Tulsa City Board Regular Meeting Summary – October 28, 2026

The Tulsa City Board convened on October 28, 2026. Board members Colwell, Forbes, Fatherville, Archie, and Patrick were present. The agenda included approval of previous meeting minutes, operational reports from Philip Eats and Brian Lewis, a monthly financial report and carry forward presentation from Katie Mace, scheduling of future meetings, and a notification regarding a TRT fee adjustment. No public comments were made.

Consent Calendar

• The board unanimously approved the minutes of the September 29, 2026, full board meeting. The corresponding Focus committee meeting was previously canceled.

Discussion Items

• Manager's Report: Environmental Operations (Philip Eats)

  • Mr. Eats reported on the recent Trash Patch event, which served 344 customers and required expanding from 10 to 16 dumpsters, along with collecting one 20-yard container of e-waste. Weight totals are pending.
  • Contaminated cart removals totaled 8 in September and 43 for the year. No waste was diverted to the AEL facility in September.
  • A scheduled minor outage at Reworld is expected from November 1–8, 2026. The facility pit is currently at 800 tons of a 3,500-ton capacity.
  • Illegal dumping cleanup involved 10.85 tons across 92 locations in September. DC dumpsters accounted for 53 sets and 111 tons.
  • The mulch site had 251 vehicles for mulch and 26 for firewood.
  • Bulky waste stops totaled 2,098, which is 38 tons less than the same period last year. Dead animal pickups totaled 2.23 tons, with only four items collected for Tulsa County under the revised MOU.

• Manager's Report: Household Hazardous Waste (Brian Lewis)

  • Mr. Lewis reported a seasonal lull in September with 428 customers (351 from Tulsa, 77 from other communities) dropping off 34,572 pounds of pollutants (an average of 81 pounds per customer). The swap shop saw 171 customers take 573 items (1,300 pounds).
  • The facility set a Wednesday record on October 21, 2026, with 80 drop-off customers, attributed to good weather, fall break, and outreach at the Tulsa State Fair.
  • This was Mr. Lewis's last meeting before departing for a position at AEP. The board thanked him for his service.

• Monthly Financial Report & FY27 Carry Forward (Katie Mace)

  • Total revenues through September were $10.8 million, or 26% of the annual estimate (slightly ahead of the 25% projection). Charges for services totaled $10.5 million.
  • Total expenditures, encumbrances, and commitments reached $32.8 million, including $24.7 million in encumbrances.
  • The FY27 carry forward presentation detailed $4.6 million in carry forward encumbrances as of July 1, 2026. Spend rates varied, with Public Works spending 7.7% of its $4.8 million carry forward in the first two months.

• Schedule & TRT Rate Adjustment

  • The board set the Focus committee meeting for November 16, 2026, and the Full Board meeting for November 30, 2026.
  • The board was notified of an automatic 4.6% rate increase for the Tulsa Refuse and Transfer (TRT) facility, tied to the Consumer Price Index. The new rate will be $95.20 per ton, up from $91.01. The increase requires no board action and will be formally detailed at the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• The September 29 board minutes were approved.
• The November meeting schedule was set (Focus Nov 16, Full Board Nov 30).
• The TRT rate increase was noted as an FYI.
• Staff transition: Brian Lewis's departure was acknowledged.
• Next meeting: The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 3:30 PM in Conference Room 10 South.