OKC Civic Life for Monday, May 25, 2020

Quote of the week

"Since the south side has historically had so little representation, I was interested in recommending someone who would be able to facilitate conversations and planning for MAPS 4 with all our neighborhoods but especially with our south side neighborhoods and parks."

— Ward 6 Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon, commenting on the appointment of Daisy Muñoz as the Ward 6 representative on the MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board. The city council votes Tuesday on Mayor David Holt's appointments to the 11-member board. Muñoz is a graduate student in Regional and City Planning at the University of Oklahoma. "Because MAPS 4 will play out over a decade," Hamon said, "I was very interested in ensuring the voices of younger residents were included."

Rose Crooks leads board

Teresa Rose Crooks is the first woman to chair a MAPS Citizens Advisory Board in the 27 years since MAPS was conceived in the early 1990s. Rose Crooks is an attorney and formerly was senior director of community relations and events at Chesapeake Energy Corp. Six of the 10 citizen appointees to the MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board are women; the 11th member is Ward 8's councilman, Mark Stonecipher. Four women serve on the MAPS 3 board.

Donations benefit parks

Parks Director Doug Kupper says the Energy Assist Foundation, associated with the Energy FC soccer team, is donating two mini-soccer futsal courts and a basketball court, valued at $55,000, for Manuel Perez Park on the south side of the Oklahoma River. In a report to the Riverfront Redevelopment Authority, Kupper says the park system benefited from donations in 2019 from, among others, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation ($345,803) and Oklahoma River Horse Experiences Inc. ($92,500).

Worth noting: The Trust for Public Land ranks Oklahoma City's parks 97th among local park systems nationwide, unchanged from last year. City voters in March rejected a proposal to improve parks and park programs.

Budget woes to hit streets?

Oklahoma City's Public Works director proposed reducing the department's street resurfacing/overlay program to "minimal levels" to meet 2021 budget targets set in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's expected impact on city revenue. The city council begins reviewing the 2020-21 budget on Tuesday with a presentation by Public Works. Public hearings on the budget will continue June 2 and 9. Changes are possible before the final vote, now scheduled June 16. The budget takes effect July 1 and, by law, must be balanced.

Worth noting: Dialing back street resurfacing done by city crews would save about $1.5 million. The poor condition of city streets is a perennial complaint by residents who respond to the city's annual citizen survey.

Present/absent

The mayor and all eight city council members attended the May 12 teleconference meeting.

Calendar

The city council meets at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday via teleconference. For instructions on participating, find the agenda under the Government tab at okc.gov.

Staff writer William Crum; email: wcrum@oklahoman.com, Twitter: @williamcrum