My kid telling me that they can go to the ND500.

Good morning.

It's 10 35 on May the 13th.

I call this meeting to order.

First item up is Renee Ritter, appointment to the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority replacing Bruce Namey.

Term expires July 31st, 2028.

Morning.

Good morning.

How are you doing?

Doing well.

Good.

Nice to see you.

So a little bit about yourself, why you want to serve on NTTA, and uh how we can support you in that way.

Sure, sure.

Uh Renee Ritter, lifelong Tulson.

And um I have been on the human rights commission uh for a while.

I was after that term ended.

I'm looking for another place to serve.

And the seat came available on the Tulsa Transit Authority, which is a perfect fit for me, simply because I live in District 2 and uh Councilor Archie's district, and we are um looking to revamp the transportation in that area, and uh I'd love to be a part of that.

I've served that district in many different ways over the years.

Great for third, I mean for 30 years.

Uh the work that you're doing in uh Mountain Manor and just in District 2 is phenomenal.

Like I told you, and I've told you many times I have so much respect for you and um looking forward to working with you in a you know in uh much more involved capacity, and uh thank you so much for serving.

I just want to tell you thank you as well because I know uh that you have been in the community advocating over the years, and to your credit, it's been amazing, and I really appreciate that.

Thank you.

Okay, anything else?

Renee, this will be on the city council agenda for the 20th of this month.

You're welcome to attend, but you don't need to.

If you don't want to, so thanks very much.

Thanks for your willingness to serve on MTTA.

Uh without objection, I'm gonna move item five up just because we have one of our participants who has a hard stop, so it's uh ordinance relating to the press conference that was held.

Um, and we know it's dealing with Kirkpatrick Heights and Greenwood.

Um, so I love how you read agenda items.

I know, yeah.

There we go.

Okay, thank you all.

Uh, yes, we we met about this and and had a presentation two weeks ago, and and tonight is the vote, and so I've placed it back on the subcommittee meeting uh to make sure that there's any concerns or questions that need to be uh asked and answered that we have the opportunity to do that.

I do want uh Lori is passing out um here I have um some of the language on the ordinance that has been modified, certainly her some of your concerns as well as concerns of the community.

And so I just want to uh draw your attention to the language in D2 in the ordinance.

You have of course the list of items of projects up top, and then there's further uh explanation at the bottom.

And so I I think and hopefully you agree.

If not, we can start and have that discussion and make any adjustments if necessary.

But just to read that for the public's hearing funding for the project slash purpose and titled Tulsa Economic Development Corporation, Kirkpatrick Heights, Greenwood, and City Council District 1, economic development infrastructure improvements, and related projects above shall be prioritized first for implementation of the Kirkpatrick Heights Master School, and second for other projects and programs in district one that align with the master plan.

So I'm hoping that that language makes it clear that these funds are uh they intend to at least not for these funds to be used outside of the plan area.

Uh but they would be associated with what the master plan.

Okay.

So uh you all have any questions or comments.

I think Groves have some comments and Berlinda, and then we can we can discuss further.

So councilwoman, I I am here really.

If there are questions that need to be answered, um, or you know, any concerns that uh the council counselors would like us to address.

Did you have anything we I didn't, unless they have questions or comments, and so I know there were readings and the discussions ahead.

So does anyone have any questions that that we can address?

I know there were some questions that you would probably need other stuff.

Well, we we've had um uh conversations uh privately, publicly with uh with Rose with you, partner Tulsa, John Hall.

I think everybody has just made themselves very available, and uh someone trying to wrap my arms around uh making a good decision, you need as much information as possible, and so definitely appreciate the um uh the work and the modification here.

I think one of the some of the feedback that I received is people want to be assured that that boundary stays the way it is, and I think uh this modification is a step to doing that, and so yeah, there you go.

Kind of um peggy backing off of that question because I think it's a good opportunity for what you just said to clarify, you know, at the table or to the public.

Um so with the with this language, which I think here is good clarifying language, but hey, we're still prioritizing and you know we'll hold it and accountable to the plan that folks worked on.

Um could you explain a little bit more about um why the language still has a P L or like has a little the opportunity to broaden it beyond that initial footprint, or I might be misreading the updated language, but with a piece of phone.

Oh, you know how it goes instead of just being like this Kirk Patrick Pitts area, it does does this new language still open it up to some other areas of district one that aligned with the master plan.

That align with the master plan.

Okay.

Is that uh, because that's that's economic development, right?

So that way it can kind of ripple out.

Okay, I see what you're saying.

That's what I was just that's that's how it works, you know.

But as long as it's aligning with the plan, because the plan, uh, if you actually read through it, it talks about the boundaries, but the impact goes beyond just those boundaries.

And so I wanted language we talked about it, and we need language that would accommodate that.

Okay, does that make sense?

Thank you.

Yeah, I agree.

I'm I mean the the intention was that it would be catalytic, right?

And so you've got the the opportunities that are inside that boundary that are intended to sort of catalyze it, I guess to we use the same phrase again.

Um redevelopment that that actually is going to benefit not just inside the boundary, but actually will flow out um into the community in in all directions north, south, east, and west.

I guess that's helpful.

So uh go ahead.

So this is like scales are both.

Okay.

So just wanted to maybe clarify or put this out, and then you can uh maybe respond to it.

This um, if this were to go into effect, it is not displacing partner Tulsa or GLC, but that what it does is it I just imagine my arms opening up it invites the collaboration of uh Rose and Ted C.

And so I mean I've had conversations with uh the GLC director who is has expressed a willingness to meet and collaborate and uh you know wants to come together, and so I appreciate that you know I commit that um, but it is not to displace uh the work of that's that's been done previously.

Not at all.

And you speak to that.

So I I think um, and of course I've always said when a counselor or the city of Tulsa calls on TEDC to help with the situation, we say yes, okay, no matter what we are we're in to serve Tulsa.

And so we have been successful because of partnership.

Yes, TEDC has done amazing work, but not an asylum, and so the idea I think is to just broaden partnerships and to create uh um an expanded level of accountability and transparency, and to really encourage partnership with uh the CDC to help that board and that organization implement the plan.

Uh this isn't about TEDC coming in to say, hey, this is now our plan.

That is not not at all the intention.

We are simply the steward of the funds, partnering with GLC, partner Tulsa, the City councilwoman any organization that has a uh an interest or um uh should be involved in this process that is that would be our role okay let's clarify okay can Rose can you tell us um really what the probable uses of this five million dollars would be in this area are we going to see dirt moving and things coming up out of the ground or how potentially could it be used and and so uh I'm not a planner uh but we do fund large construction projects and we know that before they can get started uh a uh an assessment and a feasibility study has to be done and and my guess and I have not yet met with GLC to talk about where they see the first steps as being but when you look at the plan itself it implies that the next steps um are really to determine feasibility and so I think the plan is is wonderful it involves a lot of community input I think now we've we have to assess what's what is the reality of what's been proposed and if changes need to be made through some uh lots of feasibility assessments I think then that has to happen and it has to be brought back to the community that supported and built the plan and so I I don't expect based on my experience that this five million dollars uh will move dirt it it it is an implementation grant before you can implement a plan you have to really assess the capacity of the plan to deliver the outcomes that are proposed that is my perspective now Berlinda you may have a different one because you were at every meeting of of um the um process and I would just reiterate what Rose is saying um the the vision as it currently stands in the master plan is you know quite forward-leaning um and and it's I would call it world class but it's not but the master plan as it's currently written is not an implementation plan and and so if we're we're looking at all the predevelopment efforts that need to go on the feasibility analysis that need to go on the infrastructure that needs to be identified that all of that needs to happen before you actually start turning turning dirt.

I mean it's wonderful to have something that you call a shovel ready project but is it the right shovel ready project and is and is the actual boundary prepared to be able to to take those projects and elevate them to their best and highest use and and all what we're actually asserting is that this next step is precisely the kind of step that we see in other phase projects throughout the city so you know whether it's the Mother Road district which I'm I'm deeply familiar with I I live adjacent to it they didn't just put up the put up the pretty um multicolored lights first you actually have to have a whole strategic plan for how you're going to how you're gonna like bring that vision to life did oh for uh we talked about Tulsa Hill before we we've talked about uh the work that was been done on Kittle Whittier that that these assessments these analyses are vital if we actually are hoping to be able to see that plan come to its highest and best fruition and uh counselor there is one other uh comment I'd like to make from my understanding uh this uh funding will not be available for 12 to maybe 18 months and so I'm not sure how at this point we could be ready to turn dirt anyway because the funds aren't going to be available for a while.

