PlaniTulsa was approved by the Tulsa City Council tonight as a “comprehensive plan” for development over the strenuous objections of over a dozen concerned citizens.

PlaniTulsa purports to address all planning and zoning and to “reshape fundamental aspects” of the private land use within the city.  After three years of meetings, and countless council requests, PlaniTulsa amends the existing master plan for development.  Supporters of the plan claim it will be a more cohesive approach than simply going street by street with PUDs or requests for re-zoning.  PlaniTulsa is supposed to bring Tulsa together as a community.  However, of Tulsa’s 325,000 citizens only a few thousand have participated in the meetings.  

In the Thursday July 22, 2010 meeting of the City Council, Howard Ferrell, a private citizen and resident of Chairman Rick Wescott’s district came forward with a request for the PlaniTulsa plan.  The corridor for the land from 61st street to 91st street along highway 75 to Union has been zoned for a “Mixed Use” corridor.  This means that the land can be used for anything from prisons to pig farms to recycling and waste centers.  Mr. Ferrell expressed an extreme dislike for this and questioned whether or not the planners had ever been out to this corridor to see that it is one of the gateways into Tulsa.  

Mr. Ferrell pleaded with the council to do what the PlaniTulsa plan calls for in such a case; which is to authorize a “Small Area Study” and to change the zoning to a more residential friendly type.  Theron Warlick of the City Planning department confirmed that the Council would need to approve a Small Area Study and that the Mayor would have to fund it, as it is an administrative area.  Mr. Ferrell asked for the Council to hold off on approving the PlaniTulsa plan until this parcel could be fixed.  He said he was not aware of this problem until recently.  Mr. Ferrell said that many of the residents in the area were also caught unawares because the statute for notification only requires notification to residents who live within 300 ft. of the corridor, but that nearly all the lots are large 1+ acre lots or are agricultural in nature and hence almost none of the residents lived in the required warn area.

Following Mr. Ferrell, Kay Price also spoke on the problems with this corridor.  Along with her were a dozen more residents of the area who also had not been able to make meetings or were not warned about the problem.  Mr. Warlick rose again and reminded the council that this area of land had been zoned back in 2005 and that PlaniTulsa was not meant to change any existing zoning, only to revise the zoning code which appears to support Mrs. Price’s argument that if PlaniTulsa was approved the problems of these citizens would be “set in stone.”   After several minutes of consulting with the council attorney, it was decided that this issue could be revisited as a Small Area Study after the measure was approved and the motion to approve PlaniTulsa passed.

Before PlaniTulsa passed, several folks got up to praise the City, the planners, the workers who have been putting together the plan, and other for their work and efforts.  Two speakers called PlaniTulsa “Tulsa’s Plan” and vouched that every citizen in Tulsa had a hand in the creation of it which is untrue on its face and from the opponents who spoke at the meeting.  

After the approval, the affected frustrated and unhappy citizen’s group met out in the hallway and discussed ways to keep in touch and how to make sure their grievances would be addressed.  Led by Kay Price, a woman who claims over 30 years experience with zoning and with the city, the group agreed to meet again to go over what to do next.

About the author:
Aaron Sheppard is a long time believer in smaller government and responsible use of tax dollars.  As a former City of Tulsa employee who worked in the Finance Department assisting in production of the Annual City Budget from 2001 to 2004, he experienced first hand the differences in what happens behind the scenes and what makes the news. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix and has worked in the private sector since 2004.  Sheppard may be reached at editor@tulsatoday.com for news tips.  Comments on this report are welcome below.

Junior Achievement of Oklahoma is proud to announce that a local team of young entrepreneurs has qualified for the finals of the 2010 North American JA Company of the Year Competition. Team F.A.B.  (Future Associates of Business) from Union High School will challenge the success, innovation and expertise of 23 other finalist companies vying for top honors at the highly anticipated event being held July 18-20 in Minneapolis. The event is co-presented by FedEx Corp. and Best Buy, with additional sponsorships from HP and Sam’s Club.

