YOUR BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS VOL. 125 NO. 37 ■ JOURNALRECORD.COM Part of the network 2 SECTIONS ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 ■ $1.00 INSIDE 02.21.2020 State regulators approve PSO wind power plan BY DAISY CREAGER The Journal Record OKLAHOMA CITY – Public Service Co. of Oklahoma’s plan to own a 675-megawatt share of a proposed Oklahoma wind farm was unanimously approved Thursday by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. The North Central Energy Square Feet Facilities – three wind farms Insert proposed for construction in Alfalfa, Blaine, Custer, Kingfisher, Garfield, Major and Woods counties – will produce 1,485 MW. « 2 » PSO will own 45.5% of that capacity City approves removal of and sister company Southwestern balconies at Colcord Hotel The Electric Power Co. will own the balconies on the north side of rest. Commissioners approved a the historic Colcord Hotel in The Oklahoma Corporation Commission approved a settlement agreement Thursday that allows PSO to joint stipulation and settlement downtown Oklahoma City are move forward with a plan to add 675 megawatts of wind power in Oklahoma. The plan calls for PSO to own agreement reached by the coming down, but a shadow a share of three Oklahoma wind farms known collectively as the North Central Energy Facilities. of the former door frame JOURNAL RECORD FILE PHOTO Turn to WIND » p14 will mark where they once existed . « 2 » Thunder upbeat about season ticket sales Raising minimum wage a low BY CHIP MINTY might be Chris one night, Shai one night, playing well and winning games.” priority for some lawmakers The Journal Record Dennis one night. I think people enjoy “I think people are encouraged by what Bills to raise the minimum seeing something that’s a little bit different wage that Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY – Travis Herman has a stylistically. It doesn’t hurt that the team is Turn to THUNDER » p14 employers must pay lot to be happy about these days. employees may not advance The director of ticket and premium sales through the House or Senate, for the Oklahoma City Thunder just kicked according to leaders in the off a season ticket renewal period that runs Legislature . through March 13, and the fan base couldn’t be more gleeful. The turmoil and uncer- tainty of last summer’s blockbuster trades are now a distant memory as Chris Paul and « 3 » his band of young Thunder teammates are Journal Record announces performing far beyond expectations. Achievers Under 40 2020 class Now that the regular season is more than The Journal Record will honor halfway over, spirits in the stands are upbeat, Herman said following a luncheon held this its 17th class of Achievers week by the Public Relations Society of Under 40 on May 29 . America. “The consistent message is how much fun the team is to watch.” “I don’t know if it’s that the expectations « 7 » are being exceeded, or whatnot,” he said. “I Williams’ 2019 net income totals think people enjoy that we look a little bit $862 million Williams reported different, and the team is playing a little bit net income from continuing different. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul reacts after the team’s win in an NBA basketball game operations for 2019 of $862 “There’s a little more passing, more ball against the Houston Rockets in Houston last month. The turmoil and uncertainty of last summer’s million, compared with a net movement, more getting guys involved,” blockbuster trades are now a distant memory as Chris Paul and his band of young Thunder team- loss of $156 million for 2018 . Herman said. “It’s different every night. It mates are performing far beyond expectations. AP FILE PHOTO/ERIC CHRISTIAN SMITH News in Brief . 4A CRUDE OIL NATURAL GAS GASOLINE Around Town . 6A Real Estate . 8A Real Estate Roundup . 12A .48 .035 .0064 Classifieds . 1B. Crossword . 1B. Public Notices . 2B. Mar $53.77 Mar $1.920 Mar $1.6697 2A « February 21, 2020 « THE JOURNAL RECORD « journalrecord.com City approves removal of balconies at Colcord Hotel BY JANICE FRANCIS-SMITH The balconies are no longer functional. The Journal Record When the Colcord Building closed as an office building and was converted into OKLAHOMA CITY – The balconies on a hotel in 2006, the doors leading to the the north side of the historic Colcord balconies were closed off from the inside. Hotel are coming down, but a shadow of However, city staff found the balconies the former door frame will mark where to be a significant feature of the historic they once existed. building, constructed in 1909-1910 as On the third time the issue came Oklahoma City’s first skyscraper, and before the Downtown Design Review recommended that if the balconies were Committee, the item was approved removed they be replaced with a feature without discussion. The committee had either made to replicate