This story was featured in the Dec. 21 edition of City Beat, the City of Bartlesville’s free, weekly online newsletter. To subscribe to City Beat, see www.cityofbartlesville.org.
As City staff works to bring 2021 to a close, we thought it might be fun to look back at the year’s top City Beat stories. As always, thank you all for supporting the City of Bartlesville, and thank you for subscribing to City Beat. We appreciate each and every one of you. We’ll see you next year!
City sales tax revenues hit consistent highs
December caps off 6-month stretch of double-digit increases
Taking the top spot on the list, sales tax revenue increases have consistently hit record highs in the past year or so with December capping off a six-month stretch of double-digit increases when compared to the same period last year.
Total revenue is currently about $1.4 million over the anticipated budget for the first six months of the fiscal year, which begins July 1 and ends June 30. Year-to-date totals are up about 13.62 percent over last year.
Why is this so important? Sales tax is the only funding mechanism for municipalities in Oklahoma in terms of general operations (utilities are generally funded through utility and capital fee funds). In other words, nearly all City operations rely on sales tax revenue to function. This includes everything from salaries for police officers and fire fighters to codes enforcement, street repair programs and, well, just about everything else you can think of excluding water, wastewater and solid waste services.
Also consider increases in this amount over a sustained period of time have never happened before, which helps put this story at No. 1.
“We’re in unchartered territory,” says CFO/City Clerk/Treasurer Jason Muninger, noting the increases are likely due to a combination of more local spending and an influx of government and tribal stimulus funding into the local economy.
Worthy of a spot on the list on its own but instead sharing this one is the adoption of a use tax, approved by the City Council in November. The ordinance will enable the City to collect existing sales tax on items purchased from out of state sellers, which could total as much as $3.7 million annually.
The use tax will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
COVID-19 survivor regrets skipping vaccine
Water Supervisor James Cutler: Having COVID ‘woke me up’
When the pandemic broke out in the spring of 2020, City employee James Cutler wasn’t worried about it. Only older people and those with underlying medical issues were suffering serious consequences from the virus, he reasoned, and Cutler was a healthy, fit, 48-year-old at the top of his game. It was for these reasons that he decided to not get vaccinated for the virus — a decision he would later regret.
“I was ignorant enough that I about lost everything, and (my family) about lost everything,” Cutler told City employees during a COVID Safety Training held Aug. 18. “Man, it woke me up. I wished I had studied it more, I wished I had gotten the vaccine. I wished I had done something to protect myself.”
James’ story made the No. 2 spot due to an overwhelming response to it from you, City Beat readers. Many thanks to James for sharing his story and giving City Beat permission to make it public. And we’re happy to report that James has fully recovered from his illness and is doing fine. See his entire talk here.
Alan Gentges named municipal court judge
Jim Curd elected vice mayor, Billie Roane fills Ward 4 seat
In December 2020, City staff and many in the community were rocked by the death of Municipal Court Judge James Stephen “Steve” Conatser, a local attorney who had served as the City of Bartlesville’s municipal court judge for more than 40 years.
As the City Council made plans to launch a search for someone to fill the position, then-Vice Mayor Alan Gentges, who represented Ward 4 on the City Council, resigned from the council in January to be considered as a candidate.
Resumes were reviewed and interviews were held, and Gentges was appointed to the position by the council in February. Gentges’ exit from the council created two other notable transitions — the election of Ward 3 Councilor Jim Curd to the Vice Mayor position, and the appointment of Billie Roane to the Ward 4 seat, vacated by Gentges.
As only the third municipal court judge to hold the position in half a century — and the resulting election of Curd and appointment of Roane to the council — we think the transition earns the No. 3 spot in our Top 10 picks for the year.
Local recycling restored; City center reopens
Replenysh launches Bartlesville program after TRT shutdown
Recycling makes the No. 4 spot in the 2021 line-up based on the sheer volume of input generated by local recyclers on the topic.
It all started when the City-owned recycle center, located at 10th Street and Virginia Avenue, closed in April due to a fire at the processing center that handled recyclable materials collected at the Bartlesville site.
After many months of seeking an alternative that would allow Bartlesville residents to recycle locally, the City struck a deal with the California-based company Replenysh, which launched its program in Bartlesville with a drop-off recycling event held Lee Lake in October.
In November, the temporarily shuttered City Recycle Center was reopened to serve as a host site for the company, adding its name to the list of other private and public host sites throughout the area.
“We’re thrilled that Replenysh has been able to step in and fill this obvious need in our community, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with them for this program,” said City Manager Mike Bailey.
For more information about the program, see www.cityofbartlesville.org.
Hillcrest Drive reopens after rehab project
Road project finishes ahead of schedule despite lost work days
Lane closures, detours and speed limit reductions — you endured it all for the long-awaited Hillcrest Drive Rehabilitation Project, which comes in on our list as No. 5.
This project got underway in April and was substantially completed in October. That may seem like a long time to those taking the detours every day, but Brent Bell Construction, the contractor for the project, finished the work far ahead of schedule — on a contract that permitted work up to February 2022.