The other thing that is important I believe is is the uh guardrails that the city has um created to ensure that those tax dollars are spent according to uh the intended use and from my understanding uh as we partner and collaborate and determine sort of build a plan to implement the plan because in effect that's what you've got to do you've got to create the implementation plan um uh as far as as I'm concerned as those funds are ready for use they have to come back to the city and whoever manages those tax funds has to decide if those funds are uh to be used if if that plan aligns with what the intended purpose was I don't believe TEDC nor GLC nor partner Tulsa would just have the ability to decide I from my understanding the city still has control of the funds it's the it's there's designated for the plan but I would hope that there is some engagement from the so following that through if if TED C GLC and partner Tulsa don't have the authority to do it but the city does who would the city does who at the city is going to say yes it aligns with the plan and we can spend it on these things.

Well I think that's where we are now like we're talking about identifying an appropriate partner for this next step of the development we're just simply a asserting that there that it's not time to turn dirt because there is that narrative that's out there.

But we're also saying though is that the pre-development operations need to begin at the their zoning implications there's land use implications there's infrastructure implications that there's a lot more study that needs to underlie the plan before we actually start turning dirt but I don't believe the city when the city has five million dollars is going to write a check to TEDC nor anyone to start deploying those funds.

There has to be uh a more methodical process that uh is approved in order for those funds to be used.

Okay and do we know do we have an outline for what that process is on our side that's what we need to do okay and is that coming as that's the entities that we want to engage in order to do that.

So that's that kind of trusted for you unless you're unless it's it's Termane okay promise Jackie and I'm just bothering you.

Okay.

Because I know we're talking about the feasibility piece and for your point it's like okay what's the plan or next steps I've been trying to wrap my arms under the one thing I can't quite figure out is there's that is it T I F there's some feasibility federal grant to fee what was it there's like a bit there's some kind of federal grant that I know has been sitting that's sitting over at G the Greenwood Legacy Corporation that it sounds like it's for feasibility studies which so I I'm curious or again I could understand you're going hey we're initiating something so this may not be fleshed out my understanding is that that's for technical support okay um and capacity building at GLC not necessarily for season that would yeah that would be administered that's why I'm curious and I think obviously this could happen but it's like what's the handoff of okay there's been there may be some things that are active at GLC or we don't know exactly what how partner Tulsa and GLC have been engaging today but I was just thinking of like what it would look like for TDC to be that convener of going okay how do we pick up and take whatever's been laid out and keep moving forward is that something and support it.

Yeah I mean we wouldn't own it yeah but we would um be the fiduciary for the deployment of those funds okay in partnership with those entities right with GLC I I am not a hundred percent sure um how much support is coming from partner Tulsa I have not talked to I mean honestly with GLC nor uh partner Tulsa about implementation but that has to be the first step we do uh we're planning to meet with GLC tomorrow because we I mean we've got to start the conversation yeah it has to happen okay and um uh one of the GLC board members has reached out to me.

Okay, that's yeah, wonderful.

That's what I was just thinking of like those steps that are already there and teed up, and then you know, just that convener nature, which like I really appreciate that that's already in motion that's going to happen.

Yeah, mm-hmm.

Yeah, I guess that's still, and you may have already provided it, like the the step by step here's here's what will happen um in the appropriation, any actual appropriation of the five million bucks.

But I think that's that's I think our finance department have those things in line.

We we don't write checks, contrary to what people believe.

I think they think that's from the check writing standpoint, but who determines how much is going to what project and what entity, right?

No, we're not there yet.

No money is because we haven't you know we have to collect the money.

Correct me if my timeline is wrong, J.

But I thought we when we talked about this uh collections began what in June or July here soon in the first tranche, won't be available to the end of 2027, 2028.

I don't remember.

I think there was a something like that, an amount allocated in the FY27 budget.

Um, or someone else might know, but obviously, I mean it would go through the appropriation process, and then it would go through the contract process, and there would be a contract with TED C that plays out the scope, scope of work, benchmarks, reporting, all of the things that uh are required for public contracts, so that that would be the place where all of that would be lined out.

The expectations the biggest thing is from orders is that I wanted TEDC involved here to four things for now, and so that's the biggest, so that we can engage and do all of these things that you're saying needs to happen in the trusting uh capacity.

So I appreciate all the information and I appreciate all the input that the citizens have made regarding this project.

I just want to comment that things evolve, nothing is completely stagnant, and I think that we have to consider the boundaries and the possible evolution of implementing collaborating partners to increase the economic development within this area, and so I'm I'm pleased to hear that GLC has reached out, and the more partners I think the better results that we will have for the district, and so um I appreciate all the efforts everybody coming to the table to make this happen, and I think arguing over funds is uh prolonging the development and the prosperity that we can see once this gets initiated.

Yeah, and along those lines, I think it's important to remember this five million dollars is just seed money to get started, it's not the money to do this project, and I think there might be confusion about that.

I remember when we were putting together the package and how we were looking at the neighborhood uh revitalization investment on those targeted 12 neighborhoods when counselor Hall Harper said, Hey, we've just gone through this very robust, um, long project.

And I know Kirkpatrick Heights plan is not um integrated with the Evans Fintu plan, but the whole uplift of the whole area is the goal.

So there are these separate projects with separate things that have happened or not happened.

Um, but I remember in those conversations about investing in neighborhood revitalization, the conversation that we had with the previous mayor about if we're gonna do all this effort, and remind um counselors who weren't here, this was also around the centennial.

Um, like we've got to put some money, can't just have plans that sit on a shelf, and we've talked about sector plans that just sit on a shelf, and uh Ms.

Radney was great at bringing us kind of that patchwork of sector plans for this whole area.

Now we've seen in Kendall Whittier where a sector plan finally after decades gets that investment and goes, but I will remind everyone in Kendall Whittier it wasn't one entity that made that go, it was Main Street, it was TU, it was other nonprofits, it was the school system.

So to me, this is a yes and it's bringing more people to the table to get a very big job that's going to take decades.

We're not gonna repair a hundred years' harm plus in two or three years with five million dollars.

That's not a realistic um expectation, and I think um if if there's parallels going on, parallel projects, parallel ideas that can get in and go.

I mean, we just saw what happened at GEM that probably felt like a long time project, but when you look in the rear view mirror, it went pretty fast once it had the resources.

You see what's going on, you know, with other renovations and revitalization across uh North Tulsa.

So the harm was in 40 square blocks in a defined area, but the ongoing harm is all of North Tulsa, and I would argue even over into East North Tulsa, which you know, we have this like bright line on Lewis or something in our minds because of districting.

But when we just think of people in Tulsons, this five million dollars can just be that um spark to then activate, get actual plans going, infrastructure, because then the next package is coming, then there's uh grants that need to be applied for uh federal state tribal partnerships for infrastructure, all those manner of things, but right now it's just kind of an idea sitting on a shelf.

So I think this is a yes and I'm sorry that it's become this kind of uh you're either with us or against us or a tug of war or whatever.

I don't see it that way.

If it was in any other part of town, I wouldn't see that that way.

Um, and so I think we just need to um understand there's a lot of distrust that come that folks come by honestly.

This government has not always been uh the trustworthy entity that we strive to be today, and the harm that we're trying to repair as a collective today, and so I think it's important um to understand that and honor that.

I think also as we think about IoT 4 or the next vision, I'm not sure I'm confused now where we're at.

Like we're talking about go bonds, we're talking about the next IoT package, and then now we're talking about maybe like a vision type package, but we have got to continue to have a sustained investment in this historically uh harmed community, and um put the put the commitment there in the way that we have over the last five or six years.

So to me, this is a yes and and if everyone gets a little bit of what they need, I think we're in the right place.

I would just like to add that you refer to the sector plants, and you know, there are 23 legacy plans that that have been in force in in the in what incorporates most of the uh the bulk of this master plan area, you know.

