In a meeting lasting 4 1/2 hours with and with more than a hundred people filling into their chambers, Norman’s City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to accept elements of the Storm Water Master Plan and the Greenway Master plan.

Most people who spoke at the meeting were in favor of acceptance.

In a university-wide email, Trent Brown said that the Environmental Health and Safety Office at OU is in support of the plan.

The Chamber of Commerce and Norman developers voiced opposition to the plan. They recommended the city acknowledge receipt of the plan, but not accept it.

Even those in opposition acknowledged the need for a solution.

“A viable storm water master plan is a must for the City of Norman,” said Harold Heiple, an attorney representing the Norman Developers Council.

“Our concern is that this is up for acceptance and tomorrow everything will go forward,” said Wanda Frost, who represented the Builders Association of South Central Oklahoma.

The underlying values of the plan are to comply with the 2025 land use act, the preservation of water quality at Lake Thunderbird and the protection of private property from flooding, said Shawn O’Leary, director of public works.

The first step now that the plan has been accepted will be to form a committee of people to work with the city to define for Norman what the storm water plan will look like, O’Leary said.

“I hope that as a community we will come together and really try to work out these issues that are everyone’s concern,” Councilmember Tom Kovach said of the storm water plan.

The council also decided with a vote of 6-3 to increase the contract amount with a private firm for the Porter Avenue Corridor Project.

The amount of $89,800 will be paid to Ochsner, Hare and Hare, the private firm that put together the Porter Avenue Corridor Plan that passed on Sept. 22, to develop schematic designs for the area, Susan Connors planning director said.

Councilmemembers in opposition were Alan Atkins, Tom Kovach and Hal Ezzell.

Kovach said he had philosophical problems with paying a firm to develop designs for a project with so many questions left unanswered. He compared the act to putting the cart before the horse, or “like securing a decorator before buying a house.”

Councilmember Hal Ezzell voiced concern that they would be paying an independent firm to develop designs that someone on staff might be able to do.

Connors said that the planning commission didn’t have anyone on staff capable of drawing the designs but said she didn’t know if anyone on the rest of city staff could.

Councilmember Carol Dillingham said that she was also concerned with spending too much on outside firm, but, she said “I don’t think this is an instance where that is true.”

The council also voted unanimously to accept the mayor’s appointments to the Children’s Rights Coordinating Commission, the Environmental Control Advisory Board, the Historic District Commission, the Norman Regional Hospital Authority, the Planning Commission, the Social and Voluntary Services Commission and the Tree Board.

The council also accepted $1,001,400 from the U.S. Department of Justice for the Utilities Department to replace aeration blower motors and boilers at the wastewater treatment plan.

The council also voted unanimously to increase the number of new speed bumps from 27 to 41 and to decrease the number of remediated speed bumps from 37 to 10.

They also voted unanimously to add six benches and 10 shelters to CART bus stops. Included in the amendment was a requirement that all new bus stops be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Association’s guidelines.