Norman City Council Meeting - July 22, 2025: Proclamations, Neighborhood Alliance Contract, and Griffin Park Purchase Approved
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Norman City Council, Utilities Authority, Municipal Authority, and TIF Authority Meeting – July 22, 2025
The meeting opened with three proclamations, followed by council announcements, a consent docket, a pulled contract for neighborhood alliance activities, approval of a land purchase for Griffin Park, and public comments on various topics. All votes were unanimous.
Proclamations
- National Service Dog Month (September 2025): Proclaimed by the Mayor. Canine Companions representatives Jeannie Salman and Eileen Grubbs spoke about the work of service dogs and the organization's placement of over 8,000 dogs free of charge.
- Disability Pride Month (July 2025): Proclaimed by the Mayor. Chris Nanny, a member of the ADA Citizens Advisory Committee, accepted. He noted that 15.5% of Norman's population (about 19,000 people) identify as having a disability. He highlighted ongoing accessibility improvements, including 27 intersection and sidewalk upgrades by Public Works and two inclusive playgrounds at Ruby Grant and Andrews Parks.
- Purple Heart Day (August 7, 2025): Proclaimed by the Mayor. Ernest Martin III, commander of the American Legion, accepted. He noted over 24,000 veterans in Cleveland County and that the Legion has brought in over $9 million in disability benefits for county residents in the past year.
Consent Calendar
- Items 4 through 28 (with the exception of item 17) were placed on the consent docket and approved unanimously. These routine items included various contracts, reports, and approvals.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 17 (Neighborhood Alliance contract): Dr. John Scammyhorn initially spoke but was redirected; no public comment was offered on this item.
- Item 29 (Griffin Park purchase):
- Dr. John Scammyhorn (Ward 1) urged careful spending and expressed caution based on past experiences with the city's supportive housing project, but did not oppose the purchase.
- Mayumi Wendler (Ward 2) supported the purchase, noting the credit for past rent payments.
- Janice Oak expressed full support and urged fast-tracking.
- Miscellaneous Comments (open forum):
- Diana Hudzel (Ward 5) raised concerns about Norman's financial outlook, including the Central Library mold lawsuit, declining per capita income (adjusted for inflation, a $4,300 drop in buying power), falling sales tax revenues (down 8 of the last 12 months), and the city's large land area (nearly 200 square miles) relative to population (130,000). She suggested evaluating deannexation of outlying areas.
- Mayumi Winler (Ward 2) echoed the deannexation idea and noted that June sales tax revenues were $1.78 million below budget, and general fund expenses were cut $7.61 million from budget. She also expressed concern about the shrinking of Frances Kate Park in the Griffin Hospital area conceptual plans.
- Chris Nanny (Ward 1) raised safety concerns at the Wellness Center: lack of lifeguards at the pool, incomplete kitchen drains (hot water splashing on cooks), and restroom door locks. He also requested recycling collection at the center.
- Evan Dunn spoke in support of the Griffin Park purchase and praised the city's asset portfolio.
- David Davila (Ward 1) commented on the Griffin Hospital relocation, noting job losses and potential exacerbation of homelessness.
- Greg Stover (Ward 1, Wyndham Place) expressed concerns about the planned supportive housing near his senior living facility, citing safety and lack of communication.
- Russell Rice (Ward 2) requested a cooling station for the library, thanked the city for restoring the mayor's parking spot to a handicapped spot, and urged installation of a stoplight at the new James Garner cut-through near the railroad tracks.
Discussion Items
- Item 17 – Neighborhood Alliance Inc. Contract ($50,000): Councilmember Gansbury asked about the purpose. Staff explained it is a fourth-year contract to help voluntary neighborhood associations organize, providing training on forming associations, officer duties, and HOA basics. Councilmember Grant inquired about interest in other neighborhoods. Staff noted that three voluntary associations have formed in CDBG target areas (primarily Ward 4), and others (e.g., Original Townside) are active. The contract was approved unanimously.
