Editor’s note: This article was updated on Sept. 21 at 3:43 p.m. to reflect that Mayor Larry Heikkila filed the petition, not Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company. However, the petition states OG&E filed the petition, which was confirmed by Norman’s city attorney and city clerk.
City council members and Norman residents expressed frustration at petitioners' attempt to gain signatures to send Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company’s proposed 25-year franchise agreement back to a vote of the people after it failed in January.
Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila said he filed the initiative petition on Aug. 7, that, if successful, would return OG&E's proposed 25-year franchise agreement to a ballot on March 5, 2024. The petition states that OG&E filed it, however, Aaron Cooper, OG&E manager of corporate communications, told OU Daily that OG&E did not file that petition and that it was Heikkila.
OU Daily contacted Norman City Attorney Kathryn Walker and Norman City Clerk Brenda Hall for clarification. They said an OG&E employee filed the petition.
Heikkila later told OU Daily that he initiated the petition as a private citizen, not OG&E. He added that he did not sign the petition until about a month after it was filed.
The proposed agreement would give OG&E permission to use city-owned property right-of-way along its streets and alleyways to replace power lines and equipment. OG&E would have the ability to work on these areas in the city without needing permits but would pay 3% of gross revenue from electricity sales every year.
Norman residents struck down this proposed agreement in January with 60.71% of voters voting against the proposal and 39.29% percent voting for it, according to official results from the Oklahoma State Election Board website.
According to Norman City Attorney Kathryn Walker, in order for the petition to be successful, OG&E must amass 6,089 signatures within 90 days of the petition’s filing. According to Heikkila, over 3,000 people already signed the petition.
Several city council members, including Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman, Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant and Ward 2 Councilmember Lauren Schueler, said residents within their wards said they experienced misleading petitioner tactics.
“The signature gathers seem to be largely people who are not Norman residents,” Holman said. “Apparently, (in) many cases that I've seen and experienced personally, some of (the petitioners) have been using misleading terms to describe what the petition is actually for.”
Grant said they witnessed a petitioner misrepresenting the agreement and also heard complaints from Norman residents saying petitioners advertised the petition as a means of saving on energy.
Norman resident Kathleen Stratton wrote to OU Daily that she signed the petition as she was exiting a Walmart when a petitioner told her that signing would prevent the city from going without power for a few days.
“I've seen people pushing this petition in multiple places — in front of the library and in a few store parking lots,” Stratton wrote.“They've tried to get me to sign again with different lies. The last time they told me that it was not for residents, but only to keep power to street lights and traffic lights. I'd be willing to bet there are very few people who knew what they were signing when they put their names down.”
In response to the misinformation residents reported over the petition, Aaron Cooper, OG&E manager of corporate communications, wrote to OU Daily that OG&E is “assisting with the effort to gather signatures for the initiative petition” and that “the company that employs the signature gatherers is working hard to ensure that accurate information is given at all times.”
Heikkila said any resident who no longer wants their name on the petition should contact the city clerk to have it removed.
“We're doing something legal here. Say I don't want my name on there, it's that simple. We'll remove it, but I can't just take off names for somebody I don't know,” Heikkila said.
According to Schueler, many residents took issue with the length of the agreement when it was first introduced, saying that 25 years of guaranteed service would lead to complacency in poor service and increased rates. As a result of the agreement being struck down, Norman and OG&E currently operate on a month-to-month agreement until a long-term plan is reached.
Stratton wrote that she was against the proposed agreement when it was first voted on and would never have signed the petition had she known what it was about.
“I voted no (on the agreement) because I feel like OG&E takes advantage of us with their pricing, and I'm honestly hoping we could expand (the Oklahoma Electric Cooperative) in Norman instead,” Stratton wrote.
Walker told City Clerk Brenda Hall in a memo on Aug. 10 that the initial ballot proposition did not properly explain the proposition within the ordinance. The ballot proposed did not include OG&E’s right to produce, transmit and distribute electricity.
Walker then proposed the following adjustment to the proposed ballot that will be sent out to voters if enough signatures are gained on the petition.
Norman's city attorney Kathryn Walker's adjustment to the proposed ballot for voters if enough signatures are gained on the Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company’s proposed 25-year franchise agreement petition.
Council members were also frustrated with the confusion caused by the OG&E petition coming out around the same time as the vote to renew a city contract with Oklahoma Natural Gas on Sept. 12.
“It gets very confusing for members of our public, and so to have both of those running at the same time is really kind of conflated some of the things and not allowed us to have unique conversations about each of the utilities and kind of separate why things are different or maybe why a franchise agreement looks different with ONG as opposed to OG&E,” Schueler said.
Cooper wrote OG&E fully supports the petition process and is willing to reach out to Norman voters on the potential benefits of a franchise agreement.
“We look forward to Norman citizens voting to decide this issue on March 5, and are committed to reaching out and educating them about the benefits a franchise agreement provides to the community,” Cooper wrote.
According to Walker, if approved by the voters, the franchise will come to council for approval at its next regular meeting after the potential election on March 5, 2024.
This article was edited by Alexia Aston, Taylor Jones and Peggy Dodd. Mary Ann Livingood and Avery Avery copy edited this article.