What that really actually is saying is that the private sector has really not been able to operate freely in inside of this boundary for decades and decades, and and so we're what we're what we're advocating for is to just pause and and use the five million dollars that was if that was imagined before we even got to the point of having a master plan product, a summary that was produced, and let's think about how how do we actually transition these lands that have been you know have suffered through imminent domain and public taking.

How do we actually transfer that into a landscape where the the private sector is allowed to like move freely?

And my my suggestion is that at the most basic point we we've got economic feasibility and and we've got decades of infrastructure that has not been invested in that like it's more than just a vision.

If we actually really want to accomplish this, we've got to come back and refill these holes that have been that that are the legacy of this kind of public taking and and the absence of really like the free market being able to operate in North Tulsa because that's really what we're talking about.

When you talk to the community, the community is leaning forward with great anticipation about getting that land back.

Well, fine, let's just say the land transfers.

But but now what?

What we're talking about is let's actually create uh an economic vision that supports the the planning vision that that people came forth and supported so forcefully.

Tell us the biggle.

So I would just say um, you know, as I was considering this, so what you said earlier, this kind of felt like a choose a side exercise, which I don't live in your community.

I don't understand the relationship dynamics, so um obviously we all know comparatively five million dollars doesn't build much, especially when you're only spending five hundred and seventy-six thousand dollars on sidewalks, right?

So obviously five million dollars isn't gonna pull major projects out of the ground.

Even on a 420 million dollar tip, that's a lot of money to build something significant.

So obviously, this there was no intentionality here in my mind to pull anything out of the ground specific to a geographic area.

It was the intentionality to build up or create a plan that the community was buying.

So if I had to summarize this, and correct me if I'm wrong, in the intent here, is this is actually to expand the folks at the table in collaboration, it's not to eliminate anybody who's previously been involved in the process, um, and pre this what I consider a split of factions between this uh organization and this organization.

There's no intention on it, it's actually to bring all those entities to the table, um, and there's no intent to dilute the process or reporting.

Uh really all you're doing here is you're kind of codifying who will administer the funds, right?

And um, so I just want to be clear in my own head about the intentionality of this.

So anyway, I just wanted to make that comment.

I trust worth the entity.

Okay, um, because they'll they'll um submit a request for all the all the messages on my phone.

So I'll just say if I would just ask ultimately.

Is there anyone at is there anyone here that uh before we end the discussion that you else that you want to speak to the subject?

Uh and if not, then that's why we'll move right along.

Okay, but I feel like I've heard um and you know well, this is not my item.

Well, no, but we put you can you can ask anything, uh yeah, we put the item back on.

I don't know, put it back on.

Right.

And so I I you know, so I want to I definitely want to be respectful of the person who put the item on the on the agenda.

Um, but this is what I I completely concur with sort of your analysis.

We're trying to expand who's in the uh at the table uh collaborating, and so um if this was an ordinance that moved funds out of a plan that people voted for, I would not support it.

Because people went to the polls and they said this particular area we're gonna be making the investments.

Um that's the tech dust community would be the only one screen.

That's exactly right.

And it was well, it was the entire city.

I I voted for it as well.

Uh I was not on the council, but that's a citizen of Tulsa.

And so you want to honor that um uh trust, and so the money is staying, but we're keeping the money where it is.

Um, the question is who gets to collaborate about executing this plan?

Yes, and so we have some trusted.

I think we're like who's in the meaning of collaboration is what I'm hearing about.

And I I love I speak for myself, but I am appreciative of the work of partner Tulsa.

I've you know obviously Greenwood is not in my area, even though we do have descendants in South Haven, Greenwood is not you know, I'm not so I'm not dealt with Greenwood legacy.

I appreciate the work of partner Tulsa and uh my own personal life.

I've been affected by the work of Ted C.

And so I recognize the trust that you all have cultivated over the years, and so I that is this I opportunity to just open up that discussion uh and conversation is um is something that you know I think might be helpful.

So, but yeah, that's I think it's her item, so okay, I'm sure, last call.

Anyone else?

Anything else?

No, sir.

Just a clarification on the budget.

There is a FY27 allocation of two and a half million and an FY28 allocation of two and a half million in the Capital Plan, they are labeled Kirkpatrick Heights Greenwood Area Master Plan Implementation.

So if this change is made, I would recommend making that change in the budget as well, the proposed budget.

So it's in the proposed budget right now as stated.

As previously stated.

Okay.

So if this passes, then we have to update that, update it as well.

It's a different time or different on what you send into it.

Probably for the technical changes to the budget.

Through the budget, okay.

So yeah, let's take a look at anyone else.

Anything else?

Okay, item three ordinance.

Related to a nine hundred and fifty thousand dollar donation from Tulsa Community Foundation for animal welfare.

Okay, just open it.

Oh, there we go.

Okay.

Can you do it?

You're the prize winner today.

Checking out if you did your core exercises recently.

All right, I go over the financials.

Um, if we're all excited about the animal shelter, Mr.

Zachary has more specifics.

I'm sure he can share with us, but uh hopefully I can address them right here.

This is the second donation for the shelter.

We're appropriating that 950,000 so far.

The shelters received 1.3 million, and uh this will be going for uh to adding an on-site emergency generator, candle care cleaning system, which is a huge thing.

And uh just mechanical electrical plumbing system enhancements, uh AV and communications equipment, door hardware building services signage and site infrastructure with some contingency funding.

And the hope is that this is not uh the end, correct though is that we get out a lot more from the public.

Questions deny this donation?

Yeah, oh no, right, okay.

So eight years ago, see he raised his hand first.

Chris, he wants to appropriate just to the cat room.

Yeah, so I you know, and by the you know, paying for the kennel cleaning system.

Hopefully, that'll encourage more volunteerism out there, um, because that's certainly not one of the more appealing parts of volunteering out there is cleaning those kennels, so hopefully by investing in that.

So whoever made that donation, thank you.

Yep, that's good.

She's not a bit of a um to her establishing uh the trust that allows us to do this.

A hundred percent.

Yep, yep.

Anyone else?

Okay, item four ordinance amending the budget, and it's related to DNA backlog reduction.

Yes, sir.

This is uh another uh thought one grant award to the police department uh towards the DNA uh reduction.

Uh the funding will be used for equipment and then travel and training uh related to ongoing education and uh accreditation as well as some of the accreditation fees.

Questions?

Yeah, it's probably not a you question, but Sarah, can we find out how far backlogged we are to date?

Because I feel like every year we approve these things, and we still have a backlog.

Yep.

So just wondering what the horizon is for not to be backlogged anymore.

Makes it hard for survivors to want to go through the process on a shelf.

But I think I can't tell you.

We'll leave that agenda item open.

Maybe we'll have an answer.

Or just for future like email answer or something.

Yeah, you're right.

I'll bet we got an answer pretty quickly, I think.

Every year, okay.

Anyone else?

Anything else?

Thank you very much.

Item six discussion with the zoo about operations and capital needs, which was sponsored by counselor Bush, but Council Bush wouldn't be here today.

So you'll come and join us.

Yeah, that's avoid that.

Come on, I don't want to fall backwards.

Okay, that's like a chair.

So yeah, it's like Goldilocks.

Yes.

Are you in terms of slides?

No, you are.

Oh, we'll task.

No, I'm sorry.

So you can see.

Yeah, you're here.

I can click the next slide if you want to, but it might mess your face up.

It's all this side.

There's a notice of the lady.

If you just have a territorial, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

The floor is yours.

I know you have a lot of things to talk to us about, but I'm sorry that Councillor Bush is not here to introduce this properly, but we know you all uh pretty well.

But she may introduce everybody up to you.

Perfect.

Yeah.

So I'm Lindsay Henderson.

Um I'm the president and see of the Tulsa Zoo.

I've been at the zoo for 21 years, but um I've had the pleasure of serving as president CEO since 2020.

I brought with me Megan Joyner.

She is our current chair of the TZMI board, and Mike Myers, who's been on this journey with me for 20 years.

Um, he started on the Tulsa Zoo Friends Board and is now our finance chair of the TZMI board.

So glad to have him here.

