TULSA – A Tulsa City Council Special Meeting took place on Friday, Aug. 22 at Council Oak Comprehensive Hospital. The meeting discussed the status of the MCN/City of Tulsa settlement, as well as housing, and services at the healthcare facility.
The meeting came just two days after Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt made an emergency filing to the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Wednesday Aug. 20. The filing seeks to compel the City of Tulsa to enforce state and municipal laws on all citizens, including those who are also citizens of federally-recognized tribes.
According to City of Tulsa Tribal Policy & Partnerships Director Amanda Swope, the city was limited on what information they could share on the settlements due to the governor’s recent filing with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Swope explained that the federal court so far has already denied a few motions to intervene, however they have not yet made a decision on the State’s petition to intervene.
Swope was able to comment on the workgroup established per the settlement. The group is focusing on procedures over how to handle crime committed by Tribal citizens on Tribal reservations. A mutual plan from the workgroup must be submitted back to the courts by February 2026.
The first meeting for the workgroup occurred on Aug. 20, the same day as the governor’s filing. Topics discussed focused on the technical aspects of cooperative law enforcement like traffic stops procedures and citations. Members of the workgroup include Chief of Tulsa Police Dennis Larsen, MCN Chief of Lighthorse Police Richard Phillips, Lighthorse East Division Captain Michael Fish, MCN Deputy Attorney General Geri Wisner, as well as other city prosecutors and court clerks.
Tulsa City Councilors expressed interest in joining the group. “What we’re anticipating as we go through these conversations is the reality that it will get into more specific issues. For example there might be a future where Muscogee Victim Services are brought in.” Swope said.
Swope’s report on the settlement was cut short due to the governor’s supreme court filing.
Housing
MCN Secretary of Housing Fields Little Snow Fields provided an update on his department and their efforts on projects in Tulsa. The department is a recipient of the $500,000 Tulsa Neighborhood Planning Grant. The department owns 300 rental properties. Currently 1,200 single family homes are under the department’s management, the waiting list is currently at 375, of which 130 are in Tulsa.
For those interested in attending future Tulsa City Council meetings, they are held on Wednesdays at 5 p.m., excluding holiday weeks. Meetings are open to the public and can be attended virtually online or in person. Further information including a full calendar, FAQs and agendas can be accessed here.
