Tulsa City Council Meeting March 25, 2026

The meeting on March 25, 2026, covered a sales tax overview committee reappointment, authorization of four lawsuit settlements totaling $351,000, an opioid abatement grant application for up to $2.249 million, a quality event designation for the Black Wall Street Rally, two ordinance amendments, multiple license agreements, a change order for police station ballistic upgrades, a condemnation easement for sewer project, and a presentation by Healthy Minds Policy Initiative on substance use disorder treatment gaps.

Discussion Items

• Sales Tax Overview Committee Reappointment (Agenda Item 2): Applicant for Council District Two seat stated she is a lifelong Tulsan, served since 2019, and enjoys ensuring tax money is used properly. She is a retired project coordinator in oil and gas. The council will vote on her reappointment on April 1, 2026.

• Settlement Payments (Agenda Items 4-7): Four judgments/settlements were presented by Chad Becker (Treasury) and City Legal.

  • Item 4: $61,000 to Joyce Moore for a motor vehicle accident where a police officer rear-ended plaintiff. City admitted fault.
  • Item 5: $65,000 to Achilles LaFante for a motor vehicle accident where a city employee rear-ended plaintiff. Admitted liability.
  • Item 6: $150,000 to Karina Hopgood for head-on collision with a city Parks Department truck that slid on ice. Plaintiff suffered collapsed lung, hospitalized over 10 days.
  • Item 7: $75,000 to Iglesia de Amore Ministries for water and sewer overflow that damaged church interior. Investigation revealed a 1999 rehabilitation failed to connect the property line to the city main. Each resolution carried an emergency clause. No votes were recorded during this meeting.

• Opioid Abatement Grant Application (Agenda Item 8): Natalie Russell (ODOA abatement response coordinator) presented an application for up to $2.249 million over three years from the Oklahoma Attorney General opioid abatement grant. The grant would fund continuation of citywide efforts including school-based prevention, overdose response team, and new contractor Pre-OKs for contingency management and medications for opioid use disorder. It also supports three mayor’s priorities: student outcomes, ending homelessness, and public safety. Councilors asked about vendor selection, funding sustainability, and alignment with other opioid funds. The council will consider approval.

• Black Wall Street Rally Quality Event Designation (Agenda Item 9): Brandon Jackson (senior partner with Black Wall Street Rally) requested the city of Tulsa be identified as the event’s host community for the rally May 14-16, 2026. The event was ranked #2 in USA Today for cultural events. He noted the deadline for the Oklahoma Tax Commission is tight; the resolution on the agenda for April 1. Councilors expressed support and noted economic impact. The resolution carried an emergency clause.

• Ordinance Amendment – Indian Affairs Commission (Agenda Item 10): Presentation of an ordinance amending Title 5 to reorganize the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission, restructure appointees and terms, add tribal delegates from Muscogee Creek, Cherokee, and Otoe-Missouria Nations, and make the city’s director of tribal policy an ex-officio non-voting member. The presenter had worked with the city for over a year and encouraged support.

• Ordinance Amendment – Infrastructure Development Permits (Agenda Item 11): Laura Ferguson (Infrastructure Department) explained an amendment to Title 35 to remove the requirement to file certificate of formal acceptance with the county clerk, as legal determined it unnecessary.

• License Agreements for Fiber Optic Lines (Agenda Items 12-13): Pole Zachary (Public Works) presented two license agreements with Salina Spavinaw Telephone Company to install fiber optic lines under raw water flow lines near Lake Spavinaw. They will bore six feet below pipes. No objections from TMUA or water department. Recommended approval.

• License Agreement for Gateway Markers (Agenda Item 14): License agreement with Kendall Whittier Main Street Inc. to install decorative gateway markers on city-owned land at various locations in Kendall Whittier District. No objections from right-of-way occupants. Agreement requires relocation at no cost if needed for utility work.

• Change Order for Police Station Ballistic Upgrades (Agenda Item 15): Change order #1 for $43,829.48 and 185 calendar days to add ballistic upgrades (bulletproof doors/frames/hardware) for Gilcrease, Union Division, Riverside Division. This is a 1.96% change on a $2.2M contract. Recommended approval.

• Condemnation Easement for Sewer Project (Agenda Item 16): Resolution authorizing condemnation of property at 4155 S. Zunis Ave. for a sanitary sewer easement in an unsewered area of District 9. The city has been negotiating with the owner for over five months with no response. They seek court assistance to proceed with summer construction.

• Healthy Minds Policy Initiative Presentation (Agenda Item 17): Representatives Zach Stoiga (President/CEO) and Dr. Shannon Dial presented findings from a substance use disorder treatment needs assessment commissioned by Tulsa County commissioners. Key findings:

  • 22% of Tulsa County residents (about 100,000) have a substance use disorder; 77% do not receive treatment.
  • Overdose death rates in Tulsa County are notably higher than Oklahoma County and state average, though declining.
  • Methamphetamine remains the primary drug of concern, especially combined with opioids (polysubstance use).
  • Access to services is mismatched: providers (CCBHCs and CCARCs) are not located in the highest-need zip codes (e.g., 74110, 74115, 74106). A 15-minute drive vs. 30-minute transit trip shows access disparities.
  • Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) have reached about 50% of estimated 15,000 individuals in Tulsa County (vs. 4% in Oklahoma County). If fully achieved, could save over $50 million.
  • Naloxone distribution is challenging; many agencies struggle to obtain it despite state distribution of 45,000 kits to Tulsa County.
  • There is a need to divert people from criminal justice system into treatment, especially during transitions from jail or ER.
  • Youth prevention: risk factors remain high even as self-reported use declines; only 4 of 23 school districts received prevention funding.
  • Tulsa County awarded $4.5 million in opioid settlement grants aligned with these findings. Councilors discussed specific action items, including supporting the COPES program (police diversions) and aligning future opioid dollars with identified gaps.

Key Outcomes

• The sales tax overview committee reappointment will be voted on April 1, 2026.
• The four settlement resolutions, opioid grant application, Black Wall Street Rally designation, ordinance amendments, license agreements, change order, and condemnation easement were all presented and discussed. No final votes were taken during this meeting; many are expected to be on the April 1 agenda or later.
• The council received the Healthy Minds presentation and noted its implications for future funding and policy decisions.

Note: The transcript cut off during what appeared to be a comment about lead service line inspections. No further discussion was captured.