The competition is Junior Achievement’s annual celebration of the accomplishments of JA Company Program® students (ages 15-19) in the United States and Canada. The finalists showcase their entrepreneurial acumen before a panel of independent judges who evaluate company performance in light of competition criteria as compared with other JA student companies. The goal is to balance the business achievements of each team as a whole with members’ individual personal development and knowledge.

Eligibility for the 2010 North American JA Student Company of the Year Competition was limited to qualifying student teams that completed or are currently completing JA Company Program during the 2009-2010 academic year. Qualified teams had to advance through preliminary selection in their home markets to earn eligibility to compete in the finals.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our community’s JA student entrepreneurs, who demonstrate impressive business skills and innovative thinking,” said Shannan Beeler, president of Junior Achievement of Oklahoma. “They get to share ideas with other JA students, while learning the value of responsibility and the pursuit of excellence as they build business—and personal—success.”

“Through the North American JA Student Company of the Year Competition, Junior Achievement is working with its valued partners to empower young people to own their future economic success —and share these skills with the world,” Beeler added.

About Junior Achievement of Oklahoma
Junior Achievement serves Oklahoma students K-12 by introducing the business world into the classroom and empowering the students through exciting hands on learning experiences.  Established locally in 1966, JAOK serves 37 counties in Oklahoma, reaching more than 47,000 students in 76 school districts and 270 schools.  JA utilizes over 2,200 members of the community to implement their programs. Globally JA Worldwide is the leader in economic education programs serving over 9.7 million students. To learn more about the organization, go to http://oklahoma.ja.org or to make a donation, please call our office at 918-663-2150.

About JA Worldwide® (Junior Achievement)
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 126 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional 5.7 million students served by operations in 122 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $33 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 280,000 employees and contractors to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.van.fedex.com.

About HP
HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; The Phone House; and Speakeasy. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2010, we donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com

U.S. Senators and doctors Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) and John Barrasso, M.D. (R-Wyo.) today released an oversight report, “Bad Medicine: A Check-Up On The New Federal Health Law,” that examines the implementation of the law nearly 100 days after passage.  The report is available here.

Coburn and Barrasso write in the report:

“One hundred days after the new federal health care law was passed, Americans remain anxious about how it will impact them and their families.  Unfortunately, when measured against the Administration’s own stated goals, the new health law fails to address the top health care concerns of the American people.”  

“As supporters of cost-effective, common-sense health reform, but staunch opponents of the legislation that passed Congress earlier this year, this report presents the American people with a check-up about the side effects and the implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as it begins to be implemented.”

“More than a year ago, our country began a national conversation about how to best reform our nation’s health care system.  We were both early advocates for real health reform that would lower costs, empower patients, and increase access. We proposed health reform ideas that would ensure all Americans had access to affordable coverage.”  

“The passage of the new law is a lost historic opportunity. However, we hope the American people will not give up on their desire for sustainable health reform but will hold their elected leaders accountable to work together to craft common-sense, bipartisan, step-by-step reforms. We believe that real reform begins with replacing the new law with sensible provisions that will lower costs, increase patient control, and put affordable, high quality coverage within the grasp of every American.”

“The intention of this report is to highlight some of problems with the law and its consequences. After 100 days after passage, the report reveals new information and goes through a litany of problems with this flawed legislation.”  

Highlighted in the report:

FACT:  The new health law increases the cost of health care.

FACT:  Sixteen million Americans are forced into Medicaid – a program that denies care,  has higher rates of infant mortality, and yields lower health outcomes for patients.

FACT:  Citizens will be forced to purchase costlier health insurance or pay a tax, but illegal immigrants will continue to get free care and those costs will be shifted onto citizens.

FACT:  The individual mandate will fail with the IRS as the health care enforcer, but uninsured Americans will be considered violators of the law even as costs increase further.

