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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Norman City Council Meeting - July 14, 2026: Proclamations, Shelter Rezoning, Land Use Changes, and More

Public Meetings & Live-Streams — Tuesday, July 14, 2026

BodyNorman, Oklahoma

SessionPublic Meetings & Live-Streams

DateTuesday, July 14, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:52:59

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

4:30

All right, good evening, and welcome to the city council, Norman Utilities Authority, Norman Municipal Authority, Norman Tax Increment Finance Authority, and Norman Parking and Transit Authority meeting of July 14th, 2026.

5:00

Here.

5:02

Councilmember Deck?

5:03

Here.

5:04

Councilmember Grant.

5:05

Present.

5:07

Councilmember Kirby?

5:09

Here.

5:09

Councilmember Steele.

5:10

Here.

5:11

Councilmember Blodgett is absent.

5:13

Councilmember Dixon.

5:15

Here.

5:15

And Mayor Holman.

5:16

Here.

5:17

Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.

5:23

I put the flag of the United States of America.

5:41

All right.

5:42

Proclamations.

5:44

Item one and two will be acknowledged with one vote.

5:47

Item number one is a proclamation proclaiming the month of July 2026 as Water's Worth It Month in the City of Norman.

5:55

Item two, a proclamation proclaiming the month of July 2026 as disability pride month in the City of Norman.

6:02

I'll entertain a motion to acknowledge receipt of the proclamations.

6:06

Motion.

6:18

Sorry.

6:24

All right.

6:33

Looks like it looks like all votes have been cast.

6:48

And all votes have been cast.

6:52

And the motion to acknowledge receipt of the proclamations passes unanimously.

6:57

Very good.

6:58

And just so everybody knows Danielle is our deputy clerk and is filling in tonight for our city clerk who's on vacation with her mother, so please give us some grace this evening.

7:09

Please, thank you.

7:51

Okay, a proclamation of the mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, proclaiming the month of July 2026 as Water's Worth It Month in the City of Norman.

8:00

Whereas Water's Worth It Month is being promoted by the Environmental Control Advisory Board to help increase community awareness of Norman's most precious natural resource.

8:09

And whereas Water's Worth It is a campaign by the Water Environment Federation to help answer questions about how our actions, attitudes, and the things we most value are closely connected with water.

8:21

And whereas Water's Worth It Month promotes the protection and conservation of Norman's water resources through educational outreach, including social media and electronic communications, newspaper articles, and informational materials that encourage residents to conserve and protect water.

8:38

And whereas water's worth it, water is worth our respect and effort as strong communities are built on water, clean water is everyone's responsibility.

8:48

And whereas water's worth our health and future as water is essential to life, and investment in aging infrastructure helps ensure safe and reliable water resources for current and future generations.

9:00

And whereas Water's worth our passion as we look for innovative solutions for conserving water in times of abundance, and whereas water's worth our protection and conservation as preserving Norman's water resources ensures a cleaner, more abundant supply for today and the future while helping reduce water and wastewater treatment costs.

9:22

Now, therefore, I, Mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, do hereby proclaim the month of July 2026 as Water's Worth It Month and call upon all citizens and civic organizations to become knowledgeable and acquaint themselves with the issues involved in maintaining safe water.

9:38

Passed and approved this 14th day of July 2026.

9:42

Thank you.

10:07

All right.

10:08

Good evening, everyone.

10:09

On behalf of the Environmental Control Advisory Board, I'm honored to accept the proclamation declaring July as a water's worth it month.

10:18

We are fortunate in Norman that when we turn on the tap, we get good clean drinkable water, and the water and the waste that go down the drain somehow just magically get taken care of.

10:28

Behind the scenes, Norman has lots of wonderful and dedicated people working to clean and manage our drinking water, storm water, and wastewater.

10:37

Because they do their jobs, most of us don't think very much about water quality.

10:41

But we should.

10:43

Water is essential to our health, environment, economy, and quality of life.

10:47

Everyone has a responsibility to protect it by working together to keep it clean and healthy for today and the future.

10:54

We all have something at stake when it comes to water.

10:58

So what are some of the things that we can do?

11:02

Dispose your trash properly.

11:04

Medicines can be taken to the pharmacy for proper disposal.

11:08

Household cleaning supplies, paints, batteries, light bulbs, and many other items can be taken to Norman's household hazardous waste facility, reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on your lawn, save water in times of abundance, and reduce usage in times of drought.

