I was born in Port Arthur, Texas, and raised by parents who felt it important to enrich their children’s lives through travel and experiences. To that end, we moved to Bartlesville where I attended public schools from 6th through 11th grade, then to Japan where I graduated high school on the American naval base in Yokosuka, where my mother also taught. Once back in the U.S., I obtained a BA degree from the University of Kansas.
After another stint in Japan, then Houston, Bartlesville called me home by way of a job with the Examiner-Enterprise, where I worked my way up to managing editor. Over the past 35-plus years, I’ve also run communications for the Bartlesville Public School District (BPSD) and for the past 14 of those 35 years, I’ve led communications for ConocoPhillips Bartlesville.
In our community, I currently serve on the boards of Bartlesville Regional United Way and Bartlesville Cultural Center (formerly Westside Community Center). Over the years, I’ve maintained ties with the BPSD and supported the city by serving on their various bond issue campaign committees.
My wife Summer and I have been married for 29 years. We’ve continued my parents’ love of travel and new experiences. We also recognize our great fortune to live in a culturally rich community where meaningful experiences can be found in our own backyard.
I’m running for the Ward 2 seat of the Bartlesville City Council for the same reason I volunteered my time toward city and school bond issue proposals – partnering with others in the hopes of making a positive impact in our community. And, to that end, I run with no agenda other than to do my part by working with others, within and outside of my ward, who also want to make Bartlesville a better community for everyone. It’s a continuation of the efforts of many who’ve served before me. Ours is a strong and unique community, built by entrepreneurs and shored up by a hard-working city government and vital public services, excellent schools and important businesses of all sizes and services. So, where I can support these tireless efforts and make improvements where warranted, it’s important to me to do so.
Listening to and learning from those in the trenches about what’s working and what isn’t is a foundational place to start determining what’s most important to focus on.
Economy: I would like to see a continued strengthening and diversification of the economy to help ensure that Bartlesville remains vibrant today and well into the future. Recognizing the high caliber of current businesses Bartlesville enjoys today, I would like to attract additional businesses – both large and small – that can form a mutually beneficial relationship with our community. While being respectful of my boundaries as a city councilman, I would welcome the opportunity to assist the Chamber of Commerce, the Bartlesville Development Authority (BDA), the Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority (BRTA) and the businesses themselves as I can.
Health: Clean water in a reliable, steady supply is critical to the health of every living thing in our community. When it comes to the question of water, the city has offered a detailed plan concerning the best options moving forward to help ensure Bartlesville has a strong water supply well into the future. I would like to work with the city staff to assist in continuing to move those recommendations forward. In addition, I’d like to see if any new possibilities might be available in the near future and if we’re in a versatile enough position to act on them if they do.
Education: We have long prided ourselves on having great educational operations in our community and I think we need to continue to be strong in that area. We support them by funding education, most of which comes from state funding or property taxes. The more we can grow our economy and encourage people to put down roots here in terms of homes or businesses, then that can enhance our tax base and better support our schools.
Good schools help us attract businesses and residents and then keep them. My mom taught in the BPSD, and I handled communications for it during an earlier part of my career, so it will long have a special place in my heart. I want to support our schools as much as I can in terms of funding and making them attractive to parents, students, teachers and businesses looking to relocate here. Our schools – public, private and home schools as well as those at the collegiate level – are a source of pride for our community. They all deserve our support. A sure sign of a vibrant community are strong educational systems.
The Chamber of Commerce, the Bartlesville Development Authority (BDA) and the Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority (BRTA) have done great work for our community to help diversify our economy, and I look forward to seeing what they can accomplish going forward. I would like to see us continue to attract and support businesses of all sizes in our community and then be able to offer amenities which are attractive to the point where those who work for the businesses are encouraged to put down roots in Bartlesville. I would welcome the opportunity to work with the Chamber, the BDA and the BRTA to see what support they need for success.
As with any budget, responsible spending is an ongoing focus. To me that means we stay on top of our spending habits to know exactly how and at what level programs are funded. And I would like to know how much our funded programs are being utilized by our citizens. So, if a program doesn’t seem to be utilized at a level that we expected, do some digging to see if it’s a problem with the program itself or perhaps the promotion of it. And, if there doesn’t seem to be a public appetite for the program, then I would look at the possibility of cutting it. Also, I would be curious about an overlap or a duplication of services. Are there areas where we can possibly identify savings
While we look to be in good shape today and as we look toward the future, you always want to be exploring ways to improve your status.
