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Owasso council delays decision on Owasso Community Resources lease after public pleas
Summary
Following public testimony about the nonprofit's role feeding hundreds of households, councilors voted to table consideration of the OCR lease to a January work session to allow further review of valuation and options rather than immediately adopt staff's proposed terms.
The Owasso City Council voted to table consideration of a proposed lease with Owasso Community Resources (OCR) and move the matter to a January work session for further review after several public commenters described OCR's role feeding families and urged the council to protect the organization's affordable occupancy.
Staff told council the city and OCR had been operating without an active lease (OCR had paid $960 per month since 2009) and that staff presented a draft one-year lease beginning Jan. 1, 2026 with a proposed rate of $1,161.40 per month and an allocation of electrical costs at about $750 per month. Chris Garrett said OCR currently occupies roughly 4,949 square feet, and staff had used prior square-footage rates adjusted for inflation to derive proposed rents after concluding a dedicated appraisal for this building was not performed.
Brian Welborn, OCR treasurer, asked the council to preserve the long-standing relationship and continued support, saying OCR’s location and building are critical to its mission of providing basic assistance. "OCR would not be the organization that it is without the support of the city of Owasso," Welborn said.
Alex Sinkl said OCR ensures children do not go to bed hungry and warned that raising occupancy costs could have immediate effects on services. Dustin Lehi, a licensed clinical social worker and OCR board member, provided usage figures: "OCR provides food and resources to roughly 650 houses per month," Lehi said, and he translated that to an estimated 1,690 people monthly (based on an average household size of 2.6) and about 20,280 people a year using the service.
Councilors pressed staff for clarity about appraisal methods and whether a dedicated appraisal had been completed for the OCR building; staff responded that a single appraisal had been used for two buildings and that using that appraisal directly for OCR’s expanded footprint resulted in market rents the city considered untenable.
A councilor moved to table the lease to a January work session so the council could investigate OCR's value proposition and consider lawful ways to recognize nonprofit contributions in lease terms. The motion carried on a recorded vote. Councilors and staff noted that the council can adopt shorter-term leases or make amendments by mutual written agreement if both parties consent, and that detailed analysis of nonprofit value would require additional work.
The item will return to the council process at a January work session for further consideration and additional information.
