Tulsa City Council Urban and Economic Development Committee Meeting - April 22, 2026

The Tulsa City Council Urban and Economic Development Committee met at 10:30 AM on April 22, 2026, under the chairmanship of Councilor Anthony Archie (District 2). The committee addressed four main agenda items: a new airport Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district, renewal of the Kendall Whittier Public Improvement District, a discussion and proposed resolutions from EMSA regarding rate alignment and treatment in place, and a travel authorization for a councilor. The affordable housing trust fund item was tabled.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar was identified.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

• Airport Incentive District (Item 2): Alex and Jeff of the Tulsa International Airport presented a request to trigger the fifth and final TIF district (Incentive District 26) within the airport's economic development plan. The district covers approximately 1,500 acres of the airport's 4,900 acres. A company, Agile Space Industries, has already begun construction within this district. The TIF will capture combined property and sales tax revenue to support future airport development. The statutory deadline to activate this TIF is June 16, 2026. Councilors expressed appreciation for the airport's work.
• Kendall Whittier Public Improvement District Renewal (Item 3): Samantha from the planning office presented the renewal of the Kendall Whittier Improvement District No. 1, which is in its sunset year (assessments end June 2027). Changes included one property address change and three properties rezoned from commercial to residential (exempting them from assessment), reducing the annual budget by $1,030.11 to $47,604.31. The flat-rate assessments fund landscaping, trash removal, security, beautification, lighting, parking lot repairs, and administration. No questions or concerns were raised.
• Affordable Housing Trust Funds (Item 4): A resolution to allocate up to $269,408 from affordable housing trust funds to assist in construction/rehabilitation of 147 affordable housing units through an agreement between the city and Tayo was presented. Councilor Gilbert stated he was not informed about this project in his district (District 5) and requested the item be tabled to ensure full awareness. Aaron (staff) apologized and the item was tabled to the next committee meeting.
• EMSA Rate Alignment and Treatment in Place Proposal (Item 5): EMSA representatives Johnny Easy (CEO), Jenna, and others presented a proposal with two resolutions to be considered by the full council in May: a rate alignment updating transport rates (first update since 2012) and a treatment in place (TIP) fee. Key components included:
  • Updating base rates to reflect level of care (ALS, BLS, etc.), estimated to generate $1.9 million in additional revenue.
  • Implementing a $500 treatment in place fee for patients who receive medical intervention but are not transported, estimated to generate $1.6 million.
  • A 40% uninsured discount on all charges.
  • EMSACare members will continue to pay $0 out-of-pocket; EMSACare benefits will cover TIP fees and any out-of-pocket costs.
  • Uninsured patients will not be charged TIP fees for a two-year pilot period to gather utilization data.
  • The rate alignment reflects a 43% healthcare inflation since 2012, 55% increase in ambulance procurement costs, 32% increase in wages/compensation over 5 years, and 25-30% increase in capital/supply costs.
  • EMSA currently does not charge for treatment in place despite the Oklahoma Medicaid providing reimbursement since 2011; the new fee aligns with industry practice.
  • EMSA's current rates are lower than 325% of Medicare rates (the benchmark used by commercial payers), meaning they are leaving revenue on the table.
  • The proposal does not change EMSA's mission, operational structure, or dispatch; EMSA remains the lowest cost EMS provider in Oklahoma.
  • Councilors asked questions about billing practices, potential premium impacts, bilingual services, data tracking for the TIP pilot, and the effect of non-beneficiary cities leaving the trust. Councilor Wright requested that the two-year TIP tracking include data on whether patients refuse transport due to cost concerns. EMSA plans an enhanced public engagement campaign ahead of the October 1, 2026 implementation, with open enrollment in August (Tulsa) and September (Oklahoma City). The Oklahoma City Council will vote on May 19, 2026.
• Travel Authorization (Item 6): A resolution to authorize $1,550 in travel expenses (flight, hotel, per diem) for Councilor Hall Harper to attend the 19th Annual Rebuilding the Village Conference and Revive Black Business Expo in Omaha, Nebraska, May 5-8, 2026. Councilor Hall Harper spoke in support, noting the conference's value and a potential duplication of its model in Tulsa. A flight credit will reduce the actual cost. The item was approved.

Key Outcomes

• The airport TIF district (Incentive District 26) was advanced with no opposition; the full council will act before the June 16 statutory deadline.
• The Kendall Whittier assessment role renewal was directed to proceed with a public hearing set for June 10, 2026; no opposition was voiced.
• The affordable housing trust fund item was tabled to the next committee meeting to ensure Councilor Gilbert is fully briefed.
• The EMSA proposal was discussed at length; it will be placed on the full council agenda for May with a vote expected. The committee appeared generally supportive but requested additional data tracking for the TIP pilot.
• The travel authorization for Councilor Hall Harper was approved.