Urban and Economic Development Committee Meeting – March 25, 2026

The committee met to consider reappointments to city boards, several budget amendments, and received two major updates: on the domestic violence task force and on the creation of a new downtown police division. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Bellis.

Consent Calendar

No consent calendar was used; each item was discussed individually.

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were heard.

Discussion Items

Reappointments

• Scott Abjornsen reappointed to the HUD Community Development Committee (term to June 30, 2027). He noted his experience serving and observed a shift in funding emphasis toward affordable housing under the current administration.
• Steve Mitchell reappointed to the Tulsa Development Authority (term to July 31, 2028). He emphasized his work on Kirkpatrick Heights development and expressed hope for continued support from the council. Councillor Gilbert noted his attendance was 50% (7 of 15 meetings). Both reappointments are to be voted on at the April 1, 2026 council meeting.

Rezoning Application Z7848

• Request to rezone property at Charles Page Boulevard and South 49th West Avenue from CS (commercial) to RM2 (residential) to correct zoning for two remodeled homes. The planning office (Susan Miller) recommended approval; the TVC voted 8-0 to recommend RM2 zoning.

Budget Amendments (Items 5–13)

• Item 5: $10,000 IACP grant for victim interview rooms, to be used at the current police building and Family Safety Center, with 90% transferable to the new public safety center.
• Item 6: $50,000 from the equitable sharing fund for police training, including conferences such as the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
• Item 7: Transfer of $146,511 within the sexual assault kit initiative subfund for overtime to address the kit backlog.
• Item 8: Transfer of $82,567 within the ARPA subfund for municipal court community outreach, mental health initiatives, organizational development, and facility improvements (signs, TVs).
• Item 9: $41,010 in animal shelter donations for food, medicine, equipment; plus $18,646 transfer from planning to animal services due to reorganization.
• Item 10: $110,000 for a musical road on Route 66 ($90,000 state grant + $20,000 contingency). The musical road has a 3–4 year lifespan.
• Item 11: $5,390 for boat trailers to replace three fire department boats used in Hurricane Helene response.
• Item 12: $22,532 OSBI grant for Internet Crimes Against Children cyber crimes unit for equipment and training.
• Item 13: Transfer of $196,160.19 within the 2025 Vision Capital Fund for Route 66 improvements, moving funds from planning to parks and recreation due to reorganization. All budget amendments were discussed; no votes were taken during this committee meeting.

Domestic Violence Task Force Update (Item 15, presented before Item 14)

• Presented by Amalfi Parker Elder, Rosario de la Torre, and Sujata Warrior of the Battered Women's Justice Project (BWJP).
• The task force was initiated by former Mayor Bynum in late 2023, with a commission of agency heads and a working group of 65+ practitioners across 30 organizations.
• Three subcommittees: Criminal Legal System (focus on law enforcement follow-up), Community Response Protocol (warm handoff process pilot starting April 1), and Domestic Violence Mortality Review.
• TPD instituted a successful gone-on-arrival follow-up program, assigning two officers to the DV unit, resulting in over 100 safe apprehensions and firearm seizures in a trial period.
• Survivor listening sessions identified barriers: difficulty accessing services, need for simpler protective order filing, and transportation issues.
• The group is exploring community-based alternatives, such as violence interrupters and training natural helpers (faith leaders, etc.).
• Key policy areas: impact of Oklahoma’s child abuse statute on survivor criminalization, and the Survivors Justice Act implementation.
• Oklahoma ranks first in domestic violence incidents and third in domestic violence homicides nationally.
• Councillors raised questions about protective order enforcement, the need for self-defense training, and the importance of healthy relationship education in schools.

Downtown Police Division (Item 14)

• Chief of Police and Deputy Chief Warmerhouse presented the creation of a new downtown division, the first new division since Riverside in 1988.
• Rationale: dramatic downtown growth (BOK Center, Greenwood, arts district, Gathering Place), 272,000 calls citywide, with 87% of special events downtown. Response times are longer due to distance from existing divisions.
• The division will be housed initially in the former Family Safety Center space in the police courts building (rent-free for 12–18 months). Furniture left by the FSC will be used.
• Budget: claimed budget-neutral; $13,000 for CAD reprogramming absorbed within existing budget. No new officers; positions reallocated by shifting from four 8-hour shifts to three 10-hour shifts, freeing up supervisors. The division will have about 40–45 officers (total staffing ~65). There will be bike patrols (10 electric bikes from a foundation), and a part-time mounted unit.
• Staffing will go through the bid board process; the new division will be a bid board assignment, not a specialty unit.
• Councillors expressed frustration about lack of prior communication (Chamber of Commerce was invited to press conference before council members). They emphasized desire for transparency and quarterly briefings.
• Concerns about impacts on other districts, budget neutrality, overtime, dispatch capacity, and accountability of downtown businesses for crowd management.
• Chief acknowledged communication shortfall and committed to improve.
• The division launch is scheduled for shift change in late August 2026 (per FOP contract).

Key Outcomes

• Reappointments: Scott Abjornsen and Steve Mitchell were recommended for reappointment; final vote scheduled for April 1, 2026 council meeting.
• Rezoning Z7848: Recommended for approval by the committee (TVC already recommended); no vote taken.
• Budget amendments: All 9 amendments were presented and discussed; no committee vote, likely to be considered by full council.
• Domestic Violence Task Force: Update received; no formal action, but councillors expressed support and asked about future policy recommendations.
• Downtown Police Division: The plan was announced; committee members expressed conditional support with requests for better communication, detailed fiscal impact analysis, and ongoing reporting. Chief committed to quarterly updates.