- Item 29 – Interlocal Agreement for Griffin Park Purchase ($3,306,480): Anthony Pierinson (city legal staff) presented the history: the city has leased the 156-acre soccer park from the state since 1983; Norman Forward (2015) included funding for land acquisition; negotiations stalled until 2023 when the state planned to relocate Griffin Hospital. The purchase price is based on a December 2024 appraisal. Past rent payments ($500,000) will offset the purchase price, leaving a net of $2.8 million from Norman Forward funds. The property is currently used for soccer fields and has received significant city investment. Council members Nash and Mayor noted the economic impact of soccer tournaments, the risk of losing the fields if sold to a private party, and the long-term savings. The agreement was approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Proclamations acknowledged unanimously.
- Consent docket (items 4–28, except 17) approved unanimously.
- Item 17 (Neighborhood Alliance contract) approved unanimously.
- Item 29 (Griffin Park purchase interlocal agreement) approved unanimously. Closing expected within 30 days.
- Council announcements included: congratulations to City Clerk Brenda Hall for being named to the 2025 Municipal Clerk's Honor Roll; upcoming community events (oscillator print camp, Bubbles in the Park, Summer Breeze concert); vacancies on the Human Rights Commission; and a study session on the Griffin Hospital property held earlier that day.
- Councilmember Gansbury noted continued outreach to stakeholders (Wyndham Place, Middle Earth, The Meadows) regarding the supportive housing project.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the City Council, Norman Utilities Authority, Norman Municipal Authority, and Norman Tax Increment Finance Authority meeting of July twenty second, twenty twenty-five. Madam Clerk, will you call the role? Here. Items one through three will be voted on in one motion. The first one is a proclamation proclaiming the month of September as National Service Dog Month in the City of Norman. The second one is a proclamation proclaiming the month of July 2025 as Disability Pride Month in the City of Norman. And number three is a proclamation proclaiming August 7th, 2025 as Purple Heart Day in the City of Norman. I entertain a motion to acknowledge receipt of the proclamations. Motion. Second. Second. The motion on the floor is to acknowledge receipt of the proclamations. Council members, you may cast your votes. All votes have been cast, and the motion to acknowledge receipt of the proclamations passes unanimously. Okay, our first one, a proclamation of the mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, proclaiming the month of September 2025 as National Service Dog Month in the City of Norman. Whereas we believe in the joyful transformative power of the human canine bond and inclusive inclusivity of all citizens. And whereas in the United States, 70 million adults have a disability, and only 16,000 service dogs from accredited training programs exist nationwide, and the need is growing. And whereas K9 Companions created the service dog for people with dis with physical disabilities 50 years ago in 1975, creating a new kind of support for disability. And whereas K9 Companions is a nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships free of charge. And whereas Canine Companions and their service dogs empower people with disabilities to lead life with greater independence by providing best in-class training, ongoing follow-up services, and a deeply committed community of support. And whereas National Service Dog Month aims to educate our community about the benefits of service dogs and the laws protecting their handlers, and whereas the city continues to work towards becoming an inclusive community in which all citizens and their trained service dogs are embraced. Now, therefore, I, mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, do hereby proclaim the month of September 2025 as National Service Dog Month in the City of Norman and encourage all citizens to celebrate service dogs and be respectful of the rights to safe access in our community afforded to the adults, children, and veterans who lead more independent lives because of their assistance. Passed and approved this 22nd day of July, 2025. Would Jeannie Salman and Eileen Grubbs uh like to join me up here? Yeah, please come on. And we'll get a couple pictures, and then you're welcome to say a few words if you'd like. One, two. One, two. Yes, absolutely. Okay, yeah. Okay. Okay. Oh, that one there. Okay. There you go. Well, thank you for recognizing service dogs for the month of September. They do incredible work for people. Riley's job as a service dog is to love on people. She loves to go to schools. We're going to the wellness center tomorrow and visit with the people who are there. And my favorite place to go is OU because the students there just really miss their pets from home. And I even had one girl pull me aside last uh spring just before finals and said, I just took the hardest test of my life. You don't know how much I needed to love on a dog. So that is what we do. And uh anybody who has a group that needs a dog to come and visit for people just to pet, please give me a call. Thank you. They've placed over 8,000 of those service dogs across the country that are mentioned free of charge. Um service dogs are task trained to help an individual with a disability, veterans with PTSD. And this is Cash. I'm his volunteer puppy raiser, and he goes back to Canine Companions in two weeks, and he'll have six to nine months of training, professional training, and then hopefully he'll be placed as somebody's service dog.
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