting was called to order with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Consent Calendar

  • The council approved the consent agenda unanimously via roll call. No items were removed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • PUD 2519-2025 / BAZ 2633-2026 (Public Hearing): Two residents of Riverstone Estates spoke in opposition to the proposed 350-home development north of Tucson Street. Steve Hagwood cited traffic backups on Tucson Street, lack of infrastructure (narrow roads, no shoulder), and safety concerns for emergency vehicles. He requested the item be delayed until road improvements are completed. Ken Sandoval echoed concerns about school overcrowding and traffic, noting that the bond-funded road widening would not address congestion beyond the immediate area. The council received an email from a citizen unable to attend requesting a tabling to the next meeting.
  • Citizens' Opportunity to Address Council (Item 8): Michael Kuhn, retired Army Colonel Joey Strickland, and Jimmy Morgan presented a proposal to establish a veterans-only residential addiction and behavioral health treatment facility in Broken Arrow. They represent Patriot Rehab Services, which operates a 28,000 sq ft facility in Louisiana. They are not seeking city funding but are looking for an existing healthcare facility or partnership to start quickly. They emphasized their commitment to serving both tribal and non-tribal veterans and asked for the council's support and awareness of available space.

Discussion Items

  • Youth City Council "Big Idea" Project: Youth Mayor Lizzie Grounds and Vice Mayor Kaylee Morris proposed adding a volunteer service hour webpage to the city's website (BA.gov) to connect volunteers with local organizations, replacing paper sign-ups. They cited a 30% no-show rate for paper sign-ups and provided a list of interested organizations. The council expressed strong support, and the idea was approved via motion and roll call. The next step is a meeting with staff (Aaron McColly) to implement the vision.
  • Recognition of Youth City Council Graduating Seniors: Lori Hill presented certificates to graduating seniors (Lizzie, Kaylee, Everett, Hector; absentees: Isaac Falble, Savannah Henry, Stephanie Hill, Autumn McKittrick). The council praised the program and the students' contributions.
  • Museum Broken Arrow Annual Update: Executive Director Michael Yance reported that in 2025 the museum had over 10,000 visitors and 1 million online views. In the first quarter of 2026, international visitors tripled. New programs include a homeschool day (120 participants), family movie nights, and a pioneer dinner. The museum is planning an expansion using bond funds from Proposition 4. A community scavenger hunt for a missing "egg" is underway.
  • Genealogy Society Annual Update: A representative reported that the society provided 166 hours of research beyond library hours, including a research request from Vermont. They updated their collection with the Dan McKinnon family genealogy and are focusing on Native American artists for their next quarterly meeting.
  • Arts OK Annual Update: Director Jennifer Deal reported approximately 6,000 visitors in the past year. The building is used daily. Fundraising events (e.g., 5x5 canvas fundraiser) raised over $10,000 for scholarships. New programs include filmmaking and sewing. Second Saturday art activities are popular. The center is connecting with other organizations (e.g., DVIS) for mental health shows.
  • Professional Municipal Clerks Week Proclamation: The council unanimously approved a proclamation declaring May 3-9, 2026, as Professional Municipal Clerks Week, recognizing the city clerk and his team.
  • General Counsel Business – Agreed Judgment (Wagoner County): The council approved an agreed judgment in a condemnation case involving Wagoner County, preserving the city's drainage easement on the property at South 273rd East Avenue.
  • Preview Ordinances (Easement Closures): The council previewed and set for adoption five ordinances related to easement closures on various properties (south of Jasper, north of Albany, south of Omaha, north of Houston). All were approved.
  • City Manager Remarks – Data Center Inquiry: City Manager Spurgeon reported that a consultant representing an unknown data center company requested a pre-development meeting. He emphasized transparency, stating no NDAs have been signed, and the city will issue regular updates. No decisions have been made. He noted that state legislation (HB 2990) regarding data center obligations passed both houses. The council expressed support for a transparent process and public engagement.

Key Outcomes

  • Youth City Council Big Idea: Approved unanimously. Staff will meet with youth representatives to develop the webpage.
  • PUD 2519-2025 and Rezoning: Motion to table the item to the next meeting (May 19, 2026) passed via roll call after the developer agreed to the delay. Two public speakers had expressed concerns about traffic and infrastructure.
  • Proclamation: Unanimously approved.
  • Agreed Judgment: Unanimously approved.
  • Preview Ordinances: All five ordinances were set for adoption (unanimous votes).
  • Data Center Inquiry: City manager will continue to provide updates every three weeks. No formal action taken.

No action was taken on the veterans facility proposal, but the council expressed interest in exploring partnerships.

Meeting Transcript

Call the Broken Arrow City Council meeting to order. We have invocation by Pastor Miss Maganero. I know. We're just switching it up a little bit today. Just keep everybody on their toes. That's right. I'd like to start with a scripture from Proverbs 2. My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands, so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understand. Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. So if we can bow our heads. Protect our first responders and keep them safe. We thank you for them. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you, ma'am. Roll call. Green, here. Ford. Here. Parks. Here. Whoopee. Here. Are there any items to be removed from the consent agenda? Oh. Please stand and join Councillor Green for the Pledge of Allegiance. Salute. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Yes, sir. Okay, now are there any items to be removed from the consent agenda? Make a motion to accept the consent agenda. Second. Roll call. Big ideas. Yes, thank you very much. I would like for uh Lizzie Browns and uh Kaylee Morse. If you'll come forward, please they did tell me right beforehand in case anybody has any questions about their presentation. They'll be happy to answer those. Is that correct? Yes, sir. Okay. Good evening, council. I hope you are doing well tonight. I'm Lizzie Grounds, and I'm also here with Kaylee Morris, and we serve as the mayor and vice mayor of the Broken Arrow Youth City Council program. We wanted to come to you tonight and speak to you about our big idea project. This project is something that our youth city council works on all year and hopes to improve the broken arrow community. Students in Youth City Council collaborated on ideas, participated in committees, and truly put their hard work and dedication into this project. This year, we would like to propose the idea of an addition to the current BA.gov website for volunteers to connect with local organizations to receive service hours.

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