The meeting comprised a naturalization ceremony, presentations on city programs and infrastructure, and educational segments on topics such as recycling, coyote management, and historic preservation. No formal votes were taken, but funding allocations and project updates were highlighted.
Because this is a sparsely populated area, there was no development that was occurring out here. It was important that we try and figure out how to activate this corridor for future development. And I think by doing this, we've created a place where small developers or even larger developers can look at this and it be an attractive place to spur growth and development. I think it's important that when we invest in ourselves, investors will invest in us. When we first brought this issue to the attention of our district, everyone was a little bit overwhelmed by the fact that we had citizens that didn't have the basic necessity. Most of us, when we turn on our water, we expect that clean clear water is going to come out of our faucet. Everybody got behind this initiative. So thank you for going down this journey with us and making sure that we invest in our district and its future potential. Art One was established due to the need that we recognize within the community. We knew that we needed to address mental and behavioral health in a larger scale. Art One, our alternate response team one is a co-response model, and it is a team that is staffed with two individuals: a firefighter paramedic who is trained in crisis intervention, and a COPS clinician from Family and Children's Services. And so the Coops Clinician is a licensed professional counselor, and the TFD paramedic is someone who has had extra training in mental health and de-escalation techniques. And this unit responds to mental or behavioral health crisis calls throughout the city of Tulsa. Art One is able to respond to any age individual in crisis. And we do see a big need in the 18 to 45 range. We also know that about 20% of Art One's responses are to unhoused individuals. There's a lot of work being done, not just locally but nationally with addressing mental health. We were out ahead of the game in regards to a lot of the other cities in America in trying to address our need within our community. How can we better serve it? What we found was early on, we were seeing some of these people called 911 who just needed this assistance. And so these programs were invented very early on to meet that need. And it's proven to be so valuable when we're Bruce Pollin. This is really the best part of my job. And I'd like to take a moment to thank the City of Tulsa for allowing us to use the facility and to in supporting this program which allows us to naturalize people here in Tulsa. We are going to begin the today's naturalization ceremony with a presentation of the colors and the pledge of allegiance. If you would please rise for the presentation of the colors. Please follow me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, you may be seated. Also, I'd like to thank the Tulsa Fire Department, Tulsa Police Department for presenting the colors in today's ceremony. In today's ceremony, there are nineteen individuals from eleven different countries. As I read the countries that you are from, if you would please stand for a moment, turn around, wave your flag because somebody back there wants a picture of you. And then sit back down and I'll read the next cut the next country. And these are in no particular order other than alphabetical. So Belgium. Renounce and abjure renounce. All allegiance and fidelity. To any foreign prince. Potentate state or sovereignty. Of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen. That I will support and defend the Constitution. And the laws of the United States of America. Against all enemies. Foreign and domestic. Foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith. That I will bear true faith. And allegiance to the same. And I will bear arms. On behalf of the United States, on behalf of the United States.