The $2.2 million project, approved by voters in the 2013 Half-cent Capital Improvement Projects Election, involved reconstructing Hillcrest Drive from the Caney River to just north of 20th Street. The new roadway consists of two 12-foot-wide drive lanes with six-foot-wide asphalt shoulders, and turn lanes have been added at Shawnee Avenue and 20th Street. Additionally, a pedestrian path in the area was constructed by maintaining some of the existing roadway.
“Brent Bell did a great job on this project,” said Director of Engineering Micah Siemers. “We lost 43 work days due to weather conditions, and more work than expected was required to deal with flooding issues at the site. But despite all that, he was able to complete this work professionally and ahead of schedule. We’re very happy with the way this project turned out.”
City assumes control of municipal airport
ConocoPhillips announces termination of airport management
The City-owned Bartlesville Municipal Airport had been managed and operated by the various Phillips companies, most recently by ConocoPhillips, for as long as anyone could remember. But in March, the company announced it would end the lease-operating agreement with the City, which meant management of the facility would revert back to the City.
City Manager Mike Bailey took pen to paper and his team found a way to make it work, and in June the City Council approved the allocation of $250,000 in the 2021-22 Fiscal Year budget to operate the airport.
The City took control of operations on Sept. 1, retaining airport staff — including Airport Director Mike Richardson.
Sharing the No. 6 spot (because it’s related) is the story of the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team, a group of volunteer professional parachutists dedicated to recognizing and honoring World War II veterans, leasing Hangar 8 at the airport to house one of the team’s most prized possessions — a 1941 Douglas DC-3, a propeller-driven aircraft used in the airline industry in the 1930s and in WWII in the 1940s.
The team brought the aircraft to Bartlesville on Veterans Day and flew over the American Legion’s Veterans Day Parade the following weekend. The move “added a special highlight to honor all services members,” said Richardson.
Due to an overwhelming response from you, Richardson is working with the team to arrange flyovers and tours of the DC-3. As always, stay tuned to City Beat for updates.
Voters OK 1/4-cent ED sales tax extension
Economic development tax funds job programs, retail, tourism
Bartlesville voters overwhelmingly said “Yes” to extending the existing 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax extension in an election held April 6. Support for the proposed extension passed by a huge margin — 78.14 percent of the vote.
This makes the list (and probably should have been higher) because of what it means to the future development of Bartlesville. Revenue from the Economic Development tax over the years has funded such projects as the Bartlesville Industrial Park, Walmart Distribution Center, the Hilton Garden Inn and countless others, as well as helped bring and retain hundreds of jobs to the area with investments in ABB, Springs Global, Husky Portable Containment and Phillips Precision Machining. Retail accomplishments with thanks owed to the voter-approved tax include the Silver Lake Village Shopping Center, Chick-fil-A, Panda Express and the redevelopment of the former Kmart facility, to name a few.
The tax, first approved by voters in 1986 and approved every five years since, supports the City’s economic development and tourism efforts — keeping jobs and sales tax dollars in Bartlesville and bringing new businesses to the area. The Bartlesville Development Authority oversees economic development efforts in Bartlesville, with funding approval from the City Council.
Unity Square water/art feature installed
Kansas City artist creates park’s finishing touch, ‘Native Color’
The answer to that question was a resounding “Yes,” with the Parks and Recreation General Obligation bond projects winning voter approval by more than 66 percent of voters.
Once the funding was secured, which also included donations from local corporations, organizations, families and individuals, the design process for the park took months to complete.
The first step in the process was the creation of a design review committee consisting of two City Council members, then-Vice Mayor Alan Gentges and current Vice Mayor Jim Curd, and several members of the community. Public forums were held and students from Taliesin Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture were brought in to generate ideas. When all was said and done, the park was completed and an official opening was held in July 2020.
But the finishing touch was added to the park in June of this year, an interactive art and water feature created by Kansas City, Mo., artist Amie Jacobsen, who won a contest undertaken to decide the final project design. The art feature consists of nine 11-foot-tall stainless steel flowers with stained glass petals, representing the Oklahoma state wildflower, the Indian Blanket, attended by honey bees — “a nod to nature, community workers and producers.”
The park is maintained by the Bartlesville Community Center and Price Tower. Programming is handled by BCC. For more information, see www.unitysquare.com.
Bartlesville wins ‘Water for 2060’ award
City recognized for water reuse project; to be online next year
In December, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board announced the City of Bartlesville had been selected for the OWRB’s “Water for 2060 Excellence Award” for its ongoing efforts to implement the water reuse system, a system that will help extend water resources for the area decades into the future.
According to Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen, the award is in recognition of the work and planning that has been done to facilitate a water reuse system for the City of Bartlesville.
The reuse system involves the construction/installation of infrastructure that will consist of a pump station at the wastewater treatment plant and an underground pipeline transporting the water to the Caney River just south of the County Road West 1500 bridge. This will allow the City to utilize treated wastewater to augment the yield of the Caney River during periods of drought, which serves as one of the City’s main water sources. The City will pump treated wastewater upstream of the Caney River and allow it to blend with existing river water, then send it to the water treatment plant for further treatment and, from there, to our water customers.
