VisionTulsa (Tulsa’s version of MAPS) to go to voters April 5th

[Swake]

Tulsa’s new vision proposal is in and will be voted on in April. It includes new permanent funding for police, fire, street repairs and mass transit.

The Vision part of the proposal includes replacing the dam on the Arkansas at 31st and Riverside a new dam at 106th and Riverside with boat docks and new trails. The new dam’s cost is to be split with Jenks and the Creek Nation as the west bank of the river there is in Jenks and the new dam will be near the Riverspirit/Margaritaville Casino and the Creek Nation owned Riverwalk with the new Top Golf type place.

There’s also money for the zoo, the fairgrounds, Gilcrease, the children’s museum planned for the gathering place, an expansion to the convention center and a new BMX National Headquarters

http://tulsacouncil.org/media/115206...1-28-16%29.pdf

[Laramie]

Vision 2025 has the same momentum as OKC's MAPS. They have some really cool projects which might come to fruition.

The city’s Vision proposal includes $320 million for public safety, $60 million for transit, $177 million for dams and other infrastructure in the Arkansas River, and the remainder for economic development projects.

Vision 2025 proposal in flux as councilors ponder public safety funding: https://www.readfrontier.com/spotlig...afety-funding/

Connecting Tulsa districts for walk-ability/Streetscaping: http://www.newson6.com/story/3059136...ulsa-districts

[Laramie]

Tulsa:

19 downtown development projects you should know about

See any similar developments like The Edge in Oklahoma City's Midtown?

[Snowman]

Tulsa’s new vision proposal is in and will be voted on in April. It includes new permanent funding for police, fire, street repairs and mass transit.

The Vision part of the proposal includes replacing the dam on the Arkansas at 31st and Riverside a new dam at 106th and Riverside with boat docks and new trails. The new dam’s cost is to be split with Jenks and the Creek Nation as the west bank of the river there is in Jenks and the new dam will be near the Riverspirit/Margaritaville Casino and the Creek Nation owned Riverwalk with the new Top Golf type place.

There’s also money for the zoo, the fairgrounds, Gilcrease, the children’s museum planned for the gathering place, an expansion to the convention center and a new BMX National Headquarters

http://tulsacouncil.org/media/115206...1-28-16%29.pdf

I noticed they mention funding for operations in the mass transit itemization and do not specifically say it is capital costs on police and fire. Are they doing this as multiple options or has the state law been softened for these, cause one thing we hear with every new MAPS round is it only barely gets by state log rolling restrictions due to them all being capital projects.

[Spartan]

Bmx?

[Colbafone]

BMX = Bicycle Motocross. Extreme Bicycle racing. Matt Hoffman, from Edmond is a BMX pioneer. If you have ever seen bikes at a skate park, those are BMX bikes. It's certainly a niche thing, but having a national headquarters for it in OK is pretty awesome.

[ljbab728]

Tulsa’s new vision proposal is in and will be voted on in April. It includes new permanent funding for police, fire, street repairs and mass transit.

So that means that part of this is for a permanent tax that won't expire like the MAPS tax does?

[Swake]

So that means that part of this is for a permanent tax that won't expire like the MAPS tax does?

Right, trying to fix the city budget going forward.

[ljbab728]

Right, trying to fix the city budget going forward.

Does Tulsa not already have any taxes pledged to any of those things like OKC does?

[Plutonic Panda]

What is going on with the Pop Cultural Museum?

[Swake]

What is going on with the Pop Cultural Museum?

They are working on the final fundraising and design. They have a up to date website:
OKPOP

[Spartan]

BMX = Bicycle Motocross. Extreme Bicycle racing. Matt Hoffman, from Edmond is a BMX pioneer. If you have ever seen bikes at a skate park, those are BMX bikes. It's certainly a niche thing, but having a national headquarters for it in OK is pretty awesome.

What makes the proposed Tulsa park better than ours?

[Zorba]

Vision 2025 has the same momentum as OKC's MAPS. They have some really cool projects which might come to fruition.

Considering the last vision plan got voted down by like 70% back in 2012, I am not sure you can claim it has the same momentum as MAPS. Tulsa also sells bonds, so the work is done quicker, but at a far higher cost overall.

Also they always promise new dams, then pull the rug out on it. Based on the fact dams are always promised, then nothing, and how horrible the package in 2012 was, I'd have a very hard time voting for this without a lot of research.

[Swake]

Between the City of Tulsa vote, the county vote and various suburbs voting there's over a billion dollars in projects on the ballot today.

[HOT ROD]

Interesting that Tulsa's 'vision' is always a Metropolitan (or at least City and County) vote/tax whereas MAPS is always only Oklahoma City.

I wonder if OKC did it metro-wide how much additional dollars would be raised. Probably quiet significant increase.

[Laramie]

Interesting that Tulsa's 'vision' is always a Metropolitan (or at least City and County) vote/tax whereas MAPS is always only Oklahoma City.

I wonder if OKC did it metro-wide how much additional dollars would be raised. Probably quiet significant increase.

Due to the overwhelming success of MAPS and recognizing the needs of the city’s struggling public schools, Oklahoma City proposed a second MAPS initiative. MAPS for Kids went before voters in 2001 and passed with a 61 percent majority. The new sales tax generated $514 million along with a $180 million Oklahoma City Public Schools bond issue, which was used for school facility improvements, technology and transportation projects. Seventy percent of the sales tax funds were disbursed to the Oklahoma City Public School District and 30 percent to surrounding suburban districts. When the last facility is constructed in 2013, the program will have built or renovated 70 Oklahoma City Public School buildings and provided funding for hundreds of other metro area school projects.

