Arkansas River Master Plan meetings THIS WEEK

[Townsend]

Moving at the speed of light.


http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=13269653

TULSA, OKLAHOMA -- Officials from Tulsa County, the city of Tulsa and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will meet Wednesday morning for the formal signing of a cost sharing agreement concerning the Arkansas River Corridor Master Plan.

The document signing ceremony will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the Tulsa County Administration Building in downtown Tulsa.

"No one wants to see progress on the river more than I do," said Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith. "While the Corps has helped us along the way, signing this agreement really sets us in motion by engaging the Army Corps to get more involved in the project and move toward implementing the master plan."

The Arkansas River Corridor Master Plan calls for appropriate development of the 42 mile Arkansas River corridor in Tulsa County.

Phase I and II concern the study of using additional low water dams along the river and river oriented development.

For more information about the plan, visit INCOG's web site.

[Conan71]

So what's next?

Let's do TCC first 

[sgrizzle]

In other words, the Corps is dragging their feet.

[Conan71]

I'm curious how that would have played out in affecting the plans for the River Tax proposal.  Murkiness on the part of the corps was one of the major issues many had against the tax.  Well the hokey ad campaign and the same old criminals backing it didn't help their cause much either.

[waterboy]

My ashes will be settling to the bottom of that river before they start pouring concrete for "development". That's fine with me.

[Conan71]

My ashes will be settling to the bottom of that river before they start pouring concrete for "development". That's fine with me.

You too?  I've actually asked they be scattered at the headwaters up in the Rockies though.

[waterboy]

Too much lead up there. Besides, I like the idea of polluting the water around Jenks.
Either way I'm sure its against the law.

[Townsend]

Looks like we're about to get the hose again.


Funding for Arkansas River dams in doubt as Oklahoma board requires further action


Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=336&articleid=20120202_16_A1_CUTLIN759866
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=336&articleid=20120202_16_A1_CUTLIN759866

OKLAHOMA CITY - State funding for a series of dams along the Arkansas River in the Tulsa area is again in doubt after a state board insisted last week that bond plans for the project be approved by the Legislature again.

The Legislature has approved $25 million in bonds for the project twice, and twice more has approved appropriations for the project, but the Oklahoma Council of Bond Oversight voted to approve the bond sale only if the Legislature passes a concurrent resolution acknowledging that not all the dam projects will be completed with the state money and that expected federal funding for the project wouldn't be forthcoming, State Bond Advisor Jim Joseph said.

Both of those points are challenged by dam supporters.

"The project has been endorsed by the Legislature on four occasions, and the projects never changed," River Parks Authority Chairman Ken Levit said.

Under pressure from the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority - the group that would actually issue the bonds - the oversight council is set to reconsider its stipulations Feb. 9.

Enid attorney Cliff Elliott, chairman of the council, said the members had incomplete information about the project when they voted.

"It was kind of an odd set of circumstances," he said. "We only had a very, very short amount of time to review our materials, and they were, frankly, not all complete."

Now that additional information on the project is available, Elliott said it is appropriate for the council to reconsider its requirements for the bond sales to move forward.

"I'm not going to say that the decision wasn't proper or inappropriate, but just out of fairness we were working with limited information," he said.

Elliott said he is looking forward to seeing the additional information to be presented at the Feb. 9 meeting.

"I want to be satisfied on those issues that whatever we do meets the test of what we're required to do," he said.

The council doesn't and shouldn't consider the merits of projects - that's the decision of the Legislature, Elliott said.

"What I don't want to do is revisit every political decision on everything that comes in front of us but just satisfy ourselves that the decisions have been properly made."

One legislator reacted to the council's decision by strongly endorsing the idea of another legislative vote on the issue.

"My fellow members and I were asked to approve a $25 million bond package back in 2009 that was to be used not only for the Zink Dam improvements but several other infrastructure projects along the Arkansas River in Tulsa County," said Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid. "Now the River Parks Authority is seeking to have all those funds spent on one single project. We absolutely need to take another look at this before obligating the taxpayers of Oklahoma for those bonds."

Matt Meyer, executive director of River Parks Authority, said the Arkansas River project has always been described as a phased project and that the state bond money is going to be used on the first phase, improving the Zink Lake dam near 31st Street.

The authority plans to raise the dam level from 7 feet to 10 feet while redesigning the structure into a cascade, which will improve water safety in the area. It also plans to install gates to allow sand to flow through the dam and add a small recreation area that includes white water.

The Zink Dam project, which is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2013, would be funded with the state bond money and $4.5 million in local tax money, said Kirby Crowe of Program Management Group LLC, the project manager.

