Mayor's Memos To Tulsa City Council Called 'Unworkable'

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Two new directives from Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett have City Councilors complaining that the changes will slow down the business of City Hall.

Mayor Bartlett sent Councilors two memos last week asking they stop contacting city employees directly to have constituent problems addressed and start giving department managers seven days notice before they're needed to appear before council.

Tulsa's City Charter bars councilors from directing the work of employees, leaving that power with the administration.

Read the memo regarding agenda item notice 

Read the memo regarding direct contact with city employees

City Council Chair Rick Westcott said he was unaware of any councilors directing employees, which he said was one of the first things new councilors are told in an orientation class. He called the timeline memo a "blanket edict that is unworkable" that he said would "hamper our ability to get things done."

Westcott also said the new directive "doesn't serve the citizens well" because many times Councilors need to discuss things in a more timely manner.

After Councilors first reacted to the memos, the Mayor's office sent out a "clarification" that said the memos were not sent in retaliation for the council investigation of Bartlett and Chief of Staff Terry Simonson. Councilors received the memos before they issued their report on the investigation.

Read the clarification sent by the Mayor's office

Westcott said the issue of the Mayor's memos would be discussed at the next council meeting Tuesday, July 13th and the Mayor was given seven days notice he would need to be there.

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