Remarks by James Cooper
100 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 2 of 4
- Play at 1:37:40
“I'm not talking about a playground. I don't know if we need to have council briefings on what I am talking about when it comes to heat islands. I don't know how many of us volunteered when we did the heat island mapping around the city to see all the places where sun from previous developments, Best Buy on May Avenue, et cetera, are just... heating up our city. So, I mean, I don't know. I don't know if this needs to be briefings for us. I'm not asking for anything extravagant here.”
City Council · Sep 29, 2026
- Play at 1:40:52
“Thank you, Mayor. I would move for approval. Okay.”
City Council · Sep 29, 2026
- Play at 1:58:33
“Thank you, Mayor. I received a letter from a senior citizen that I would like to read for my council members and for the public. Dear City Councilman Cooper, thank you for all you do for our wonderful city. I am a resident of the Cleveland neighborhood near the Shepherd Mall or Center. The Shepherd Mall was a community hub, not just a place to shop, and we will be very happy to see a return to a retail center that meets our needs. I would like my cleaners and a post office back. a Cracker Barrel old country store in the parking lot, built new, or Chili's restaurant, a Golden Corral-type…”
City Council · Sep 29, 2026
- Play at 2:27:47
“Well, and I'm so glad you mentioned this, Councilwoman, and thank you all for being here, because yeah, we just had a development code update, and this topic came up within that. When that, and I'll just go back to your point, City Manager, the staff I love. They are doing the best they can within the parameters we've given them. That's what I want to say. Additionally, I want to go back to this letter where again, this person says, we have a wonderful city. I can't stress that enough. We do. but we also have to acknowledge where our shortcomings are. We can hold two truths at once, our…”
City Council · Sep 29, 2026
- Play at 22:47
“Mayor? Yes. Would you mind, I'm reading this, would you mind just kind of stating aloud what are the parameters we're looking for in terms of who would serve on this body, just so the public... I understand it's in the agenda, but... Yeah, yeah.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 25:21
“Okay. I will say for me, the architects are probably the most important because there's such an attention. And I already see counselor slash former planning commissioner Pennington nodding his head at that. But that one's the one that stands out the most. And it's staying. Yes. And two of them.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 29:01
“May I invite someone to come speak? Sure. Steve Lee, would you like to join us at the podium, please? It's like the price is right, except for you're going to tell us things.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 32:32
“Thank you so much. First, let me say, as I've already mentioned on my Instagram, I am deeply disturbed and I'm so sorry for the fire that happened to that art installation to what Gabe and Denise built alongside you. So just know that word two stands with you. Sorry, it was a very upsetting thing, but I'm really proud of the way you all have rallied and gotten those donations to help rebuild, because that's just what we do. It's just what we do, and it's under your leadership that that's happening. Were you gonna say something?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 34:00
“And I would, I know this might seem out of the norm, but if you wouldn't mind, because I've seen a couple people say, you know, rebuild and then move this art installation someplace else. And I think this is a good time to remind everybody that we have on vision.ok.gov a survey right now talking about the transit-oriented development grant that we received to revitalize the Asian district. And in my mind, that is pivotal because that art installation is home there, but I think the home around it that we're building has to provide that safety, but also a larger vision. I know you are just one…”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 37:22
“Well, thanks to everyone who's helping to imagine these moments with Asia Night Market. I'm excited to work alongside you. I appreciate your leadership, and I would move for approval.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 39:06
“And that's on the website or your Asian District Cultural Association website?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 56:03
“I don't know if when we met, first of all, it's a great event. You're going to have my approval, of course. But I don't know if when we sat down together, if I ever told you, and this kind of goes to the Asian district, when I graduated from Choctaw High School in 2000, one of my friends bought a house on Western across from where that development's going in, where your, was it your uncle? Uncle?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 56:27
“So Amanda Farmer, her house was just right next door to that 100-year-old beautiful architecture. But growing up in Choctaw, I had never seen this part of the city before. And over the next few years, as Western Avenue did their placemaking streetscape project, and I was in grad school in Stillwater, I just fell in love with what you all did. narrowing the road putting in the sidewalks putting in the landscaping putting in the benches and all of that work together to make sure that vehicles could move safely through but so too could pedestrians and using your own language so that people would…”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 58:31
“Steve Lee, Asian District, y'all need volunteers? Y'all heard that. You're watching on Channel 20, you're out there. All these folk need our hands, all hands on deck. So thank you so much.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 59:50
“Honorable Mayor, not a separate vote, but I would just like the public to hear a little bit more about the maps for a restoration center, like where we're at right now with that project. I see that both on the Public property authority and now here we have a little bit of a change in some. Operating stuff and I just think that would be important. It also such an important project so.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:18:36
“Thank you for the presentation, and thanks for sitting with the counselors to request our feedback on what the different options were. Can we go back to the 240 and black welder one, please? Thank you. First, let me say, someone used to teach over at Jefferson Middle School right around the corner from here. The current bridge to me was just despair, depression, looks like a prison. The students who live on one side of the interstate, you have to get over to Jefferson. I just, I wept for them. This, the renderings of different types of children in terms of their mobility here I think is going…”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:20:18
“Art is nothing if it's not functional. And so I think, no shade to the abstract artist, but, you know. When will we know whether or not you were able to implement that lighting as part of these projects? I just think it's very important.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:20:46
“Would you let us know as a council when we're there with the lighting aspect of it? I just think that's important.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:21:26
“Yes, this item, I've wondered where we were with it, so I'm glad to see it on the agenda. And it's just a topic that of course means a lot to me as someone whose family saw alcoholism do quite the damage. So where are we at, Director? What's going on?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:22:33
“Well, I look forward to future updates. As I said, this is a very important, I mean, I'm not saying anything you all don't already know, but it's a very important. Yeah, I agree. So when will that go out, the RFQ? Tomorrow. Tomorrow, yeah. Okay. Thank you.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:27:26
“THE OPPOSITION PRESENT. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU MIND WALKING US THROUGH YOUR VISION HERE, PLEASE? I MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. when introducing yourself, these sort of formalities.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:29:53
“Thank you for that. I was speaking with our traffic commissioner yesterday in between teaching classes. He told me he spoke with you. Yes. Where you're wanting to do that, and I mentioned him in that conversation specifically because, as many of you know, Commissioner Littlefield now uses a wheelchair to move around. So ADA accessibility was already a priority for me. It is definitely, and has been one for him, but it is now kind of tantamount. Putting that, so we both commend you for wanting to have a unit dedicated to ADA. Where you're wanting to put that parking space up front, and Rob was…”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:31:04
“And do you have any renderings of what that would look like? I'm trying to envision. I'm a film guy. Literally, I teach film.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:31:50
“And what does landscaping look like at the front of the building? So I just think these things kind of matter. I'm just curious.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:32:13
“Now, where is that in relationship to the parking space? Which happens first? You have the road, then is it landscaping, then parking? Is it road, parking, landscaping, building?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026