Meyer said two other planned low-water dams - one in Sand Springs and another near 106th Street - would be paid for with federal funding that has been authorized by Congress but not yet appropriated.

Crowe said the Army Corps of Engineers' local office has gotten some small appropriations for environmental studies for the dams but most of the money hasn't been appropriated.

Meyer said when he has talked to members of the state's congressional delegation, he hasn't gotten much encouragement that the federal funding will be available soon. However, the authority remains committed to the projects when the money is available, he said.

State Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger, a member of the Bond Oversight Council and the Capitol Improvement Authority, said that with additional information he thinks the council will clear the bonds for sale without further legislative consideration.

"I think it'll be approved with the normal conditions that the state bond adviser would attach," Doerflinger said. "I'm highly confident."

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=336&articleid=20120202_16_A1_CUTLIN759866

[AquaMan]

I read the article too. I want to believe that the board chairman from Enid is truly interested in full disclosure of the facts concerning the bond funding. But, I just can't. This planning hasn't changed. It will likely pass even if the legislature has to vote again. (I hope)

At best they probably want to make sure that the public is aware that the low water dams are not part of this funding and are not going to be funded until Congress makes an appropriation. The mood of Congress makes that difficult to see happening soon.

If we get the funding to raise the dam height and put in the water park below it, Tulsa will have salvaged something really good out of the process. 2013 is only a year away.

[DTowner]

I read the article too. I want to believe that the board chairman from Enid is truly interested in full disclosure of the facts concerning the bond funding. But, I just can't. This planning hasn't changed. It will likely pass even if the legislature has to vote again. (I hope)

At best they probably want to make sure that the public is aware that the low water dams are not part of this funding and are not going to be funded until Congress makes an appropriation. The mood of Congress makes that difficult to see happening soon.

If we get the funding to raise the dam height and put in the water park below it, Tulsa will have salvaged something really good out of the process. 2013 is only a year away.

Based on the article, I'm optimistic the board will reverse on Feb. 9 its prior decision and let the bonds go through.  However, if it does not and the bond issue goes back to the legislature, I don't think it will pass.  It has been reported that the only bond issues likely to be considered this session are bonds related to fixing the Capitol building (i.e. no Okla. Pop Musuem or Native Amereican musuem bond money).

[dioscorides]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120209_11_0_OKLAHO273654

Panel approves sale of bonds for Arkansas River

By WAYNE GREEN World Senior Writer
Published: 2/9/2012  11:05 AM
Last Modified: 2/9/2012  11:05 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Council on Bond Oversight approved the sale of $26 million in bonds to finance Arkansas River improvements in the Tulsa area.


The council had previously required that the bonds be approved again by the Legislature before they could be sold.

That requirement could have slowed or killed the bond project.

The requirement was sparked by concerns that $50 million in federal funding for the project was on doubt and all of the elements of the river project might not be done as promised to legislators.

Former Speaker of the House Chris Benge, a lobbyist for the Tulsa Metro Chamber, told the council that the federal funding has always been contingent on congressional appropriation.

But he said the money is authorized and is still expected.

State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, spoke in opposition of bond sale, but the council voted 5-0 to approve it.

[AquaMan]

That's good to hear. Even without the appropriations for the dams, these improvements to the Zink dam are important.

[Townsend]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120209_11_0_OKLAHO273654

Panel approves sale of bonds for Arkansas River

By WAYNE GREEN World Senior Writer
Published: 2/9/2012  11:05 AM
Last Modified: 2/9/2012  11:05 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Council on Bond Oversight approved the sale of $26 million in bonds to finance Arkansas River improvements in the Tulsa area.


The council had previously required that the bonds be approved again by the Legislature before they could be sold.

That requirement could have slowed or killed the bond project.

The requirement was sparked by concerns that $50 million in federal funding for the project was on doubt and all of the elements of the river project might not be done as promised to legislators.

Former Speaker of the House Chris Benge, a lobbyist for the Tulsa Metro Chamber, told the council that the federal funding has always been contingent on congressional appropriation.

But he said the money is authorized and is still expected.

State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, spoke in opposition of bond sale, but the council voted 5-0 to approve it.

Well pardon my spit take of surprise.

Oh, and Mike Reynolds, R- Oklahoma City, can suck it.

[Conan71]

Am I hallucinating?  What's that wet stuff in Zink Lake?

[jacobi]

Am I hallucinating?  What's that wet stuff in Zink Lake?

It's not water.  It's Big Jamoke.  Dive in!