Tulsa Urban & Economic Development Committee Meeting - September 30, 2026

The Urban & Economic Development Committee met on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at One Technology Center in Tulsa. The committee heard a reappointment presentation and held a detailed discussion with department representatives on a proposed ordinance creating an Office of Independent Review and Oversight of Public Safety. No formal votes were taken; a reappointment vote and continued ordinance discussion are scheduled for October 14, 2026.

Reappointment to HUD Community Development Committee

• Michelle Lara was interviewed for reappointment to the HUD Community Development Committee, with a term expiring June 30, 2027 (agenda item 26-821-1).
• Lara shared that she lives in District 3, has experienced housing instability, and went through programs like Habitat for Humanity. She expressed passion for housing issues and noted barriers to engagement, including limited access to meeting information and complex city processes.
• Councilors praised her service and discussed bilingual outreach needs, including languages beyond Spanish and English, such as Burmese. The committee indicated the full City Council would vote on her reappointment on October 14 at 5:00 PM.

Public Safety Oversight Ordinance - Discussion

• Agenda item 26-734-5 is an ordinance adopting a new Title 16, Tulsa Revised Ordinances, titled "Independent Review and Oversight of Public Safety," creating the Office of Independent Review and Oversight of Public Safety (OIR), a Director position, and a civilian oversight board. Councilors Hall-Harper and Decter Wright are listed as sponsors.
• Council Administrator Sarah Davis outlined the questions sent to departments: current practices for reviewing employee behavior and processing community concerns; mechanisms for community feedback and policy generation; historical policy improvements; alternative oversight proposals; workforce impacts; and how policy changes are communicated to the public.
• Only three of the six listed departments were present: Tulsa Animal Services, Tulsa Fire Department, and Code Enforcement. Police, City Security, Emergency Management, and a nonprofit organization were scheduled for the October 14 morning committee meeting.

Tulsa Animal Services Presentation & Discussion

• Animal Services leadership (Director Sherry and Colton) and Animal Welfare Commission Chair Dr. Kutzweiler and Commissioner Hall presented.
• They described the current employee discipline process: management investigates complaints, HR may be involved, a neutral hearing officer from another department makes recommendations, and employees can appeal to the Civil Service Commission.
• Reported outcomes: the animal life-saving rate has risen 17% since 2023 to 83%, above national and state averages; the department received a 2.6 out of 3 maturity score in a City Auditor community engagement study; and programs such as neighbors helping neighbors, school patrols, and affordable vet care are in place.
• They estimated 20-30 complaints per year, mostly minor, with investigations ranging from quick conversations to months-long HR cases.
• Positions expressed: Animal Services leadership and commission members voiced concern that the proposed OIR duplicates the Animal Welfare Commission's existing advisory and oversight role, adds administrative burden, and could distract from operations. They suggested enhancing the existing commission, adding body cameras for field staff, and call recording for dispatch instead of creating a new layer.
• Councilor Decter Wright clarified that the proposal is not intended to oppose or denigrate existing department work. Councilor Dunn said oversight could build resident trust, especially around dog bite enforcement and liability insurance. Councilor Archie raised the need to define commissioner qualifications if the commission takes on more oversight.

Tulsa Fire Department Presentation & Discussion

• Fire Chief Michael Baker and Chief Carner presented.
• They described a personnel performance review system tied to promotion, a new personnel management system developed with Local 176, and a disciplinary process in which the chief is the final decision maker after a pre-action hearing.
• Community complaints average about one per month. Policy is organized through administrative operating procedures, emergency operating guidelines, and clinical protocols; a Lexipol software platform is being implemented for more transparent policy access.
• The department reported it is nearly fully staffed (3 vacancies out of 730), has improved apparatus reliability through bonding, uses CPAT physical testing, maintains an ISO 1 rating, and received a 94.5% trust rating in the 918 survey.
• Positions expressed: Chief Baker said the fire service is generally not included in such oversight models elsewhere, raised concerns about administrative burden and 3-day/10-day response timelines conflicting with 24/48 shift schedules, and noted difficulty filling headquarters positions. He was open to public dashboards and an annual report, but gave a "thumbs to the side" reaction to the OIR proposal. Councilor Archie suggested considering a quarterly public safety committee that includes Fire, Police, Animal Services, and other agencies as an alternative.

Code Enforcement Presentation & Discussion

• James Wagner, Director of Planning and Neighborhoods, presented in place of Code Enforcement Director Brant.
• He described the city's 11 work rules, respectful workplace policy, HR investigations for discrimination complaints, neutral hearing officer process, and appeal to the Civil Service Commission.
• Community feedback mechanisms include 311, the ethics hotline, the mayor's email, the public advocate, and town halls. Feedback led to courtesy notices on summary abatement and a "two-customer" approach that proactively contacts property owners.
• Code Enforcement officers have the option to wear ballistic vests; no annual report is currently produced.
• Wagner stated that most OIR triggers would likely not apply to Code Enforcement, and he gave a positive reaction to the proposal, calling it "useful, helpful, additive." Councilor Dunn advocated for a cohesive cross-department dashboard to track interactions among Code Enforcement, TPD, and Animal Services.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on the public safety oversight ordinance during this meeting.
• The committee will continue discussions on October 14, 2026, with Police, City Security, Emergency Management, and a nonprofit organization scheduled to appear.
• Michelle Lara's reappointment to the HUD Community Development Committee will be voted on by the full City Council on October 14, 2026.
• The proposed ordinance remains on the council calendar for October 14, 2026.