Norman City Council discussed the fiscal year 2024 budget funds on Tuesday evening and unanimously endorsed hosting the Korn Ferry Tour 2023 golf championship and Beep Baseball World Series to be held in Norman.
The 2023 Korn Ferry Tour championship is a developmental tour for professional golfers. The tournament is to be held in Norman from June 22-25.
Beep baseball is form of baseball for visually impaired individuals, played using a ball that beeps. The world series will take place in Norman at Griffin Park from July 30 to Aug. 5 where 20 teams from around the world will compete.
Both sports events are meant to be in compliance with Oklahoma's Quality Events Act. The act works to plan and execute events meant to bring positive economic impact to Norman.
According to Trent Brown, Visit Norman sales manager, the Korn Ferry Tour is estimated to bring in $1 million and the Beep baseball World Series is estimated to bring in $500,000, but requires 100 volunteers per day to run effectively.
Budget manager Kim Coffman presented a slideshow detailing the fiscal year expenditure from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. The enterprise funds consisted of sanitation, water and water reclamation as well as sub-funds of sewer maintenance and a new developmental excise tax.
Coffman detailed the statistics surrounding the sanitation funds. Norman's residential and commercial collection is greater than 110,000 tons per year. Yard waste and compost facilities totaled 30,000 tons per year.
Norman's sanitation rate is currently $17.20 — the last increase was in April 2011. This rate is only higher than four other cities: Moore, Edmond, Enid and Newcastle.
The major expenditures of the sanitation fund included $3,224,376 for fleet-related replacement purchases.
Landfill tipping expenses increased 27 percent from the fiscal year expenditure in 2023-24 due to cost and volume increases. Annual expense is over $2.8 million and the recycling contractor expense increased 3.6 percent to $1.62 million.
The fiscal year expenditure for 2024’s balance totaled $4,027,999.
Water production in Norman is around 5 billion gallons annually. Norman has had only three water rate increases since 1999. In April 2022, a vote to increase water rates failed, but a vote will take place this June for an increased rate.
The current rate is a $6 base fee. The proposed rate in next month's election would increase the base fee by $4.90 up to $10.90.
Coffman said a 5,000 gallon bill currently costs about $22.75 and with the proposed rates it would be $28.20. 10,000 gallons usage currently is $43.25 and the proposed rate increase would be around $50.70. Up to 10,000 gallons of usage covers approximately 90 percent of bills, so Norman would see a $7.45 increase for about 90 percent of water bills.
The interim water purchase contract with Oklahoma City is budgeted at $1,240,330. The Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District is budgeted at $938,374. The budget intends to replace the raw water line in Lake Thunderbird that supplies water for Norman, Midwest City and Del City. Norman's budget share is 43 percent. The ending water fund expenditure balance for 2024 is projected to be $103,201.
Ward 2 Councilmember Lauren Schueler had concerns about whether the budget was made under the assumption that proposed water rates in June were to be approved. Coffman assured her that it was not.
Norman's current residential rate for wastewater treatment services is a $5 base plus $2.70 per 1,000 gallons. The water reclamation funds balance for 2024 totaled $587,939.
The first sub-fund of the water reclamation fund is the sewer line maintenance division, which finds Norman at $32 per 10,000 gallons of usage, second lowest above Newcastle at $24.
The second sub-fund of the water reclamation fund is the excise tax revenues from new construction and building permits based on wastewater generated. The annual budget is $1.4 million which Norman exceeded in 2022 and 2021.
The Norman City Council finance committee will discuss the fiscal year expenditure for 2024 on Thursday at 4 p.m.
This story was edited by Teegan Smith. Mary Ann Livingood and Nikkie Aisha copy edited this story.
