Agreement Change On Drillers Deal

Tulsa City Hall is making changes to a trust agreement that's part of the deal to bring the Tulsa Drillers downtown.  The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports it comes after complaints the public trust was loaded with big donors and not enough downtown property owners. 

The group to oversee the stadium was to have just five people, but that's been expanded to nine, with shorter terms which means the donors, each giving $2 million, will have less power over what happens at the stadium.

The agreement in principle with the Drillers moved the City of Tulsa a step closer to building a ballpark downtown.  The mayor says the only major hurdle left is city council approval of a public trust to oversee the project.  Tulsa City Councilor Eric Gomez says that end of it is still being negotiated.

"This particular trust is going to be unlike any that the city has ever seen because it has, it's going to have greater responsibilities so as far as precautions, we just want to make sure the composition and the number of the trustees are the right amount that will allow them to get their work done, but also have the oversight that we need," said Tulsa City Councilor Eric Gomez.

The members of the trust would have oversight of the ballpark construction on the property and the development of the land around it.  Critics of the arrangement believe the unelected trustees would have too much power and too much tax money to spend.

That's an estimated $30 million, a sticking point for attorney Kent Morlan, who filed suit against the city over the new tax.

"My clients believe that it's not appropriate that the city should assess them to build a baseball stadium that is remote from their businesses," said attorney Kent Morlan.

Morlan believes that while nearby businesses will benefit from the ballpark crowd; there will be little impact to places other than restaurants, especially outside the immediate area.  The lawsuit over the tax is going forward and so is the plan for the ballpark.

The trust deal could be finalized as soon as this Thursday.