I live in Norman and work in tax field. There is misinformation on one side and not producing enough on the other. Vote of the people is fine, but if you live in Norman, you know it won’t pass. Look how long it took to get a new city pool, the wellness center, and young family had to go outside city finances to get built. It may eventually pass, but seems to take years and several rounds of voting before it’s approved.
This is part of what I am harping about. I'd like to be educated with actual facts, numbers, data analysis.... more than what I've seen on the support side. I really don't care about looking at renderings. It does nothing for me.
But in our system of government, and that in Norman with a council/manager form of city government, the people's vote WAS heard when the City Council held public meetings and then voted to approve the project.
The City Council is the vote of the people in their ward with representative government. The people in each Ward voted for the council member to represent their voice.
I mean if the "public" doesn't like the vote, then change council members. What's next, a petition to change the vote on a street project? A zoning issue from residential to commercial? Granting of a maintenance contract? The public doesn't change those decisions by a petition to send it to a city-wide vote, nor should they on the UNP.
I completely understand we vote for council members, they rep us. However, the Norman (and many) town's laws allow for a process to petition for things. It's a mechanism that's there too. So, yes, we vote for councilors, and we also have processes that allow the citizens to do this. Obviously we'll see what the lawsuit from the developers does. Think the first hearing is very soon, maybe early next week?
Does the petition even happen if there hadn’t been petitions to remove the mayor and certain councilors in 2020?
And yeah, I doubt a vote even happens if the lawsuit occurs. OU would be smart to not have a lost vote on this project.
I doubt it. Everything has been so reactionaring from both sides for about 4 years. I'm frustrated in general with it. We've had soooo much turnover on the council level too. Every ward, every election.
you voting for the city council .. that is how our government works .. ... but if the petition is valid there will be a public vote .. if it wasn't there won't be ..
but this doesn't cost the people of norman anything ..
My understanding is that the city
could be on the hook for a significant amount of money if not every estimated projection comes through. That concerns me. I'd like to know more about that. I've failed to be convinced that the city will have no obligation if we dont get all the business they are saying it will generate. They city still would have spent money and be on the hook for future expenses of upkeep etc. I could be wrong on how I understand things. I do have decent insight into the construction side of it, and project budgeting, estimating, etc. Also concerned some with canabilization of other areas in town.
That's been a point I've tried to explain to people in town. If someone like myself is having a hard time being convinced its a good deal for Norman, I don't think the developers/pro-arena group are doing a good job of it. Because I'm listening, and I am 100% for growth and forward progress, hell my career depends on it haha. I don't care at all about renderings, they mean nothing in the big picture and often don't come to fruition. I'm a design engineer for a local consulting firm (hvac and plumbing are my areas), I have worked on many OU projects, including ones at LNC and the surrounding support infrastructure buildings. I can digest this stuff and they aren't doing a good of presenting it as a benefit for the city imho.
I do enjoy having civil discussion about this with you guys, thanks. Too much of Norman is just arguing over everything.
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