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 | | City Attorney: No change in fire negotiations | | |
Negotiations with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 200, the union that represents City of Bartlesville firefighters, remain stagnant despite efforts to move forward on an agreement for a 2025-26 Fiscal Year contract, City Attorney Jess Kane told the City Council on Monday.
Kane said the IAFF has yet to respond to the City's most recent offer, which was submitted to the union in September, and attempts to work with the union to agree on a neutral arbitrator have yielded no results.
What's proposed
City negotiators are asking the IAFF to agree to promotional reforms that would allow firefighters to be promoted based on merit rather than seniority, and for steps concerning overtime pay that officials say would reduce the ongoing abuse of sick leave within the department.
The union's offer initially included a 10 percent pay increase, twice the amount all other City employees received for the fiscal year, an increase for clothing allowance and an automatic pay increase upon promotion, as well as changes to the department's minimum manning requirements. The union later reduced its pay increase request to 6 percent and dropped the proposed minimum manning requirements.
Arbitration
Kane said the City initiated the arbitration process shortly after making its most recent offer. Arbitration is an adversarial process where each side selects an arbitrator and agrees on a neutral arbitrator to hear the arguments and render a finding. If the union prevails in arbitration, the City has the option of asking Bartlesville voters to decide the outcome in an election.
"The interest arbitration process was initiated by the City on Sept. 29 but has been delayed due to the ongoing federal government shutdown," Kane said. "The City has proposed to the IAFF that a neutral arbitrator be appointed by agreement of the parties from outside the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which would allow the arbitration process to proceed. But the Union has failed to respond.
"In short, the Union has failed to respond or continue negotiations in good faith but has chosen to instead engage in a no-holds barred social media blitz."
Promotional process reform
Kane pointed at the lack of social media chatter regarding promotional reform as an indication that union negotiators know changes to the system are long overdue.
"I take this as a tacit admission from the union that a promotional system based on merit rather than seniority is a long overdue, foregone conclusion," he said. "The union, through its terminally online surrogates, has argued that the City’s proposal would allow for bias and favoritism, but as (City Manager Mike Bailey) has already pointed out in City Beat, the promotional process the City has proposed is based on a process that the Union already agreed to for promotion of battalion chiefs. If the process is inherently biased, why was it okay for battalion chiefs?
"A promotional system based on merit will benefit the public through increased performance, but it will also benefit rank and file firefighters who want to work hard and earn promotion faster than the senior union bosses that are content to just wait for what’s coming to them without putting forward any extra effort."
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Sick leave & BFD overtime system
Kane said social media has been abuzz, however, concerning the City's request to reduce pay for unscheduled overtime -- from double time to time and a half. He said doing so would reduce unnecessary sick leave from being taken, which would save Bartlesville taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
"Our firefighters have used an average of 188 hours of sick leave – nearly a full month off – over the past six years," Kane said. "This is 85 hours more than the average in our universe (the 10 most comparable cities in Oklahoma.) It is two and a half to four times as much as their counterparts in Owasso, Enid and Bixby. Common sense dictates that firefighters in Owasso are not less prone to injury or illness performing the same job than firefighters in Bartlesville."
Kane gave an example of the broken sick leave/overtime system by telling the story of one firefighter was able to use loopholes in the system to draw $100,000 in FY 2024-25 "without working a single day."
"He accomplished this in large part through the use of sick leave," Kane said.
Kane further illustrated his point by showing the following facts:
- Bartlesville firefighters are over 5 times more likely to use personal sick time in a short period than in a long.
- They are over 2 times more likely to use family sick time in a long period than in a short.
- They use 81% of their total sick leave when it will not affect their overtime pay.
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Long, short periods
"In order to understand why this data is so significant, you must understand how firefighters’ work schedules are structured," he said. "Firefighters work on a rotating schedule. In some pay periods they work four days — this is called a ‘short period.’ In others, they work five days — this is a ‘long period.’ In a long period, firefighters automatically receive 14 hours of overtime. In a short period, they do not.
"Here’s the important part: if a firefighter uses sick leave during a long period, they lose that automatic overtime, and the entire pay period is paid at the regular rate. So what happens? The data shows a clear trend: Most sick leave is taken during short periods, when there’s no overtime to lose — even though short periods only make up about 30 percent of the year. Meanwhile, family sick leave, which does not reduce overtime, is mostly taken during long periods.
"This pattern is not accidental — it reflects how the current structure incentivizes when sick leave is used. The result for the City is that during short pay periods, the City must not only pay the individual who called in sick, but must also force back another firefighter at double time. And remember, double time is awarded by seniority, so the double time benefit goes overwhelmingly to more senior members of the union, not to junior firemen who need the money and could benefit from the experience."
Kane said the data demonstrates a "broad, departmentwide pattern of behavior to maximize sick leave for personal gain at the expense of the taxpayer."
"We have either a remarkable coincidence in which viruses and injuries only manifest to the disadvantage of the City, or a demonstrable pattern of union members pursuing their own self-interest through the loopholes of a flawed contract," he said.
