Tulsa City Council Public Works Committee Meeting – June 17, 2026
Tulsa City Council Public Works Committee Meeting – June 17, 2026
The Tulsa City Council Public Works Committee met on June 17, 2026, to consider two routine agenda items and a presentation on the 2026-2027 Medical Control Board budget. The meeting was called to order and proceeded through items quickly, with no public comments recorded.
Discussion Items
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Item 2: Ordinance closing a utility easement for Chick-fil-A development – The committee considered closing a utility easement at 4191 South Peoria Avenue (Lot 1, Block 1, Brookside Marketplace Edition) for a Chick-fil-A development. Paul Zachary from Public Works explained that a sanitary sewer easement had been relocated via an Improvement District Plan (IDP) and the old easement no longer contained city infrastructure. The IDP had been accepted and signed by the mayor, and no objections were received. The committee approved the closure.
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Item 3: Resolution authorizing condemnation of property for storm sewer easement – The committee considered a resolution to condemn property at 2504 East 46th Place (Arnold Heights Addition) owned by Aaron D. and Haley R. Letty, needed for the Arterial Street Rehab of South Lewis Avenue (I-44 to East 41st Street South). Paul Zachary detailed that the property is required to address major drainage complaints and flooding in the area. Negotiations with the owner had been ongoing since December 6, 2024; the appraised value was $97,000, but the owner refused to provide a specific monetary counter, instead demanding open-ended conditions including post-construction repair costs and future claims. Unable to reach an agreement, the committee approved the resolution to seek judicial review, with funds to be deposited and the owner retaining rights to sue for damages.
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Item 4: Discussion with Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jeffrey Goodlow on the 2026-2027 Medical Control Board budget – Dr. Goodlow presented the annual budget request, highlighting a 2.5% increase ($43,000 total), with the City of Tulsa’s portion increasing by $5,319 due to additional paramedics and advanced EMTs in the fire department. He reported strong EMS system outcomes: for witnessed cardiac arrest in 2025, a 42% survival rate with complete neurological recovery (national average <15% or 37% in reporting systems). He also noted the two-year success of the prehospital blood product program, a capability held by less than 3% of U.S. EMS systems. Training challenges due to shift scheduling were discussed. Council members expressed appreciation and asked about simulation technologies and coordination between EMSA and Tulsa Fire Department. No formal vote was taken on the budget; it was presented for information.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance closing utility easement (Item 2): Approved by the committee.
- Resolution authorizing condemnation (Item 3): Approved; the matter will proceed to judicial review.
- Medical Control Board budget (Item 4): Presented and discussed; no action taken.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, great. Good afternoon, and welcome to the Tulsa City Council Public Works Committee meeting. You ready? Ready? I know hesitation there. Waiting for part two to get here. Um I call this meeting to order. Item agenda number two. Ordinance closing a certain utility easement requested by Natalie Cornette, Eller and Dietrich PC for property located at 4191 South Peoria Avenue. Lot one, block one, a Brookside Marketplace Edition for Chick-fil-A development. Council of District 9. Hi, Pa. Hello, Paul Zachary Public Works. Um, probably all saying there's a Chick-fil-A out there. That is right. Um, what we're what we're doing was there was a utility easement that they wanted closed that had a sanitary sewer easement in it. They then did an IDP that moved the sanitary sewer, but as a matter of practice, we do not close the old easement until the new IDP has been accepted and signed off on by the mayor. That has happened now, and we are moving forward with we didn't receive any objections from anybody as long as they completed their IDP. They did complete it satisfactorily. So we are recommending approval uh that this easement be closed. It no longer has any infrastructure in it that's of uh city's interest or any right-of-way option. All right. Questions, comments? Okay, looks like we teach you for the next item as well. Yes, ma'am. Resolution authorizing condemnation, a property owned by Aaron D and Haley R. Letty, located at 2504 East 46th place. Arnold Heights addition and existing public necessity requires the acquisition of a storm sewer easement for the Arterial Street rehab of South Lewis Avenue I 44 to East 41st Street South. Council of District 9 again. Yes, ma'am. Um this one's a little it's it is associated with this. We've had major draining drains complaints at 47th Street and on 46th place south. They actually flood, and water is carried off to the north or to the south, and it cannot be um handled by the downstream system. So we are constructing a system to intercept this and take it out to uh Lewis, and our drainage system on Lewis is being upsized to carry this down in appropriate ways. So we are getting uh properties from flooding uh that are flooding currently, and we needed to buy this easement. Um this project actually started uh in the previous administration, and the homeowner then had requested this uh through the mayor's office, and we just took advantage of doing this at the same time. The new owner of the property, um, his counter has basically been open-ended, and that's where just to give you an idea. We we appraised it, we had the dollar value, but he has he never gave us a non-sidon monetary counter, but also open-ended monetary liability. Um he wants to not only have the cost of the property now, uh, but he also wants the work zone area reduced, the easement reduced after the work is completed, then he wants reimbursements for actual post-construction repair costs, then he wants cost just to be that he can make a claim later for anything else that may happen later, etc. etc. And it's just like we can't come to an agreement. Um the house is up here, his driveways low, that's where all the water runs, and it's really somewhat of an overland drainage improvement for this guy's property as well. Um, and we've been doing this since December 6, 2024, and the roadway is ready to go. The utilities are getting ready to be cleared, and we're getting ready to start that. And this is one of the last parcels that we've got to get to make this drainage interception made. And we're not getting anywhere with the gentleman. So we're just thought that we would ask for the a judicial review of this, and let us go and do what we need to do. Okay, council questions yeah, just is this uh west of loose or east? This is east of loose. East, okay, yeah.
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