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"Commish Cindy's Comments" is an update about Grant County District 2's current and completed projects. In addition, the editorial includes important imformation about the state of the district including projects, topics of interest, upcoming events and other activities. January 7, 2010 - "Farewell to The NCR"
“In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.” Saying farewell to 2009 was not a big deal; however, to say farewell to The North Central Reporter newspaper and Editor/Publisher Korina Schneider is an entirely different emotion. Grant County is losing the best source of factual news, the best newspaper, the best reporter and the best supporter of education in the classroom. I doubt that this award-winning newspaper can ever be replaced. The fact is The North Central Reporter always reported news in an impartial and balanced form and that is rare in the newspaper arena. Stories were well written with research and facts checked time and time again. On the very few occasions that something was misstated, corrections were immediately printed on the front page not buried within the paper. The first thing I always read was Korina’s editorial “Clue Me In”. Words definitely have meanings and when she put words together to write a column, wow – just wow! Additionally, I will miss “It’s a Wonderful Life” by Shari England each week. Week after week I was encouraged and reminded that indeed there is a bigger plan for each and everyone of us. Some say it is not ‘politically correct’ to reveal you are a Christian let alone to allow a public newspaper to print such articles. God bless America and God bless us all. And of course, if you are an outdoor enthusiast then you also had to read “See you out there …” by Tom Horn. He not only wrote about hunting he also enlightened me about other important issues of the day. As with so many things, that time has come for me to also say thank you to my many loyal and faithful readers. I appreciate each and every one of you and for the many times you have called just to let me know that Grant County is moving in the right direction. After all, information is power. The more information you know the better understanding you have about government and how it works. The last articles posted on the Grant County District 2 website were from April 2009. I will be getting this site updated so that you may continue to keep abreast of what is going on in Grant County. The address is www.grantdistrict2.com. “A Friendship that's sincere is true. Gives joy like nothing else will do; December 29, 2009 - "NACo Transportation Issues"
The snow storm that came across Oklahoma on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day has been, is today and will continue to plague county roads and county road district budgets. Fortunately, Grant County was not as hard hit as the southern counties. The largest snow amounts were in the southeast corner of the county, therefore, District 2 crews were out working early Saturday, December 26th busting snow drifts and working to get roads open to the country residents. All three road districts have been and will continue to work clearing snow this week. Having the opportunity to serve on the National Association of Counties (NACo) as the Oklahoma board member and attend quarterly meetings I would like to keep you abreast of these forums. The first of December I was in Santa Rosa, California attending the Fall NACo Board of Directors’ Meeting. The following is a quick update on critical issues that NACo is lobbying Congress to include in the development of the transportation reauthorization legislation (TEA-21). These are just a few of the issues that I feel directly goes to the heart of Oklahoma counties and county commissioners. Ethanol – The 2.5 cents of the tax on ethanol-based fuels that currently goes into the General Fund should be transferred to the Highway Trust Fund and the General Fund should reimburse the Highway Trust Fund for the 5.3 cent subsidy of ethanol-based fuels. (User taxes should go directly for maintenance and operations to the tax was generated.) Environmental Streamlining – There should be a tiered approach to environmental permitting depending on size/scope of the project:
All federal permitting agencies must coordinate and proceed concurrently to minimize delay in project approval. Mandates – Federal mandates attached to highway and transit funding should be Planning/Funding Allocation Process – The planning and funding allocation process needs to be strengthened. Counties should be considered as equal partners in the federal surface transportation program. The process must be strengthened to ensure that county governments, both urban and rural, are consulted and treated as equal partners with the state governments in the planning, funding allocation, and other decision-making processes. Surface Transportation Program – The Surface Transportation Program (STP) should be continued with the goal of providing maximum funding to county governments with a minimum of interference by state officials concerning spending decisions. Rural Transportation Safety Program – A new program should be created that would spend federal highway funds for safety purposes on rural two-land highways. These are the most dangerous roads in America in terms of fatalities. Funding for this program should be $1 billion annually. As always, if you have any comments, questions or concerns about NACo and/or Grant County issues please call me at 580-395-2859 or stop by the shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford. For District 2 road concerns, I may be reached on my cell at 580-541-8950 or you may contact Robert Moss, Foreman, at 580-541-8953. Respectfully submitted, December 15, 2009 - "How the Wheels Got Turning"
A Historical Perspective on American Roads The following is background on the history on American automobiles and American roads that I found very interesting and thought might also be interesting to you, the constituents of Grant County. Please enjoy. The history of the automobile covers over one hundred years – learn about the inventors and famous car models, view time lines or read about the first gasoline powered car. Over a century ago, steamships, canals, railroads, and the telegraph were up and running. They were the technological marvels of the 19th century-- setting the stage for the 20th century. Yet the invention that would spark a revolution in transportation was a simple two-wheeler. The bicycle, its popularity in the 1880s and 1890s spurred interest in the nation's roads. On October 3, 1893, General Roy Stone, a Civil War hero and good roads advocate, was appointed Special Agent in charge of the new Office of Road Inquiry (ORI) within the Department of Agriculture. With a budget of $10,000, ORI promoted new rural road development to serve the wagons, coaches, and bicycles on America's dirt roads. At this same time, two bicycle mechanics in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Duryea Brothers, built the first gasoline-powered "motor wagon" to be operated in the United States. Lacking any brakes on its historic first run in September 1893 (a.k.a the Cherokee Land Run of 1983), the vehicle was brought to a stop by simply driving it into a curb. The Duryea Brothers' success was little noted at the time, but it got the wheels turning for the introduction of the automobile, which would literally change the landscape of America. (Two other bicycle mechanics, brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, would launch the aviation revolution at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in December 1903.) In 1908, Henry Ford introduced his low-priced, highly efficient Model T. Its widespread popularity created pressure for the