the look of the previously expressed its desire that the original structure or a simpler design in building owners replace the balconies keeping with the aesthetic of the building. with an architectural feature that would To keep from creating more damage pay tribute to the original design instead when removing the structures, the of making the balconies disappear concrete floors for the balconies will completely. be sawed off flush with the side of the On Thursday, the committee approved building. Cory Baitz, senior associate a design to replace the balconies by and design director for Miles Associates, infilling the openings where the balcony said in a report issued to city staff that doors existed, but setting the infill replacing the balconies would add weight back 2 inches. to the side of the 100-year-old structure Representatives for the Colcord Hotel that might lead to additional structural at 15 N. Robinson Ave. in Oklahoma issues. City had come before the committee in The Colcord Building was recognized November with their concern that the as a historical landmark by the Oklahoma concrete flooring for the 11 balconies on City Historic Preservation Commission the hotel’s north side were coming apart in 1974 and listed on the National and that falling pieces of concrete posed a Register of Historic Places in 1976, and health hazard that needed to be remedied is currently one of the oldest surviving City officials granted owners of the Colcord Hotel permission to remove the crumbling immediately. skyscrapers in downtown. balconies on the north side of the building. PHOTO BY JANICE FRANCIS-SMITH Raising minimum wage a low priority for some lawmakers BY STEVE METZER The Journal Record OKLAHOMA CITY – Bills to raise the minimum wage that Oklahoma employers must pay employees may not advance through the House or Senate, according to leaders in the Legislature. Senate Bill 1165, authored by Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, proposes to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.50 per hour. House Bill 2866 by Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, would raise the wage to $8.65. Neither bill has generated much support among legislative leaders. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and state Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow, who chairs the key Business and Commerce Committee in the Senate, both have said they favor letting market forces in Oklahoma dictate where wages settle, whether at or above the current Senate Bill 1165, authored by state Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, proposes to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.50 per minimum required by the federal hour. House Bill 2866 by Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, would raise the wage to $8.65. COURTESY UNSPLASH government. “I don’t see that at the moment being paying above minimum wages to attract the minimum-wage issue. According Pae said his HB 2866 would raise the a priority,” McCall said of the wage and retain employees. Mandating higher to the National Conference of State minimum pay but also would include increase proposals. “In Oklahoma, people wages could very well result in employers Legislatures, 31 states have already acted provisions to ensure wage protections are already paying above minimum reducing numbers of entry-level jobs to raise minimum wages above the federal for people like waiters and student wage. There’s that much competition created for high school students and minimum, he said. While Texas and interns. The measure would still allow for employees. The market is dictating others who may lack work experience but Kansas match Oklahoma’s $7.25-an-hour an employer to offset hourly wages paid higher wages already.” who need entry-level opportunities, he minimum, neighboring states of Missouri by amounts of tips received by restaurant Leewright, who would have to give the said. and Arkansas have adopted higher wage workers, but tip amounts would have to go-ahead for the Business and Commerce “If I had been priced out of the market mandates. Missouri’s minimum is now be documented to ensure that workers Committee to consider minimum-wage I may not have been able to get a job (in $8.60 per hour. In Arkansas it is $10, receive at least $8.65 an hour, he said. legislation, said he’s currently not inclined high school), and it’s the same with my and both states have plans for additional The bill also would make it mandatory to do so. kids,” Leewright said. “So, it gives me a increases in coming years. for employers to pay at least minimum “I have not decided yet, but I’m lot of pause when we start setting levels. “The spending power of a minimum- wages to student interns who work at swinging absolutely more toward the no At the end of the day, people pay to keep wage paycheck has been significantly least 10 hours a week.