Norman City Council called an election regarding water rates and renewed discussions of the city’s warming shelter during its meeting Tuesday evening.
Council officially called for a June 13 special election to increase water rates to fund four water projects: disinfection of the groundwater system, water line replacements, lead and copper rule revisions and increased operational costs.
“Water is Life,” the city’s campaign for this election, will include a base fee increase from $6 to $10.90, with other rates fluctuating based on gallon use. Should this increase pass, it will go into effect on Sept. 1. A previous water rate increase named Toward Tomorrow failed in April 2022 and would have supported the same projects listed in this election.
Ward 6 Councilmember Elizabeth Foreman said she was upset when the water rate didn’t pass last year, saying the projects must be paid for either through a rate increase or through the council’s general fund.
Ward 1 Councilmember Austin Ball renewed conversations of the city's warming shelter during the meeting, asking residents to email council to advocate for funding toward other solutions other than a warming shelter.
The shelter’s contract was extended for 90 days at the March 29 meeting, passed by a vote of 8-1, with just Ward 3 Councilmember Kelly Lynn voting against.
“If you want something done about (homelessness), you need to contact everybody here and let them know that instead of paying for a temporary warming shelter in the summertime, as asinine as that sounds, … we all need to find real solutions … to get this problem solved now,” Ball said.
The shelter, or Friends House, is located at 109 W. Gray St. and houses up to 40 people per night. According to Norman’s 2020 gaps analysis survey, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 100 percent from 2015, jumping from 133 to 266 individuals.
Ball told OU Daily following the meeting he no longer supports the warming shelter and only voted in favor on March 29 to collect more information, as he is a new council member.
Ball was elected on Feb. 14 and was appointed to serve out the rest of former Ward 1 Councilmember Brandi Studley’s term after she resigned her position in January.
The warming shelter has evolved into a year-long need, Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman said. He attributed the need to extreme winter and summer weather.
Following Ball, Ward 2 Councilmember Lauren Schueler took time during her announcement to advocate for solutions to decrease homelessness, pointing to Oklahoma City’s continued efforts in homelessness prevention and recovery.
Oklahoma City leaders proposed a $12.5 million plan aimed at reducing homelessness by 75 percent before 2025, according to the city’s proposal.
The Key to Home encampment rehousing initiative would help people transition to more permanent housing from an encampment. The city will close the encampment and clean the area in three to six weeks by engaging with individuals, identify rental units and provide move-in and stabilization services.
Also during the meeting, the city unanimously proclaimed April as fair housing month. The proclamation celebrates the right to equal housing opportunities that is guaranteed under Title 8 of the 1968 Civil Rights Act. This year marks the 55th anniversary of Title 8.
More coverage on Norman City Council:
This story was edited by Karoline Leonard, Jazz Wolfe and Alexia Aston. Nikkie Aisha and Alexandra Powell-Lorentzatos copy edited this story.
