Last Updated on July 2, 2020, 4:30 PM | Published: July 2, 2020
In a largely symbolic effort, the newly empaneled MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board met for the first time on Thursday.
The panel’s appointees are Teresa Rose Crook, Chairperson; Russell Pace, Ward 1; Allie Shinn, Ward 2; Harry Black, Ward 3; Shay Morris, Ward 4; Brenda Hernández, At-Large; Kevin Guarnera, Ward 5; Daisy Muñoz, Ward 6; Monique Bruner, Ward 7; Bob Nelon, Ward 8; and representing the City Council, Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher.
The Board, along with Program Manager David E. Todd, met in a ballroom of the Cox Convention Center where temperature checks and masks were required to enter. Todd said future meetings of the Board will be held online until further notice, but that it was appropriate to have this first meeting in person so everybody could meet.
Trust and Integrity
The Chairperson invited Mayor David Holt to offer comments at the beginning of the meeting. Holt said that while the Council has the final say on issues, the Council and City will remain largely deferential to the instructions and wishes of the Board. He said that the relationship is one of trust. Chairperson Crook referred to the brand of MAPS as having great integrity and stated that the Board’s job was to honor that integrity.
After the mayor spoke, City Clerk Frances Kersey administered the Oath of Office to the Board. This was followed by a trip around the table so that each member of the Board could introduce themselves and give a brief explanation of their interest in serving in this capacity.
The Board and attendees were then treated to a history of MAPS projects by way of a PowerPoint presentation from Todd. There followed an explanation from the Municipal Counsellor’s office of Robert’s Rules of Order, Open Meetings and Open Records Acts, and Conflicts of Interest.
To learn more: MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board appointments first step into next decade
Official Acts
The first official act of the Board was to approve a schedule of meetings for the Board. The schedule was accepted unanimously.
The second act of the Board was to pass a resolution to receive and approve a Consultant Review Committee Report and to authorize City Staff to negotiate a contract with ADG, PC for MAPS 4 Program Consultant Services. Four companies were interviewed by a panel to pitch themselves for this role. ADG was chosen by the panel. ADG worked on MAPS 3 as well as the Pathways to Greatness program from the Oklahoma City Public School District.
The resolution passed unanimously.
Formal Discussion
The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing next steps the Board will take. In the next meeting, the Board will determine a Vice-Chair and a method of rotating the person responsible for that role.
There will be many subcommittees of this Board, and appointees for those subcommittees are currently being determined by the mayor, with a timeline of completion by this winter.
This Board meets again on August 6, 2020.
Columnist covering local government in Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County from May 2019 through June 2023.
