June 11, 2025 City Council Meeting

📅 Announcements & Upcoming Events

• Juneteenth Festival: 📅 Thursday, June 19th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Reeves Park. This community celebration fosters inclusion and unity with music, food, and fireworks.
• Pollinator Week: 📅 June 16th through June 22nd, 2025. Residents are encouraged to learn more about pollinators and how to support them at greennorman.org. The Green Norman Facebook page and website will post daily pollinator facts.
• Natural History Week: 📅 June 29th through July 5th, 2025. Visit the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History to celebrate Oklahoma's prehistoric heritage. A special celebration for Aquilops Americanus (featured in Jurassic World Rebirth) will be held on 📅 July 19th, 2025.
• FY26 Budget Adoption: The city's Fiscal Year 2026 budget was adopted earlier today. Replays of the adoption meeting and prior budget hearings are available on the City of Norman YouTube channel. A high-level summary is available in the City Manager's letter.
• Robinson Street Update: Roadway and pipe removal is underway. Work on laying new equipment and pipe is anticipated to begin mid-next week, dependent on dry weather conditions.
• Pride Month: Happy Pride Month! The "Queer Joy Exuberant Exhibition" concluded, raising $2,612 and paying $1,050 to artists and performers.
• Second Friday Art Walk: This Friday, June 6th, 2025. Council Member Nash recommends visiting "Spiritual but not Religious" by Curtis Jones at Main Site.
• Farmers Market: Continues this Saturday at The Well.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Proclamation of Juneteenth Day: The City Council unanimously acknowledged receipt of the Mayor's proclamation declaring Thursday, June 19th, 2025, as Juneteenth Day in the City of Norman. The proclamation highlighted the historical significance of Juneteenth and the upcoming festival at Reeves Park.
• Proclamation of Pollinator Week: The City Council unanimously acknowledged receipt of the Mayor's proclamation designating June 16th through June 22nd, 2025, as Pollinator Week. The proclamation emphasized the vital role of pollinators in agriculture and ecosystems.
• Proclamation of Natural History Week: The City Council unanimously acknowledged receipt of the Mayor's proclamation declaring June 29th through July 5th, 2025, as Natural History Week, celebrating the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and the Aquilops Americanus fossil.
• Consent Docket Approval: Items 4 through 19 were unanimously approved as part of the consent docket, covering various routine administrative and operational matters.

💰 Financial Matters

• The FY26 budget was adopted earlier in the day. Citizens are encouraged to review the City Manager's letter for a high-level overview or watch the meeting replays for detailed information on city spending and revenue.
• During public comments, concerns were raised regarding the city's finances, specifically advocating for the continuation of a comprehensive audit plan (FY25-FY27) by a forensic auditor. Allegations were made about past wasteful contracts and the diversion of legacy funds intended for infrastructure projects like gutters, sidewalks, and lighting that were promised decades ago.

Public Comments

• Evan shared various thoughts, including tips for interacting with pollinators, suggesting a "Dust Bowl" themed bowl game and history museum for OU, and reading excerpts from a book by Donald Trump on success principles.
• Sheryl Ann Denzel expressed concern over perceived resistance to the findings of a forensic auditor hired by the city. She urged the council to continue the comprehensive audit plan for FY25-FY27, emphasizing the auditor's role in saving taxpayer dollars and ensuring accountability. She questioned the allocation of funds from legacy projects over the past 25-30 years, citing unfulfilled promises for infrastructure in certain city areas.

Agenda Summary Table