Tulsa City Council approves rezoning, easement and budget items; votes at a glance

At its Jan. 15, 2025 meeting, the Tulsa City Council approved a slate of planning, easement and administrative items, including three rezoning applications, and forwarded several budget-appropriation ordinances on first reading.

The council unanimously approved rezoning applications Z7797, Z7801 and Z7802 (items 5a–5c) and approved items 7a–7k except for item 7h; the council added an emergency clause to item 7k. Several first-reading ordinances in item 6 (6a–6h) were forwarded to the next council meeting without objection.

Why it matters: The rezoning and easement decisions affect future development proposals and property use across multiple neighborhoods. The first-reading budget changes involve grant funds that will support public-safety and related programs if finalized.

Votes at a glance - Items 1a–1b (receipt and filing of minutes from Dec. 18, 2024): approved (motion recorded; roll call affirmative). - Items 4b–4h (mayor’s items as listed on the agenda): approved (roll call affirmative). - Items 5a–5c (rezoning applications Z7797, Z7801, Z7802): approved (roll call affirmative). - Item 6a–6h (ordinances — first reading): forwarded to the next council meeting without objection. - Item 6d (budget amendment — $2,500,000 from grant revenue awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice for an assault-kit initiative sub fund): forwarded on first reading. - Item 6e (budget amendment — $382,418 from U.S. Department of Justice, JAG reimbursement grants sub fund): forwarded on first reading. - Item 6f (budget amendment — $231,175 from public safety and protection nonfederal grant sub fund): forwarded on first reading. - Item 6g (budget amendment — $700,000 from the State of Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General within a social/economic development nonfederal grant program sub fund): forwarded on first reading. - Items 7a–7k (utility easements/closures and related development closures): approved except for item 7h; emergency clause added to item 7k. - Items 8b (initiation of Scenic Hills land use amendment process) and 8c (travel donation of $656 to Councilor Hall Harper): approved.

Council procedure and roll calls: Motions to approve the listed items were made during the meeting and carried on roll call. The meeting record shows affirmative roll-call votes for the approved items; the council proceeded to forward first-reading ordinances to the next meeting without reading them aloud, per the agenda.

Budget and grants: The council advanced several grant-funded appropriations (listed above) on first reading; these items were not adopted at final reading during the Jan. 15 meeting and will return for further consideration. The appropriations as presented reference grant revenues from the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General.

Procedural note: During the vote on items 7a–7k the chair announced that item 7h had been pulled from the package, and the emergency clause was applied to item 7k (closure of a portion of an alleyway at 311 North Boulder Avenue) to take effect immediately if adopted at final reading.

Less-critical items: The council also recognized years-of-service recipients and made routine announcements including upcoming town-halls and a public meeting on the East 91st Street widening project; those ceremonial and announcement items were presented earlier in the meeting.