Tulsa City Council likely to vote on proposal to mediate Open Meeting Act lawsuit, conflicts with mayor

Tulsa City Council Chairman Rick Westcott says he intends to call for a vote this week on whether the council will mediate its disputes with Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr., the Tulsa World reported this afternoon.

Westcott said he will likely call a special meeting for Thursday to discuss and vote on the proposal by former Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Daniel Boudreau and former federal magistrate Sam Joyner.

Joyner last week said the mediation could take place in an executive session of the council.

On Friday, this blog questioned whether the mediation could and should take place behind closed doors.

Among the issues suggested for mediation is the lawsuit filed by three Tulsans accusing the council of violating the Open Meeting Act during an executive session in June.

UPDATE: Westcott pushes vote back a week so Councilor Roscoe Turner can attend. Turner is out of town this week. Judge had hand in effort for council-mayor mediation

Joey Senat, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

OSU School of Media and Strategic Communication