Um, did you want to say anything before we start?

So we also brought uh in the audience some board members and some Tulsa Zoo staff representing every district in the city because um protecting our world-class zoo is um important for all districts of the city.

So thank you all again for being here.

We appreciate that very much.

Um, so we are at a defining moment at the zoo.

Uh we have a massive African Wilds project.

Um, so we have slides, but I cannot do two things at one time.

So um, yes, we will go through.

I believe you've seen these materials, but um, we have a our African Wilds project is ongoing, and but we are at a critical stage in order to keep this project in our strategic master plan moving forward.

Um, we are asking for your help.

We're nearing our centennial, and this is an excellent opportunity to um protect and strengthen this Tulsa treasure for the next 100 years.

Um today, Lindsay and Mike and I are gonna walk through where we were and where we're going.

We have some real challenges ahead of us in a really short amount of time, and so um we're confident that we can find the solution together.

So I'm gonna let Lindsay kind of take us on a historical journey.

Yeah, so Tulsa Zoo, like um Megan said, we're coming up on a hundred years of service.

Um, and as you all know, it was founded as a community asset and remains a community asset today.

Uh we're the largest daily paid attraction with over 700,000 annual guests.

Um, and we're really grateful to this council who's shown us support over the last 15 years in public tax packages that has really been responsible for this amazing transition.

So thank you for that.

So um just some context.

Um, since I've been at the zoo for 21 years, um so before our public private partnership, the Tulsa Zoo was undergoing historical challenges.

Um we were not able to invest in critical infrastructure, we were actually taking a loss on the gate revenue.

So when people came in and got a ticket, it went back to the general fund.

Um, we had been staff positions eliminated.

We actually only had three education positions that were completely Tulsa Zoo friends funded by the time we transitioned, and then we're also accredited by um a world association called the Association of Zoos and Aquarians, and there's about 250 of us that go through a five-year creditation cycle, and our accreditation was at risk because of the lack of investment in the zoo.

So a group of uh community leaders came together to develop a public-private partnership um and create TZMI, and it's been very successful.

Um we launched that in 2011, so 15 years ago, um, and we set out to do a new master plan, business plan, strategic plan, and really build the rebuild the entire Tulsa Zoo, which was in agreement and with support of this council.

Uh so as you can see from the numbers on the screen, it's been uh very good for the zoo and very good for the community.

So, again, just some high level numbers.

Um, this is a snapshot from 2025.

Um, we mean a lot to different people.

We're quality of life, we're a community asset, we're a conservation education resource, and we're a tourism driver.

Over 257,000 people came over 50 miles to visit our zoo just last year, and we represented all 50 states.

Um, but I can't come to a presentation and not talk about our animals.

People don't like that.

So, um, last year was a great year for animal news.

We welcomed Billy and Tina from the LA Zoo who are doing great.

We opened our new Oxley Family Elephant Experience, and we had a two 10 acre yard that was also open, and many of you guys were present for that.

Multiple birch and hatchlings, and then also not on the slide, we had Komodo Dragons patched most recently.

They're currently on Exhibit in our conservation center, and it was the first three that we've ever had patched the zoo.

And this statistic I'm just very proud of the 300,000 education encounters.

That's the most ever in our history, and you can see that growth because, like I said, before we transitioned, we'd had just three staff members that operated a small little education department called Nature Exchange that was free.

And then once we transitioned, we do we've been able to dedicate resources to our mission.

She represents our education department.

She uh runs that department and just very proud of us being mission focused and giving back to the community this way.

The affordability and accessibility for all continues to be a really important place for us.

We participate in museums for all, which allows those with EBT cards to get five dollar entry into the zoo.

This is about a million dollars in subsidy from our operating budget that we take because it's important for us to offer this program.

We also allow food and drink so people can bring in their own picnics, their own water.

We have water filling stations throughout the zoo because we want people to come in and be able to have a nice day and afford what they can.

But it's expensive for us to do so, but important.

Tulsa zoo field trips for Tulsa schools are free, and then discounted admission for those that are not in Tulsa, and then about 53% are from Title I schools.

So again, it's really important for us to be accessible and affordable, but um challenges continue to make that harder.

And just to know, I do like to say our family membership started at 179 dollars.

They're $30 off right now through Mathis Home, but they typically pay for themselves within two zoo visits.

So we try to have people take advantage of that as well.

And then again, what's ahead?

Because of the support of this council, we've been able to really invest in deferred maintenance.

We know we have millions of dollars in deferred maintenance, just being a 99-year-old facility.

Um, and so right now it feels like there's a lot of construction at the zoo.

The good news it's only eight acres of our 124, but um it means progress.

You know, when I started at the zoo, we couldn't build anything new.

Um, we were just fundraising for keeper positions.

So this is a good thing that we're able to invest in this 100-year-old community asset, uh, but we need to continue to address challenges and make sure that we're relevant for the next 100 years.

This is a brilliant slide, by the way.

Thanks.

Yeah, I like it.

Dad joke.

Um, so as Lindsay kind of touched on, it is very important for us to stay affordable and accessible for all.

Um, we are very proud that up to now we have been able to do so.

Um, and from an operating perspective, we have been sustainable.

We're also covering our maintenance expenses, although um deferred maintenance is exponentially higher than uh original estimates.

Um so being a tourism destination, being an educational experience for all, being a conservation hub, world-class zoo is it, you know, isn't enough.

Uh, philanthropy has shifted recently towards social services, which is absolutely needed and important.

Um, but it's it's this change has really limited our momentum for this campaign.

Um, avenues that were previously open to us are now closed.

Um, next slide, please.

Thank you.

So this is this is our fantastic African Wilds project.

I just wanted you guys to see it because it's pretty confusing.

Um so as you can see here, um, we this this really started in 2012, and so the landscape has changed.

The every everything's different than it was, and so we're asking for your help to to reach this this finish line.

Um next slide, please.

So we have a proven track record on completing every capital project to date since 2011.

Um we generally follow the same formula.

We get to 70% through donor funds and through monies allocated through very silly city budget.

Excuse me, wow, city ballot measures.

At that point, the board then will the board votes on proceeding with groundbreaking, and then the 30% remaining usually comes from donors who kind of wait and see until the shovels are in the ground to contribute.

This formula has worked for 14 years, but it didn't work this time.

It didn't come through commission, and we've learned a lot.

We learned a lot about this process and how we can we can change our formula moving forward, but all that to say we need help finishing African wilds on time and on budget, and we are looking to you for that.

At this time, next slide, please.

We are looking for 15 million dollars from the city to finish African Wilds, or we will have to put our shovels down in October of this year.

So at this point, since I'm a lawyer and Mike is an accountant, he is going to tell you about cash flow uh realities and sessions and what all of these numbers mean.

Thank you, Megan.

Again, thank you, counselors, for the opportunity to be here.

Fourth generation Tulson, and as Lindsey mentioned, I've been involved with the zoo for more than 20 years.

So that's something I really believe in.

From a financial perspective, in particular as it relates to African wilds, just to highlight where we are.

This project has a 47 million dollar capital cost.

We've spent approximately 19 million dollars on this project to date.

So we're about 40% complete.

Walls are up, shovels are in the ground, we're making progress.

Funding for the project, TZMI has been able to raise 24 million dollars in private funds towards this project.

There's about 9 million that's outstanding, and it'll be collected out through 2030.

So we've got a ways to go on still collecting those pledges.

In addition, we're very thankful through uh IoT that the city of Tulsa citizens provided $8 million towards this project.

Where we stand today is that leaves us with a $15 million capital gap.

And we've been actively fundraising for this project for actually many years.

To keep the project moving forward, PZMI has entered into bridge loan financing.

However, that borrowing capacity will be exhausted early in the fourth quarter of 2026.

At that time, we effectively hit a cash shortfall.

We're no longer able to pay bills to continue the project moving forward.

Uh and at that point, construction would have to halt.

Um that's something obviously none of us want to have happen.

And this board recently directed the management team to begin contingency planning for such an event.

How do we wind down construction if this comes becomes a reality?

How do we communicate to our donors?

How do we communicate to the broader citizens of Tulsa?

That's a contingency plan we don't ever want to execute on.

