Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant is seeking reelection to Norman City Council on Feb. 13 against resident Judy Moss.
Helen Grant
Seeking reelection, Grant has served in Ward 4’s council seat since 2022. During their first tenure, Grant has supported different avenues toward combating the unhoused issue, emphasizing the importance of mental health services and housing shelters.
Mental health and homelessness
Grant said they will continue to create and support affordable housing units in Norman while serving on city council, working toward establishing a permanent housing shelter in the city.
Grant stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of mental health and addiction and plans to work with the Cleveland County jail to help newly released prisoners transition back into society.
“There needs to be more coordination so that people aren't being released with no oversight or further help along their journey. And, again, from the municipal side of things, I've heard from our municipal court employees that people, when released from jail, will wander not just to downtown but other places,” Grant said.
Norman business
Grant said they are ready to open discussion regarding people-driven tax increment finance districts that would assist in funding redevelopment, infrastructure and community-based projects to serve residents and small business owners better.
“It's really up to the people in the project area, what kinds of small business improvements they might want,” Grant said.
Grant said there is a possibility of creating a neighborhood improvement fund that could assist in housing maintenance, as well as make the area more attractive for businesses and people.
Stormwater
Grant intends to create an “equitable stormwater utility fee” that they say will help Norman protect lakes and infrastructure more effectively.
“That is a way to upgrade our infrastructure, especially in the core where we have the oldest infrastructure to better support density that we know is coming if we want to limit sprawl because it overall helps us environmentally,” Grant said.
University North Park
Grant said they have issues with the financing of the University North Park entertainment district. City and economic leaders have proposed using a tax increment finance, or TIF, district to fund the development.
“I could have been excited for it had it been kind of what we talked about earlier, where the TIFs are equitable and people had to save, but there's not a lot of people in that area,” Grant said. “And really, all the money that is generated through that TIF would go to pay for the infrastructure in that TIF and I'm not seeing where affordable housing is a part of that financing.”
According to Grant, the expenses covered by the TIF would only cover a new basketball arena and parking garage. Grant said the money allocated to the project would be better suited for other avenues in Norman.
“We could do things like improve our water reclamation plants and we could do affordable housing, we could fix sidewalks. There's a lot 200 million dollars could do. And we could hire more city staff. We are understaffed as a city,” Grant said.
Judy Moss
Moss is originally from Amarillo, Texas, but attended high school in Oklahoma City. After spending most of her career in Texas, she moved back to Oklahoma in 2014 and to Norman in 2019. She has a background in office management and bookkeeping and has experience as a court-appointed special advocate for special needs children.
Moss said she was motivated to run for a council seat to address homelessness, which she believes is endangering Ward 4.
Public Safety
Moss has been campaigning on a plan to make Norman a safer place. She believes public safety in Ward 4 is a growing issue that can be attributed to the unhoused population.
“So public safety is all about prevention and protection for our citizens and our properties, and we need a safe and secure environment. You need to feel confident that our law enforcement are able to do their jobs,” Moss said.
Moss said that respect to the Norman Police Department and Norman Fire Department is essential in maintaining a safe environment in the city. Moss also said NPD knows what they need in order to properly serve the city and urged Norman residents and politicians to listen when the department requests additional funding or equipment.
“We need to be willing to listen to those who are the experts in the field," Moss said.
Stormwater
Norman has experienced issues with stormwater drainage due to aging infrastructure that does not properly accommodate the rising population. Norman’s water comes from its lakes, which are vulnerable to stormwater pollution if proper measures are not put in place.
Moss outlined ideas such as allowing drain downspouts to flow into grass to reduce pollution and decrease flood porosity.
“I would also pay close attention to the stormwater. We need to clean out our creeks and canals,” Moss said.
Mental health and homelessness
Before running for Ward 4, Moss said she began to see an increasing number of unhoused people in parks and neighborhoods and wondered why they were not utilizing the services on Gray Street.
“The location of the warming shelter is a deterrent to safety because it's too close to the downtown area,” Moss said.
Moss acknowledged that mental health and job security are notable factors when analyzing the cause of homelessness, but went on to say there is a moral obligation to those affected.
“A person has to be willing to be responsible for themselves. So, I look for a different model to use in dealing with the homeless,” Moss said.
Moss said that in order to effectively deal with homelessness in Norman, those who are experiencing homelessness must not be stationed in areas that disrupt the public. She also said that in regard to discourse surrounding the topic, those without a home who may be suffering from mental illness must be treated as human beings with respect and dignity.
University North Park
In regard to the University North Park entertainment district, Moss said she would support the general feelings of the public whether they are in favor or not. Moss said she would also take into account the feelings of college students and if an entertainment district is something they consider favorable.
“It's all about the future, it's all about the young people and making a better place for them.”
Moss said she intends to make Norman a more attractive city to younger people so that the city can retain talent from OU graduates who may otherwise move out of Norman for different job opportunities.
“That all comes down to economic development, to make our community a more attractive place to live, work and play and use our natural resources to promote our goals, and of course, it all costs money,” Moss said.
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd and Anusha Fathepure. Nikkie Aisha copy edited this story.