11:29

Install rain barrels at your home, which also help reduce stormwater erosion.

11:34

And lastly, I encourage everyone to take a tour of Norman's water treatment facility and the water reclamation facility.

11:43

Both are fascinating what they do to provide reliable clean water for us and for those downstream.

11:50

In closing, I would like to thank the mayor and the council members for recognizing the value of water in our community and supporting this month of awareness because water truly is worth it.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████26%

Procedural███████████████15%

Public Safety█████████████13%

Environmental Protection██████████10%

Public Engagement███████7%

Affordable Housing███████7%

Homelessness██████6%

Disability Rights████4%

Community Engagement████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Norman City Council Meeting - July 14, 2026

The City Council, Norman Utilities Authority, Norman Municipal Authority, Norman Tax Increment Finance Authority, and Norman Parking and Transit Authority met jointly on July 14, 2026, to address several items including proclamations, a rezoning for a homeless shelter, updates to the urban reserve land use minimum, a preliminary plat for a residential development, and a grant application for a sobering center. Council members present were Deck, Grant, Kirby, Steele, Dixon, and Mayor Holman; Blodgett was absent.

Consent Calendar

Proclamations: The council unanimously acknowledged receipt of two proclamations: July 2026 as Water's Worth It Month and July 2026 as Disability Pride Month. Representatives from the Environmental Control Advisory Board and the Roughneck Little Cis Spirit Group spoke in support.
Consent Docket (Items 3-27, except 23 and 4): The council voted unanimously to approve the consent docket, which included routine approvals and contracts. Key items discussed before approval included:
- Item 20: Service agreement extension with Thunderbird Clubhouse as collaborative applicant for the Cleveland County Continuum of Care. Staff confirmed activities listed are mandated by HUD; councilmember Bruce questioned performance metrics and noted the shift from Housing First to a balanced continuum model. Staff stated the shift is not yet official.
- Item 27: Grant application for a street program (sobering center) through SAMHSA (by no match $3 million/year for 4 years). Partners include Red Rock Behavioral Health. Police Chief stated the sobering center would reduce officer time at jail (from ~1 hour to ~10 minutes) and provide resources.
Item 4 (Shelter Rezoning): Removed from consent and voted separately. Passed on first reading 7-1 (Kirby opposed). The vote initiated the process for a full public hearing in two weeks. Councilmember Kirby expressed concerns about proximity to a school and lack of answers on registered offender checks; staff noted security measures (fenced property, no camping inside). The shelter is planned for the southeast corner of Reed Avenue and Ufala Street.

Public Comments & Testimony

On Item 29 (Preliminary Plat for Bellatona): Multiple residents of Ward 5 and Ward 2 expressed concerns about increased stormwater runoff onto adjacent farms, erosion, and lack of enforcement of silt fencing. Marguerite Larson (unclear ward) questioned the cumulative impact of development on green space. Cindy Rogers (Ward 4) emphasized that current regulations control only rate of flow, not volume, leading to flooding. Others noted water quality and habitat protection.
On Item 31 (Urban Reserve Land Use Change): Billy Harless (Ward 5) supported the change back to 10 acres, stating the 30-acre rule unfairly restricted long-time landowners from splitting property for family. Brandon Novar (Ward 5) stated the 30-acre rule was intended to prevent fragmented development and sprawl but harmed rural character and the Thunderbird watershed. Cindy Rogers noted the process prior to AIM had insufficient notification to property owners.
Miscellaneous Comments: Gary King (Ward 5) complained about stormwater runoff and construction dust from a Western Farmers/OEC project, stating plans submitted to council were not followed. Sue Sanders (Ward 4) detailed negative experiences near the current Food and Shelter facility and opposed the new shelter location. Another resident urged stronger franchise negotiations with OGE to bury power lines and improve tree maintenance. Rodney Johnson (Ward 2) urged better enforcement, support for rural businesses, and progress on sales tax incentives.

