Norman City Council will consider appointing five residents to a candidate selection committee to fill the Ward 5 seat and discuss the police department’s use of Flock cameras in a special meeting Tuesday.
The candidate selection committee will interview applicants for the Ward 5 seat following former Ward 5 Councilmember Michael Nash’s resignation. Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman confirmed to OU Daily Monday that he chose the appointments from a list of Ward 5 volunteers.
“They know what the important issues are for Ward 5 residents across the spectrum,” Holman said.
Selection committee appointees
Randy Carter, a self-employed photographer, has volunteered for Pike Off OTA and Oklahomans for Responsible Transportation while also advocating against the construction of a turnpike connector through Ward 5.
“I am very much opposed to these proposed turnpikes,” Carter said. “The turnpike is proposing a major footprint in our ward and we certainly want somebody that will help us with our cause.”
Aside from wanting someone who cares about the proposed turnpikes, Carter hopes to recommend an applicant who will represent Ward 5 well.
“It’s important that they be able to work with the other council members to reach the goals of our city,” Carter said. “It’s important that we get the right kind of person involved in being our representative of Ward 5.”
Heidi Smith, director of operations for the Thunderbird Clubhouse, is part of the Social and Voluntary Services Commission, which evaluates the needs of social services agencies, and the Community Development Block Grant program, where she helps decide where the city allocates money for affordable housing. Smith previously worked on the AIM Norman housing subcommittee.
Smith also believes someone who is committed to the turnpike issue is very important to Ward 5 residents.
“And someone who is interested in continuing Norman’s history of funding social service agencies (and) helping the most vulnerable in our community,” Smith said.
John Griego is an insurance broker and owner of Griego Insurance Group, LLC. Griego wrote in a text to OU Daily Monday that he was thankful for his appointment to the committee.
“I’m grateful for the confidence (Holman) has shown in appointing me to the selection committee,” Griego wrote.
Aysha Prather serves on Norman’s bicycle advisory committee, which she was appointed to in March, according to the city’s boards and commissions webpage. According to documents available via the city of Norman, Prather donated to Nash’s candidacy for the Ward 5 seat in 2023.
Shavonne Evans is a real estate agent for Keller Williams Mulinix Realty in Norman.
OU Daily reached out to Prather and Evans, but did not receive a response before the time of publication.
Holman said he hopes the appointees will be thorough in their consideration of applicants for the Ward 5 seat.
“I’m hopeful they’ll be able to ask the right questions and pick the best person to fill that role for the next few months, at least until we can have an election for Ward 5 in the spring time,” Holman said.
Flock cameras for Norman Police Department
Council will also discuss the use of Flock cameras for the Norman Police Department. Holman said the discussion is at the request of NPD for new council members to get familiar with the topic.
Holman said NPD has been interested in implementing this technology in Norman for a couple years to mirror procedures made by other departments in the OKC-metro.
“The technology itself could potentially help deter crime or more quickly solve issues like missing persons,” Holman said. “But there are also a lot of questions about the technology itself, the company Flock itself, how the technology is used and how the data is stored.”
Flock cameras scan the license plates, as well as make, model, color and description of every vehicle that drives past them.
“The examples (NPD has) used are someone commits a crime, people have the description of the vehicle and then (NPD puts the description) in the system,” Holman said. “It can see exactly where that car has come and gone as far as entering or leaving the city.”
OU Daily reached out to NPD to ask questions about the cameras. An NPD representative said the department would address questions following council’s meeting.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza.