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Kane maintained the IAFF was aware of this ability to manipulate the system and "took specific action to preserve the status quo" by requesting that the department's minimum manning requirements be increased to 18 firefighters per shift in its original offer.
"Minimum manning requirements is a clear management right, set by the fire chief, and has never been a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement," Kane said. "Why did the union suddenly become concerned with minimum manning in 2025? It is not an issue they had ever negotiated before, and it had never been a part of the contract.
"The answer is that the fire chief had proposed an increase to the fire department’s budget to allow for the hiring of four additional firefighters to allow him to better manage his overtime budget. The union saw this move by the City towards improved overtime management and sought to amend the contract to prevent the fire chief from managing his overtime budget. The Union has since withdrawn this demand, but the episode remains as proof that the union is aware of the overtime problem and specifically sought to preserve its members' ability to abuse overtime to the detriment of the taxpayer."
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Next steps
Kane pointed to the complexities of firefighter shifts, pay calculations, labor laws, and the department's promotional process as playing a part in some of the confusion about what the issues really are, particularly in how they are being portrayed on social media.
"The Collective Bargaining Agreement and its interplay with State and Federal laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act is extremely complex," he said. "That complexity is not conducive to explanation in a forum like this, and certainly not on Facebook. I again refer you to Mr. Bailey’s interview in the Oct. 17 edition of City Beat for a more in-depth explanation of these complex issues."
He said the City is in hopes negotiations can continue soon and that an agreement can be reached without arbitration or a potential public election.
"We remain committed to a responsible reform of the Collective Bargaining Agreement to address the promotional and overtime issues we have been discussing," Kane said. "We believe these reforms will benefit the public through increased professional competence in the fire service and responsible overtime budgeting, as well as individual firefighters who will be rewarded from excellence through promotion and increased pay. We continue to await a response from the union"
More information:
City Beat October 17, 2025
City Beat October 7, 2025.
PowerPoint presentation, November 3, 2025, City Council meeting
City Council meeting webcast November 3, 2025
| | City to administer BRTA programs, TIF funds | | |
The City Council on Monday approved a proposal that will see the City's Community Development Department assuming many of the duties currently performed by the Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority.
The BRTA was established by the City of Bartlesville several years ago primarily to support the redevelopment of the city's historic downtown. The main tool used by the BRTA were tax increment finance (TIF) districts. In particular, TIF 1 and TIF 2 were created to provide development/redevelopment funds to assist the downtown central business district and the residential areas adjacent to downtown.
Both of these TIFs have now expired, but the remaining funds collected during the term of these TIFs can still be used to fulfill the purposes for which they were collected. There is approximately
$4 million total remaining in the two TIFs. This, coupled with the fact that the BRTA executive director is retiring effective Dec. 31, resulted in the offer by City staff to provide administrative support to the
BRTA via contract in lieu of the BRTA hiring an employee directly.
The council voted unanimously to approve a Memorandum of Understanding, which outlines the following:
Governance
- The BRTA board will continue to provide governance and policy making decisions.
Executive & administrative services:
- City's Community Development director will serve as BRTA's administrative director
- City's Special Projects manager will serve as administrative support
- City will hire an additional employee who will serve as the forward-facing contact and coordinator for BRTA projects
- Additional contract employees may be hired to provide specialized services if necessary.
Accounting & Finance
- City will assume responsibility for accounting and finance functions
Though approved unanimously by the council on Monday, the agreement must be approved by the BRTA Board before taking effect.
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Recycle Center reminders
The City of Bartlesville offers recycling services through a public-private partnership with Replenysh, a private company that operates the program utilizing the City-owned Recycle Center, located at 840 S.W. 10th Street.
With the exception of lunchtime hours, the center is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It is closed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, weekends and holidays. Note: The center typically closes for lunch between noon and 1 p.m.; however, this can vary depending on workload.
Please remember: Dropping off recyclables -- or worse, trash -- after hours is strictly prohibited.
For more information or to see items that are accepted at the center, see www.cityofbartlesville.org.
| | Museum Lunch & Learn to feature historian | | |
The Bartlesville Area History Museum will host guest speaker Dr. Michelle M. Martin for its "November Lunch and Learn" event from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 7. Martin, who is a Michigander by birth and a Kansan and Okie by choice, will speak on “From the Indian Territory to the Stage: The Unlikely Career of Husti-Coluc-Chee the Seminole Preacher, 1843-1890.”
Martin will discuss the time during 1843-1890 when Husti-Coluc-Chee, also known by his English name Rev. John D. Bemo, traveled from the Indian Territory to churches and lecture halls east of the Mississippi. When Husti-Coluc-Chee took the stage, audiences hushed and marveled at his personal story of kidnapping, salvation and redemption. He dazzled audiences, for a nominal fee at the door, with his cultural lectures and programs about Native American life. However, a deeper dive into his incredible life history reveals Husti-Coluc-Chee’s identity and professional life was complex and not without controversy during his lifetime. Learn more about Husti-Coluc-Chee and his place in Indian Territorial and American history in this public lecture.
