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AM NewsBrief: Nov. 28, 2023

This is the KGOU AM NewsBrief for Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023.

Motel Near Bricktown To Be Converted Into Affordable Housing

The Oklahoma City Housing Authority is set to purchase an old Motel 6 to convert into affordable housing.

The first of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority’s MAPS4-funded homelessness reduction projects will include 75 motel rooms converted into studio apartments for low-income residents.

The units will be leased using a combination of project-based vouchers and Section 8 housing vouchers.

The old Motel 6 near Bricktown is being purchased for $3.75 million. An additional $2 million will be spent on renovations, which are estimated to take between nine and 12 months.

The MAPS4 homelessness reduction project has a total budget of more than $55 million to be spent on expanding affordable housing over the next several years.

OKC Heat Perception Survey

The office of sustainability for Oklahoma City is conducting a short survey on heat perception. StateImpact’s Britny Cordera reports the survey is continuing research for OKC’s urban heat island campaign.

OKC’s office of sustainability held a citizen science project over the summer where volunteers took temperature readings in different parts of the city. The project compares extreme heat in more urban areas with more rural ones.

Now, the city is conducting a survey that asks about the community’s experiences with extreme heat and how prepared they feel when temperatures are on the rise.

Sarah Terry-Cobo works for the city and led this summer’s campaign. She says the survey will help the sustainability office work with stakeholders and residents to develop an intervention guidebook.

“This is going to help inform policy and our programs that will help reduce these effects of urban heat island in the city and in particular on those who are most vulnerable," Terry-Cobo said.

She says the results for the campaign should come out later this month, and survey results should come out next spring.

Unpaid Tolls Prevent Oklahomans From Renewing Vehicle Registrations

Unpaid tolls are creating problems for thousands of Oklahoma drivers as they renew their vehicle registrations.

Visiting a tag agency for routine paperwork is already not a lot of fun. But, the nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Voice reports: there are extra headaches for thousands of Oklahomans who currently have frozen accounts due to unpaid tolls they may not even know about.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority will place a hold on drivers’ accounts for unpaid tolls and late fees that often rise.

OTA officials say when an issue is discovered, they work with customers to immediately remove the account hold, so long as that person agrees to pay the fees.

The problem is expected to get worse as the state implements cashless tolling on all its turnpikes. But the authority hopes higher fees with the PlatePay system will encourage drivers to buy a pikepass.

Mold Remediation Work Underway At Norman Central Library

The Norman Public Library Central is closed for at least five months due to mold issues.

Inspections and testing in the past two weeks found elevated mold levels in multiple areas on each floor of the library.

The city of Norman hired a disaster response contractor to clean and treat visible mold, and make repairs to prevent water intrusion.

The city says roof and envelope issues are the likely cause of water leaks.

The library is on West Acres, and opened four years ago.

The Central Library’s book return and MovieBox will also be closed during the mold remediation process.

Two library branches in Norman are open regular hours, and nine other locations in the Pioneer Library System are also available for library patrons.

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