Tulsa Authority for Recovery of Energy (TARE) Regular Meeting - May 29, 2026

Note: The raw transcript identifies the meeting date as Tuesday, May 26th, 2026, but the user-provided instructions specify the meeting took place on May 29th, 2026. This summary uses the provided date per instructions, but the discrepancy is noted for accuracy.

The Tulsa Authority for Recovery of Energy (TARE) held its regular meeting on May 29, 2026. The board reviewed operational updates, financial reports, a new Flock camera agreement, and decided to discontinue use of GoToMeeting for virtual attendance. No public comments were received.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The minutes from the meetings on April 21st and 28th, 2026, were presented for review. A motion to approve was made and seconded; the motion carried.
• Met Second Joint Propositor in Our Local Agreement: An agreement requiring signatures from the Met attorney was discussed. The board approved the agreement with a motion and second; the motion passed.

Staff Report & Updates

• Residential Recycling (Bill): Contamination recycling carts removed: 12 in April, 23 total for the year. Diversion to AEL from ReWorld is hindered by ReWorld's planned outages and both cranes being down; no materials are being accepted currently. The board asked for status on repairs; a grounding issue was identified, and a short-term fix using a generator is planned, but no timeline was given.
• Twice-a-Week Service: Seven more customers were lost in April. Service will be discontinued on October 1, 2026. Billing and customer service are coordinating direct notifications. A city flyer (City Life) will also announce changes to rates and services, including sticker price increases (orange/white stickers replaced by purple/white) and bulky waste changes. Approximately 90-95% of customers will see no change.
• Mulch Site: 2,351 residents and 68 MOUs (Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, and public tree contractors) used the site. Numbers remain consistent.
• Bulky Waste Tonnage: 329 tons in the previous year vs. 313 tons this year (April). Similar consistency.
• Legal Dumping: Down 7 tons from last month, up 3 tons from the prior year.
• DC Dumpsters (Code Enforcement/Homeless Cleanup): Up 73 tons compared to last year.

Household Pollutant Collection Facility (Manager Brian Lewis)

• April Metrics: 81 more cars than April 2025; 200 swap shop customers took 724 items, disposing of ~1,800 pounds of pollutants.
• Facility Improvements: Completed insulation project; bathroom installation underway (no ETA) which will provide hand-washing facilities and improve safety shower accessibility.
• Repeat Customers (2025 data): 4,451 individual customers; 535 visited more than once. Of those: 80% visited twice, 14% three times, 5% four times, 6 people visited five times, and 1 person visited six times. This addresses potential hoarding concerns.

Monthly Financial Report (Katie)

• Revenues: $35.5 million total, 86.14% of budget estimate (expected 83%), ahead by $1.2 million. Charges for services: $34.5 million, $857,000 over budget estimate.
• Expenditures: $30 million in expenses, $10 million in encumbrances. As the fiscal year progresses, encumbrances are converting to expenses. No reappropriations or year-end budget action needed for Fund 730. Revenues and expenses are on track.

Flock Camera Agreement

• Details: Agreement to install 10 Flock cameras (one at the mulch site, nine around the city) with license plate readers and 30-day data storage. The board worked with the ARCTIC real-time information center to avoid overlapping with police cameras. First-year cost: $41,500 (includes installation and permits); subsequent annual cost: $35,000. The first year cost will be absorbed from existing accounts; the board had budgeted $37,000 annually. The cameras aim to combat illegal dumping (current fine: $500 plus mandatory court appearance). No hard ETA for installation; depends on permitting and equipment ordering. Motion to approve was made, seconded, and passed.

New Business

• Discontinuation of GoToMeeting: The board discussed eliminating GoToMeeting for board meetings since T.Gav already records sessions. The annual notices did not promise video availability, so the board can stop at any time. The decision can be made administratively without a vote. Future meetings will not include GoToMeeting unless a special presentation is needed, with notice prior to agenda release.

Key Outcomes

• Approved minutes of April 21 and 28, 2026.
• Approved the Met Second Joint Propositor in Our Local Agreement.
• Approved the Flock Camera Agreement (10 cameras, $41,500 first year, $35,000 subsequent years).
• Decided to discontinue use of GoToMeeting for regular meetings (administrative decision, no vote).
• Next regular meeting scheduled for June 30, 2026, at the Conference Center at North City Hall.