Meeting Summary
📅 The City Council conference was held on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025.
Key Decisions & Votes
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Repeal of Peeping Tom Ordinance (Section 24-308): The Council discussed repealing the city's local peeping Tom ordinance (Section 24-308) to instead utilize the state statute (21 OS section 1171) for filing charges.
- Rationale: The current municipal ordinance is limited because municipal courts cannot handle felony cases and do not report convictions to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). This lack of record-keeping hinders the tracking of serial offenders, as highlighted by the case of Robert Howard Bruce, a serial rapist whose prior municipal peeping charges in Norman were untraceable. State law allows for felony charges and higher penalties (up to one year in county jail or a $5,000 fine, or both), and convictions are recorded by OSBI, aiding future investigations. Deputy Chief Jackson emphasized that many serial sexual assault offenders have a history of peeping.
- Outcome: The Council agreed to repeal the local ordinance, directing staff to proceed with utilizing state law for peeping Tom offenses.
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Red Canyon Ranch Stormwater Infrastructure: The Council discussed issues concerning a private stormwater detention pond in the Red Canyon Ranch development, located northeast of Norman near Tecumseh and 12th Avenue Northeast.
- Concerns: The detention pond, owned by the Red Canyon Ranch Property Owners Association (HOA), has accumulated an estimated 75,000 cubic feet of silt, significantly reducing its capacity. Additionally, an unauthorized "V" cut was made in the concrete outfall structure, altering its designed drainage flow and potentially causing water to discharge faster than intended. These issues raise concerns for adjacent property owners (the Wilsons and the Bells) regarding potential flooding.
- Legal & Financial Aspects: The city has no direct responsibility as the infrastructure is on private property. While affected homeowners could seek injunctive relief for ordinance violations, they currently lack "damages" for a negligence claim. The city's engineering design criteria (5001.3 and 5001.4) require property owners to maintain stormwater infrastructure and prohibit unauthorized alterations. If the city performs maintenance due to non-compliance, the method for collecting costs from the HOA is unclear, as there is no lien provision similar to those for weeds and trash. The developer currently controls the HOA until approximately 2030.
- Outcome: The Council directed staff to formally notify the HOA and developer of the required maintenance and repairs (silt removal, V-notch repair), allowing them an opportunity to resolve the issues before considering further action, such as litigation.
Agenda Summary Table
| Agenda Item | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion regarding the elimination of section 24-308, peeping Toms from the code of ordinances of the city of Norman in order to utilize title 21-1171 of the Oklahoma statutes for filing charges. | Discussion on repealing the local peeping Tom ordinance to utilize state statute for charges, enabling better tracking of serial offenders. | ✅ Approved |
| Discussion regarding Red Canyon Ranch stormwater infrastructure. | Discussion on issues with the private stormwater detention pond at Red Canyon Ranch, including silt buildup and unauthorized alterations, impacting adjacent properties. | ➡️ Staff Directed |