City Council Study Session, 9/29/26

The City of Norman City Council’s September 29, 2026 study session discussed whether to use a third-party vendor, Fire Recovery USA, to recover costs for certain emergency responses. The vendor would receive a reported 20–22% of gross billings, though staff noted the fee needs clarification. For 284 motor-vehicle incidents in the prior year, the vendor estimated approximately $234,130 in gross billings and about $182,000 after its fee; council members questioned the assumptions, including recovery rates, and were told nationwide collections are typically estimated at 50–75%. The program would require a city ordinance and decisions about which incidents to bill, with motor-vehicle incidents the most common option and hazmat, fires, water incidents, and rescues also discussed. No contract was awarded, ordinance adopted, or vote taken.

Council and fire officials raised concerns about administrative workload, staffing, records-system integration costs and reliability, potential effects on insurance rates and public perception, and how to handle uninsured parties and disputes. Members expressed interest in further study rather than immediate implementation, including evaluating Norman’s actual response costs and potential billing scope. City staff will obtain Tulsa’s contract and operating data, investigate insurance impacts and other local information, and continue analysis, potentially using a full year of Tulsa data through December 31 before bringing the matter back. Council members also discussed directing any future revenue to the fire department and accounting for program administration costs.