federal government to become more directly involved in road development. With rural interests adding to the battle cry of "Get the farmers out of the mud!" Congress passed the Federal- Aid Road Act of 1916. It created the Federal-Aid Highway Program under which funds were made available on a continuous basis to state highway agencies to assist in road improvements. But before the program could get off the ground, the United States entered World War I. Things took off again in the Roaring 20s when the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR), as ORI was then called, was authorized by the Federal Highway Act of 1921 to provide funding to help state highway agencies construct a paved system of two-lane interstate highways. During the 1930s, BPR helped state and local governments create Depression-era road projects that would employ as many workers as possible. When America entered World War II in 1941, the focus turned toward providing roads that the military needed. After the war, the nation's roads were in disrepair, and congestion had become a problem in major cities. In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had signed legislation authorizing a network of rural and urban express highways called the "National System of Interstate Highways." Unfortunately, the legislation lacked funding. It was only after President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 that the Interstate program got under way. From the start, the Interstate System was hailed as the "Greatest Public Works Project in History" – a challenge embraced by several generations of highway engineers. But even more challenges were forthcoming. In the 1960s, BPR began to focus increasingly on environmental concerns and on creating urban road networks that tied into other land-use plans and transportation options, including mass transit. By 1966, the changing times prompted legislation to establish the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). When the new department opened in April 1967, BPR, renamed the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), was one of the original components. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, FHWA worked with the states to open 99 percent of the designated 42,800-mile Interstate System – now officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. Of course, there are also wide networks of state highways systems as well as county and city highway systems that each entity is responsible for. As always, for Grant County concerns please stop by my district shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call me at the shop office at 580-395-2859. Additionally, for any District 2 road district concerns please call me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, Foreman, at 580-541-8953. December 8 , 2009 - "Do It Anyway"
DO IT ANYWAY People are often unreasonable, Mother Teresa certainly has a way with words, words that definitely have meaning to me. Her poem, Do It Anyway, correlated to serving others and doing what is right and in the best interest for your life and for your job. To effectively carry out the role of county commissioner requires making decisions. To make good decisions, a commissioner needs good information. Gathering the necessary data and statistics requires time by the commissioner and/or support staff. Regularly scheduled meetings, special sessions, and public hearings are also an important part of county commissioners’ job. As commissioners we do listen to the concerns of the citizens but in the end tough decisions can sometimes also be unpopular decisions. Unfunded mandates and the devolution of responsibilities from other levels of state and federal government are ongoing concerns. Currently, the economic slowdown and the subsequent shortfall in county revenues, is of major concern. Taxes and fees are the most common way that governments raise revenue and these types of increases are not generally popular with citizens. Another approach to increase revenue would be through economic development and growth. My desire is that as your county commissioner I can leave a legacy of good works and make an impact on people’s lives. Serving you as county commissioner has allowed me to be at the closest level of government to the people and one that provides the greatest challenge. As a result, I plan to take the advice of Mother Teresa and ‘do it anyway.’ As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you have about Grant County. The shop is located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford and the telephone number is 580-395-2859. You may also contact me with any District 2 road concerns on my cell number at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
December 1 , 2009 - "Day-to-Day Service"
Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat The origins of individual nursery rhymes often reflect events in history. Many of the words and lyrics were used to parody the royalty and politicians of the day, direct dissent could be punishable by death! Knowledge of English history and the English language undoubtedly assisted in the analysis of the lyrics and origins of nursery rhymes. The lyrics of “Christmas is Coming” were to associate the Christmas feast with geese which were traditional English Christmas fayre. The meaning that was conveyed to a child was that the festive period was where each should give to charity, according to their means...even if they could only give their blessing! Strange how events in history are now remembered through children’s nursery rhymes. All this makes me speculate about what the court jesters would have said with reference to me being a public official. I would like to hope that it would be one of service for the good of the people. Service to me does not have to be of the Mother Teresa missionary variety but rather the day-to-day service. Examples to me are the members of the military who are fighting for our American freedoms, teachers who are educating and challenging the next generation of American’s intellectual growth, parents who sacrifice their own comfort and pleasure so their children will have a better life in America, and priest, ministers, rabbi and all member of religious clergy who guide us spiritually so we, as Americans, may continue the freedom to humbly serve our Lord. Therefore, during this Season of Advent I respectfully dedicate my day-to-day service to the people of Grant County and I pray it will be pleasing to my Savior Jesus Christ. As always, please feel free to stop by the District 2 shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call the office at 580-395-2859 for any concerns about Grant County. For District 2 road concerns you may also reach me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
November 23, 2009 - "Grant County Prescription Drug Discount Card"
"A little rebellion now and then ... Grant County is a mere 18 weeks into utilizing the National Association of Counties (NACo) Prescription Drug Discount Card Program. Thirty-two county residents have successfully used the card to fill multiple prescriptions. Discounts on prescriptions for these Grant County residents ranged from 12.5 percent to 21.23 percent representing over $450 in actually cash savings. Nine out of ten pharmacies nationwide accept the card. The card is free, there is no enrollment form, no membership fee and the card can be used immediately. There are no restrictions and no limits on how many times you may use your card. The card is simple to use and is a joint effort of Grant County, NACo and Caremark. If you or your family members have not taken advantage of this card, please stop by District 2 shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford to pick up your card today. These Prescription Drug Discount Cards may also be picked up at Commissioner Max Hess District 1 Shop located at 318 N. Elm in Wakita, Commissioner Jerry Shaffer District 3 Shop located at 416 W. Dogwood in Pond Creek or at the Grant County Courthouse in Room 104 located at 112 E Guthrie in Medford. With increased unemployment, under-employment, budget cuts and no immediate end in sight for the recession, why wouldn’t you want to see if this card would help you to keep your hard earned money in your own pocket! As always, for any District 2 road concerns please call me at the shop at 580-395-2859 or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
