NEGOTIATION. KOCO COLBY TERRELL BRINGS US UP TO SPEED. A GROUP OF DOWNTOWN NORMAN BUSINESSES SAYS THEY’RE BANDING TOGETHER AND ASKING THE CITY TO CLOSE THE NEARBY HOMELESS SHELTER. BUT THE OPERATORS OF THAT SHELTER SAY THEY DON’T THINK THAT WILL MAKE THEIR PROBLEMS GO AWAY. WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO DISCUSS AMENDMENTS TO THE CONTRACT AND THAT CONTRACT, ONCE IT’S FINALIZED BETWEEN THE CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WILL HAVE TO GO TO A VOTE OF CITY COUNCIL. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, LOCAL BUSINESSES WANT NORMAN CITY COUNCIL TO CLOSE THE EMERGENCY SHELTER INSTEAD, WHILE THEY LOOK FOR A NEW LOCATION. THOSE BUSINESSES IN DOWNTOWN ARE SENDING THIS PETITION TO THE CITY, ASKING THEM TO CLOSE IT. IN THE 30 DAYS AFTER JULY 2ND, THE SHELTER SAYS THEY DON’T THINK THAT’S GOOD FOR NORMAN. IT REALLY JUST EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM. IN MULTIPLE FACEBOOK POSTS, THESE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO SIGN ON AND SEND IT TO THE CITY BEFORE THEY VOTE. THEY SAY IT’S BEEN DIFFICULT TO DO BUSINESS AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE DISRUPTIONS FOR BUSINESS AS WELL AS AN INCREASED SAFETY RISK. FOOD AND SHELTER WHO OPERATES A FRIENDS HOUSE, SAYS THEY GET IT. I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF OUR THE NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES AROUND THE SHELTER AND THE OPTICS OF HOMELESSNESS JUST IN AND OF ITSELF. BUT THEY DON’T AGREE THAT THAT THIS LOCATION SHOULD BE CLOSED, EVEN THOUGH THEY DO WANT IT IN A NEW PLACE. EVENTUALLY CLOSING THE SHELTER DOESN’T DOESN’T MAKE THAT BETTER. IT’LL ONLY REALLY MAKE IT WORSE. IT’LL BE 52 PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN AND IN NEARBY PARKS, WITH NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. IT’S UNCLEAR WHEN THAT VOTE WILL BE, BUT CITY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO DISCUSS THE CONTRACT AHEAD OF THEIR NEXT GENERAL M
Norman businesses rallying to have city close homeless shelter
A group of Norman businesses say they’re banding together and asking the city to close a nearby homeless shelter, but the operators of the shelter said they don’t think that will make their problems go away.
Updated: 10:35 AM CDT Jul 6, 2024
A group of Norman businesses say they’re banding together and asking the city to close a nearby homeless shelter, but the operators of the shelter said they don’t think that will make their problems go away.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.“We are in the middle of working with the city attorney’s office to discuss amendments to the contract. And that contract, once it’s finalized between the city attorney’s office and our board of directors, will have to go to a vote of city council,” said April Doshier, executive director of Food and Shelter, Inc.And when that happens, local businesses want the Norman City Council to close the emergency shelter instead while they look for a new location.Those downtown Norman businesses are sending a petition to the city, asking them to close the shelter 30 days from July 2. The shelter said they don’t think that’s good for Norman.“It really just exacerbates the problem,” Doshier said.>> Download the KOCO 5 AppIn multiple Facebook posts, the business owners are encouraging people to sign on and send it to the city before they vote.They said it’s been difficult to do business and that there have been multiple disruptions for the businesses, as well as an increased safety risk.“I understand the concerns of the neighboring businesses around the shelter and the optics of homelessness just in and of itself,” Doshier said.But they don’t agree that this location should be closed even though they do want to move to a new place eventually.“Closing the shelter doesn’t really make that better; it’ll only really make it worse. It’ll be 52 people who are outside downtown and in nearby parks with nowhere else to go,” Doshier said.It’s unclear when that vote will be, but the city council is expected to discuss the contract ahead of their next general meeting, scheduled for July 9. Top HeadlinesFireworks light up the skies across the US as Americans endure searing heat to celebrate July FourthOHP responds to 3 drownings so far on Oklahoma lakes during Fourth of JulyAmber Alert issued for 2 missing children from TulsaI-35 narrowed to one lane at I-44 due to crashWhat items are included in Oklahoma’s grocery tax cut? What to know
A group of Norman businesses say they’re banding together and asking the city to close a nearby homeless shelter, but the operators of the shelter said they don’t think that will make their problems go away.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
“We are in the middle of working with the city attorney’s office to discuss amendments to the contract. And that contract, once it’s finalized between the city attorney’s office and our board of directors, will have to go to a vote of city council,” said April Doshier, executive director of Food and Shelter, Inc.
And when that happens, local businesses want the Norman City Council to close the emergency shelter instead while they look for a new location.
Those downtown Norman businesses are sending a petition to the city, asking them to close the shelter 30 days from July 2. The shelter said they don’t think that’s good for Norman.
“It really just exacerbates the problem,” Doshier said.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App
In multiple Facebook posts, the business owners are encouraging people to sign on and send it to the city before they vote.
They said it’s been difficult to do business and that there have been multiple disruptions for the businesses, as well as an increased safety risk.
“I understand the concerns of the neighboring businesses around the shelter and the optics of homelessness just in and of itself,” Doshier said.
But they don’t agree that this location should be closed even though they do want to move to a new place eventually.
“Closing the shelter doesn’t really make that better; it’ll only really make it worse. It’ll be 52 people who are outside downtown and in nearby parks with nowhere else to go,” Doshier said.
It’s unclear when that vote will be, but the city council is expected to discuss the contract ahead of their next general meeting, scheduled for July 9.
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