FACT:  Millions of Americans will lose their current health plan as employers either drop coverage or purchase more expensive, government-dictated health insurance.

FACT:  Patients with pre-existing conditions still face care restrictions, since the new federal risk pool is seriously underfunded and will offer coverage months after required by the new law. 

Tulsa Speaking Engagement

“How is this going to affect me?” is one of the big questions on the minds of residents of Inverness Village when U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OKla.) pays a visit to the retirement community on Thursday July 8.  During the Senator’s 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. visit, he will discuss the new healthcare reform legislation. Inverness Village is located at 3800 West 71st Street in Tulsa.
 
“This legislation has been a frequent dinner topic. I’m concerned and my friends are concerned about how this new legislation will impact us,” explains Inverness Village resident Robert White, MD, a retired general practitioner who practiced medicine for 32 years in Salpulpa prior to retiring. “As users of Medicare, we are an unprotected group, as many of us rely on Medicare as our primary health insurance. The idea of care for all is great, but how are they going to pay for it? I don’t think people realized what they were asking for with this new attempt at healthcare.”
 
Dr. White says he retired because he could see this coming. He believes that medical costs can only be controlled if people are made responsible for a part of the cost. He says that in the case of the new reform, the government says they will decide what care people need and give it to everyone. Dr. White says that in his own practice, there was a time he couldn’t get people to go to the hospital because they didn’t want the payment burden. They needed the money for the nice house they bought. But when insurance rules changed for some and the coverage was provided, those same folks thought a hospital stay was the ticket. “Some of my patients told me it was air conditioned, the food was pretty good, they had visits from family and friends they hadn’t seen in awhile—it was a good deal and they weren’t paying for it.”
 
Scott Bushong, executive director of Inverness Village, points out that this gathering is a chance for residents to have their uncertainties cleared up and hear a broad summary of what the legislation will mean to them. With the baby boomers starting to reach Medicare age, some see this group as the one most potentially impacted by the reform.
 
“Sen. Coburn will be holding a Q&A as part of his visit, so he can get a pulse from the residents on hot topics and concerns he can bring back to Washington to share with Congress,” says Mr. Bushong. “As one of the leaders in senior living in this region, Sen. Coburn knew the perspective of this audience at Inverness Village was important. Our programs and approach to wellness continue to make us stand out from others in this industry.”
 
“Everyone is talking about this event, so I think there will be a big turnout,” says George Joseph, 88, a retired owner of a cast metal shop. “I have a lot of questions for the senator. From what I’ve already read about this reform, it sounds to me like the elderly will be stripped of their care. How else will they pay for this? They have to cut corners somewhere, and I’m afraid that Medicare and our prescription drug coverage is where they will be fishing.”
 
Inverness Village is a Life Care retirement community located in Tulsa, Okla., that is part of Asbury Communities, Inc., which provides management and support services for a system of continuing care retirement communities for older adults.  Asbury Communities is ranked by American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and Ziegler Capital Markets Group’s AZ 100 as the 14th largest not-for-profit multi-site senior living organization in the country.

Since 1975, Terry Neese Personnel Services has provided over 100,000 jobs for Oklahomans. As the company celebrates its 35th year this month in business, it also recognizes and reflects on the importance of employment for Oklahomans during the economic recession.

Kim Neese, president of the company, said that being in the business of finding jobs is more important than ever.

“To be able to help people define themselves in the workplace, especially when so many jobs have been lost, means so much to us,” Neese said. “Most people have to work in life. We just feel so rewarded to find positions that make our clients happy and feel complete.”

The company is now trademarked as a family business, as it was handed to Kim in 2007 by her mother, Terry Neese, who founded the business despite the obstacles she faced as a woman business owner in the mid-70s.

“For two years, women had to walk for two blocks to our front door in their high heels in black sticky tar during the construction of I-44,” Terry said. “It wasn’t exactly a red-carpet entrance.”