November 17, 2009 - "New Signage for Lamont Cemetery and Road"
“It is more agreeable to have the power to give than to receive.” Miguel Gonzales, along with other Boy Scouts from Troop 55, spent last Saturday placing signs and bridge reflectors on a two-mile stretch of blacktop north of Lamont that serves the Lamont Cemetery. This activity is an Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. Grant County District 2 enthusiastically endorsed this worthy project for Miguel. The two-mile stretch began approximately 0.16 miles north of the intersection of Highway 60 and Highway 74 located on the east side of Lamont. Said project then continued west for two miles on EW 22 that is also known as CR Ellis under the new E-911 address system. Under the guidance of Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, Miguel placed 3 speed limit signs, 1 cemetery sign, 1 pavement ends sign and 8 bridge reflectors using the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control (MUTCO) standards along this route. Holes were dug with a posthole digger and sack concrete was then tamped around each post holding the sign to stabilize said signage. These signs not only serve the general community when locating the Lamont Cemetery but more importantly aids in the safety of public transportation when traveling this road. According to the Boy Scouts of America, “The National Eagle Scout Association was created in 1972 with the express purpose of bringing together Eagle Scouts of all ages so that they may be of greater service to themselves, their local councils, and their communities, thereby conserving and developing the human resources potential represented by those who hold Scouting’s highest rank.” Miguel is a Junior at Deer Creek-Lamont High School and is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Benito Gonzales of Deer Creek. His Troop Leader is Jammie Moss. On behalf of Grant County District 2, I thank Miguel for his demonstration of leadership skills for the benefit and service to others, especially to those numerous individuals that may travel this road daily or perhaps only occasionally. As always, for comments or concerns please contact me at the District 2 Shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or by telephone at 580-395-2859. I also may be reached on my cell phone at 580-541-8950. Robert Moss may be reached at 580-541-8953 for any District 2 road concerns.
November 10, 2009 - "Surface Transportation Program on Road to Nowhere"
“What’s right about America is As your Grant County Commissioner I not only follow Oklahoma issues but I also keep a watchful eye on Federal issues that affect Grant County, especially transportation issues. While our transportation network is a basic force molding urban and rural development, our federal, state and local governments each share in the responsibility in providing a balanced and coordinated transportation system. Whereas the majority of our county road maintenance and operation funds are collected at the state level and then sent to the counties, the county’s larger construction projects, such as BRO bridges and hard-surface or blacktop roads, are funded using matching money from the federal government. The federal Surface Transportation Program expired September 30 and is still waiting to be reauthorized. This is an important program for Oklahoma and for Grant County. Therefore, I am respectfully submitting an update of this program as provided by Robert Fogel, Senior Legislative Director for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Transportation Committee that I serve on. Be assured that District 2 is working for the betterment of Grant County and for the people who live and work here. You may contact me by telephone at 580-395-2859 or on my cell phone at 580-541-8950. Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, may be reached at 580-541-8953. You are also welcome to come by the shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford. Surface Transportation Program on Road to Nowhere Congress is attempting to move the ball forward on a longer-term extension of the federal surface transportation program. The program expired Sept. 30 and was extended for one month. It was scheduled to expire again on Halloween, and there has been substantial discussion and debate over how long Congress should extend the program. A little background is necessary to understand the current machinations. Every five or six years, the surface transportation program, which funds highways and transit systems, expires and must be reauthorized for another five- or six-year period. Congress historically has been unable to meet the deadline, and there is often a series of one-two- or three-month extensions often expanding to a period of two to three years before a long-term authorization takes place. The delays occurs for a variety of reasons, including debates over how to change or reform the programs, how to pay for them (raising the gas tax, for example), how to divvy up the money among the states, politics and the general congressional legislative process, which can move very slowly. Here’s what’s happening now. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), has drafted a bill to move the process along quickly. He has put pressure on the Senate to do the same. He did support a three-month extension that was passed in the House in September but the Dec. 31 extension failed to get traction in the Senate. Meanwhile in the Senate, Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) had the support of key Senate members to extend the program for 18 months until April 30, 2011. However, last week the Senate backed off this 18-month figure and has tried to pass a six-month extension through April 30, 2010. In relation to this, negotiations took place with the House about the length of an extension but apparently no resolution has been reached. The third player is the Obama administration, which has insisted on the 18-month extension, in part to give it adequate time to craft a reauthorization proposal and to take advantage of what administration officials think will be an improved economy and a better political climate in 2011. It appears that what will take place now is another short-term extension that will be included in the Continuing Resolution legislation that provides funding for any federal agency whose appropriations bill for FY10 has not yet been enacted. This extension is likely to be through Dec. 18. So, will Congress continue to pass short extensions until some political compromise is reached — and what will move them to enact a long-term bill? An important variable is to figure out how to raise more revenue to meet the increased highway and transit needs; if this can be done it is more likely progress can be made. Up to now, few have been eager to vote on increasing the gas tax or other potential revenue sources. Another factor is the current high unemployment rate and the possibility of selling the reauthorization of the surface transportation bill as a jobs bill that is needed sooner rather than later. This may appeal to the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress, as the 2010 elections get closer.
