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Licensees report inconsistent renewals, CO rejections and portal gaps to OMMA
Summary
Multiple licensees said OMMA's renewal and application processing has been inconsistent, citing rejected renewals over land-ownership verification, conflicting requirements for certificates of occupancy and problems with the licensing portal and inspection process.
At an OMMA public-comment meeting on Dec. 17, multiple license-holders described inconsistent application and renewal outcomes, rejected documentation and portal limitations that they said caused operational delays.
Lee Bayless, who identified himself as a grower operating under the name Big Bud, said his renewal was approved on May 13 but a subsequent renewal was rejected because compliance staff said his wife must be listed as the property owner on his business license. Bayless said Oklahoma real-estate law shows joint tenants have the right to use and possess the property and asked OMMA to permit husband-wife joint-tenancy documentation without requiring a license-owner name change.
"If my wife's name is on the property deed, she also has to be listed as the owner on your business license. But nowhere in the state statutes does it show that that's a requirement," Bayless said.
Several other speakers gave examples of inconsistent rejections. Christie O'Neil and other application consultants said they were managing dozens of applications returned for varied reasons, including GPS coordinates and requests for bonds or certificates of compliance that commenters said are no longer required. Brie Truitt and other speakers asked OMMA to add licensing-portal functionality to allow multiple points of contact, an authorized representative role and additional user roles such as compliance officer or auditor.
Shane Shriver described an F4 tornado on April 19, 2023, that destroyed his processing facility and said OMMA rejected a renewal for a facility without a certificate of occupancy despite documentation and follow-up from the City of Norman. Shriver said he provided a letter from the city stating a new certificate of occupancy was not required and that the city later told OMMA the license should be set back to active. He asked why OMMA had not reached out to licensees affected by severe weather with a recovery pathway.
Speakers asked OMMA staff for clearer, consistent interpretations of new rules and faster processing to avoid prolonged periods when licensees cannot operate legally. Several witnesses said inconsistent rejections and differing instructions from compliance staff created delays that harm small businesses.
Ending: Commenters asked OMMA to clarify documentation requirements for land ownership and certificates of occupancy, update the licensing portal to accommodate multiple contacts and authorized representatives, and to develop recovery guidance for businesses damaged in natural disasters.
