City Council Special Meeting, 10/20/26

The City Council and affiliated Norman authorities held a special meeting on October 20, 2026. The council approved awarding the Norman Utilities Authority contract to AMR Industrial Coatings Inc. for $150,173 for lighting at the Lindsay Water Tower, as part of the Lindsay Water Tower Lighting and Park project. It amended the funding source to the parks portion of the guest room tax; Councilmembers Kirby and Steele opposed the award. The council also approved a $50,000 landscaping appropriation for the project, amended to use the same guest room tax funding source. Staff described the lighting and park improvements, anticipated maintenance, and potential visitor and tourism benefits. A future RFP involving city property and relocation of corporation-yard assets is expected after an appraisal; public parking may be considered as part of a future development proposal.

The council discussed updates to several parks and recreation master plans, including conceptual projects at Griffin Park, Ruby Grant, Reeves Park, the Young Family Athletic Center, and the Adult Wellness Center. Staff presented preliminary project scopes and cost estimates, but no master-plan adoption or construction appropriation vote is recorded in the transcript. Discussion of a proposed ordinance prohibiting camping and certain activities on public property was deferred, with a written police-department implementation policy requested before the item returns, potentially November 24. No contract award or purchase was made for the proposed master-plan projects.