November 3, 2009 - "Nutrition Porgram Funding Gaining Steam"
Please, continue to speak out in support of this very important program. If you have not already contacted Governor Henry please do so now by telephone at 405-5521-2342, by fax at 405-521-3353 or by going to his website www.ok.gov/governor/contact.php to email him. We can not afford to stop this grassroots effort because, “United we stand, divided we fall.” As always if you have any questions, comments or concerns about this program or any county business please come by the district shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford. You may also reach me by telephone at 580-395-2859 or on my cell phone at 580-541-8950. Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, may be reached at 580-541-8953 for any district road concern. Respectfully submitted.
October 27, 2009 - "Railroad Crossing Projects Near Completion"
Brilliant people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people. ~ Author Unknown
What began as an idea between the Union Pacific Railroad, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Grant County District 2 is nearing completion. In May of 2007 seven individuals met to form a diagnostic team to determine the scope for a Federal-aid Railroad Safety Project for improvements of the Union Pacific Railroad crossings north of Medford. The first on-site meeting was to examine existing crossing conditions, establish a recommended level of protection, formulate a preliminary estimate of improvements costs and negotiate the funding of the proposed improvements. The existing crossing, located 2-miles north of Medford, had been defined by Union Pacific Railroad as being an un-safe crossing due to past accidents and near accidents. ODOT said the site qualified for a safety improvement project, which meant that the county was legally obligated to make a decision on this crossing. Options were (1) to do nothing which would place a liability issue on the county when the next accident happened, or (2) upgrade the crossing with the installation of pedestal signals with gates and a full depth concrete crossing surface. The estimated cost was $228,000. The railroad would expend 10 percent of the cost while Grant County would have to pony-up the remaining 90 percent of the cost or $205,200. Needless to say Grant County did not have that kind of money to put into this project. Many ideas were exchanged with much discussion over the next few weeks. The end result was for District 2 to close one road with a railroad crossing in exchange for upgrading 3 railroad crossings. These projects would be paid by using joint resources from the railroad, state and federal funds with no costs to Grant County. The estimated project cost was $800,000. In October 2007 a resolution was passed by the Grant County Board of Commissioners to participate in this District 2 project. A Notice of Hearing and Application for the railroad crossings were filed with the Corporation Commission of the State of Oklahoma. Twelve months later in September 2008 the Grant County Board of Commissioners signed the agreement with ODOT to begin the project which now was estimated to cost $937,249. Finally, in August 2009 the work began. Twenty-eight months have passed to come full circle on these railroad crossings. The great news is that Grant County District 2 has three safer railroad crossings without any financial burden. The new crossings are located at Renfrow, 1-mile south of Renfrow and 2-miles north of Medford. Please think “safety-safety-safety” and remember to STOP at all railroad crossings and take a good long look before crossing because you are important to your family and to Grant County! As always, I am here to serve you. If you have any questions or comments about Grant County please stop by the shop office located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call me at 580-395-2859. I may also be reached on my cell phone at 580-541-8950 or you may call Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
October 20, 2009 - "I Strive for Character"
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are. ~ Former UCLA Coach John Wooden Character defines our convections as well as our values of right and wrong. Whether we're helping out with our family, church, community or work, clear and specific rules backed up by consistent and just authority make our lives more ethical, fair, efficient and safe. And believe me; I am all about having character and being moral. At times it may be more popular to express disdain for the law and for the many rules that regulate our daily lives such as, “Rules are made to be broken.” “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” Sadly, people from all walks of life including a few clergy have occasionally evaded, bent and broken laws to achieve a perceived "greater good." Unfortunately, these attitudes are short-sighted and dangerous. Thanks to our veterans, all Americans continue to enjoy the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights and in our Constitution. These laws were established by our forefathers who understood that a standard of behavior needed to be created to establish a just, humane and respectful society. These freedoms not only tell us what to do but they also tell us who we are. As Americans we must unite together to make sure we never lose these freedoms, that we all strive for good character and we never slander another person’s character. As always, if you have any comments or questions about Grant County government or road concerns please visit me at the shop, which is located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or you may call me at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
October 12, 2009 - "Wheatheart Nutrition Budget Cut"
