Tulsa County’s Vision authority approved surplus funding requests from Bixby and Sand Springs.
"This is a great project, and this is one of those where the taxpayers will see their tax money going to work for them," said Sand Springs Parks Director Grant Gerondale. "So we're excited, and we're getting ready to go to work."
Sand Springs will get nearly $2 million in surplus Vision 2025 collections. Gerondale said the city is planning a lot of work on River City Park, starting with water line and electrical upgrades.
"Those things aren't really exciting, but those would lead to bigger and better things, like a special outdoor stage events facility, a new entrance to the park, ball fields, parking lots, lights, enhanced trails," Gerondale said. "We'd like to do a veterans tribute in the park."
Bixby will get around $2.5 million in surplus Vision 2025 money. Most of it will go toward flood mitigation efforts for Haikey Creek.
City Engineer Jared Cottle said the work will take 900 undeveloped acres out of the floodplain.
"Right now, the floodplain is inhibiting that development," Cottle said. "It is a very desirable corridor for development, but that floodplain is so extensive with Haikey Creek that right now it's preventing any development from occurring in that area."
Bixby will also continue downtown revitalization efforts.
The Vision authority declared a $45.5 million surplus last year. It’s going to the county’s suburban cities for helping Tulsa cover cost overruns in building the BOK Center.
The sales tax expires at the end of next year.
