Tulsa Development Authority adopts handbook changes, approves consultant work and legal title actions as finance report flags solvency concerns

The Tulsa Development Authority on its July meeting approved a set of policy supplements, several property and consulting agreements and authorized legal work to clear title on three tax-sale parcels, while its finance director warned the authority is “closer to dissolution or insolvency” and urged action on revenue and asset strategy.

The board approved the Tulsa Development Authority Handbook and the 2025 policy supplements intended to align employee and shared-staff policies, including new provisions on artificial intelligence, conflicts of interest, gifts, expenses, performance improvement and whistleblower protections. "While TDA does not have any employees, we still need to adopt the handbook itself," a presenter said, adding the supplements make employment policies consistent where staff are shared with partner organizations.

The meeting also included property and consultant approvals. The board voted to terminate the contract for sale of land with Habitat Housing Inc. for a parcel at 1807 North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after Habitat requested the termination because of capital constraints and uncertain construction timing. "The property was to be redeveloped into an owner occupied duplex plus a recreational site," a staff presenter said, and the authority will keep Habitat's deposit of $1,320 and market the lot to the public. Staff said Habitat still holds an interim use agreement for preconstruction staging for a related project.

The authority approved a professional services agreement with KB Advisory Group for site disposition analysis and strategy services related to TDA-owned property at 660 East Pine Street for a fee not to exceed $49,500. Staff said the work will include infrastructure feasibility, market opportunity analysis, stakeholder engagement and assistance preparing a disposition request for proposals; the fee would be funded from the North Peoria TIF with a follow-up action required to allocate those funds.

The board also approved an amendment extending the maintenance and operations agreement with Kendall Whittier Main Street to include TDA property at 2408 East Admiral Boulevard so the nonprofit can host a public-art installation and assume routine mowing and trash removal. Staff said the agreement requires the nonprofit to return to the board for approval of any selected artwork and that TDA may require removal of an installation if needed.

On property-clearance work, the board authorized TDA legal counsel to initiate the steps necessary to clear title for three properties purchased at the Tulsa County tax sale: 111 East Apache Street; 4122 West 50th Street; and 2248 North Rockford Avenue. TDA legal counsel told the board that abstracts have been ordered and that the authority must "quiet the title against any previous owners in the chain of title" to obtain good title. Staff estimated the three purchases cost a little over $30,000 in aggregate and suggested appraised values likely exceed $20,000 per lot in the area.

Lynn Kane, identified in the meeting as TDA finance director, gave the monthly finance update and warned that TDA needs to replenish funds or otherwise manage assets to avoid insolvency. "From a TDA standpoint... we're removing closer to dissolution or insolvency," she said, urging the board to pursue asset management and revenue generation. Board members discussed elevating land-disposition strategy and revenue planning to the asset management committee and suggested legal review where necessary.

Other routine items approved on the consent agenda included engagement letters for an audit of TDA's basic financial statements and resolutions returning good-faith deposits to Potenza Construction LLC for two small residential purchases and approving construction plans and specifications for redevelopment at 22 North Utica Avenue.

The board directed staff to pursue next steps on the KB Advisory engagement, to market the former Habitat parcel, to continue updating a project tracker and to bring revenue and disposition strategies to the asset committee for follow-up.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (audit engagement, return of two good-faith deposits to Potenza Construction LLC, approval of 22 North Utica construction plans and related routine items): approved (unanimous by recorded roll call). - Adoption of Tulsa Development Authority Handbook and 2025 policy supplements: approved (unanimous by recorded roll call). - Resolution terminating contract for sale with Habitat Housing Inc., 1807 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.: approved (unanimous by recorded roll call); TDA to retain Habitat deposit of $1,320 and market the property. - Agreement with KB Advisory Group for site disposition analysis, up to $49,500: approved (unanimous by recorded roll call); funding from North Peoria TIF pending separate allocation. - Amendment to maintenance and operations agreement with Kendall Whittier Main Street to include 2408 E. Admiral Blvd (public art installation): approved (unanimous by recorded roll call). - Authorization for TDA legal counsel to proceed with title clearing actions for three tax-sale properties (111 E. Apache St.; 4122 W. 50th St.; 2248 N. Rockford Ave.): approved (unanimous by recorded roll call); abstracts ordered, further legal steps to quiet title planned.

What happened next

Board members asked staff to bring more detailed disposition and revenue-generation options to the asset management committee and to follow up on potential appraisals for the tax-sale parcels. Staff said the KB Advisory Group would start kickoff discussions in August if the agreement is funded. The board scheduled further committee-level discussion of strategy and revenue options.

Sources: Meeting transcript of the Tulsa Development Authority July meeting; TDA staff presentations and roll-call votes recorded on the meeting record.