The Citizen’s Public Safety Oversight Committee announced its first annual report at the Norman City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Chairman David Wilson said it is the committee’s job to review expenditures and make recommendations to city council.

The revenue from the half-cent sales tax approved in 2008 has been put toward city police and fire programs. Plans for additional vehicles and two additional fire stations have been put into place.

“Our job is to review expenditures and make recommendations to city council,” Wilson said. “We first met in March and have met 11 other occasions. Challenges have come up and they have been addressed along the way.”

Ward 2 Councilman Tom Kovach said he was not sure why part of the Citizen’s Public Safety Oversight Committee’s budget did not get allocated to other projects such as additional weather sirens.

Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said not all initial items needing attention had been completed, so the use of allotted funds could not have been used for other items such as sirens.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Carol Dillingham said she would like to thank the citizens of Norman for passing the public sales tax.

“We are beginning to reap the rewards of the public safety sales tax,” Dillingham said. “We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful committee and our public safety is going to be saved.”

The city council approved an automatic renewal of its contract with Oklahoma State University concerning veterinarian services at its meeting last night.

In February 2007, the council approved a contract with OSU concerning veterinarian services for the Animal Welfare Division through January 2010, according to the meeting’s agenda. Now the contract will be approved automatically every year.

The consent docket at Tuesday’s meeting also approved the establishment of a youth council. The purpose of the council is to promote civic engagement among city youth, according to the agenda,

“I’m very excited about establishing the Norman youth council,” said James Griffith, Ward 6 councilman. “It’s very important for young people to get involved early, and we are offering high school students the opportunity to get involved with the quality of life in Norman.”