City Beat December 8, 2021

City Beat

Your city, your news

December 8, 2021

Welcome to City Beat, a free weekly e-newsletter containing the latest news and information about the City of Bartlesville and related topics. Get yours delivered each week! http://bit.ly/2eaFETx

Council Action

City Council postpones church donation vote

Location to be considered in conference center feasibility study

The City Council on Monday took no action on the proposed donation of First Christian Church, located at 520 S. Osage Ave., to the City of Bartlesville.

The council was set to consider the agenda item during the meeting, but Vice Mayor Jim Curd, who has been working with FCC representatives to reach an agreement for the donation, told the council there is still work to be done in drafting the Memorandum of Understanding. The MOU serves as an agreement between the City and the FCC.

"We came forward with a Memorandum of Understanding and in the last couple of days have determined there's still some work to be done on it," Curd said. "We would like to continue discussions with (FCC and City attorneys) and tidy up some wording in the MOU and make sure that everybody's concerns are addressed properly. I think we're very close, so I'm very hopeful we can do that (soon)."

The matter could go back before the council later this month or during the regularly scheduled January (2022) meeting.

If ultimately approved, the City will likely lease the property, which is north of the Bartlesville Community Center and east of the Price Tower and the taxpayer-funded Unity Square Park, with the final transfer of ownership contingent on funding to renovate the facility before July 1, 2023. Discussions have included setting the cost for the lease at $1 per year, with the City assuming operation and maintenance costs as well.

Feasibility study

In a separate agenda item, the council also voted 5-0 to authorize City staff to issue a Request for Proposals for a consultant to complete a conference center feasibility study. City Manager Mike Bailey said the FCC donation brought the matter front and center, but that discussions had been underway regarding a possible convention center for the city for some time.

"The staff of the Bartlesville Community Center and the Bartlesville Convention and Visitors’ Bureau have identified a lack of conference center facilities in the Bartlesville area," said Bailey. "While we have had several discussions about possible solutions to this, City staff believe we should first identify the existing gap between available conference center facilities and the estimated demand for these facilities. We believe the best way to do that is to hire a consultant to perform a conference center feasibility study."

The FCC location will still be included as a possible location for the center, if the feasibility study indicates one is warranted, Bailey said.

The consultant will be expected to perform at least the following tasks:

Analysis of state/regional conference/convention market
Survey state and regional planners, etc.
Estimate total market demand for Bartlesville region

Needs analysis
Analyze ability of current regional facilities to meet demand
List limitations of current facilities in capturing unmet demand
Estimate size of facilities and amenities necessary to capture unmet demand

Site analysis for potential conference center locations
Determine preferred region(s) of Bartlesville to locate a conference center
Identify advantages and limitations of each region
Identify advantages and limitations of possible FCC site

City staff is in the process of drafting the RFP. Follow City Beat for updates on this story.

Awards & Recognition

City wins OWRB 'Water for 2060' award

The City of Bartlesville has been selected for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s “Water for 2060 Excellence Award” for ongoing efforts to implement the water reuse system, which will help extend water resources for the area decades into the future.

The nomination for the award was submitted by former Bartlesville mayor and city councilor Tom Gorman, who has represented Ward 3 on the City’s Water Resources Committee since its inception in 2003. Gorman also serves on the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

The committee was formed soon after severe drought conditions at Hulah Lake made clear the community’s need for long-term water planning.

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.

Former Bartlesville mayors Sen. Julie Daniels, left, and Tom Gorman, right, attended the City Council meeting Monday in recognition of the City earning the Water for 60 Excellence Award. Mayor Dale Copeland, center, said the award is the result of "long-term effort by a lot of people."

"While this project has had a lot of moving parts and has required participation from several arms of the City, including the City Council and City management, the Water Resources Committee has also been instrumental in helping to steer us in the right direction to ensure that area water needs are met in the long-term. This system will certainly help us do that,” Lauritsen said.

How it started

The water reuse project essentially began when the Oklahoma Legislature enacted the "Water for 2060" law in 2012, the goal of which is to consume no more fresh water in the year 2060 than was consumed statewide in the year 2012 while continuing to grow the population and economy of Oklahoma.

“Soon after the law was enacted, we began looking into whether or not it would be feasible for our community,” Lauritsen said. “It became clear pretty quickly that it would very likely be an excellent resource for the City of Bartlesville.”

Lauritsen said the project has been in the planning and development stages for several years, first with feasibility studies and grant application submissions and more recently with rights-of-way obtainment and infrastructure design.

“It has taken a while to get to this point, but we are moving forward with the first phase of construction on the project, which involves the renovation of the Caney River Pump Station. Additionally, the City Council on Monday approved a contract for the reuse pump station with a contract award for the reuse pipeline portion occurring this month as well."

The contract for the work was awarded Monday to low bidder Crossland Heavy, in the amount of $1,738,000. While the amount of over the available budget of $1.5 million, additional funds are available due to sufficient savings in the pipeline portion of the project to cover the difference.

"We will recommend a contract award for the pipeline next week. Construction will likely begin in February 2022," Lauritsen said. "We anticipate a 15-month construction time for these two components."

How it works

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.

“We 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,” Lauritsen said.

What it means

For Bartlesville and the surrounding communities that rely on the City’s water resources, the water reuse project means expanding the area’s potable water supply decades into the future.

“The reuse system 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,” Lauritsen said. “In addition, 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 .