But being good stewards, that's something we have to plan for given where we are today.

As Megan mentioned, we're seeking a 15 million dollar capital contribution to fully de-risk the completion of this project on time and on budget by June of 2027, which will be our centennial.

This 15 million dollars would ensure that construction continues.

We've worked with our uh construction firm, and if we were to pause this, say for only six months, costs don't stay frozen, they're going to increase to remobilize uh crews to it'll put a pause on materials.

Some of those may have to be rebid, so it only increases the cost of completing this project.

Also, important to protect donor confidence.

Uh, it's a real risk that potentially some of those private donors may rethink those pledges that have still yet to be collected if this project were to pause.

And then lastly, when I think about the Tulsa Zoo, I think about the outstanding public-private partnership we've seen for the last 15 years.

It truly has been a partnership.

I think a great example of that is the elephants project.

Coming out of the pandemic, we all saw a cost escalate.

That's that's a reality.

Uh that project originally was intended to be fully funded by Vision.

Uh, however, it faced a cash shortfall, not unlike African Wilds.

The Tulsa Zoo team, the board all jumped in when that arose.

This board was fully supportive of the management team going out and fundraising to close that gap.

That fundraising effort for the elephants project caused us to put African Wilds fundraising on hold.

In addition, it probably soaked up some of the donor capacity that's out there in the market.

But that was the right thing to do in all of our minds was to get that elephant project completed because that's what a real partnership looks like.

And so, with that again, we're seeking continuation of that partnership would be most appreciative, and uh respectfully uh submit or request uh additional support from the city uh to complete this project.

That happy to answer any questions.

Okay, counselor that has one, then Bingle, then Dr.

Actually, I have more than one big surprise.

That's amazing.

Thank you.

Appreciate that.

So my first question is: without that, how would that affect staffing?

Um it impacts staffing longer term in terms of we if we're trying to cover that gap, we potentially have to raise admissions prices.

Uh potentially rationalize some of our staffing.

If we're trying, you know, those are all levers that you can potentially pull, but I think that long term dilutes the quality of the product that the Tulsa Zoo is historically delivered to the citizens of Tulsa and can't what they expect based on the track record over the last 15 years.

So off the log question: how many vets do you have on staff?

We have two vets and two vet techs, and then one hospital.

Yeah, that's still not a lot.

It's not.

When we transitioned, we had one vet and one vet tech, so um, we have double that now with the transition, but yeah, it's a lot for different taxes, and then um recently I read that the parking is going to be charging now.

So, what is that?

What does that look like?

And what do you anticipate as far as revenue increase from parking?

If it would even be revenue that would be utilized instead of maintaining the parking lot, yeah.

So um, we were given ownership, I guess, of the parking lot in August last year, and it was unplanned.

Um, and so we uh needed to cover the cost that it takes to maintain that lot because we haven't had previously.

We hadn't budgeted for um lawn care, we hadn't traveled budgeted for um trash pickup, um maintenance, any of those things.

So we started looking at diversifying our revenue streams.

Um, the biggest way to generate revenue for the zoo and ongoing needs is raising prices, and we wanted to be careful doing that as much as possible.

So, most, not most, a lot of other facilities like ours pay for parking or charge for parking.

So that's what we looked at, and we found that the revenue off of six dollars a car, we wouldn't charge members, so members would be free, so that's now a member benefit.

We wouldn't charge for some special events like Walsh and the Wildside, but estimate is probably about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Um, but a lot of that is going towards the maintenance and upkeep of the parking lot.

We've had it restriped.

Um, there's a capital expense that was done by Air Garage, who is our partner on this, and they're having to generate that capital expense on the back end um based on what they make.

Yeah, I imagine it costs quite a bit to maintain that parking lot.

And we also need since we were assuming the liability, we needed a way to shut off that lot when we're not open.

Um and we didn't have the capital funds to be able to do that, and so that was another piece that we needed to find funding for, and by entering into this agreement allowed us to find those funds.

Will you be fencing it in?

We won't be fencing it in.

We are looking at getting it's the gates, we are looking at getting some additional spots like asphalt lots because we know we're at capacity um because it's just a small lot, yeah.

Okay, I appreciate that.

What would the costs look like for schools as far as the bus?

Yeah, we're not charging for um the school bus parking.

Um we had allocated a spot in Mohawk where they parked, but um the parks department has asked us to find a different location, but we don't want the bus drivers to have to walk half a mile to get to the zoo.

So we're still looking at what that looks like, um, but the the buses would not be charged to park.

So I appreciate the information.

Thank you.

Commissioner.

Good bingo.

Lindsay, thank you for coming to my last town hall.

Uh I think a lot of people appreciate what you guys do.

Mike, you and I have had been engaged in a conversation around this and deferment and things of that nature.

So um, I think you and I and the mayor went to the groundbreaking of this project, the African Wilds last year.

Um, so I kind of feel like I'm obligated here a little bit.

Um, the elephant exhibit, I mean, just amazing.

Uh I love getting the emails from you specifically on what's going on in the zoo and um tell me really when you're talking about um donors from the private sector.

Did you kind of imply that there was kind of some donor fatigue?

Absolutely.

That's uh what we're hearing from our donors.

There's there's a bit of donor fatigue, and then uh many are prioritizing uh social services as Megan and Lindsay had mentioned earlier.

Um, you you hear that a little bit in terms of some of those private dollars that I was referencing earlier that were raised to complete the elephants project, soaking up some of that donor capacity or contributing, another way to say it is that fatigue uh in terms of completing uh this African Wilds project.

Well, and I would just reiterate the programs that you create, like you're gonna create some, you have a summer camp, you know, for students and things of that nature.

You can make it affordable and accessible.

So obviously the zoo is just like our animal shelter, something we need to, because I actually found out that a painted dog was a real thing and not the TikTok trend that I saw where people were painting their dogs.

And then money puppies are long.

Yeah, 20 puppies.

That's crazy.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm fostering five right now, and I can't even imagine having that many.

So thank you for what you guys do.

I appreciate that.

Thanks.

Okay, counselor didn't direct.

Thank you.

Um thanks for the numbers.

I was just, can we go back to that slide where the dollars and cents are there?

So on the 8.8 outstanding pledges, can you remind us the time horizon on those?

Those will be collected out through 2030.

Um then we have to lower it.

And I lead Tulsa Opera, so I know the pain that you all are experiencing with having needs and ongoing, and you know, in times like this, of course, food, shelter, clothing takes precedence always.

But I always like to remind citizens like we all collectively own the animals at Bozeo.

Yeah, and we have to take care of them, or we should not have them because that's not fair, right, to them.

So I just solidarity.

I've been on the social service side during the pandemic of raising money to feed people.

So I I get it, and um to be a world-class city, we need to have our culture um all of the things.

So um on the 15 million, so 10 uh million is like immediate need, and five.

What's the what's the gap there?

Sure.

15 million is our true gap in terms of financing.

We cost 47 million, we've raised between private donors in the city 32 million.

10 million is the gap to cover that cash shortfall between the fall and completion in June.

However, we would still have a significant bridge loan out through 2030 that we will have to address in some manner.

If you only had 10 of that 15, that five is gonna show up in debt that we're gonna have to service in some manner.

Yes, but the if we can get to the 10, then we have some time to get the other five.

Till 2030, and I will just, you know, we have some packages coming, we have some go bonds coming, we have some lodging tax discussions.

There's some other revenue options.

I mean, I understand for peace of mind 15 would the challenge well that absolutely.

The challenge candidly is the interest expense that goes with the carrying that debt that you're talking two and a half million dollars cumulatively over that period.

So that's really seven.

That yes, out till 2030.

So that's something that this management team, the board will have to address in some fashion, is simply paying the debt, then on top paying the interest on the debt, and then ultimately repaying that debt.

So going back to the 8.8 of outstanding pledges, is there any way to accelerate them if you have the 15?

Would that be an incentive on some of these or is it locked in?

Um we've been active and Lindsay can speak to this more, but we've been actively working with all of our donors to find ways to accelerate it, candidly to increase their donations, and it's honestly been a challenge to achieve that.

Okay, yeah, and again, we had success um with elephants and with Lost Kingdom where we fundraise for this difference.

