Welcome to CityBeat, a free weekly e-newsletter containing the latest news and information about the City of Bartlesville and related topics. Get yours delivered each week! https://bit.ly/2eaFETx | | An asphalt reconstruction of Dartmouth Drive, from Frank Phillips Boulevard to Yale Drive, is among the list of $12.5 million in street projects approved for an upcoming election. | | |
City Council OKs projects for upcoming election
Voters to decide GO Bond, sales tax extensions in February
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Bartlesville voters will be asked to decide funding for upcoming capital projects and future economic development during a special election on Feb. 10, 2026.
The Bartlesville City Council voted unanimously on Monday to approve a list of projects that, if approved by voters in February, will be funded through General Obligation Bonds and an extension of the existing 1/2-Cent Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Sales Tax.
The current four-year G.O. Bond, approved by voters in October 2023, will sunset on Nov. 1, 2027, while the current five-year Half-Cent CIP sales Tax was approved in August 2020 and will sunset June 30, 2026.
Both are used to fund capital projects, such as street repairs and upgrades to City parks and facilities, as well as purchase equipment used by City employees to provide services to the community.
Some of the projects approved by the council Monday for voter consideration in February include:
G.O. Bond recommended projects
- Numerous street projects - $13.1 million
- Fire apparatus replacement - $1.5 million
- Price Fields artificial turf - $1.2 million
- Park restroom renovations - $400,000
- Park security lighting - $400,000
- Park playground equipment - $300,000
- Amenity upgrades at 10 City-owned parks - $300,000
- Drip irrigation in major parks - $225,000
- Cooper Dog Park irrigation - $25,000
Half-cent CIP Sales Tax projects
- Annual Police vehicle replacement program - $1.9 million
- Annual Police vehicle equipment - $1 million
- Storm siren system upgrade - $800,000
- Preventative Street Maintenance (PSM) projects - $5 million
- General Fund vehicle replacement program - $1.5 million
- Community Center lighting upgrade - $800,000
- 2 dump trucks with snow equipment - $600,000
- Library elevator modernization - $300,000
- 911 Dispatch System upgrades - $190,000
- Pathfinder Parkway improvements - $400,000
- Golf course equipment and shed - $415,000
- Pathfinder bridge deck replacement - $150,000
- Park signage - $50,000
In all, voters will decide nearly $35 million in projects -- $17.5 million in G.O. Bond issue funds and a projected $17 million in Half-cent CIP Sales Tax funds. If approved, the bonds will be issued over a four-year period, and the CIP sales tax would be extended through June 2031.
To view the full list of projects, see 2026 Sales Tax Projects and 2026 G.O. Bond Projects.
(More detailed information concerning all projects will be available soon.)
Voters will also decide the extension of the 1/4-cent Economic Development Sales Tax, which was last extended in an April 2021 election. The tax, first approved by voters in 1986 and extended every five years since, supports the City's economic development and tourism efforts.
The council voted in July to sync all three measures in one election in an effort to keep each together on a five-year cycle and in the interest of convenience to voters. Approval of any or all three measures will not result in a tax increase. The council is expected to formally call for the election during a special meeting set for Dec. 8.
| | Members of the 2025 City of Bartlesville Citizens Academy, along with facilitators Assistant City Manager Laura Sanders, front row, second from left, and Chief Financial Officer Jason Muninger, far right, paused for a photo at Boots Hollow Golf Club during a recent session. The academy was an opportunity for citizens to learn more about municipal government and local City facilities, services and operations. | | |
BEHIND THE SCENES OF CITY HALL
Council celebrates 2025 Citizens Academy graduates
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Seventeen Bartlesville residents were recognized Monday evening as graduates of the City of Bartlesville’s 2025 Citizens Academy.
The Citizens Academy is a free, interactive program designed to give residents a behind‑the‑scenes look at how local government works. Over the course of several weeks, participants explored the roles, services and operations that keep Bartlesville running.
Assistant City Manager Laura Sanders, who coordinated and co‑facilitated the program, said the academy is about building stronger connections between residents and their city.
“This program opens doors to understanding,” Sanders said. “When people see firsthand how decisions are made and services are delivered, they gain confidence in their local government and feel empowered to be part of shaping Bartlesville’s future.”
Graduates of this year’s academy included Chase Allcott, Blake Buckner, Sharon Crawford, Anthony Gantt, Lutricia Harris, Bryan Hindman, Alexander Johnson, Meral Jones, Tiffany Lammon, Austin Lynch, Tia Peters, Shavon Robles, Sarah Rowe, Jesse Snelson, Jeannie Strachan, Nathan Thompson and Tyler Vaclaw.