The main water supplies for Bartlesville are Hulah and Hudson lakes. We have the rights of up to 12.4 million gallons of water per day (MGD) from Hulah and up to 2.5 MGD from Hudson. Our usage rate is around 5 MGD per day, though that can extend up to 8 to 12 MGD during periods of especially high usage.
Bartlesville averages around 41 inches of rain annually, and we start to have concerns about our water supply if we get 30 inches of rain or less in a given year.
The city has mapped out a 100-year water plan going forward which accounts for various factors, including growth in our community. They have also looked at ways to further grow our water supply, some of which would yield great amounts of water should they come to fruition.
I would only want to do so if we absolutely have to.
For instance, during times when we need to conserve water (such as during drought conditions), citizens are sometimes asked to voluntarily do so. And, while some do, history has shown that is often not enough to move the needle.
However, when water rates are temporarily raised, that is when the real conservation seems to begin.
If we get to times when water rates need to be temporarily raised, while I would want them to have the desired effect (i.e., less water consumption when conditions call for it), I would want them to return to normal as soon as possible.
The City of Bartlesville partners with Veolia Water North America to run the Chickasaw Wastewater Treatment Plant, which processes the community’s residential and industrial wastewater.
As mandated by their Oklahoma Pollution Discharge Elimination System (OPDES) permit, the city recycles treated waste sludge rather than landfilling it. The material is typically disposed of through sub-surface injection on local agricultural land, where it serves as a nutrient-rich fertilizer for crops and grazing lands.
While this seems to be a responsible tact to take in terms of managing wastewater sludge, I think any concerns should be addressed and properly vetted.
The current contract for two of the city’s 10 automated license plate reader cameras is for five years. It extends until 2031. The contract for the other eight cameras is annual and was renewed on Aug. 24.
So, unless we want to break one or both contracts, and potentially place ourselves in legal jeopardy, I would want to monitor the use of the cameras, weigh arguments for and against them, and then make an informed decision when it comes time to renew the contracts.
For information on how long data is retained and more, visit the Flock Safety - Bartlesville OK PD Transparency Portal.
The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant based on probable cause that describes the specific place or item which is to be searched.
I support the Fourth Amendment.
I certainly want to live in a community where families feel safe and welcome. And, I’ve always felt that Bartlesville is a great town for families, with all it offers from schools to children-friendly activities to its unique, small-town charm given its history with the energy industry.
As far as protecting family values, we should certainly do so to the extent that the law allows.
When you have a reliable, knowledgeable city manager in place then I think you allow that person to do their job and support them as they need it. While I would certainly want to maintain oversight and be able to step in as necessary, I wouldn’t want to interfere in the day-to-day operations and slow down progress. If you hire the right person, who’s a good fit, then that is their role. Let them do it. Then if they need you, be there to step in and help. However, the role of a city counselor is to oversee the city manager and ensure their policies are ultimately for the wellbeing of Bartlesville.
Citizens should have the opportunity to interact with the City Council in a wide array of ways – from in-person conversations to emails to calls to text.
The City Council members are elected by the citizens and represent them. Therefore, they should be accessible.
As far as a given City Council meeting, for someone to address the members, they must meet at least one of these three criteria:
Be a resident/citizen of Bartlesville.
Hold a valid business license issued by the City of Bartlesville.
Own real property in Bartlesville.
Be charged with the maintenance and upkeep of real property in Bartlesville.
Speakers are asked to sign in prior to the start of the meeting and limit their comments to no more than three minutes per speaker. Speakers should avoid repeating information that has already been presented by previous speakers and must follow the rules of procedure as outlined in Council Resolution No. 3736.
The rules noted above have been put in place to allow citizens an opportunity to be heard at a City Council meeting while still allowing for enough time for the city’s business to be addressed as outlined in a given meeting agenda.
If there is a question as to whether or not the rules are too stringent – and don’t allow enough time for citizens to convey their messages – then I think it should be addressed and properly vetted.
Ultimately, I think you want to strike the best possible balance for allowing citizens to be heard while still allowing for city business to be addressed.
Among the findings in Endeavor 2045 is a low vacancy rate of industrial, office and retail space in Bartlesville. I’d be curious about the options for new business space and what kind of new business we might be able to attract with these spaces.
In addition, while we’ve experienced an increase in population in recent years, we’ve seen a decrease in available housing. So, I’d like to understand what our options are there. I would also hope to see a cross-section of housing available that would fit the needs of a wide array of citizens.
Our downtown area is vibrant and has seen an influx of small businesses and apartments in recent years. It’s important we continue to support and attract businesses and residents to this area as a keystone for the continued growth of our community in general.