It was 8.3 for elephants and five million um for lost kingdom, those came solely from private dollars, and I think our donors are now just kind of waiting to see hopefully if the city can help as since we're city asset.

Um, but the conversations have been supportive and um and definitely recognizing that a lot of their commitments are shifting to social services as well, so they understand the landscape has changed drastically even since we broke ground.

Counselor, uh I think you touched on sort of the debts, just the 10 million versus the 15 million.

Um so do I have another question?

Um because the email that I got, I I feel like it was for 10.

Yes, it was.

10 million is the minimum that would allow us just given our stay on given the debt financing we've already secured, but we run out of borrowing capacity at that point, so another 10 million gets us home to completion, but you still have you know a balance that's been financed with debt that ultimately we're going to have to resolve.

And the interest, yes.

So we the it was IoT funding was eight.

The IoT one that was in 2012 or 13.

Uh and then the 15 if we gave it, we'd be in 23.

My question, here's the other question.

Um maintenance.

You get it built, it just goes on your operating budget.

Yes, okay.

We do have the ability to go after public funding um when possible.

So we went for IoT 3 in particular, we had a large maintenance item come up for our rainforests, which is turning 30 years old next year.

If you all can believe it, it was eight million dollars, and we needed a new HVAC electrical system, water filtration system, and we're allocated eight million.

Um, and that's currently underway that project.

Um so sometimes on on things we're able to get some maintenance help, but for right now, um we put maintenance programs in place, especially for our new builds.

We have contracts with HVAC, we have generators on all these buildings.

Generators crazy enough are kind of a new thing in the last 15 years.

We didn't have generators on buildings previously.

So when we had that big ice storm back in 2007, you know, we um just lost power and had to scramble.

Um so we're making all of our systems more sophisticated and making sure that we can take care of the maintenance of these new items.

But that's why you see new restrooms, new rental spaces, new snack shops in these new builds to generate the revenue that it takes to stack these uh facilities and maintain these facilities for the future.

We're not building for the next 20 years, we're building for the next 30, 40, 50 because the taxpayer dollars means something to us, and the donor dollars need something to us, and we want to make sure it's sustainable.

Okay, so um, first time in this seat.

I remember going to BOK and toured it, and I learned that the blue seats up at the very top don't make BOK profitable.

It's sweet, it's it's you know, big big spending.

Uh, was with I was with OSU the other day, and we talked about Medicare, Medicaid, we want people to be covered, but private insurance.

People have that private insurance that you know, higher reimbursement.

Exactly right, and so um when it comes to the zoo, what what is really driving the profits or the revenue?

What's the most impactful line item that you're seeing?

I mean, gay admission and membership are kind of the most important thing.

So right now, um, 60% of our of our operating budget comes from membership tickets, fundraisers in park spend, which is like cotton candy, popcorn, um, private events, 40% comes from our management fee.

At the time we transitioned, it was more half and half, but as costs have gone up, now it's a 40%.

Because you know, insurance has gone up for our staff.

Um, we're in the middle of a compensation strategy.

I have a large percentage of staff that aren't even they're at their minimum, but they're not um in their range based on their tenure or experience.

So there's lots of things that are driving up cost, and you know, we always talk about how we didn't talk about compensation as much 20 years ago.

We probably should have, but now everyone's really feeling those costs when they go to the grocery store, and so we really need our staff to be able to have a livable wage, just like we need to remain accessible and affordable for all.

One thing I'd add along those lines that that I think about is when the public-private partnership started, the best estimate of the deferred maintenance at the Tulsa Zoo was four million dollars.

Today, our deferred maintenance is roughly 35 million dollars.

We've been through a comprehensive program to identify deferred maintenance items, so we know what those items are to date since our public private partnership.

We've spent more than 20 million dollars on maintenance the last several years, roughly three million dollars a year on maintenance.

So that's a real challenge for us that does soak up some of that operating budget to cover that maintenance.

And it's all circular, it's all interrelated.

African wild is a key part towards driving more visitors, whether they're citizens of Tulsa or from all other 50 states through that gate, and we've been able, we've been successful to increase uh, you know, visitors to the zoo to 700,000 people.

There's a case that we have and we believe in it that we approach a million visitors a year over the next five years.

We think this project is that impactful.

Thank you.

That's it.

Yes, um the if I'm remembering IoT three to ask was 25 million as well.

Okay, seven.

So I just for level set for everyone, they got eight.

After 25.

We did get 25.7.

Oh, you did.

Yeah, yeah, we got eight.

That was one example of a project.

We had asked for 50 and got 25.

Okay.

I knew like we gave a lot, but it wasn't nearly what was needed.

So just for context, yeah, thank you.

Um, yes, and um I wanted to just reiterate June 2027's a centennial, so this project timeline is it to open with the centennial.

So that's the other thing to consider.

It's the hundred-year anniversary, and we know how much effort's gone into our current centennial that we're working towards.

So uh just you know, their job is to come before us and give us the down and dirty of what it's gonna cost to continue to have a world-class facility in a world-class city.

It's our job to figure out where the resources come from.

Um, we have a lot of competing interests and ideas and needs, but I think also timing is one of the considerations that we need to do in our kind of matrix of prioritization.

So I appreciate you all have the hardest job in the world, and we get these heartbreaking emails from you all the time, which I appreciate.

Like the heads up, no, I mean we get the joys and concerns, but it's never lost on me that it's people that are behind this, and people don't go into working with animals because you know they want to take care of sick animals or dying animals, or you know, it's heartbreaking.

Um, maybe I'm a little more sensitive to it because I have a kid that like wants to go into zoology.

So I definitely like think about a career in that and what that really means for you all.

And I again will just say if we're going to be a city that has animals from the Antarctic and the rainforest and everything in between, like there's a responsibility that comes with that.

Otherwise, we should not be doing that.

Um, you might never see.

That, but also those animals didn't ask to be located in Tulsa with no air conditioning for a summer because uh the city couldn't figure out how to pay for it, right?

Like if we want to have these things, um, we are one of the most generous cities.

TM, the most generous city, thank you.

America's most generous city, thank you.

And it looks like the public has shown up, but it's you know, people don't have infinite dollars, and so um, I'm sure this was uh not lost on you all that there was an announcement that there's 103 million dollars from the vision, you know, fund balances.

So these are just things that I think we as a the fiduciaries of the city need to weigh heavily and consider.

Um I want to just highlight that if we do a 10 million and then do this five, it's actually seven.

So I think that's important to remember because the interest.

So I hope um after today we can kind of get a summary maybe of what we discussed and like maybe what the options are where we can look to kind of put together um a capital stack.

Sorry, Jimmy Fellowship.

You wanted to say it, so or just what what our options might be and what the cadence and timing is.

I think what I'm hearing the most urgent is to keep it on track so that there's no delays, which then there's cost accelerations that come with it, but also this huge um missed opportunity of a centennial grand opening, um, and the least of which, you know, animals that don't get what they need and people that are taking care of animals that don't get what they need.

So I appreciate you all.

I know it's hard to come and ask for money, and I know for the average citizen, the context of millions of dollars just seems very overwhelming when you just think about what it takes to make all that go.

But um, in terms of the revenue and profit centers, too, there's so much that we do in our city that is for quality of life, and so that students can engage with animals that they might not otherwise ever get to learn about adults as well as you just shared.

Um, I think most of us can think about on a personal level how we've been to the zoo and memories we've made their um things we've learned, so and then just what it does for our city.

We just came out of a meeting about business uh tourism attraction.

Clearly, people are coming to our city to um visit city assets, including the zoo.

Um, so I think it's important that we look at this immediate 10 million dollars and then kind of figure out the five, seven, whatever, or like what the what the um timing of that might be.

Just to sympathize it, yeah, a quick follow-up.

Um, we're meeting with finance and polls accuracy pretty soon just to talk about IoT 3 availability and that 25 million, um, there are projections for some savings.

It won't come out to enough.

The problem is that we're not very far in the IoT three, obviously.

