Councilors at the Urban Economic Development Committee reviewed supplemental appropriations to accept $260,000 in philanthropic grants to the city’s newly formed Office of Health and Well‑Being and asked staff for more detail on the funding’s duration, personnel commitments and long‑term fiscal impacts.

The grants identified in committee materials included $50,000 from the George Kaiser Family Foundation and about $210,000 from Community Care Oklahoma; staff described the awards as seed funding to support staffing and early operations for the office. Councilors pressed for a clearer split between personnel and programmatic expenses, whether the funding is single‑year or renewable, and what obligations — if any — would fall to the city budget after the grant term.

Committee discussion and staff responses
Council members said they generally welcomed private funding but expressed concern about recurring personnel costs seeded by one‑time grants. One councilor asked whether the $260,000 would fund a full 12‑month position or a partial year; staff replied that the amount is intended to cover a full year for the initial role but that no permanent general‑fund hire was yet authorized. Staff also said some portion of the Community Care award would support operations and data work alongside personnel.

Members asked for follow‑up material before final council action: an itemized budget showing personnel vs. non‑personnel uses of the $260,000, clarification of grant durations and re‑awardability, the expected role/title and headcount supported by the awards, and a summary of any commitment language the city must accept. Councilors suggested scheduling a return to committee so they could review those details and track the office’s transition from philanthropic to any future city funding.

Next steps
Committee members directed staff to reconvene the item at the next committee meeting with the requested budget breakout, the written terms of the grants, and an implementation timeline for the Office of Health and Well‑Being. Staff also said they would confirm whether the director position and any additional hires would be explicitly grant‑funded and not added to the city general fund absent future council action.

Ending
The committee did not take final action on the appropriations at the meeting; members left the item on the agenda for additional committee review and asked staff to provide the requested clarifications prior to first reading at the full council.