Sanders emphasized that the academy is more than just an educational experience — it’s also a call to action.
“Our hope is that graduates will take what they’ve learned and channel it into service,” she said. “Whether that means volunteering, serving on boards and committees, or simply sharing their knowledge with neighbors, every step strengthens our community.”
The 2025 Citizens Academy was offered at no cost and met biweekly from Sept. 4 through Nov. 13. The program concluded with a graduation ceremony during Monday’s City Council meeting, where each participant was honored for their commitment to civic engagement.
| | Arbitrator selected in City, IAFF negotiations | | |
Negotiations between the City and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) for a 2025-26 Fiscal Year contract have not progressed since September and increasingly appear to be headed toward arbitration, City Attorney Jess Kane said during his monthly update to the City Council on Monday.
The update was the third since talks between the two sides stalled in September, with union negotiators refusing to participate further or respond to the City's most recent offer, Kane said.
The offer contains three of the City's top priorities, which include continuation of premium pay for all firefighters, promotional reform, and sick leave reform.
While the City remains open to continuing negotiations, non-action by the union in response to the City's more recent offer prompted the City to initiate the arbitration process in late September. Arbitration is an adversarial process in which arbitrators hear the arguments and make a ruling.
The process faced delays due to the government shutdown, but Kane said Monday the arbitrators have been selected and both sides must now agree on an arbitration date.
Ultimately, Bartlesville voters could be asked to decide the matter in a special election.
Priority No. 1 - Premium Pay
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Kane said the No 1 priority for the City is to continue offering premium pay for Bartlesville Fire Department employees -- a mandate he said was outlined by City Manager Mike Bailey when Kane was hired as City attorney in 2019.
"Mr. Bailey made it very clear to me that one of our priorities was going to be premium pay," Kane said. "It has been a priority, and I challenge anyone to look at not only the numbers that have been presented to you but also our record of giving raises to fire employees. We have worked hard, at Mr. Bailey's direction, since I have been City attorney to provide premium pay. In fact, we are offering a 5 percent raise to our firefighters in these negotiations."
Kane said Bartlesville firefighters are paid well above firefighters in peer cities -- as well as other City employees.
"We are paying wages that are more than fair," he said. "Twenty-two of the highest paid 50 City employees are firefighters. I'll say that again: Of the 50 highest paid employees of the City of Bartlesville, 22 of them are firefighters."
Priority No. 2 - Promotional Reform
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The City has also requested changes to the City-IAFF contract to include promotions based on merit rather than seniority. According to municipal records, Bartlesville appears to be one of only two cities in Oklahoma with populations over 10,000 that still promote firefighters based on seniority, while a third city promotes based on a mix of the two, Kane said.
"Of those that we could find information on, 34 promote based on performance, or merit, and only two promote based on seniority -- us and Muskogee," he said. "Everybody else, of any size, has long-since abandoned seniority-based promotions as an outdated and ineffective way of providing for promotions within the fire department. I think that pretty clearly indicates how far behind we are on making this realization, and that's why it's been a priority for us in these negotiations."
Priority No. 3 - Sick Leave Reform
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Kane said the City continues to seek reforms that would reduce sick leave abuse, which currently costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and far exceeds sick leave taken by comparable fire departments -- as well as other City employees.
"Our firefighters are using 188 hours (on average) of sick leave per firefighter, and that's based on six years of data," Kane said. "That's 80 percent more than our peers, it's more than four times more than leading fire departments such as Owasso, Midwest City, and Bixby, and it results in extensive call-back double time pay."
The City has proposed that the double time pay provided to firefighters who work unscheduled overtime, which primarily occurs when a scheduled firefighter calls in sick, be reduced to time and a half pay -- the same amount firefighters receive for scheduled overtime.
"The overtime problem is driven by sick leave," Kane said.
Kane said Bartlesville firefighters take the majority of their sick leave when it will not negatively affect their overtime pay, which creates a need to "hire back" other firefighters to work in their place. This results in those firefighters receiving double time pay.
"So even though the short (pay periods) are only a third of the time, the vast majority of sick leave is taken during those short (pay periods)," Kane said.
Kane also presented data showing firefighter sick leave rates compared to other City employees, indicating firefighters take significantly more sick leave than other employees. He said the information came to light when the IAFF requested information on sick leave taken by non-fire employees.