So, you know, we haven't we haven't led a lot of those bonds um and then we haven't we haven't realized the or the zoo hasn't realized the savings so there's a lot of moving pieces on that and it's going to be really tough in my mind um for any funds to be available prior to that October 1st deadline but we're gonna have the meetings and find out but we can also no then we're just gonna make it real back but we could do things like we anticipate three being on the back end so we front these and then you know there's we've done oh yeah there's there's there's options all right yeah there's a lot of there's a lot of times where we've been sitting around this table as you know where we've said hey this project needs funding right now these other ones don't need funding right now because we're not far enough along the design or we anticipate a cost savings later that like we did um on the ARPA dollars and parking and stuff we had kind of like a there's just not a lot of room in IoT3 because they still have four projects or five projects in IoT three that still need to be done.

Yeah and is it all on this at 2027 we're still working on a front entry change so that was um that was the IoT two we had six million allocated for an entry um so that's for contracted um to try to figure that out because our front entry bridges are down for over a year and a half and so that's one piece but yeah a lot of the IoT three it's like our children's zoo which we haven't even started on roofs that we are in process um and the rainforest that's in process but the primitive fence modifications are so it just kind of depends on the project so and all of it has been very important for critical infrastructure for sure.

But that's in that yeah capital stack we just need to come up with a different word okay uh counselor bellas and then bingo yeah I just wanted to reaffirm that as um council directory was just saying well we know that these things up front like sounds like these big dollars but when it actually comes to it in this type of investment longitudinally it can make a real difference but for how much you guys have already raised and leveraged because I know that's that so much hard work and there's like literal infrastructure going in now I've been I've got around the construction site and you guys are literally moving mountains um and that of course for after school and extracurricular activities you guys are so critical as someone who takes their children there when school's out and it's a literal zoo at the zoo that day full of children like you guys are pulling in regional tourism as well as providing real serious out of school learning for community members and that also has to stay affordable for folks to access so I I feel like it's incumbent upon us to support that especially given the dollars that I've already pulled in and so I do see it as like a not negotiable for us to we're gonna have to figure it out together so thank you all.

I just have to ask those question was there any consideration of scaling yes we value engineered this project three times and we actually eliminated a special event pavilion completely out of the project because we just knew that we couldn't add in that three million dollars.

So we shrunk the boardwalk we changed the building sizes we we did multiple things on three different rounds um and it just kept coming in higher and that's what ultimately um you know our AD accreditation we were 50 years continuously accredited this year which is a huge milestone um but they had told us we needed a new facility for lions and our last two inspections so we know we needed to move forward with this because they had the sixty era big cat grottos um so that was important to hit the centennial goals that was important um and also to protect the donor dollars that we had been fundraising for since 2018 we knew we needed to move forward um but again this is unprecedented typically we've been able to fund that gap um when we start and this time our donors are telling us no well I thought it was important to ask that question that you didn't just come to the table and say we want to build this thing out we didn't consider scaling before we came and made that SOL.

I think it's important to vocalize that.

Yeah, I um spent a lot of time on construction running a 99-year old facility.

And so it it's important for us again to take care of those dollars and get stewards of those dollars.

And so we look at everything we can cut whenever possible.

The generators were not on the table.

We've done that before, and then I had added back in, and they were more expensive then.

Okay, okay, so just to be clear, 15 million is for the project.

It's not bird-deferred maintenance, that's not for uh is it all 15 million of it will be going to that project.

Correct.

Okay.

Over here.

To get your question asked, part of it.

Yep.

Okay.

Do you have a question?

I can just um thank you.

Thank you all for coming here.

Um, I know that um I I love the Tulsa Zoo.

I grew up going to the Tulsa Zoo.

I took my kids to the zoo.

I'm taking my grandkids to the zoo now, so um so to cherish those memories and hopefully they will bring their kids to the zoo.

So um if you don't have a Zoom membership, you need one.

So on sale this night, and if you use it, two times it pays for it.

Right, right.

Um, but we use ours quite often, so um anyhow.

I I just want you to know that I am dedicated to making sure that this um funding gap is that we can help resolve it because it is one of our gyms um in the city of Tulsa, and I can't imagine the the fences being knocked down and wild animals running over all through the city of Tulsa.

So uh Geomanji is that the maybe so we can't have that happen.

So um, so um, but we I've been asking several um questions uh throughout your presentation to uh look at um different sources to help this gap.

Thank you very much.

Anyone else?

Anything else?

Does everybody like the zoo?

Okay, great.

Thank you all very much.

Thank you.

Okay.

Item seven is discussion regarding the city council's letter of support for the city's application for city streets for all programs developing comprehensive safety action plan, meant to give Kelser Gilbert all the authority in the world to sign things.

Yay, just one bit, and legally that's all I can.

Oh, that's all right.

I can go hand those up for you.

Still, um, we can take one down and pass one.

I got it.

There's there's multiples here.

So we'll just start on the items.

Is that food for it?

Sarah, that's not the same as this one.

Yeah, we got the tilt.

She took it back.

There's only two, there's three to three.

Oh, she's got it.

Oh, yeah.

I'll take it.

I don't care.

I'm good.

Okay, rock on.

I mean, our thing is.

So the the uh FHWA is offering the last round of the safe streets for all grant.

Applications are due at the end of this month, and the city of Tulsa's looking to put in an application for a local road safety action plan just for the city of Tulsa.

Um did a local road safety action plan for the area, and they identified some high prior priority corridors for accidents within Tulsa, but now what we want to do is actually take a deeper dive into the city of Tulsa and look at some of those corridors for some other accident data and information.

We want to be able to look at this from a very um safety-driven and analytical approach, not just for vehicles but for bicyclists, pedestrians looking for all the road users.

Um there's the vision zero, which is the the federal uh vision to try to get to zero accidents.

Obviously, that's a very difficult thing to do, but it's still a goal, and it's something that the city needs to be working towards and and every step we take to reduce accidents is a good step to take.

Um so there's the safe systems approach and the local road safety action plan is part of the safe systems approach.

It's one countermeasure, and then that helps us to rank and identify where we have accident problems, what the good countermeasures are that we recommend for those.

Try to identify low-hanging fruit for implementation, try to identify larger projects for implementation, and then that'll help us to use that in prioritizing and ranking our capital improvement program requests and our capital needs so that we can identify those based on these accident measures.

So that's kind of the goal of it, and then there's a data sheet here that goes in and talks.

This is what's going to be attached to the actual application.

So this is talking about what we're doing to do with the program.

So part of what we want to do is do some road safety audits, which actually goes out on the street with groups to look at okay, what are the problems in these corridors that have been identified now?

Let's go take a deeper dive and look at these streets and see what's going on, what needs to happen.

Um we get a lot of requests for accident issues.

Um I get a lot of them from from you guys.

I try to address those as best we can, but we want to try to come up with a comprehensive and uh a range of tools that we can use to help address these things and to help prioritize them across all the districts in all of the city of Tulsa.

So you would expect to get 860,000 bucks plus or minus, is that correct?

Right.

We're we're gonna we've identified 200,000 out of our traffic money for IoT 2 and 3 that we're gonna put towards it, and then this is an 80-20 match grant, so the federal government would be providing eight hundred thousand dollars.

Yeah, and then they're just so if we get the grant, the grant um in the end just provides for recommendations for prioritization for other things, no no edicts.

Correct.

So if we give you eight hundred thousand dollars, you must do no.

Okay, this is just coming up with that plan, and then that gives us a structure and a framework to move forward with prioritizing capital funding and things as we get the new CIP packages coming through.

Okay, I just want to make sure we had somebody proposed at one point, uh, lowering the street limits to 17 miles an hour all across Tulsa in order to achieve our zero fatality rate or whatever you're shooting for at that time.

I was like, I don't think it's gonna go over well, but um he was pretty stuck on the 17 miles an hour.

Okay, so aren't she and then Bingle and then she and the deck director?

Thank you so much.

Um, for uh what happened with this grant.

I think anytime you can get or compete for federal funds to bring it into the city, that's that's always good.

Um, if um if you ever want to get into our mini beta, and I'll I'll take you around of district two.

I'll show you some of those areas that I think should be number one on the list, 41st of Southwest Boulevard, of course, that dedicated turn lane.

But you have been um so responsive and your team and just it's uh a new day, you know, our leadership in in your area, so thank you for the work that you're doing, and glad to support this.