But despite the two-year construction project, lack of capital, the oil and gas bust in the 1980s and a fire that nearly ravished everything, Terry Neese Personnel thrived. The agency and its trusted team are happy to be enjoying its 35th year helping Oklahomans secure employment.

The company has been listed in the top 50 fastest growing companies in the Oklahoma City metro area two out of the last five years, Kim said. She added that the company has even helped Oklahomans find jobs beyond the state’s borders – in 16 other states to be exact.

“I’m proud to call Terry Neese Personnel a family business,” Kim said. “I can only hope that my own daughters keep the momentum alive by extending the business into a third generation of ownership.”

Matching the right employee to the right job at the right time creates a healthy workplace and positive economic impact on Oklahoma. The employee payoff is job satisfaction, increased self-confidence, opportunities and wages within the company. The employer payoff is found in reduced turnover and associated training costs, increased productivity and company overall success, impacting the state’s bottom line.

WorkKeys is a job assessment system that measures work skills. The WorkKeys assessments for Career Readiness Certificate involve three 55-minute assessments in the areas of applied math, reading for information and locating information. High school students, adults and incumbent workers can earn a CRC signed by Gov. Brad Henry upon scoring at certain levels on all three assessments. Those scoring at level three or above on all three assessments receive a bronze certificate, four or above – silver, five or above – gold and six or above – platinum.

Since 2006, more than 41,000 Oklahoma high school students and adults have taken the WorkKeys assessments, learned their strengths and weaknesses and received at least a bronze level Career Readiness Certificate.

The number of Oklahoma CRC employer partners is also picking up steam with 54 Oklahoma businesses from 21 towns finding success with the system.

“The CRC bridges the gap between an organization and a qualified workforce,” said Susan Kuzmic, CRC project specialist at the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech Education. “It benefits everyone involved in the hiring process and employee training.”

Job seeker and incumbent worker testing and employer job profiling has been made accessible statewide through a partnership between the ODCTE, Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Governor’s Council for Workforce and Economic Development.

Oklahoma provides 150 CRC assessment sites at technology centers, workforce centers, community colleges, adult education centers and tribal career centers. All 29 CareerTech centers as well as many workforce centers across the state provide KeyTrain to prepare for the WorkKeys assessments. The assessments for the CRC and incentive WorkKeys job profiles are funded by the Governor’s Council.

WorkKeys was developed by ACT, a company best known for the ACT Assessment college entrance exam, is also an international leader in educational assessment and workforce development services. During the past decade, ACT authorized job profilers have completed WorkKeys job and occupational profiles for thousands of jobs across every employment field and used by thousands of companies and schools across the United States and internationally.

According to Gilbert Hall, senior training coordinator, OG&E has been using WorkKeys during the hiring process since 2008. Many company incumbent workers, as well as new employees, have now taken the WorkKeys assessments. OG&E employs 3,600 Oklahomans and serves 780,000 Oklahoma and Arkansas customers.

“OG&E wants employees who may be able to transition from one job to another, so we invest in our people and our training programs,” said Hall.“We believe that WorkKeys assessments will help us find the right type of candidates for open positions.”

Like Hall, David Forgety, human resources manager for VF Jeanswear Seminole Distribution Center also knows WorkKeys works. The facility has been located in Seminole for 50 years, has 367 employees and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  In 2007, the WorkKeys system was launched.  

Today, Forgety reports that the company has reduced turnover by 17 percent, identified gaps in training and developed job task lists, reduced training costs and increased productivity 21 percent higher than the expected curve. Overall, absenteeism has also improved 38 percent and the increased employee morale and job satisfaction has helped increase personal earnings for employees and promotions within the company.

Keeping people employed benefits the company and the community.

“We profiled six positions ranging from order picking and receiving to supervisor and office positions,” Forgety said.  “It is not a ‘silver bullet’ that will fix all of your workforce problems. However, we have found WorkKeys to be an excellent foundational tool in a fully loaded tool belt.”

For more information about WorkKeys assessments, KeyTrain and the Career Readiness Certificate click here.