This is very important; if you have never taken the time to call your Oklahoma Senator or Representative, I challenge you and strongly urge you to call them today in support of the Wheatheart Nutrition Program and for all eleven Oklahoma Area Agencies on Aging. The State Department of Human Services (DHS) cut the state’s nutrition program budget approximately 10 percent in July and in September cut the program another 30 percent. However, Wheatheart Nutrition has been advised that their September cut will actually be closer to an additional 38 percent cut. What does this mean for the meals and services that Wheatheart Nutrition provides for the senior citizens in Grant, Kay and Garfield Counties, which include Medford, Pond Creek, Lamont, Tonkawa, Blackwell, Newkirk and Ponca City? It can only be horrific news. As a board member of the Wheatheart Nutrition Project these congregate and home-delivered meals must be reviewed and severe budget cuts will have to be addressed. These decisions will create many hardships on a high number of our senior citizens. The next Wheatheart Nutrition Program board meeting is scheduled for October 21 at 10:00 in Enid at the NODA building. It is an Open Meeting and anyone may attend. As a reminder, this is only one of the numerous boards that are required for county commissioners to serve on. Time spent being active on this board is very important to the citizens of Grant County and that’s my job! Furthermore, this program supports the citizens that are near and dear to my heart. The purpose of Oklahoma Area Agencies on Aging is (1) to reduce hunger and food insecurity, (2) to promote socialization of older individuals and (3) to promote the health and well-being of older individuals by assisting such individuals to gain access to nutrition and other disease prevention and health promotion services to delay the onset of adverse health conditions resulting from poor nutritional health or sedentary behavior. The $7.4 million budget cut may lead to the closing of senior nutrition centers statewide and jeopardize the lives of thousands of Oklahoma’s oldest citizens. I strongly urge you to call your Oklahoma Senators and Representatives and request that the Oklahoma State Legislature seek immediately solutions to provide funding at its current level of services to the Oklahoma Area Agencies on Aging.
Again, please make those calls in support of our oldest and dearest citizens! As always, for comments or questions I may be reached at the shop office at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or by telephone at 580-395-2859. My cell number is 580-541-8950 and Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, may be reached at 580-541-8953 for any road concerns.
October 5, 2009 - "Open Meetings Open Records"
The choices that make a significant difference in our lives are the tough ones. They’re not often fun or easy, but they’re the ones we have to make. – Alexandra Stoddard, writer, political commentator Attorney General Drew Edmondson hosted a seminar on the Oklahoma Open Meetings and Open Records Acts last week in Ponca City. Assistant Attorney General Gay Tudor, one of the state’s foremost authorities on the openness laws assisted in presenting the seminar and answering questions. This seminar was conducted in partnership with the Oklahoma Press Association, Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation and FOI Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Press Association distributed the “Oklahoma Open Meeting & Open Records Book” to everyone who attended the meeting. The class was well attended by officials from all over northern Oklahoma. I will elaborate a little on some areas that I found interesting as well as some items that have been questioned in the past. The Open Meeting Act states, “It is the public policy of the State of Oklahoma to encourage and facilitate an informed citizenry’s understanding of the governmental processes and governmental problems.” The entire text of the Open Meeting Act can be found in Oklahoma Statute Title 25 § 301-314. First of all a “meeting” means the conduct of business of a public body by a majority of its members. The Public Body is the members of the board. Meetings do not include informal gatherings of a majority of the members of the public body when no business of the public body is discussed. Members may all attend church together, go to ballgames together and even eat meals together without breaking the law. Open Meetings are a meeting of the Public Body and not the meeting of the public. The public is invited and welcome to attend, listen and learn. The public may only participate in the meeting if the Chair recognizes and allows such input. The reasoning is to maintain order while following the posted agenda and to conduct business in a professional manner and in a reasonable time-frame. This is by law not by choice. Agendas must be posted prior to meetings and must contain sufficient information for the public to understand. Comments from the public are not required to be on the agenda but may be added and regulated at the discretion of the Public Body. If comments are allowed during the Open Meeting, the Public Body may not act on any comments because such item and action has not been specifically listed in nature on the posted agenda. It is recommended, not law, that sign-in sheets be placed at the door for guests to sign-in when attending the meeting. Two meeting may take place at the same time at the same place. Individual cell phone calls may be taken and said calls are not part of the open meeting, they are private. A roll call vote must be taken and recorded for each action voted on by each individual member of the Public Body. Minutes must reflect members present as well as members absent. Parliamentary procedures suggest that visitors also be listed in the minutes. According to the Open Records Act, “Thus, it is the public policy of the State of Oklahoma that the people are vested with the inherent right to know and be fully informed about their government. …The purpose of this act is to ensure and facilitate the public’s right of access to and review of government records…” The entire text of the Open Records Act is in Oklahoma Statute Title 51 § 24A.1-29. Records are open to the public just as soon as they are created. They are to be made available upon request; however, some records may take longer to obtain. Copies of such records can be made to take out of the offices but a small fee will be charged. Fees may include the cost of the copy and in some cases a search fee may apply. Each time I attend a seminar, class or meeting I learn something. This class was no exception. In fact, I will be attending another Open Meetings Open Records workshop in November during the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO) Fall Conference. In my opinion the Grant County Board of Commissioners does an outstanding job following the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts. However, by continuously attending seminars, workshops and training, I can be better educated and informed which helps me to make better decisions. If you have any questions concerning the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts you may contact me at the District 2 Shop located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or by telephone at 580-395-2859. You may also contact me on my cell phone at 580-395-2859 for any county or District 2 concerns. Robert Moss, Foreman, may be reached at 580-541-8953.
