#OKC BOXSCORE
Council to fill Ward 7 seat
Applications are due at 5 p.m. Tuesday from individuals seeking a temporary appointment to the Ward 7 Oklahoma City Council seat. Applicants are being asked to fill out a questionnaire and submit a statement explaining why they want to occupy the seat. The council will appoint a new councilman or councilwoman in June. Voters will select a permanent representative later — a special primary election has been called for Aug. 28 and a runoff, if necessary, for Nov. 6.
Of note: The application includes a notice that applicants are subject to a "complete background check." Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis has resigned effective Thursday. He faces allegations that he converted donations intended for charity to his own use.
Citizen’s Fire Academy registration opens
The Oklahoma City Fire Department's next Citizen's Fire Academy starts Sept. 26. During the eight-week academy, participants can learn vehicle extrication and emergency medical procedures, use a fire extinguisher on a fire, and more. Sign up at okc.gov/fire (find the link on the left side of page) or call 297-3314.
Recycling switch set
Oklahoma City will switch to larger recycling carts starting in July. Things to know:
• Recycling service is suspended in June; save recycling for pickup in July or check at 297-2833 for options, including the recycling center at 5519 NW 4.
• Look in the June water bill for your new recycling pickup day, or at okc.gov/mytrashday starting Friday.
• More than 193,000 Oklahoma City residential recycling customers are getting new green recycling carts to replace the small blue bins.
• Learn more online at okc. gov/recycle.
They said it
"Amazon doesn't want to dominate the marketplace. They want to be the marketplace."
— Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid, in remarks during last week's debate over whether to authorize city staff to negotiate an economic development agreement with online retailer Amazon. Shadid contended Amazon's planned warehouse and shipping terminal at Will Rogers World Airport would hurt local small businesses. He questioned the reasoning behind the proposal to pay Amazon $1.7 million in taxpayer-funded job-creation incentives for the facility.
"Everybody's making out like a bandit."
— Ward 5 Councilman David Greenwell, commenting on the benefits expected to accrue to city, county and state government from Amazon's investment in its planned warehouse and shipping terminal at the airport. Greenwell said the $140 million investment in the building, equipment and road improvements, the $129 million estimated economic impact in the first two years the facility is open, and 1,750 jobs to be filled were all positives.
Of note: The project is estimated to generate local sales and property taxes in excess of $4.8 million in five years. Annual payroll is expected to exceed $45 million.
Tweet of the week
"Construction of downtown OKC's new convention center — the most expensive of the @MAPS3 projects promised to voters in 2009 — is set to begin in the next few weeks"
— @NewsOK, read coverage about development of the convention center complex, and MAPS 3 projects including the streetcar and downtown park, at NewsOK. com and in The Oklahoman. Streetcar construction MAPS 3 streetcar system construction continues throughout downtown. For updates, follow the weekly downtown area traffic advisory online at okc.gov. Streetcar service is to begin in December. New this week:
• The west part of the intersection of NW 11 and Broadway closes through July 27 for track work. One lane of traffic northbound and one southbound will be maintained on Broadway.
• The intersection of NW 4 and Robinson closes on the south side through July 25 for track work.
Present/absent
Mayor David Holt and six of the eight city council members attended last week's meeting. Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis was absent. He faces felony allegations of embezzlement and intentionally failing to file state tax returns and has resigned effective this coming Thursday. Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher, an oil-andgas attorney, was away, at a trial in Chickasha.
Greenwell to seek re-election
Ward 5 Councilman David Greenwell said he expects to seek re-election next year. Greenwell, an accounting executive, first was elected in 2011. He represents southwest Oklahoma City, south of SW 59 Street between Interstate 44 and S Santa Fe Avenue.
The week ahead
The Oklahoma City Council meets at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 200 N Walker Ave.
• City offices are closed Monday for Memorial Day. Wednesday is makeup day for trash service.
• The council will review utilities, parks and airports budget proposals in a public hearing on Tuesday. The council is slated to adopt the $1.57 billion fiscal 2019 budget June 5.
• The council is expected to meet behind closed doors, in executive session, on Tuesday to discuss "potential claims or potential litigation" regarding the opioid epidemic. A city attorney's memo says the city potentially could have a case for recovering damages for "opioid addiction treatment costs for city employees, increased health care costs for city employees, possible lost work productivity expenses, and criminal justice costs, among others."