City Leaders Ask For Your Ideas About How To Use Vision 2 Money

The City of Tulsa is asking for your input on how to spend money from the city-specific portion of its Vision 2 plan, which will go before voters in November.

The money for city projects in Vision 2 is based on population, so Tulsa would get the most--about $158 million.

Tulsa, and each city in the county, has to make a list of how to spend that and fast—there's only a month to make these huge decisions.

8/13/2012 Related Story: Tulsa County Commission Puts Vision 2 Proposal On November Ballot

Tulsa's Mayor and the City Council say they want ideas, and feedback on their ideas, about what should make the list for Vision 2.

G.T. Bynum, City Council Chair, said, "There hasn't been enough public participation in this process. We're hoping to do the best we can to influence the part of this that we can control, and that's the individual projects."

The City of Tulsa hurried to set up five public meetings over two weeks to take input on Vision 2.

That's because the county barely met the deadline for getting it on the ballot, and the city list has to be finalized by mid-September.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett said he wants big projects on Tulsa's list, like the $25 million local match to complete the Gilcrease Expressway.

"We would have an opportunity to bring the north, northwest and west sides of Tulsa more into the city with this expressway, and bring economic development opportunities to areas that have not had that opportunity in recent times," Mayor Bartlett said.

The Mayor said he also wants to see money spent on improvements at the zoo, but said, as does Councilor Bynum, that the river should top the list.

"I don't think there's any one thing we can do that would be more transformative for Tulsa in the next century, than to put water in the Arkansas River," Bynum said.

While their big idea is the river, the city is taking suggestions now and planning meetings for the coming weeks, to take ideas from the public. You can find a complete list of the meeting locations and times below.

The other half is for $336 million dollars worth of economic development projects at the airport.

The Chamber of Commerce says that list is final and can't be changed, but they haven't released what exactly is on the list. They say we'll get that list soon.

An informational Vision 2 video can be seen here.

Mayor Bartlett and Tulsa City Councilors will host five public forums across Tulsa to receive citizen input for Vision2 projects at the following times and locations:

Monday, August 27, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Tulsa Webster High School Auditorium
1919 West 40th St.

Friday, August 31, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
TCC Northeast Campus
3727 East Apache St.

Wednesday, September 5, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center Auditorium
4502 E. 41st St.
(Come and go forum, lunch not provided)

Wednesday, September 5, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
East Central Junior High School Auditorium
12121 E. 21st St.

Friday, September 7, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
ORU Mabee Center
7777 S. Lewis Ave.

Citizens can also submit their ideas by email to: Vision2@cityoftulsa.org