September 29, 2009 - "$9,000 Solid Waste Program Grant Requested"
Grant County Road Districts 1, 2 and 3 have applied for a $9,000 Solid Waste Program Grant through the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO). Each year ACCO offers counties a way to receive financial assistance to do solid waste clean-up and/or to purchase equipment to assist in the clean up. ACCO applies for these funds through the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and each year DEQ awards ACCO a certain dollar amount. ACCO acts as a third party administrator of these funds. Funding is based on a fiscal year (FY) of July 1 through June 30. For FY 2009-2010 ACCO has requested $400,000 to be used towards the following three main programs: Solid Waste Equipment, Trash Cop and Illegal Dump Clean-Up. ACCO distributes funds to all counties in Oklahoma on a first-come first-serve application date as well as to the scope of each project. There are limitations on monies available each year within each program. District 2 applied and received a $20,000 Grant in 2007 to purchase a Bandit Wood Chipper with a Cat motor. Additionally, District 1 and District 3 each received grant funds in prior years to purchase wood chippers. In past years the Solid Waste Equipment Program was specifically designated only for the purchase of wood chippers; however, due to the high number of Federally Declared Disasters in Oklahoma from flooding, ice storms and snow storms, the program has been slightly modified. This year the program may include high-powered professional chainsaws that is to be used to clear debris from these Federally Declared Disaster storms. These will not be your ordinary chainsaws but will be a high-powered saw with timber cutting chains and will include primary and secondary braking system for added safety. The Grant County Board of Commissioners has submitted an application to purchase six professional chainsaws with cases and accessories. If approved, Award Letters are expected to be mailed out to counties sometime in November or December. If Grant County receives the Grant, the county must purchase the chainsaws prior to March 1, 2010 and then apply for reimbursement with ACCO. This program is a win-win-win situation for county government, DEQ and ACCO. As always, for any questions or comments concerning county government please stop by the shop office at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call the office at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Road Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
September 21, 2009 - "The Flag of the United States of America"
Larry Don Dewey of Medford attended the September 21st Board of County Commissioners meeting to inquire about why the flags have not been flown for the past couple months at the Grant County Courthouse. He was concerned about the perception of what state officials and others visiting Medford and the courthouse might think. Furthermore, he did not want any “excuses” and would like to see the flags flying by next week. There are no “excuses”; however, in defense Grant County Clerk Debbie Kretchmar along with the Grant County Courthouse Custodian Keith Pitcher has been diligently trying to get the flag pole fixed, in addition to carrying out their regular workloads. Mrs. Kretchmar and Mr. Pitcher do an outstanding job overseeing and taking care of the courthouse grounds. But in the end, it is indeed the Board of County Commissioners that holds the responsibility and care of the courthouse and grounds, which includes seeing that the flag pole is repaired and in working order. The flag pole is very tall, over 65-feet, and the county shops do not have a crane large enough to reach to top of the pole for repairs. In the past O.G. & E. and OneOk have come to our rescue to help make needed repairs, generally the rope wears out and breaks. This time the pulleys at the top broke. OneOk came to help and was actually going to let the pole down and it was going to be shortened with a break-over at the base. Measurements were taken and plans were made until OneOk received word that they could not complete the job due to liability. I must admit that the flag pole was “out-of-site out-of-mind” for the Board of Commissioners. While the Commissioners are at the Courthouse every Monday, we park in the north parking lot. Generally speaking we have no reason to use the south entrance where the flag pole is erected. I know, this is just an “excuse”. Thank you Mr. Dewey for bringing this important issue to our attention. Calls are being made for help to repair the flag pole. When I took this office as your District 2 County Commissioner, there was no flag pole at the District 2 Shop. Several years ago, during one of the flooding seasons, district employees built a flag pole in front and center of the shop building located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford. Additionally, three trees were added in an effort to conserve energy in the summer from the hot sun shinning in through the three very large picture windows. The raising of the Flag at the shop was to reaffirm our Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States. The Flag continues to fly 24-hours per day at the District 2 Shop (unless the rope or pulleys break). The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America was originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892. The Pledge has been modified four times since, in 1892, 1923, 1924 and 1954. Swearing of the Pledge is accompanied by a salute. Today the Pledge contains 31 words and here is what those words inspire:
Two and one-half years ago the Grant County Board of Commissioners added a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to all board meeting agendas to be said after the opening of the meeting and roll call. By reciting the Pledge, we each promise loyalty to the flag and to the government that unites us all. In addition, when praying the Board ask God to protect Grant County employees and all residents, our troops and their families and for all elected and non-elected officials from the President to the Governor to town mayors. We especially asked for His guidance when making decisions for Grant County. Again, thank you Mr. Dewey for bringing this important issue of the courthouse flag pole back to our attention. Once more, the county is on top of it trying to find someone to help us get the pole down so we can shorten the pole as well as to fabricate a break-over at the base. A diligent effort is being made in an effort to have the flag pole up with the Flag flying by next week. As always, you may call me with your questions or comments at the office at 580-395-2859 or on my cell at 580-541-8950. You may also reach Robert Moss, Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
September 14, 2009 - "The Problem"
One out of 100 children born this year will die violently in a highway crash during his or her lifetime. Seventy of those children born this year will be injured in a highway crash during their lifetimes. These sobering statistics were announced at a two day Road Safety Audit (RSA) class held at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) building in Tulsa. As a grandfather of eight (soon to be ten) grandchildren, I found these facts to be chilling. The RSA class was sponsored through the Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) with Craig Allred as the instructor. Mr. Allred, an employee of the Federal Highway Safety Administration is on the road approximately 43 weeks out of the year instructing local, state and federal jurisdictions on how to improve road safety. Additionally, he and his team are called into areas where a high number of fatalities or injuries have occurred. This team investigates and delivers formal reports suggesting how to curtail or stop further incidents from happening. What does this class have to do with Grant County? Does it even apply to our rural, local roads? Would an RSA have a place in the building and maintenance of the local roads? The Board of Commissioners had the same questions and more. I was asked to attend the class and find out the answers to these questions and bring back information. At first I was extremely skeptical. When asked by the class facilitator what my expectations of the class were, I replied that I wanted to see how a program like this would fit into a low funded rural area. What I found out, surprised me. RSA’s even in rural areas such as Grant County can be a valuable tool for local government road professionals in making our roads safer. The benefits of conducting RSA’s allow County employees to consistently look for and suggest numerous low cost safety improvements on our local roads. An RSA is a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by a multidisciplinary team. A team consisting of people with a fresh set of eyes, having no political agenda, with a myriad of view perspectives (motorists, bicyclists, pedestrian, tractor driver, sports car, semi-truck) looking first, for simple solutions. RSA teams study a roadway, intersection or area using these various perspectives, uncover the root cause and make suggestions on how to correct or improve the situation.
RSA’s take into consideration all four of these items, addressing them one by one and determining if any of these factors can be improved. The RSA team takes into consideration these building blocks of safety and determines if any one or all of these factors can be improved and thereby increase the safety of the roadway or intersection. One of the basic tenets of the class was that safety affects mobility. The more unsafe the road is, the slower the traffic will proceed. The result is hesitant road users, improving the chance for injury and accident to occur. Many of the suggestions that were shown during the class had nothing to do with redesigning roadways or building bigger, newer roads. Most of the improvements and suggestions dealt with signage and painting. These are low cost improvements that save lives and make our roadways safer. These low cost improvements result in a Crash Reduction Factor (CFR). Signage’s such as curve chevron signs, sharp curve ahead, reduce speed, delineators along bridges and culverts, oversized stop signs and stop ahead signs result in 18 to 40 percent reduction in crashes. The Grant County Commissioners are committed to making our roads safer for their constituency. RSA’s are just one more tool to be used towards the improvements of our local county roads, intersections and bridges. With funding in high demand and short supply, RSA’s make sense. The good news is that implementations of RSA suggestions generally don’t require expenditures of a large sum of money. For more information and benefits of RSA’s , visit the RSA website: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsa If you have concerns or suggestions regarding the roads in Grant County, please feel free to contact the Executive Assistant Rich Donaldson at 580.395.2214 or the County Commissioner for your District. District 1, Commissioner Max Hess office 580.594.2925 cell 580.541.4740 District 2, Commissioner Cindy Bobbitt office 580.395.2859 cell 580.541.8950 District 3, Commissioner Jerry Shaffer office 580.532.6499 cell 580.554.5400
September 7, 2009 - "The Year of the Sunflower"
Seems like every year a different broadleaf, also known as weeds, becomes prevalent. This year the ditches are overgrown 10-feet tall in sunflowers. Trevor Donnell and Trevor Smetana were mowing ditches in District 2 until the first of August when they returned to college. For the past two weeks I have mowed ditches on numerous days until 8:00 p.m. when it became to dark to see what was hiding it those 10-foot tall sunflowers. It is amazing how wide a road becomes once the weeds are knocked back. Unfortunately, with all the rain we have received the broadleaf’s growing 6-inces per day. Well, that may be exaggerated but they are growing fast. I know that many road districts across Oklahoma do not mow any ditches while other road districts mow every ditch two or three times per season. I guess the big difference always comes down to money. So the question is, should we build bridges, maintain roads, improve road surfaces with shale and/or rock, construct drainage ditches or mow ditches? In a perfect world we would do it all, but alas Grant County has the most bridges in the entire state and the fifth highest road miles, while our funding is 76th out of 77 counties. In respect to the ditches, mowing becomes a safety issues. Blind corners at intersections, meeting and passing other vehicles and farm equipment, deer crossing the roads and even pheasants flying out of the ditches can startle a driver. If there is some retired farmer with great eye-site and has a good equilibrium to master the slopes of the ditches while respecting the lay-of-the-land including bridges, culverts and wash-outs, come visit me for a part-time mowing job! Until then District 2 employees and I will be out there making improvements for your safety to your roads. As always, we welcome any comments or suggestions. Please stop by the office at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call the office at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, Foreman, at 580-541-8953.