Great.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Um, I don't know who recommended 17, but I have asked that we look at lowering the business districts and school sounds to 20.

And the data shows that that would um help, especially the pedestrianized areas.

Unfortunately, the cost to do so, I think on school zones came back at six million dollars because every school zone would then have to have the flashing lights and the signage.

If I'm remembering that correctly, like that.

I think there's like 60 school zones and more than 50 dollars in neighborhoods, too.

Right.

So, just something, you know, as we talk about vision zero, we've had a lot of um in every district where there's schools, either crashes or near crashes, so as we look at packages, vision um becoming a more walkable city, a safer city, you know, six million dollars seems like a lot to invest, but when you think about 60 school zones getting what they would need to be a little bit safer, I would be open to that conversation.

The other part of this that I have inquired about is ending the ride on red.

Um police officers have told me that the number one uh interaction between vehicles and pedestrians are actually in signalized crosswalks.

I personally, multiple times with you all as we crossed lunch.

I've had to like put my hands out to people that are trying to turn to right in front of us right here, so um I don't know if that would be part of the study, but if it's not, those are things I continue to look at.

Um for Tulsa, for the Cherry Street, Greenwood, you know, these these places where you have angle back parking.

We've tried to do the uh road diet and slow people down.

Tolsons are just not yet used to driving in a way that they're looking for pedestrians as the project on 91st Street starts to come to an end with sidewalks, um bike lanes, signalize crosswalks.

We know I know I'm gonna really have to be looking at mingo because people will be using crossing mingo at 91st on foot in a way that has never existed because we don't have sidewalks, so these that's already a 91st amingo is one of those zones where just there's a lot of crashes.

People are coming off the highway too fast, they're accelerating to get through to the highway too fast, they're coming out of quick trip, and so um I'm sure also counselor where you have wiping and crosswalks for the first time.

Maybe not everyone's as comfortable walking yet.

So I hope we can look at the right on red, and I hope we can look at lowering to 20 miles per hour and part of the bigger um approach, and I don't know if this would include some of that in a study, but it does.

It could, that'd be great.

It does include measures uh along those lines.

Um, not so much looking at like a citywide no ride on red, but one of the tools we also have is a leading pedestrian of the or even exclusive pedestrian phases at signals, and so we are actually implementing those along Riverside in front of the gathering place right now.

It's really helpful, it's really helpful to get pedestrians out into the crosswalks before you give the green to the other cars, so at least you can see them out of the crosswalk.

Well, and I would think if the gathering place it's multiple pedestrians, but we still have parts of this city where it might only be one or two.

Yeah, but I saw it for the first time in Louisville.

I guess whenever I was up there and I texted Kurt, whatever he was saying, just to give a timing, just maybe, so those are just things that we should continue to look at as we're doing these infrastructure improvements at hopefully 41st Street as well, because they do I think we know that um for people to feel comfortable walking or biking or doing active transportation, they have to have a little bit of confidence that like the road will be shared.

So I totally support this, and I do hope we can um if we need to go more patchwork and not citywide, like look at these places where we have invested um on economic development on Route 66 along 11th Street.

I know it's controversial the bike lanes, but they're there because we want people to feel comfortable walking to those businesses, Cherry Street, Brookside, um, Greenwood, uh, you know, any of these.

I guess the Sobo district, you know, is gonna become more of that kind of area, just any of those places where we want people to walk between restaurants, businesses, and things, and we gotta make sure it's safe for that.

So we have a real I one of my most requested things from constituents per what you're saying is signalized crosswalks a number of places where it's like they really are trying to get from point A to point B that would create economic vibrancy and they just safely can't, and then maybe this like you know timing thing so that drivers just get used to like when it's signalized, they're gonna go first.

The walkers and the riders are gonna go first.

So we just know that's important.

They have the right way, they do pedestrians, and release them at the same time.

Sometimes it's hard to see them out of the pedestrians always have the right of way, whether they're in a crosswalk or not.

But I mean, just looking around our city, there's a lot of crashes.

When someone is turning right, they're not looking, they're only looking to the left.

Yeah, they're not looking both ways.

So, we just make another two.

Well, I'm like, I'll make eye contact.

Do you know, right?

Sometimes they go and depend on it because people.

Okay, that wouldn't and then mingle.

So I'm looking at the maps and I find them really helpful because it seems to really target district, districts one, three, and portions of district six, which definitely show the underserved communities.

Um I appreciate the information in regards to that, as well as the last uh couple sentences of the safety impact and the areas uh indicating persistent poverty, and there are a disproportionate share of fatal crashes in these underserved communities.

So I really appreciate that aspect, and that also highlights to me that uh I do know from my district that we have a high concentration of people with disabilities compared to Tulsa as a whole, and that um in these areas, they also lack sidewalks and curves.

It's an old portion, older portion of the city of Tulsa.

We have culverts, we have lots of uh creeks running through the area.

So the fact that this has been highlighted, I can really appreciate, I want to support this as much as possible, but also consider the ability for the handicap to move around in these communities where it's underserved because even though we have these trade uh traffic fatalities, we're not considering that people utilizing um mobile devices such as wheelchairs actually have to commute and traverse on streets and not sidewalks due to the lack of sidewalks, and that also includes blind individuals, and so uh seniors as well, and so I I'm really glad and I I'd love to do a deeper dive with you on how we can make this happen uh for greater results.

And I know the amount of money isn't a lot in the bigger scheme of things, but I'm pleased that there's even just a start to the consideration of these areas.

So thank you.

Can we get bigger maps of these?

Yes, we're like, there's like an arch GIS, sometimes it works.

Yeah, and the X's are fatal crashes, but you need your someday we're gonna be able to do that with paper.

Are these GS maps we could get a link to?

Uh, who has a map?

I believe it is actually a GIS format we can hold.

That'd be great.

So we can zoom in.

You need to bring them on magnifying.

Alright, bingo, bring us on, yeah.

Yeah, so obviously I've never heard the conversation about potentially slowing down school zone traffic to 20 miles an hour.

No, it never got out of a conversation.

Yeah, yeah.

Um, because I didn't have a good idea.

Um a constituent who's talking about a school, you know exactly where I'm talking about, Terry.

Um, which ended up being a broken arrow disc bridge, and there's it's a county requirement, and of course they want to say crossing there because of um you know the high speed traffic that passes through there, and we see this all the time.

Most people I love driving downtown because it I love watching the jackrabbit drivers go from light to light to light to light.

And most people don't realize if you'll just drive 21 miles an hour, good every light without ever touching their body.

I never understand how people who work downtown who come downtown every day do the same thing.

Everyone's day driving downtown is their first day, that's what I always say.

But there is one intersection, it's really scary.

First in Cincinnati, and that every time since I've been in this building for 15 years, there's always an issue right there with those two turn lanes, and so I think historically there are specific problematic areas where there are crashes over.

Either you have people that are coming over that bridge on Cincinnati going about 100 miles an hour, coming from the north, uh, or you have somebody who's in one of those two left turn lanes who comes and tries to get into the middle lane, or vice versa, or something, or somebody actually tries to use it as a through, and that's where some of these problems are.

So it I think it's interesting as we look at some of you know where Paul Matic areas in the city are.

If we didn't have as many light foods like Phil in the city.

With his big truck, you're staying out of sidewalker.

So you know, I don't know somebody else's mirror.

But the right turn on red is kind of like to me, like the U sign U-turn, no U-turn.

Interesting thing to me is that in certain places you have a no U-turn, right?

And then you also have at some signal lights where it's no right turn on red, and though they're specifically designated, and I'm assuming that's from traffic studies to make determinations of how many crashes are doing that.

So I'm assuming in the same scenario those same considerations are being made.

Correct.

About where to put those restrictions.

We have those in select areas that we've gone in and had to look at because we had a problem or an accident problem that was reported to us.

First in Cincinnati, I want somebody to tell me what the hell's going on there because that's just insane.

It seems like every day, it seemed like every day for like a month, especially during the spring and summer months, it seemed like a crash was happening there every day.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Yep.

We go to the library and just oversee first in Cincinnati and watch the would be the surveyors.

Okay, anything else?

Anyone else?

All right.

Thank you all very much for joining us.

I cut the