A Question of Priorities
In my OKC Central column today, I noted the ongoing struggle by two Oklahoma City Council members to get an answer to a question about Project 180 and the rush to complete a $3 million makeover of Civic Center park while other street projects have been pushed back or cut all together.
As the Oklahoma City Council sets out to decide whether to approve designs for a makeover of downtown’s Civic Center park, one question, most recently asked by Councilman Pete White, has gone unanswered.
How, he asked, did a cosmetic makeover of the park take priority over the reconstruction of streets like E.K. Gaylord, the two-way conversion of Hudson Avenue — both streets deemed disaster zones for pedestrians?
I continued the column with a history of this discussion.
The changed implementation of Project 180, as confirmed by City Engineer Eric Wenger and Assistant City Manager Dennis Clowers, boils down to this: the section of Hudson Avenue between Reno Avenue and Robert S. Kerr Avenue already being rebuilt will open as a two-way corridor.
The next section of Hudson Avenue between Robert S. Kerr Avenue and NW 6 will be a one-way street. North of NW 6 the street will then resume as a two-way corridor.
E.K. Gaylord Boulevard, meanwhile, will remain a six-lane-wide corridor separating the central business district from Bricktown and Deep Deuce, which are widely seen as downtown’s most pedestrian-friendly districts.
White’s question went unanswered at last week’s city council meeting. Will it continue to be greeted with silence as the council weighs whether to proceed with the makeover of Civic Center park?
We had a vote on the park. But did the question finally get a response?
White and Shadid did indeed try again to force an answer from city staff as to how a makeover of Civic Center park took priority over downtown street projects again went unanswered.
“Why is this a priority,” Shadid asked. “I know it’s not people’s elected officials making the decisions. And it needs to be.”
Shadid then went on to point out that Project 180 reports to the city council consisted of “fluff.” He quoted from the Devon Implementation agreement that showed the city has failed to meet most of the deadlines listed in the contract and that street projects, including E.K. Gaylord Boulevard and Hudson Avenue, were also required in the agreement.
Both White and Shadid noted the city council was never asked to determine whether the park should be given higher priority over the street projects that are now indefinitely delayed.
“I can’t have it unanswered anymore,” Shadid said. “I can’t be told we have a contractual obligation to Devon when we clearly have many other obligations.”
It was this at this time that Mayor Mick Cornett ended Shadid’s comments.
“Ed,” Cornett said, “I think it’s time to let other people talk.”
Councilman Pat Ryan then noted some people like Chevys and some people like Fords in summing up the disagreement over the park design. Cornett then noted that he believes all the projects are worthy of getting done and he believes all of the work will eventually be finished.
Then Meg Salyer spoke up as the only council member fully endorsing the park makeover design. After speaking in favor of the park project, Cornett cut off the debate, asking Salyer to make a motion for approval of the work.
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Comments
It is interesting how quick the City is to more or less toss the blame on Devon – essentially throwing them under the bus. I have no doubts the powers that be with Devon would much rather see the street projects given priority rather risk bad press tarnishing the polished reputation they currently enjoy.
Kris I can agree about NH but HH IS in OKC so they have as much say as the powers that be allow them. It all comes back to the so called city leaders. Based upon the last several months/years it is obvious who is probably honest on the horseshoe and who might be corrupted by one influence or another.
So what was the vote results? I can assure you that a large majority of HH no longer supports Meg: because she has really never supported her constituents.
I am aware that Heritage Hills is in OKC. I was mainly using it as a rhetorical device (“Hills”) to illustrate my point that rich, powerful people are making all the decisions.
Rich, powerful people? You are aware that Shadid represents Heritage Hills, right? And he is the only one standing up to Cornett on this issue? Cornett should be the one treating Shadid with more civility considering this time of grief for him. This could be an interesting dynamic in the future, especially if people find out where Cornett gets his bread buttered.
Shadid does not represent Heritage Hills. That neighborhood is represented by Meg Salyer. Shadid does, however, represent another fine neighborhood, Crown Heights.
Trust in municipal leadership resulted in the MAPS efforts being passed, time after time. That trust is all but gone. Ron Norick will be remembered as the mayor who started our renaissance, and Mick Cornett as the mayor who ended it. Literally in the shadow of City Hall.
Dr Shadid represents me in Mayfair West. I’m very pleased with his efforts for the benefit of our fair city. I’m also very pleased that Steve Lackmeyer, as a member of the fourth estate represents OKC.
Too bad that the mayor’s cutting mr. Shadid off so others could talk didn’t result in his questions being answered.
Where did Mr. Shadid get a copy of the Devon agreement, it should be public record but I haven’t been able to locate it???
[...] streets that are so dangerous to pedestrians. As noted Oklahoman reporter Steve Lackmeyer in his column yesterday, because of this lunacy (well, he didn’t use the word “lunacy, that’s [...]
Let me see if I have this right:
-Devon builds big building on troubled piece of property downtown, giving thousands of workers jobs for several years.
-Devon gives essentially all TIF money to OKC for a streetscape redo that could never have been done without it.
-Devon pays for renovation of Myriad Gardens.
and Devon is the bad guy because Devon’s money isn’t spent the way Ed Shadid wants it spent? I’m trying to be behind the guy but this is the most laughable thing yet. The bottom line is that Devon is paying most if not all of Project 180 and they would like the park renovated up front, because they know the will drain the account dry and the park will be left as is. The bottom line is that Devon want the park done, and since there would have been no project 180 at all if not for Devon, I don’t see the problem in getting the park approved and getting on with things.