BPD advances in accreditation program

Kevin McCullough of Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group, right, presented Bartlesville Police Chief Tracy Roles with a certificate of Agency Verification Accreditation during a City Council meeting Monday night.

McCullough, who also serves as the chairperson for the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, said the program provides Oklahoma law enforcement agencies "an avenue to demonstrate that they meet commonly accepted standards and best practices for efficient and effective operations."

"Law enforcement executives who seek verification through our program have had their written polices and procedures evaluated to ensure they meet all statutory requirements," he said. "I'm proud to say that Chief Roles and his crew lead the way when it comes to accountability, transparency, and professionalism. And it's because of this leadership that I'm honored to present the Bartlesville Police Department and Chief Roles with the award verification."

The verification process is the second of four steps required for accreditation through the program. The next steps involve certification and accreditation. For more information, see https://okchiefs.org/program-overview.

Service awards

City of Bartlesville employees were recognized Tuesday for their years of service during a ceremony held at the Bartlesville Community Center. The Human Resources Department event is held each year to honor employees who have served five years or more, in five-year increments, with the City.

Taking the top honor in 2021 was Fire Department Senior Administrative Assistant Beverly Robinson, who was honored for 40 years of service with the department. Robinson's son, Fire Capt. Broderick Guise, pictured left with Robinson, also received recognition Tuesday for his 20 years of service with the department.

Center top, from left: Water Utilities Meter Technician George Stroud, Police Capt. Jay Hastings and Deputy Police Chief Rocky Bevard were recognized for 35 years of service.

Center bottom, from left: Fire Training Officer Eric Munday and Parks Department Equipment Operator Chris Banther were honored for 30 years of service.

"We have 995 combined years of service that we are honoring this year," said Human Resources Director Laura Sanders. "In this day and age you can expect an employee — not specific to municipalities, but in general — to stay about three years before moving on, so that really is remarkable."

City Manager Mike Bailey agreed.

"It says a lot about our city, it says a lot about the City of Bartlesville and it says a lot about you," Bailey said. "Thank you all for your dedication and for everything you do."

News & Updates

Free yard debris collection gets underway

No limit on number of bags; collection on normal trash day

If you don't have your leaves and yard debris bagged by now, you may be too late! The City's free yard waste collection campaign is underway this week, with Monday and Tuesday — and maybe Wednesday — collection already in the bag.

"This is a one-week campaign that we hold twice a year to help Solid Waste Department customers dispose of leaves, grass, yard clippings and other yard debris at no extra cost to them," Public Works Director Keith Henry said today. "Pickup is on the customers' normal trash collection day, and bags must be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. that day."

Henry said separate trucks are used to collect trash and yard waste.

"If you see that your trash has been picked up and your yard waste hasn't been, that doesn't mean it won't be," he said. "A separate truck will be by later to collect the yard debris."

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 week 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.

Contract awarded for teen area at library

Gorman Construction has been tapped to complete construction on the voter-approved teen area at the Bartlesville Public Library, located at 600 S. Johnstone Ave. The City Council approved the bid award during a meeting Monday.

"One of the capital projects for the library is to build out a portion of the second floor to be utilized as a teen area," said Mayor Dale Copeland said in presenting the item for consideration.

The project includes installing wood joists and decking to cover approximately 700 square feet of the southeast portion of the second floor, utilizing beams installed with the original library construction, Copeland said.

Work on the project is expected to start late next month and should take about 120 days to complete.

City Council receives Waste Water Treatment Plant report

The City Council on Monday received the annual report on the Chickasaw Waste Water Treatment Plant. Veolia Water North America has been providing wastewater management, operation and maintenance services to the City of Bartlesville since 1986. Currently, Veolia operates the waste water treatment plant and 20 lift stations. The report notes:

3.02 billion gallons of wastewater was treated last fiscal year (July 2020 through June 2021)
The daily average flow through the plant was 8.2 million gallons
More than 3.7 million gallons of biosolids were land applied, which is equivalent to 612 dry tons of material

The contract with Veolia is structured to share in savings for electrical, gas and chemical use, as well as electrical power savings from the fine bubble diffuser system. The electrical, gas and chemical did not generate any savings this fiscal year, and the fine bubble diffuser system generated a savings of $54,031.

The maintenance ceiling established for the fiscal year, which is for repair/replacement of equipment, structures and vehicles, had a savings of $35,701.74. Thus, the net rebate for the City’s wastewater plant capital reserve fund is $89,732.

Your Questions

Tea store, shoe store, VA clinic & (spoiler alert) no info on Taco Tico

By Kelli Williams

What's going in there?

Didn't you say something was going in at the northeast corner of Washington Boulevard and Price Road?

HTeaO had previously filed a permit application for the space and has now submitted civil plans with the Community Development Department. The franchise has several locations in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, including a location in Tulsa.

I noticed construction activity at the space north of Ollies the other day. Is there a business scheduled to go in that space?

Shoe Dept. Encore, a division of Shoe Show Inc., will occupy that space.

Are they still doing that?

Are there still plans to open a veterans clinic in the former Sitel building?

According to a recent media report on the issue, the VA still plans to proceed with plans to locate clinics in Bartlesville and Claremore despite closing the Vinita clinic. On the City's end, the project is still in the plan review stage with the Community Development Department.

Are we getting that?

There's a rumor going around that we're getting a Taco Tico. True?

The Community Development Department has no permit applications on file for Taco Tico. (Sorry.)

Volunteer Opportunities

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 a complete list, see Boards, Committees & Commissions.

The City currently has openings on the following committees/boards: