The Okmulgee County Board of Commissioners met for their first regular meeting of the month following the holiday weekend. The meeting began with the usual prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the approval of minutes from the August 26 meeting.

Commissioners then moved on to approve the August officers’ reports from the Health Department and the County Clerk. Approved blanket purchase orders included: Emergency Management – Dildine Lawncare for $400; General Government – Dildine Lawncare for $600, Cookson Hills Publishers for $1,500; District 1 – Cintas (uniforms) for $800, S&H Auto for $1,000, Dollar General for $100; District 2 – RPI for $1,000, Cintas for $700, AutoZone for $250, O’Reilly’s for $250; District 3 – RPI for $500, Cintas for $900, O’Reilly’s for $900; Health Department – Amazon for $5,000 and MN for $500.

There were six approved utility permits, all for District 1: five for RWD#6 and one for RWD#2. Two District 3 private property agreements for tree removal and waterway cleanup were also approved.

The commissioners discussed ongoing renovations to the county’s courtrooms, approving an invitation to rebid for improvements to Courtroom 2. County Clerk Tonya Day reported that the initial bidding process had failed to yield any bids, requiring the county to restart the process. Judge Deborah Reheard provided a brief update on the courtroom progress, noting that the removal of the bulkhead over the clerk’s desk was scheduled for the coming week.

The commissioners also approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Muscogee Nation regarding county road work.

Later, the board approved using the Use Tax Fund to replace the overhead door at the District 1 barn for $3,732.61, as well as a 324A claim for the Bristlecone Rd. project. They also voted to surplus and dispose of some items and equipment from District 1.

Then, the board heard the weekly inventory and management reports.

Jamie Steph, Executive Assistant for the Board of County Commissioners, reported that most offices have submitted their required reports, with the exception of District 2. They also mentioned that the Court Clerk’s office and the Health Department are working to get their reports completed.

Okmulgee EM Director Jeff reported that the FEMA grant for the 300 Road project has moved to its final step, with the road mitigation process nearing completion. Director Moore also discussed the outdoor warning siren project, noting that Okmulgee County is the first in the state to utilize the new FEMA GO program for this grant, though there have been some hiccups at the federal level that have caused delays. His full report can be read in Friday’s edition.

Under New Business, the commissioners approved the use of county Use Tax funds to address road repairs in the county, with Commissioner Erik Zoellner requesting to use $125,000 in use tax dollars to match a REAP grant for road resurfacing projects in District 1.

The commissioners have also scheduled a special meeting for next Tuesday at 9 a.m. to specifically address radio communication problems across the county.