UT on Rick Westcott

[MichaelC]

From Urban Tulsa

quote:When asked why he wanted the headache of being a City councilor, Rick Westcott readily admits his standard response is somewhat "Pollyanna"-ish answer, but it is the truth. A local attorney, he says he wanted to be a City councilor because he believes he could make a difference; he wanted to help deal with the issues and problems it is facing.

Westcott, a Republican, replaced one of the most controversial and most visible city councilors in the city history, Chris Medlock, as representative for District 2. He is currently an attorney for the Bodenhamer and Levinson law firm; but he has served the community in different capacities including as an instructor at Oral Roberts University, and even as a police officer.

He loves Tulsa, he says, but feels the city has lost its "forward momentum; lost its vision."

"When I was a kid growing up, Tulsa was always a progressive, vibrant city," Westcott said. "We've lost that."

Building that momentum back is a "step-by-step process that starts with the neighborhoods," he said. It is a matter of working with residents so they can have better neighborhoods. It is working to make sure there is infill development and that rezoning issues are addressed.

"It's a balancing process," Westcott said. "We have to protect existing homeowners."

But at the same time, there are developers who want to build new housing for new residents, he said, explaining the balancing is done to make sure everyone involved is a winner.

Westcott has some experience working with neighborhoods on zoning and development issues. He said in the past he has worked with the South Tulsa Citizen Coalition and the Homeowners for Fair Zoning. Westcott points out that his involvement with both organizations was informal, i.e. he did not sit on boards for either organization.

With neighborhood improvement comes other community improvements; Westcott said those improvements are building good parks for children to play in; developing the river; and revitalizing downtown.

Within that process, he said the city addresses issues like crime and other police issues.
Momentum isn't just the neighborhoods working toward a goal; it is about engaging Tulsa's residents in government at different levels.

"The problem is a lot of people don't understand that they have a voice," Westcott said, adding that it is important for citizens to know not only do they have a voice but they have a right for that voice to be heard.

Even with the advent of TGOV (the city's television channel that broadcasts city meetings), Westcott said there are still people removed from government and its processes.

Potatoes off the couch, into the skillet

It is an age-old question, how do you get the masses involved? Westcott has a couple of ways to engage Tulsa residents in government: one way is to simply bring government to them. He said he is planning to hold town hall meetings in different locations around his district as well as showing that he is accessible to his constituents. Westcott can be reached by e-mail at dist2@tulsacouncil.org or by phone at 596-1990.

It is a chance to let them know what is going on in the district and within the city as a whole, he explained, adding it is a chance for them to interact with their councilor. The notion of town hall meetings was something Westcott used in campaign for the district seat, according to his Web site, www.rickwestcott.org.

Town hall meetings are not the only way Westcott is planning to involve the public. He said residents can attend City Council meetings and speak on an item that is on the agenda. For those who would like to view the City Council agenda, for instance, he suggests going to the council's Web site, www.tulsacouncil.org and clicking on--it will feature the date of the next meeting.

For Westcott, resident involvement isn't limited to City Council meetings. Involvement includes volunteering for one of the city's various boards or commissions and being part of the decision-making process.

Tulsa has a number of boards and commissions that play an important role in the city, he said.

But Westcott wants to residents to volunteer for boards and commissions because he would like to breathe a breath of fresh air and diversity on those boards and commissions.

Additionally, he would like to find the best fit for those boards and commissions.

He said there is a core group of people who have volunteered and served on boards for long periods of time, and he is thankful for their time because they have "served Tulsa well."

But, he said, there is no diversity in the boards and he would like to see the benefit of new people serving the community. It would be a chance for them to learn how and see how they can make a difference in the community.

As a new councilor, Westcott is the first to recognize there is learning curve; however, coming on to the council, he said he has a good idea of what to expect as well as what issues are facing the city. Some of that knowledge comes from working with the Tulsa County Republican Party over the last two to three years, he said.

As for the issues Tulsa faces right now, Westcott said the passage of the third-penny sales tax, which funds several capital improvement projects, is one, as is finalizing the budget (See "Delicate Balance," page .

With the budget, he added, the council is responsible for working with the mayor to make sure the budget is fair and addresses the city's needs. The council received the budget on May 1; it has to be approved in June so it can go into affect on July 1 – the start of the new fiscal year.