For Bartlesville and the surrounding communities that rely on the City’s water resources, the water reuse project will extend the resources of Hulah Lake, one of the City’s primary water sources, by approximately 25 years and provide approximately 35-70 percent of current water supply needs. Additionally, as the city continues to grow and increase in water consumption, wastewater generation and treatment will also grow and mirror water consumption. This means the project will continue to provide raw water and be a critical component of the City’s water supply system indefinitely.
The system is expected to cost around $8.2 million, which will be funded partially through grant funding but primarily with Water Capital Investment Fees. It is anticipated the project will be online by June 2023.
For more information, see City Beat April 24, 2019.
Sooner Pool expansion gets OK from council
Project includes slides, shelters, parking lot improvements
Though this project will likely make a bigger splash in 2022, the Sooner Pool Expansion Project is underway after the City Council voted in October to approve a contract for construction.
A discretionary project included on the 2013 Half-cent Sales Tax extension ballot, the expansion involves the construction of two 45-foot slides, group shelters and other general improvements to the existing Sooner Pool facilities located in Sooner Park, 420 S.E. Madison Blvd.
The project officially started on Nov. 15 and has a target date for completion of July 5, 2022.
“We anticipate the pool will open for the summer season as it normally does in May, as the new elements of the project will be constructed adjacent to the existing pool deck, so work will be ongoing as we approach that July 5 deadline,” said Director of Engineering Micah Siemers.
The project overall, which also includes the resurfacing of the pool and parking lot improvements, is expected to cost approximately $2.8 million. Funding for the parking lot improvements are provided through the General Obligation Bond Fund.
Improvements to the parking lot in the pool area are included in the first leg of the project. Contract crews will then move to the slides, tower and concrete deck installation. Watch City Beat for updates on this project.
Honorable Mention
City receives grant for COVID relief funds
Grant provides assistance for utilities, rent, mental health
You knew we couldn’t stop at 10.
Earlier this year, the City of Bartlesville was awarded COVID relief funds from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce in the amount of $936,189 to provide assistance for Bartlesville residents experiencing hardships due to the COVID-19 virus.
The COVID Relief Fund Program targets low-to-moderate income residents in need of rental, utility or mental health assistance as a result of employment/income loss or hardships, child care issues or illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the program comes from the ODOC’s Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Disease Relief Program grant. The City applied for the grant last year and received notification of approval in April.
For the mental health portion of the program, the City has reimbursed Grand Lake Mental Health Center for iPads that were provided by GLMHC to individuals in need of mental health assistance as well as the associated data plans. Funds for rent and utility assistance, however, are still available.
The City has partnered with Concern, a local non-profit organization, to administer the funds. To apply for rent or utility assistance, contact Concern at 918.214.8945 to schedule an appointment.
Honorable Mention
Services continue despite frigid temps, snow
Extremely cold temperatures and several inches of snow over a four-day period in February presented some challenges for City staff in delivering City services, but overall everything went as smoothly as could be expected, City Manager Mike Bailey said at the time.
This story makes the Honorable Mention list simply because it was an unprecedented weather event that resulted in multiple issues for the community. We don’t mind saying that City staff stepped up to ensure that residents/utility customers received the best service possible under the circumstances — from sanitation workers collecting trash despite icy roads and Street Department crews working around the clock to clear intersections and main arterials, to Water Utilities Department staff responding at all hours to repair leaks caused by the extreme weather. Staff was also there to answer the many phone calls that came flooding in to City offices, and don’t even get us started on police and fire.
“We did have some obstacles we had to overcome to continue picking up trash, sanding roads and fixing waterline breaks, but City staff did a great job in keeping things running throughout last week’s weather event, the likes of which we really haven’t seen before,” Bailey said.
Honorable Mention
Popeye’s moves on local deal (in 2017)
In October 2017, the Bartlesville City Council approved the appropriation of up to $65,000 from the Economic Fund for the demolition of the former Sooner Motel, located at 1300 S.E. Washington Blvd. The demolition was to make way for the construction of a Popeye’s Chicken restaurant at that location.
It’s now 2021 and the building has been demolished, but Popeye’s has yet to construct the restaurant. It should be noted that BDA money for the demolition was never reimbursed because the deal was contingent upon a Certificate of Occupancy for Popeye’s Chicken.
“There’s no chance that we would pay to do a demolition on a deal that does not happen,” BDA President David Wood said at the time.
It didn’t take long for folks to notice the project seemed to have stalled. Even today, the issue is by far the most asked question for the “Your Questions” section of City Beat, with readers wondering: Where’s the chicken?
Unfortunately, no one really knows. In July of this year, the contractor for the restaurant contacted the Community Development Department to inquire about the planning process for construction, but no plans have been submitted and no permit applications have been filed on behalf of the company. Additionally, calls by the Community Development Department to representatives of Smitco, the franchise company that will be operating the restaurant, have not been returned.
Rest assured, we have our eye on this and will update you the minute something happens.