City Council Finance Committee Meeting

CITY OF NORMAN, OK CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING Municipal Building, Council Chambers, 201 West Gray, Norman, OK 73069 Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 4:00 PM MINUTES The City Council Finance Committee of the City of Norman, Cleveland County, State of Oklahoma, met at 4:00 pm in the Municipal Building Executive Conference Room on the 19th day of October, 2023, and notice of agenda of the meeting were posted in the Municipal Building at 201 West Gray, 24 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. CALL TO ORDER PRESENT Mayor Larry Heikkila Councilmember Ward 3 Bree Montoya ABSENT Councilmember Ward 6 Elizabeth Foreman OTHERS Councilmember Helen Grant Councilmember Stephen Holman Councilmember Michael Nash Councilmember Lauren Schueler Anthony Francisco, Director of Finance Kim Coffman, Budget Manager Jacob Huckabaa, Budget Technician Dannielle Risenhoover, Admin. Tech IV Shawn O'Leary, Director of Public Works Olivia McCourry, Norman Transcript Mayor Heikkila called the meeting to order at approximately 4:00 PM. AGENDA ITEMS 1. DISCUSSION REGARDING MONTHLY REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE REPORTS Director of Finance, Anthony Francisco gave the report. Francisco stated that the tax revenue for October was "flat" and the City is "a bit below" their projected revenue. Francisco stated that he would continue to monitor this. CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING - Thursday, October 19, 2023 Page |1 Francisco asked for direction regarding the School Resource Officer (SRO) program. Francisco's understanding is that Council would like to proceed with adding an agenda item to the November 14 Council meeting agenda. This item would relate to the consent to add the four SROs that are mandated by the Public Safety Sales Tax Two ordinance with no additional contribution from the Norman Public School (NPS) District. Councilmember Schueler stated, "I would like to see in conversations that we are going to negotiate with them (NPS) about the additional officers that we bring on. I don't want to get into a positions where we've said, 'Well, because the school district can't fund it, we're going to continue to fund those four without a cost share in perpetuity,' so I would like us to have those negotiating opportunities." Councilmember Grant stated, "I am uncomfortable with just getting this funded without having that MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) negotiated. There are some questions around the program that I feel maybe we could address in the MOU regarding things that I don't want to sweep under the rug which have come out from our community around some of the negative impacts with some SROs. I remember the school board talking about all of the positive ones, but it's really the negative ones that we should be looking to improve upon." Grant asked if the MOU could be negotiated before trying to fund the four additional SROs. Francisco replied, "In the renegotiation of the MOU for next fiscal year, we can certainly include that. It's basically every five years or so that we renegotiate the terms of what's in the MOU. On an annual basis we just talk about the amount of money, but we can certainly include that sort of concern this coming April for next fiscal year." Councilmember Holman stated, "I am still in the same position where I'd like to get the voter approved obligation taken care of, I'd like to not be paying overtime for having our existing SROs going around. If we were to approve going ahead with the four positions, I definitely would want that to be part of the yearly negotiation we have with NPS about the joint funding. I think when it comes to expanding the program, what I said to NPS was, 'I think that would take a voter approved expansion of the Public Safety Sales Tax (PSST). And if that's what people want then that's what they could vote on. I don't think there would be concern about it repealing the existing PSST. I would like to get these positions settled before next school year." Francisco advised the Committee, "Just remember if you add 13 or 23 additional police cars you're going to need one or two additional mechanics. There are other costs related to growing personnel. Just know that." Councilmember Grant and Councilmember Holman raised the question of if the additional SROs would each have to have a "take home," individually assigned, police car. Francisco stated, "Conceptually speaking, if the four (additional SROs) are supposed to be floating between 17 schools, they need a car. That's the concept anyway." Mayor Heikkila also replied with, "The way I've had it explained to me in the past is the reason police officers have to have a vehicle or unit with them is if they need to respond. If we had some kind of emergency where we were pulling everyone from everywhere, go back to the swatting incident at OU, they have to have a (police) vehicle." Shawn O'Leary stated, "I would look to the Police Chief to guide us on where they think they are with the current assignment of (police) vehicles. There's been extras in recent years because they've been down so many officers, but as they're filling back up, my understanding is that we're at the vehicle quota." CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING - Thursday, October 19, 2023 Page |2 Items for the record: Monthly Financial Reports ADJOURNMENT Mayor Heikkila adjourned the meeting at 4:30 PM. ATTEST: ______________________________ ______________________________ City Clerk Mayor CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING - Thursday, October 19, 2023 Page |3