Members of the Norman City Council met to discuss renovations and the removal of asbestos to 109 W. Gray St. shelter and the potential purchases of fire trucks.
Fire truck purchases
Norman Fire Department Chief Travis King is briefing Norman City Council about the need and potential price range for more fire trucks.
King said the fire department has historically funded their fire apparatus via the city sales tax that was approved in 2014.
King estimated the general fund balance would supplement the capital investment budget with $307,077.
Gray Street shelter
Council began discussing the potential land acquisition for the creation of a permanent emergency shelter.
Mayor Larry Heikkila proposed the use of a request for proposal to fund a new shelter. A request for proposal is a document that announces a project and solicits bids from contractors.
Heikkila asked council members their thoughts on how to proceed. Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant said they wanted to focus on the improvements and removal of asbestos from the current emergency shelter on 109 W. Gray St.
Ward 1 Councilmember Austin Ball was not in favor of submitting a request for proposal for the use of a shelter and said the funds could be better used elsewhere.
Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman said he does not believe the current shelter can be permanent but was against approving the request for proposal if it meant temporarily leaving the current occupants of the Gray Street shelter for any period.
“We're trying to make a decision rather than 30,000 different things. And so when we do that we want to make the best decision for as many of those purchases. I agree with you” Heikkila said.
Ward 8 Councilmember Matthew Peacock said he would be in favor of a request for proposal, but only after seeing an existing building that could be used for a shelter.
Ward 2 Councilmember Lauren Schueler said the request for proposal is a potentially good idea but does not address the problems that Norman is currently facing.
“We are still turning people away from our shelter every single night. So there are more people that can be safely housed under a room where we know where they are in a safe location than we currently are able to provide right now,” Schueler said.
Ward 3 Councilmember Bree Montoya said she is in favor of a request for proposal but recommended council create a plan of action by speaking with organizations that are knowledgeable about homelessness.
“I would agree with you that if we if we put out a (request for proposal) for a site selector to choose that that type selector also contact all providers, those that are food providers, shelter providers and medical providers and get everybody working on one page,” Heikkila said.
Heikkila said it would be a good idea to organize a special session to speak with downtown residents and business owners to hear their opinions on what to do regarding the situation.
“This situation is not new. It was not created by this council. There's been shelter events and more than since the late 1980s, early 1990s, as long as I can remember, there has been a shelter in downtown Norman,” Holman said.
Holman said the city operating a shelter was a response to a problem that was already happening.
“Multiple people died and froze to death in downtown Norman in front of businesses, to think about what looks good for business, people freezing to death and finding dead bodies and for your business,” Holman said.
Holman said the shelter has moved multiple times because no one will be satisfied no matter where it is. He said council is stuck and those who believe Norman shouldn’t have a shelter have provided no legitimate alternative.
Council then discussed improvements to the current shelter.
A slideshow of the planned improvements for the Gray Street shelter and remodeling is being presented to council. According to the slideshow, renovations and remodeling cannot take place until the presence of asbestos is removed from the shelter.
Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant mentioned on Jan. 26 during a candidate forum for today's ward elections the council's intentions to remove the asbestos.
City Manager Darrel Pyle said removing asbestos or just removing safety hazards will not get cheaper over time.
The interior of the shelter will be removed, including all material containing asbestos, only the exterior walls, ventilation, heating systems and the shelter's roof will remain.
Total costs for the entirety of the proposed project are estimated to be $300,000. The asbestos removal will be $60,000.
Renovations will include new bathrooms, janitorial closets, sealed floors, windows and door frames.
Fire suppression will be installed with branch lines and the building will be made to comply with current building codes.
Ward 6 Councilmember Elizabeth Foreman asked how long it would take before renovations would begin if council were to approve it.
Parks and Recreation Director Jason Olsen said the remodeling could commence as soon as council approves.
Foreman asked Pyle if the building could be sold after renovations. Pyle said the building could be a good asset to the city after it is renovated due to its location and office space.
City Attorney Kathryn Walker said the building’s price may be affected due to the presence of asbestos.
The city will continue to address logistics regarding contracts with Food and Shelter, and file requests for proposals if the renovations for the shelter are approved.
Heikkila asked council if it would be reassuring to first find out the land's worth before approving renovations.
Holman said he would be willing to hear all options.
Grant said once a permanent shelter is established, problems regarding homelessness and mental health will not be resolved.
“We'll need to still talk with Cleveland County Detention Center, and whoever's doing mental health and health care in this community so that those people do not have a psychotic break,” Grant said.
