Norman City Council discussed replacing the “peeping toms” city ordinance with a state statute and declared the Ward 5 seat vacant at its Tuesday meetings.
Declaring Ward 5 seat vacant
The news: Council declared the Ward 5 seat vacant following Ward 5 Councilmember Michael Nash’s resignation in a Facebook post Friday.
In the announcement, Nash wrote external factors caused his family to look for a new home, which they found outside Ward 5 boundaries.
“Our family’s outgrowing the house we’re in now,” Nash wrote. “We found a house that is gonna be just right for us. Unfortunately, it’s not gonna be in Ward 5.”
Nash wrote in the post he believes it would not be fair to represent Ward 5 if he cannot give residents his undivided attention.
“The next couple of months moving will demand all that I have,” Nash wrote. “That is why, to great sadness and grief, I am announcing my resignation from the Ward 5 Council seat.”
According to a staff report, a vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of the remaining council members. If council does not fill that seat within 60 days, a mandatory special election will be called to fill the vacancy.
Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman told OU Daily Monday that council will likely create a committee composed of Ward 5 residents to interview applicants and make an appointment recommendation. Ward 5 residents interested in filling Nash’s seat would apply at city hall and be interviewed by the committee, which would make a final recommendation to council.
What they’re saying: Nash said he considered staying in the Ward 5 seat until a replacement was found.
“One of the things I’ve been saying since the beginning is that the only thing worse than no representation is the illusion of representation,” Nash said.
Nash said his resignation is an opportunity for members of the public who do not want to go through the campaign process. He said he would not have been a council member if it weren’t for former Ward 5 Councilmember Sereta Wilson, who resigned in 2020.
“It is bittersweet. It’s going to be a little difficult to pivot and try to tell myself not to pay as much attention anymore,” Nash said. “Once you get hooked into city politics, it’s hard to get off of it.”
Nash left the meeting after his final remarks. Holman said once a replacement has been chosen, council will formally recognize Nash for his service.
‘Peeping toms’ statute
The news: Council discussed eliminating the “peeping toms” city ordinance to mirror the 2024 state statute for filing charges at its conference meeting.
According to the agenda, the city ordinance on “peeping toms” does not outline a punishment for offenders, while the state statute does.
The state statute reads that people who loiter in the vicinity of a private residence with the intent to watch any person “in a clandestine manner,” will be convicted of a misdemeanor and be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for no more than one year, a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both.
People who use photo or video equipment will also be charged with a felony or misdemeanor, a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both, the statute reads.
What they’re saying: City Attorney Rick Knighton said the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation keeps court records for the state. However, Knighton said the only municipal court records that are kept by the OSBI are those where the person is arrested and fingerprinted.
Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant asked what the course of action is for juvenile offenders. Deputy Chief Ricky Jackson said, in his experience with the district attorney’s office, juveniles will be worked with to keep them out of the prison system.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza.