Discussion Items

Item 28 (Parkland Rezoning): Presented by Sean Reger. A rezoning to correct a 2013 mapping error where parkland zoning was not moved when a park was built in Bellatona. The parcel (yellow area) was rezoned from Parkland to R-1. Staff and Parks Director confirmed the existing Bentley Park satisfies parkland dedication requirements.
Item 29 (Preliminary Plat for Bellatona): 104 acres, 403 single-family lots, no variances requested. Drainage analysis showed a minimal increase (0.15 CFS) in runoff to adjacent properties after development. Councilmember Kirby expressed concerns about promised mitigation; city manager and utilities director noted enforcement mechanisms including fines and stop-work orders. Public comments highlighted skepticism about developer follow-through.
Items 31 and 30 (Urban Reserve Minimum Lot Size): Councilmember Steele noted the change from 30 acres back to 10 acres restores the previous standard. Supporters argued it preserves rural character, allows families to split land, and protects the Thunderbird watershed. Councilmember Dixon voted against both items. Passed 7-1.

Key Outcomes

Proclamations acknowledged unanimously.
Consent docket approved unanimously (Items 3-27, except 23 and 4).
Item 4 (Shelter rezoning) passed on first reading 7-1; second reading and public hearing scheduled for July 28, 2026.
Item 28 (Parkland rezoning) adopted on second and final reading unanimously.
Item 29 (Preliminary plat) approved 7-1 (Kirby opposed).
Item 31 (Resolution to change urban reserve minimum to 10 acres) adopted 7-1 (Dixon opposed).
Item 30 (Ordinance to amend subdivision code) adopted on second and final reading 7-1 (Dixon opposed).
Staff directed to inspect the Western Farmers/OEC site for compliance with approved plans.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good evening, and welcome to the city council, Norman Utilities Authority, Norman Municipal Authority, Norman Tax Increment Finance Authority, and Norman Parking and Transit Authority meeting of July 14th, 2026. Here. Councilmember Deck? Here. Councilmember Grant. Present. Councilmember Kirby? Here. Councilmember Steele. Here. Councilmember Blodgett is absent. Councilmember Dixon. Here. And Mayor Holman. Here. Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. I put the flag of the United States of America. All right. Proclamations. Item one and two will be acknowledged with one vote. Item number one is a proclamation proclaiming the month of July 2026 as Water's Worth It Month in the City of Norman. Item two, a proclamation proclaiming the month of July 2026 as disability pride month in the City of Norman. I'll entertain a motion to acknowledge receipt of the proclamations. Motion. Sorry. All right. Looks like it looks like all votes have been cast. And all votes have been cast. And the motion to acknowledge receipt of the proclamations passes unanimously. Very good. And just so everybody knows Danielle is our deputy clerk and is filling in tonight for our city clerk who's on vacation with her mother, so please give us some grace this evening. Please, thank you. Okay, a proclamation of the mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, proclaiming the month of July 2026 as Water's Worth It Month in the City of Norman. Whereas Water's Worth It Month is being promoted by the Environmental Control Advisory Board to help increase community awareness of Norman's most precious natural resource. And whereas Water's Worth It is a campaign by the Water Environment Federation to help answer questions about how our actions, attitudes, and the things we most value are closely connected with water. And whereas Water's Worth It Month promotes the protection and conservation of Norman's water resources through educational outreach, including social media and electronic communications, newspaper articles, and informational materials that encourage residents to conserve and protect water. And whereas water's worth it, water is worth our respect and effort as strong communities are built on water, clean water is everyone's responsibility. And whereas water's worth our health and future as water is essential to life, and investment in aging infrastructure helps ensure safe and reliable water resources for current and future generations. And whereas Water's worth our passion as we look for innovative solutions for conserving water in times of abundance, and whereas water's worth our protection and conservation as preserving Norman's water resources ensures a cleaner, more abundant supply for today and the future while helping reduce water and wastewater treatment costs. Now, therefore, I, Mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, do hereby proclaim the month of July 2026 as Water's Worth It Month and call upon all citizens and civic organizations to become knowledgeable and acquaint themselves with the issues involved in maintaining safe water. Passed and approved this 14th day of July 2026. Thank you. All right. Good evening, everyone. On behalf of the Environmental Control Advisory Board, I'm honored to accept the proclamation declaring July as a water's worth it month. We are fortunate in Norman that when we turn on the tap, we get good clean drinkable water, and the water and the waste that go down the drain somehow just magically get taken care of. Behind the scenes, Norman has lots of wonderful and dedicated people working to clean and manage our drinking water, storm water, and wastewater. Because they do their jobs, most of us don't think very much about water quality. But we should. Water is essential to our health, environment, economy, and quality of life.

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