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Norman council approves two OTAA contracts amid wide public protest
Summary
The Norman City Council voted 7–2 March 24 to approve two agreements with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority covering relocation or abandonment of four city water wells and coordinated construction/drainage work for 36th Avenue Northwest. The votes came after hours of public comment demanding delay, environmental study and legal clarity.
The Norman City Council on March 24 approved two contracts with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority that city staff say accelerate planned upgrades and avoid duplicative construction — but which residents said effectively sell the city’s leverage to the turnpike authority.
Assistant City Attorney Beth Muckla told council K-2526-139 would require OTAA to design and pay 100% of the construction costs for city right-of-way impacts and to fund relocation of four water wells; city staff said the OTAA agreed to $8.95 million for well relocation while the city’s net waterline obligation would be about $1.964 million. “They are also going to be responsible to cover 100% of design costs … and will pay 100% of the relocation cost of the water wells,” Muckla said during her presentation.
Why it matters: city staff argued the deals save money and reduce future disruption by combining the city’s 36th Avenue Northwest project with OTAA’s East–West Connector construction, using OTAA’s earlier schedule and avoiding separate excavations. Opponents said the…
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