Hey Steve, if project 180 finished TODAY with only the projects that have been completed, would downtown be better off then it was 4 years ago?
Jeffrey, I really, sincerely hope that no one is reading this as me suggesting Devon is the bad guy. I’m not. I’m questioning the actions, decision making and judgment of city officials in the implementation of the agreement with Devon.
So jeffreyC if there are deaths because of these dangerous streets… do we get to give Devon credit, too.
Mike, The question I asked steve applies to you too – if 180 stopped today, are downtown streets on the whole safer than they were 3 years ago, with no 180. I’ve known you on the board to be pretty level headed so don’t just answer out of pocket, think it through. Remember without Devon’s TIF we’re not having this conversation at all and the streets would be just what they were in 2008. If the city had just denied Devon access to the TIF money (which they would not have) and just kept it themselves without it being given by Devon, I am pretty certain it would not have been used to redo the downtown streetscape.
Steve, if you believe the city is acting out of context with the implementation of the agreement with Devon, then why not ask for a comment from Devon? Is Devon opposing this? It sounds like the main opposition is White/Shadid. Are they representing Devon’s interests here?
Jeffrey, I have placed a call with Devon to see if they had a preference in timing between the park and the street projects. Hopefully I’ll hear something soon. I make no apologies for asking that city staff answer this question.
The Devon TIF was carved out of an already existing TIF district, so the money was funneled from that one to this one that was to fund Project 180. A TIF by itself is already funneled money from the usual recipients (schools etc). Presumably, by diverting the money from one area, money has to be found from another pile of money someplace to replace the diverted funds. Same for Project 180. It could have been funded thru various methods. Usually for something like this we would use a bond issue or even a MAPS style temporary tax. To say it wouldn’t be done at all without the Devon TIF, I think would be a stretch. It amy or may not get done and may take longer than what Devon wanted. Ends up that is the case now anyway since the plan didn’t generate the funds anticipated and the City ran into unforeseen expenses (which is typical).
IMO, this is just another example of the need of a clean sweep of City Hall, starting with the City Manager. According to the city’s website, it is Council that sets policy and the City Manger’s job to implement that policy. NOT the other way around.
JeffreyC I am saying that Hudson is very dangerous now after the changes made to too Hudson but not completed by Project 180. To leave Hudson in this situation is unbelievable and I mean it when I say Devon and the city manager, public works and city council would be responsible for any harm done to OKC citizens. I would think that Devon would riwrite a check to finish Hudson if they wanted their Larry Nichols park so badly.
Don’t forget Jeffrey we are paying Devon back every penny with interest of the Project 180 money.
Larry – the city manager is appointed by the mayor and council, and as the saying goes, he can be removed “any given Tuesday” by a vote. So I don’t understand why they’re providing Jim Couch with so much cover, and not insisting upon answers to their questions.
Unless he’s actually giving THEM cover by taking the heat while a pre-arranged plan is being carried out that is contrary to the public plans.
Larry- if an out of state companry came in building the same thing that Devon has, more than likely they would have requested the TIF money go back into the construction of the building and the immediate area around the building and the city would have done that. My understanding is that arrangement is quite common in situations like these. What made this an incredible act by Devon is that Devon requested that none of that money go back into the building and that the entire amount be used for streetscape, etc, including the park evidently. So I am quite confident in saying it would have been a LONG time before any street work could have been done on the scale that is being done now, if ever. Please correct me if my understanding of the TIF is wrong.
Mike, I believe you’re suggesting that Hudson is now more unsafe than it was before P180. I’m sorry I’m just going to have to disagree with you. It may be equally unsafe, but not more. I’m glad the city is paying back the interest, would your rather prefer not to have the priciple?
Hudson should be completed, but for it to be completed something else will not be completed. Devon evidently wants the park to be completed so it won’t be that.
It’s another case of a city overpromising what can be done and then running in to cost overrides, unforseen problems, and revenue shortfall. It happens in every city in the nation, why is this so surprising. I’m glad you called Devon for comment but if they choose not to comment, I think you’ll have your answer. It looks like the city is following Devon’s wishes for timeline of projects and you’re going to have a hard time convincing anyone that the city is simply defying Devon on completing the park. At some point Steve, you’ll have to point the finger at Devon.
Jeffrey, I’ve seen and heard nothing that these priorities have been dictated by Devon. I’ve only seen city staff calling these shots… and without much explanation…
-And Boone Pickens has had no say in the decisions made by the athletic department at Oklahoma State. 
Jeff, on what planet is it acceptable to use TIF, which is just redirected property taxes, to actually go toward construction of the project itself. Please give an example. What you are describing sounds like tax evasion.
JeffreyC: what you described is the way that it is normally handled (that the TIF money is put back into the TIF district). In this case the Devon TIF consists solely of their property. To Devon’s credit, they insisted that the money be spent downtown-wide. While laudable, there is some question if it is even legal to do so. The rational being that money raised from one area doesn’t get spent on another area. The idea that local stays local, sort of like a when a national charity raises money, the money raised in Oklahoma, stays in Oklahoma rather than going to New York.
I agree with you completely about it being a case of the City (once again) knowingly overpromising and then not delivering. Three of our mayors (Norick, Humphreys & Cornett) self-described it as a “disaster” when that happens.
This makes me sick. There are too many people from Nichols Hills and Heritage Hills calling the shots for Oklahoma City.