PRESS RELEASE — The City of Norman has nearly completed the first phase of a long-range plan to revitalize Porter Avenue, a busy commercial corridor in Central Norman. On Thursday, September 10 at 6:30 P.M., the Norman Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the plan to revitalize Porter in a way that encourages commercial development and supports the long-term health of adjacent residential neighborhoods. The public hearing will be held in City Council Chambers in the Municipal Building, 201 West Gray Street.

The Norman City Council will follow with a public hearing on the plan on Tuesday, September 22 at 6:30 P.M. Following public comments, the Council will consider the plan and take appropriate action. The Council meeting will also be held in City Council Chambers.

Susan Connors, Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Norman urges citizens to attend both public hearings. “From our perspective, there are substantial opportunities along Porter Avenue to improve aesthetic, economic, and social conditions for both residential and commercial property owners for years to come. We hope citizens will attend the public hearings and give us their input on the future of Porter Avenue.”

In March 2008, City Council designated a 60-block district along and around Porter Avenue as the Porter Corridor Plan area in response to growing disagreements between commercial and residential property owners about land uses. In doing so, the Council acknowledged that there was a significant opportunity to make Porter Avenue an attractive, pedestrian-friendly destination that attracts a healthy mix of land uses.

Over the past 15 months, guided by an 18-member stakeholder committee appointed by Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, the planning team led by the design firm Ochsner Hare & Hare of Kansas City, MO has thoroughly analyzed the mile-long corridor and conducted over 50 interviews with residential and commercial property owners in the area. In October 2008, the team held a three-day public Design Charrette to establish consensus about a vision and long-term goals and to articulate redevelopment options for Porter that were acceptable to the community. On May 20, over 150 people attended a public Open House at City Hall during which the planning team presented drawings and answered questions about the study and the future vision for the Porter Avenue Corridor.

For more information, contact Susan Atkinson, City of Norman, 405-366-5392.

Board Officers Elected; VOK at the Forum for Democratic Action, Sept. 3; Call for Volunteers; FCC Update

From NewsOK:

The Oklahoma City Fire Department will not have to pay nearly $9,000 worth of citations from fire trucks that failed to pay toll fees while using a turnpike during non-emergency situations.

However, future use could cost the department, according to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Between June 5 and Aug. 20, the fire department received 138 turnpike violations for a total of $8,700, Battalion Chief Brian Stanaland said.

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From The Journal Record:

Police investigators and other Oklahoma City municipal staff are struggling to untangle a mess of grant records in the city’s Weed and Seed program, some of which have already raised serious concerns, Police Chief Bill Citty said.

“It’s not ‘possibly’ anymore – there’s problems with the management of those grants,” Citty said. “And there’s a lot to go through in this investigation.” Citty said city officials are busy “reconciling a lot of these receipts and figuring out where all of it went to.”

In a conversation with newspaper reporters Friday, Citty confirmed two Oklahoma City employees have been temporarily removed from their jobs while police investigate the administration and documentation of the city’s Weed and Seed program. He would not identify those two people, but the name of one has already been confirmed: Ed Martin, the program manager.

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From NewsOK:

Oklahoma City is the latest government agency refusing to release employee birth dates, despite arguments they are open records under state law.

Open government advocates say birth dates are on the front lines of the national battle for open records partially because of fears over identity theft. Those fears aren’t backed up with statistics or even anecdotal evidence showing public records are a source for identity thieves, experts said.

The city denied a request from The Oklahoman last week for the birth date of Ed Martin, director of the city’s Weed and Seed program.

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From The Norman Transcript:

In a state governed by Democrats practically since statehood, Oklahoma Republicans have made huge gains, especially over the last decade.

The GOP snatched control of the Oklahoma House in 2004 for the first time in 80 years and the state Senate for the first time ever in 2008.

Now, with at least four Democrats leaving statewide offices in 2010, Republicans have an opportunity, albeit a slim one, to take control of every statewide elected office.

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