About the only thing we have done well regarding river development is to

put it off for decades. It has been more than 25 years since Mayor Jim Inhofe saw the vision and potential of river development when he put in the

Zink Dam, hopeful that future mayors would build on his vision. Those

who know the excitement and potential of river development believe that

waiting is about the last thing that makes any sense. Primarily because

there will always be some reason to put it off again and again.

The success of river development all over the country is undisputed, so

why wait? Especially when you consider how many factors are in place

right now for each city on the river to make huge economic strides.

River development is a partnership. Neither private developers nor the

public should or can do it all alone. The Arkansas River is like our

regions Main Street from Sand Springs to Broken Arrow. At this point in

time cities along the Arkansas River in Tulsa County have an incredible

opportunity to partner with visionary developers who are just waiting

for us to say "YES" to river development.

Jenks

Under the leader of Mayor Vic Freeland, Jenks has been the flagship of

river development success. With the great entrepreneurial spirt of

Riverwalk, everything is going in the right direction for Jenks on the

river. And there is more to come. Wanting to build on the success of

Riverwalk and hopeful that the voters will approve the Arkansas River

Plan which includes a low water dam in Jenks, Lynn Mitchell and Randy

Hogan are poised to invest more than $200 million private dollars on a one

hundred and fifty acre tract of land known as the River District.

With the success of Lower Bricktown in Oklahoma City under their belts, Lynn and Randy are ready to partner with us in Jenks.

Bixby

Bixby is one of the fastest growing cities in Tulsa County. With Mayor

Ray Bowen at the helm, Bixby is ready to partner with the Remy Companies

to invest more than $50 million in the South Village River Park Development

located east of Memorial just south of the Arkansas River. This multi

use center will include shopping, entertainment, office space and

residential development. Like the River District in Jenks, the "River

Project" in Bixby is one more piece in the master plan to develop the

river into 42 miles of incredible attractions. Like developers in Jenks,

Tim Remy is ready to invest and partner with us.

Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow has one of the premier youth athletic complexes in Oklahoma

at Indian Springs, on the shores of the Arkansas River. With thousands

of parents, families, teams, and visitors visiting Indian Springs every

year, river shore development to spur economic development and bring

needed sales tax dollars to Broken Arrow is a gold mine waiting to be

harvested. Broken Arrow's Indian Springs has what many river developers

long for--a critical mass of people. With river development that will

provides entertainment, food, recreation and retail, river development

in Broken Arrow is a success story just waiting to happen.

Private Gifts

Under the leadership of George Kaiser, a man who truly loves his town

and region, a consortium of incredibly generous Tulsans have stepped

forward with over $100 million to improve the shores of the Arkansas

River. There has never been a time in Tulsa County that we've had the

opportunity to do so much by simply partnering with people of means who

are eager for river development.

Tulsa

One of the most successful river development projects in this region is

just up the road in Branson, Missouri. Many have heard of Branson

Landing, a multi use commercial development sitting on hundreds of

acres. Branson Landing developers have been to Tulsa, picked out the

parcel of land which they believe works best for a Tulsa Landing, and

are poised to invest up to $500 million private dollars in a partnership

with us.

If you consider the projected $200 million invested in Jenks, the $50

million invested in Bixby, the $100 million of charitable gifts, and the

likelihood that a Branson Landing type of development in Tulsa could add

another $500 million, we are looking at more than $850 million of private

investment against the $282 million we would invest. These entrepreneurs

will do the work on the banks of the river to create jobs and an

economic environment that will attract businesses. But no one wants to

develop the banks of the river if the river is nothing but a dried up

sand hole.

That's where we come in--building dams, pedestrian bridges,

river modifications, land acquisition, infrastructure, etc. That's the

part we pay for. That's the partnership.

Say "YES" to river development and for every $1 we spend, $3- $4 dollars

of private dollars will follow. That means new companies and new jobs

that will bring new people to our cities. And those new employees will

translate to revenue for our cities that will provide money for more

police, fireman and street repairs. So why wait? It's time to make this

partnership work.

Terry Simonson is Chief Deputy for District 2 County Commissioner Randi Miller.