Urban & Economic Development Committee Meeting - August 19, 2026

The Tulsa City Council Urban & Economic Development Committee convened on August 19, 2026, at 10:30 AM in Room 411 of One Technology Center. Chair Lakin was listed on the agenda, but Councillor Bellis acted as chair. Co-Chair Archie was present. The committee reviewed appointments to city authorities, three rezoning requests, four supplemental budget ordinances, and received a presentation from the Tulsa Council of the Blind. No votes were taken; recommendations will be forwarded to the full City Council on August 26, 2026.

Appointments to City Boards and Commissions

• Aaron Wing – nominated to the River Parks Authority, replacing Shanese Slaton (term expiring April 1, 2027, CD-4). Wing has lived in Tulsa for 18 years, holds an MBA, and works in corporate America. He expressed enthusiasm for promoting river recreation and trail connectivity.
• Tulsa Planning Commission appointees – five new commissioners were introduced: John Shivel (CD-9), Shane Hood (CD-5), Brian Humphrey (CD-9), Lana Turner-Addison (CD-1), and Alejandro Garcia (CD-8). They discussed their backgrounds: Shivel is a retired Air Force veteran; Hood is an architect; Humphrey has economic development and banking experience; Turner-Addison has served on the Tulsa School Board and led the North Tulsa Economic Development Initiative; Garcia is executive director of the Tulsa Global District. They addressed community engagement, density, and housing policy. Council members raised concerns about housing supply (need ~1,500 new units per year) and zoning barriers; the appointees offered perspectives on missing middle housing and adaptive reuse.

Rezoning Applications

• Z-7868 (CD-4) – Request to rezone from RS-3 and CH to CH at the NE corner of E. 11th St. S. and S. Harvard Ave. (property owned by University of Tulsa). The applicant plans a restaurant with a drive-thru; the rezoning would allow a parking lot on the residential portion. Council members discussed neighborhood concerns about traffic, cut-through, and screening. The developer offered to add a masonry wall, local trees, and a right-turn-only exit onto 11th. Councilor Bellis requested additional traffic footage from a Norman location and updated renderings before the council vote.
• Z-7869 (CD-1) – Rezone from AG to RS-3 at the SW corner of E. 41st St. N. and N. Columbia Ave. (Shiloh Day Properties). The owner wants to split the ~10-acre property into four lots for family members, avoiding subdivision rules. No objections were noted.
• Z-7870 (CD-5) – Rezone from RS-1 to RS-2 at east of the SE corner of E. 16th St. S. and S. 85th E. Ave. (RCJ Designs/Vive Investments). The lot is 170 ft wide; RS-2 allows splitting into two narrower lots, enabling a second home. No concerns raised.

Budget Amendments (FY 2026-2027)

• Item 11 – Supplemental appropriation of $125,000 from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office grant for high-visibility traffic enforcement (off-duty officer overtime). Intended use: speed enforcement and safety checkpoints.
• Item 12 – $441,084 from unappropriated fund balance in the Allergan Opioid Settlement SubFund for the Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Team, managed by Family and Children’s Services. This is year 1 of a 3-year plan ($667k in year 2, $684k in year 3). The team provides mobile, intensive treatment for individuals with serious mental illness who are often unhoused or involved in the justice system. Councilors discussed partnerships with Healthy Minds Policy Initiative and the need for matching funds.
• Item 13 – $27,200 from Oklahoma Highway Safety Office for public motorcycle safety classes, conducted by off-duty officers on overtime.
• Item 14 – $310,734.27 from unappropriated fund balance in the Golf Course Fund to cover expenses; revenues exceeded original estimates by $739k, resulting in a net positive fund position.

Presentation: Tulsa Council of the Blind

Marilyn Sanders, president of the Tulsa Council of the Blind, presented on the organization’s mission and provided an educational overview of vision loss. She described five categories of vision loss, the legal blindness definition (20/200 acuity or less with best correction), and noted that approximately 24,000–25,000 Oklahomans are legally blind, with perhaps 2,500–3,000 in Tulsa. Key challenges highlighted:

• Transportation: LIFT paratransit requires 3-day advance booking, making same-week medical appointments difficult; subscription rides are limited.
• Accessible signals: Many traffic signals lack audible cues; right-turn-on-red poses danger for blind pedestrians.
• Sidewalks: Missing sidewalks force blind pedestrians to walk on streets, especially in residential areas.

Sanders invited councilors to attend the Oklahoma Council of the Blind annual convention, Sept. 25–27 at the downtown DoubleTree. Commissioner Drew France noted that the Human Rights Commission re-established an Accessibility and Inclusion Committee to provide a forum for residents’ lived experiences; 311 remains the primary channel for filing complaints. Councilor Bellis encouraged collaboration on defining accessible infrastructure priorities.

Key Outcomes

• All appointments (Aaron Wing and five Planning Commission members) will be voted on by the full City Council on August 26, 2026, at 5 PM.
• Rezoning applications Z-7869 and Z-7870 were forwarded without objection; Z-7868 will also move forward unless additional information (drive-thru footage, renderings) from the developer is not received before the council vote.
• The four budget amendments (items 11–14) will be presented to the full council on August 19 (special meeting) and August 26.
• The committee encouraged ongoing dialogue between the Tulsa Council of the Blind and city staff on accessibility improvements, including the new Human Rights Commission committee.