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Residents accuse code officer of harassment; council hears complaints during public comment
Summary
Two residents told the council they have been harassed by a city code enforcement officer and disputed staff representations about their properties; one speaker said he may pursue legal action if the officer remains employed.
During the public comment period, residents spoke to the council alleging misconduct by a member of the city’s code enforcement staff.
Lawrence Owen Crossman (908 East South Avenue) told the council he and his family have been ‘‘harassed’’ and ‘‘tormented’’ by code enforcement and accused Jamie Clifton of entering his property, removing business signs, and making false statements to the council. Crossman said he reported trespassing and theft to police but was told ‘‘we can't do anything to city employees.’’ He told the council he would consult an attorney if Clifton remained employed.
Jennifer Watkins, who identified the same address as Crossman, corroborated some of his statements and said she had a 19‑minute phone conversation with Clifton where she explained plans for a privacy fence and a timeline for moving a personal hot tub. Watkins said Clifton’s testimony to council that ‘‘there has been no effort to clean up the property’’ was untrue.
Council did not take formal action on the allegations during the meeting; council members and staff acknowledged the comments. Staff later answered procedural questions about the condemnation process during a related agenda item. Crossman also claimed tribal jurisdiction under McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020) for potential court filings; council did not render a legal determination in the meeting.
