Parks director outlines options for roughly $11 million in potential Norman Ford leftovers

Parks Director Jason told the Norman City Council conference on Feb. 24 that conservative financial projections show the Norman Ford program could leave about $11 million in unspent funds when the program winds down.

"Taking off the final number we have over here, which is a $22,700,000, we come up with, there could be about 11,000,000 ish dollars left over when we get to the end of Norman Ford," Jason said during his presentation.

The presentation reviewed projects already completed under Norman Ford and listed five projects not yet at substantial completion: Canadian River Park, Saxon Park, new neighborhood-park development, neighborhood-park renovations and trail development. Jason said staff will work with the Parks Board and the City Financial Oversight Board (CFOB) to bundle council priorities into a package for committee or study-session review before final decisions.

Why it matters: Norman Ford funds are restricted by ordinance to parks projects, so any remaining balance must be spent on eligible activities. Council members pressed staff on how soon they should expect to pick priorities and whether some of the money should be reserved for maintenance rather than new construction.

Staff-proposed uses and cost estimates

- Land acquisition: Jason suggested buying state-owned acreage at Sutton Wilderness or other state parcels as a long‑term land bank for future park development, citing a rough estimate of about $3 million for a purchase.

- New park land options: Staff identified two potential sites for a new park: the old North Water Treatment Plant (owned by the utilities enterprise) and a centrally located state-owned parcel. Jason estimated 40–60 acres would be needed and roughly $2.5 million to acquire such land, and he said the utilities fund would need to be made whole if the utility sells property to the city.

- Adult Wellness & Education Center addition: The center was built for about $14 million after cost increases; Jason said adding the multipurpose gym that was cut during initial construction would cost roughly $2.5 million in design and soft costs to complete.

- Playground and accessibility work: Staff estimated a replacement playground at about $700,000 and surrounding accessibility and infrastructure (lighting, sidewalks) at about $1,000,000 if grant funding is not received. Reeves Park upgrades and a Miracle Field ADA surface were estimated at roughly $1.0 million (kids space) plus about $1.5 million for the Miracle Field surface.

- Andrews Park: Jason proposed building a pond with stormwater benefits and a restroom at Andrews Park, estimating combined survey, engineering, pond/stormwater construction and a restroom at about $2,750,000.

- Griffin Park: A new accessible playground at Griffin Park was estimated at about $750,000 with a public restroom addition costing about $500,000 to serve multiple park uses.

- Young Family Athletic Center (YFAC): Jason said discussions with YFAC include adding a weight-room facility estimated at $4,000,000; YFAC indicated it would split the cost if the city can provide about $2,000,000. Jason also noted a guest‑tax–backed bond tied to YFAC reduces available guest-tax capacity (he described roughly $400,000 in annual debt service and a remaining payoff on that bond of about $2.4 million).

Grants and funding caveats

Jason said the department applied for a TSEC grant of about $600,000 to help pay for kids-space work (two years of $300,000 each) and expects a decision next month. He cautioned that the city should not use Norman Ford funds to alter a construction project currently the subject of mediation or litigation; staff said doing so could jeopardize evidence and liability claims.

Council response and next steps

Council members asked staff to circulate a ranked list of priorities and recommended holding a portion of any excess for maintenance and life-cycle needs. One council member noted Andrews Park’s lack of a public restroom and urged prioritizing that item. Another council member reminded the group that "excess funds in Norman Ford can only be spent on Norman Ford projects," underscoring the legal limits on use.

Jason said staff will collect council priorities, coordinate with CFOB and the Parks Board, and return with a packaged recommendation to a study session or appropriate committee.

The conference adjourned after the presentation.