IIRC MAPS for Kids included some of the suburbs: https://www.okc.gov/maps3/mapshistory.html

When this tax expired; the 6-month extension provided funding for Chesapeake Energy Arena (former Ford Center) & the Thunder's new practice facility; the city saved money by cutting the onsite Arena warm up gym: Ford Center practice gym eliminated from renovations | News OK

In 2008, the citizens approved another short term one-cent sales tax after the MAPS for Kids tax expired to fund improvements at the downtown arena and build an off-site practice facility to accommodate the new NBA franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

[rte66man]

IIRC MAPS for Kids included some of the suburbs: https://www.okc.gov/maps3/mapshistory.html

That's because there are other school districts that cover OKC limits other than OKCPS. Deer Creek, Putnam City, etc. It's always irritated me that the suburbs that could use help (Warr Acres, where I live) aren't included; yet most of my sales tax revenue goes to businesses in OKC. Why can't some portion of that come back to benefit my area?

[Swake]

Looks like all the vision proposals are passing very easily, 60-40 or better with 70% of precincts in.

[shavethewhales]

I'm surprised at the margins, especially on the pork projects. At least we don't have to argue about the stupid dam proposals anymore... now we can argue about how ineffective they turn out to be.

There's certainly some benefits here, but you know it's going to really stir the pot with all the other funding woes.

[TU 'cane]

I'm surprised at the margins, especially on the pork projects. At least we don't have to argue about the stupid dam proposals anymore... now we can argue about how ineffective they turn out to be.

There's certainly some benefits here, but you know it's going to really stir the pot with all the other funding woes.

I was expecting more of 50/50 on Prop 3, honestly. It was staying at 60/40 for a while.
Of course, the local biologists are concerned about what these dams are going to do the local wildlife who depend on the shallow prairie river that is the Arkansas. Will be interesting to see. It's no doubt the river looks and smells better when there's water, but I think long term these dams will prove futile and end up being a boondoggle.

As for everything else, great. No more arguing. Just get the stuff done. I'm most excited about the Gilcrease expansion and hope they can get started right away and be done in the next few years.

Again, here's the full Vision list: https://www.cityoftulsa.org/media/45...ary1-28-16.pdf

And here's the results: Election Results - NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com |

[Dustin]

Wow. That's a lot of dough!

Good for Tulsa.

[Eric]

I can't recall where, but I remember reading some things about cities removing low water dams lately. As Tulsa is generally about a decade behind the times, I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen here in the future as well.

I was shocked that this passed the way it did as well. It seemed much more disorganized than prior attempts. The biggest difference on this one was that huge sums of money were thrown directly at large voting blocks (Fire & Police). That always helps.

[BG918]

It would be nice to have the Zink Dam improvements finished around the same time the Gathering Place opens. That will be a major asset right next to the park, especially with the whitewater flume.

[shavethewhales]

Eric, to be fair, I think the low water dams that you hear about being removed are the older, uglier, death trap low water dams. Supposedly these new ones are designed better, and should be somewhat aesthetically pleasing (or so they want us to believe). I agree that Tulsa is perpetually behind the times, but damming the river is kind of an inevitable improvement.

This vote capitalized on low voter turnout and by spreading the pork out enough so that lots of interest groups could have a piece. Pretty classic setup. I'm not outraged, but it does leave a poor taste in my mouth.

[Swake]

Here's from the project website on when the dams will happen. The Gathering Place opens next fall, well before the new Zink dam will be complete

Funding becomes available for Vision Tulsa projects beginning in 2017. The Zink Dam modifications have already had their 404 permit review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Tulsa/Jenks Dam 404 permit has been submitted for review. Permitting and final design of the Zink project can begin as soon as funding is available and while the South Tulsa/Jenks dam is completing the 404 permit process and then moves into final design, which is projected to occur from early 2017 through the end of 2018.
Construction on Zink Dam would start in early 2018 and be completed in 2020.
Construction on the South Tulsa/Jenks Dam would begin later in 2020 and be completed in early 2022.

Safety and silt buildup are the main reasons low water dams have been removed in other cities, including Sand Springs. Here's the plan on how to handle these issues:

Will these low-water dams be safer than the current Zink Dam?

One of the primary goals of the project is to reduce hazards at the existing Zink Dam and to avoid the creation of hydraulic rollers at the South Tulsa/Jenks dam location. In this reach of the Arkansas River, numerous drownings have been recorded at the existing Zink Dam.
The proposed dam design involves constructing the downstream face of the dam with a series of steps that disrupt the formation of hazardous hydraulic roller conditions. Furthermore, the gate operational plan will prevent flow over the top of any full-height gate greater than six inches during non-flood release conditions.
In addition, the design includes installation of signage, warning systems and cabled buoys upstream of the dams to warn the public of potential dangers.
How will the low-water dams handle silt issues?

The dam design selected by City of Tulsa engineers and hydrologists utilizes a vulcanized rubber air bladder to raise and lower the steel dam gates to the full down position.
This modern dam technology is in use in cities around the world, on similar sized dams as well as on much larger dam gates.
As sediment builds next to a dam, officials will be able to lower the full height gates in that area completely flat onto the riverbed so the sediment and sand can flow downstream.
During periods of higher flows, sediment passage downstream can also be enhanced with the gates in the full down position at all of the dam locations.

Q&A for All Projects - Vision Tulsa