Norman council unanimously accepts JAG grant, revises historic COA rules and hires city attorney

The Norman City Council on Jan. 14 unanimously approved acceptance of a $46,700 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant allocation, adopted changes to the cityhistoric certificate of appropriateness procedures, approved an ordinance fixing the city attorneycompensation and authorized an employment contract for Ricky J. Knighton II.

The grant hearing and votes took place after a public hearing was opened and closed with no public speakers. Chief Foster of the Norman Police Department described the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant as a recurring, formula-based award: "We get it every year. It's a formula based grant. They just base it off your crime rates and your population," he said, adding Norman's share will largely fund crime-scene processing equipment, cameras, scales and training. The council voted to accept the total grant award of $46,700 that will be shared with Moore Police Department and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office; Norman's portion was listed in the packet as $30,205.

In separate action, the council unanimously adopted ordinance amendments to streamline the historic district certificate of appropriateness (COA) application and notification process. Anna Eastar, historic preservation officer in the City of Norman Planning Department, told council the changes consolidate application requirements, set a consistent submission deadline tied to the first business day of the month, add a deadline for COA amendment requests, and allow the historic preservation officer to grant a six-month extension to an approved COA. "These amendments will align the historic district certificate of appropriateness application and notification process with other planning request processes," Eastar said.

Council members approved an ordinance on final reading that fixes the compensation of the city attorney and then approved a separate employment contract for Ricky J. Knighton II to serve as city attorney. During miscellaneous comments, Maimee Windler asked about comparative compensation and historical pay levels for previous city attorneys; a second public commenter, Evan Dunn, offered general remarks of appreciation for staff and civic participation but did not contest the contract. The council voted unanimously on the compensation ordinance and on the contract; no roll-call dissents were recorded.

The consent docket listing routine items 1 through 14 was placed on the consent docket and approved by unanimous vote early in the meeting. Other council announcements during the session included notice of upcoming elections and community events, the award of a contract to Chalita (a Native American‑owned firm) to prepare the city's first community wildfire protection plan, and a report on fundraising by Norman North students, who raised $887,484.21 over four years for charitable recipients.

Votes at a glance

- Items 1(Consent docket, items 1through 14): Motion to place on consent docket and approve; outcome: approved unanimously. - Item 16 (Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant): Motion to accept the grant and approve related contract and budget appropriation; Norman's portion $30,205; outcome: approved unanimously. - Item 17 (Ordinance amending historic district COA procedures): Motion to adopt ordinance on final reading; outcome: adopted unanimously. Key changes: consolidated application references to 36-535(g)(9)(a), replaced a 24-calendar-day submission deadline with a first-business-day-of-the-month deadline, added a deadline for COA amendments, and authorized a six-month extension by the historic preservation officer. - Item 18 (Ordinance fixing city attorney compensation): Motion to adopt on final reading; outcome: adopted unanimously. Specific salary figures were discussed in public comment requests but the ordinance text as adopted was not read into the record in detail during the meeting notes. - Item 19 (Contract with Ricky J. Knighton II): Motion to approve employment contract for city attorney; outcome: approved unanimously.

Council action on each item was unanimous. The roll call at the start of the meeting recorded the following members present: Council member Ball; Council member Peacock; Council member Montoya; Council member Grant; Council member Nash; Council member Hinkle; Council member Holman; Council member Dixon; and Mayor Heikland.

Why it matters: The JAG funds will be applied to the Norman Police Department's crime‑scene processing and training budget lines; the historic district amendments change submission and amendment deadlines for property owners and give the historic preservation officer authority to grant extensions intended to reduce repeat appearances before the commission; and finalizing the city attorney's compensation and contract settles a key senior‑management appointment for the City of Norman.

The council adjourned after miscellaneous comments from residents and several council announcements.