Martin is a historian who earned her doctorate at the University of New Mexico in May 2022. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history at Western Michigan University. After graduating from WMU, Martin embarked on a nearly 20-year career in academic and public history. For 11 years, she taught full- and part-time at the two- and four-year college level in Kansas and Oklahoma. She also worked in the television and film industry for nearly 10 years as a researcher, script writer and field producer. Projects she has contributed to have aired on PBS, A&E, History Channel, Investigation Discovery and at National Park Service units in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. For several years, Martin worked as a museum director and has served on numerous museum boards and has provided consulting services for small museums in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Lunch & Learn attendees are encouraged to enjoy the museum’s current exhibit, “Outlaw Trails and Legendary Hideouts” on display through Jan. 9, 2026. Tables and chairs will be set up for people who bring a lunch and little ones may enjoy the Faces and Places coloring station.
The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed on weekends and holidays) on the fifth floor of City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave. Museum entry is free but donations are always welcome. No reservation is necessary. For more information, contact staff at 918.338.4290 or history@cityofbartlesville.org.
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White Rose Luminary Service is November 22
The annual White Rose Luminary Service will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the White Rose Mausoleum. The purpose of the service is to honor and remember loved ones.
Luminaries, which consist of a small paper sack weighted down with sand and illuminated by an LED light, are placed around the halls of the White Rose Mausoleum. Each luminary has a card attached with the loved one’s name and by whom they are honored.
Rosie Swindell will read the names of those being remembered, and Joe Todd will read the names on the cemetery’s Military Killed in Action and Bodies Not Recovered monument.
After the service, guests are invited to take their luminary and place it on the grave of their loved one.
Loved ones do not have to be buried at White Rose Cemetery to have a luminary in their memory. Luminaries may be purchased for $5 each at the Bartlesville Public Library through Nov. 14.
For more information, call 918.338.4070 or email whiterose@cityofbartlesville.org.
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Public input sought for development code updates
Come and go set for 6-8 p.m. November 10 at The Center
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The City of Bartlesville invites residents and community stakeholders to attend a community open house to share their ideas on ways to improve the City’s development code, including the zoning and subdivision regulations. The come-and-go event will be held from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 10 at The Center (Bartlesville Community Center), 350 SE Adams Blvd.
The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a brief introduction and presentation by the City’s planning consultant, Freese and Nichols Inc., who will provide some background and a summary of the upcoming code update effort. Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to visit and engage with the consultant, city staff and interactive exhibits designed to gather public input on how the City’s development regulations can better support quality growth, housing and community character.
Feedback collected at the open house will help guide a fundamental re-drafting of the City’s zoning and subdivision regulations, which will be presented to City Council for consideration and adoption next year. The assessment and re-drafting of the development regulations are action items listed in the city’s recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, Endeavor 2045.
All members of the public are encouraged to attend and share their perspectives on how to make Bartlesville’s development standards more effective and user-friendly. The event is come and go, so attendees may stop by at their convenience.
For more information, contact the Special Projects Manager Greg Collins at 918-338-4241 or email gscollins@cityofbartlesville.org.
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Free electronic recycling event set for November 8
Information provided by Electronic Synergy Foundation
Saturday, November 8, 2025
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sooner Park (Swimming Pool Parking Lot)
420 SE Madison Blvd,
FREE to recycle accepted electronics
The Electronic Synergy Foundation (ESF), a nonprofit organization focused on environmentally responsible electronics recycling and secure data destruction, will host a free community electronics recycling event on Saturday, Nov. 8.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sooner Park, 420 S.E. Madison Blvd., in the swimming pool parking lot.
Everyone, including individuals and businesses, from Bartlesville and the surrounding areas is invited to participate.
For more information, see www.electronicsynergy.org.
| | Free yard debris collection set for 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.
| | Local agencies respond to potential food crisis | | Following is a list of food pantries published last week by Concern, a local non-profit organization, in response to recipients losing their SNAP benefits for November. Please visit Concern's Facebook page, Concern Bartlesville, or the organization directly for more information. | | |
The following information was posted on the Bartlesville Regional United Way's Facebook page. If you need more information, please contact the United Way.
Due to the current environment surrounding the pause of SNAP benefits and the ongoing federal shutdown, many families in our communities are facing sudden food insecurity.
Bartlesville Regional United Way is organizing a two-week, urgent Food Drive to collect non-perishable food items now through November 17. All donations will be distributed to local partner organizations that are meeting the needs of families and individuals impacted by these challenges.
Most Needed Items:
- Canned protein (tuna, chicken, beans)
- Canned fruits and vegetables
- Peanut butter
- Rice
- Pasta
- Oatmeal
- Shelf-stable juices
- Shelf-stable milk
Drop-Off at the Bartlesville Regional United Way offices
415 East Silas Street, Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74003
Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
| | 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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