"Make no mistake, this is a classic union tactic -- to throw coworkers under the bus," Kane said. "The idea here was to demonstrate that other City employees are also abusing sick leave and therefore it should be acceptable for the Fire Department to do so. The data demonstrates something entirely different, and that is that when compared to other City employees, particularly the Police Department, it is very clear the Fire Department is abusing/overusing their sick leave.
"Fire union shifts use 86 percent of their sick leave, whereas other employees - all City employees - use about 50 percent of their sick leave. The Police Department, in particular, uses about 44 percent of their sick leave. So the Fire Department, year in, year out, is using double the sick leave as the Police Department, which is also represented by a union."
More information
See Kane's presentation to the City Council on Monday. (The PowerPoint is available in full HERE.)
For more detailed information, see the following editions of City Beat:
November 4, 2025
October 17, 2025
October 7, 2025
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BOND BEYOND DUTY
BPD K-9 Thaddeus to spend retirement with his handler
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K-9 Thaddeus, 10, will spend his retirement years with his handler following a vote by the City Council on Monday.
Because police K-9s are considered surplus property, official permission was required before Thaddeus could be adopted.
"Thaddeus has faithfully served the community, our department and his police officer handlers for many years," said BPD Deputy Chief Troy Newell. "Thaddeus has reached the age of 10, placing him in the 8-10-year age range, which is the average effective service age in the police industry. Thaddeus’s physical abilities have diminished noticeably, and his effectiveness as a police asset will continue to decline as he ages."
Under Oklahoma law, K-9 handlers are given the option to adopt their dogs once service ends. The practice is common in law enforcement, recognizing the strong bond between officers, their families, and their canine partners.
Happy retirement, K-9 Thaddeus!
| | Free yard debris collection is December 8-12 | |
The City's next free yard debris collection will take place the week of Dec. 8-12.
Bartlesville residents can put their bagged yard debris or bundled tree limbs at their normal trash collection point on their normal trash day during the week of the event and City crews will come by and pick them up.
The collection is for the following items only:
- Leaves
- Grass
- Lawn clippings
- Limbs and branches if cut in lengths no longer than four feet and bundled (may not exceed 50 pounds)
During this event only, yard debris bags will not require yard waste stickers, and clear or colored bags are allowed.
The collection is for private residences only; no commercial collections will be made.
There is no limit on the number of bags a resident can put out for the collection. Extra bags or items of household refuse outside the cart must have the red refuse sticker attached.
For more information, contact the Solid Waste Department at 918.338.4130.
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Street closures planned for Christmas Parade
Multiple downtown streets will be closed temporarily this weekend for the annual Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Bartlesville Kiwanis Club. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. with a theme of “Home for the Holidays.” More than 100 entries -- including Bartlesville police and fire personnel -- will participate.
Parade route
The parade will kick off from the Phillips parking lot and head east on Frank Phillips Boulevard to Cherokee Avenue, then head south on Cherokee to Fifth Street, then west on Fifth to Keeler, south on Keeler to Silas Street, west on Silas to Armstrong, south on Armstrong to Adams, and then west on Adams to the south entrance of the Phillips parking lot.
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Interactive website, survey open for input
The City of Bartlesville is updating the zoning and subdivision regulations that govern land use and development within city limits. A new project website is now available with an interactive online map designed to gather public input, and residents are also invited to complete an online survey to provide additional feedback. The survey and interactive map will remain open through Dec. 16. Read more about the land development code update at www.cityofbartlesville.org.
| | Fire Department accepting applications for new firefighters | | |
Help wanted
Are you looking for a career that offers competitive pay, excellent benefits and an opportunity to serve your community? We've got you covered! Click here to view open positions and submit an application. For questions or more information, contact the Human Resources Department at 918.338.4221.
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Board, Committee & Commission Openings
The City of Bartlesville has numerous boards, committees and commissions that are driven by citizen volunteers. All citizens are encouraged and welcome to apply.
Board applications are available online and in the City Manager’s Office, located on the second floor of City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave. Applications are kept on file for two years.
To view open committees/board positions, for more information or to apply, see www.cityofbartlesville.org.
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Annual report
The City of Bartlesville has published its second annual report, offering residents a comprehensive look at municipal performance and progress throughout Fiscal Year 2024-25. This detailed document reflects the City’s commitment to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement across all departments. The full report is available online here, with a downloadable PDF version here. Printed copies can be picked up at City Hall and the Bartlesville Public Library.
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