August 31, 2009 - "County Employees will not Labor on Labor Day"
On Monday, September 7 Grant County along with the entire United States will celebrate the Labor Day Holiday. Labor Day is a federal holiday and all government offices, schools and organizations and many businesses will be closed. One might think that is should be called the “Un-labor Day” since employees generally do not labor on this day. However, Labor Day was envisioned on September 5, 1882, when 10,000 workers marched from city hall to Union Square in New York City. Participants took an unpaid day-ff to honor the workers of America, as well as to vocalize issues they had with employers about long hours and terrible working conditions. Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later. The average American in the late 1800s worked 12-hour days, seven days a week in order to make a basic living. Children were also working, as they provided cheap labor to employers and laws against child labor were not strongly enforced. On June 26, 1894, the American Railroad Union called a boycott of all Pullman railway cars in Chicago. Within days, 50,000 rail workers complied and the railroad traffic out of Chicago came to a halt. The strike brought worker’s rights to the public eye and in 1894 Congress declared that the first Monday in September would be a holiday to pay tribute to the working men and women, known as Labor Day. Even though Labor Day is meant as a celebration of the labor movement, today Americans have come to celebrate it as the last, long summer weekend of the year. And of course, football season starts with many teams playing their first game of the year during the Labor Day weekend. Go Cowboys! What ever plans that you and your family makes over this holiday please be aware of others around you and drive safely. As always, District 2 employees will resume working for the betterment of Grant County following the must deserved Labor Day Holiday. If you need to reach me by telephone the office number is 580-395-2859 and my cell number is 580-541-8950. Robert Moss, Foreman, can be reached at 580-541-8953.
August 25, 2009 - "The Facts, Just the Facts Please"
Recently I was asked what county commissioners considered “newsworthy” for Grant County. I guess I was a little perplexed by the question because I answered with a question, “It depends - do you want facts or fiction, news or commentary?” Everyone should know that facts are far more important but unfortunately fiction disguised as news can perk up interest among the people. Commentary is just that, comments or opinion but definitely not factual news. On April 1, 1951 the ABC Radio Network debunked Paul Harvey’s “News and Comments”, because Mr. Harvey reported news and interjected his personal thoughts about that news. That show aired until his death on March 1, 2009, just one month short of 58 years. Not once did Mr. Harvey tout his personal thoughts as news, now that is what I call a prolific journalism. Fortunately for Grant County, the North Central Reporter and staff are highly ethical as well as competent journalists. When a newspaper editor or reporter doesn’t understand something, has a question or needs more information, calls are made for clarification before anything is ever put in print. And if a mistake is ever made, corrections are immediately made where they can be seen and read. And now for the facts – just the facts. During last Monday’s meeting a few questions came up about a purchase order to Steve Burrage, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector (OSA & I). One bill in the amount of $2,037 was noted as a bill for the county financial audit from Fiscal Year (FY) ending June 30, 2006 and FY ending June 30, 2007. The other bill in the amount of $554.95 was documented for the 2009 County Treasurer audit. County government audits are required by law and the billing amount is also set by state statutes, which is several thousand dollars. As required by law, purchase orders should be issued when services are rendered – otherwise a red stamp reading “Invoice dated prior to purchase order” will be plainly stamped on the purchase order. The question the commissioners had was whether the bill for the county audits had already been paid when the audits were performed as required by law. After further investigation, it was discovered that indeed the FY 2006 and FY 2007 audit bill had been paid in full. The OSA & I Branch Office in Weatherford said additional billing was assessed for added hours but the county was not required to pay the bill. That’s great news; we just saved the county 2,037 dollars! Additionally, the 2009 county treasurer audit should not be paid out of the County General Fund but should have been requisitioned from the Resale Cash Account within the Treasurers office. County government audits are required by law and yes, they are respected by all eight elected officials. However, the Board of County Commissioners must take time to look at each and every purchase order requisitioned through all county departments for numerous accounts within each department. Additionally, the County Health Department as well as every fire department in Grant County and the two city ambulance funds that receive sales tax revenue must be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. That is why it takes the Commissioners sometimes over an hour just to review, approve and sign all purchase orders each and every week. Just two weeks ago a similar incident transpired where the Board of County Commissioners pulled two invoices from Luckinbill, a company that services the county geothermal heating and air conditioning system. Once again, after calls were made one bill was not owed by the county but rather by a contractor who had worked on the county generator west of the Sheriff’s Department. A crossed wire fed back to the geothermal causing some damage to the unit. The contractor was responsible for the bill. Once more, we saved the county approximately 500 dollars! Again I must stress that it is the responsibility of the Board of County Commissioners to make sure that all bills received are correct prior to issuing payments. This is just an example of why the Board of County Commissioners must proceed with extreme caution and this is also the reason that our open meetings take some amount of time. After all, we are taking care of your county business with your tax dollars. As always, the Board of County Commissioners welcome any comments or questions that you or any taxpayer has concerning Grant County or county government in general. Please stop by the office at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call the shop at 580-395-2859 or my cell at 580-541-8950. District 2 Road Foreman is Robert Moss and his cell number is 580-541-8953. We look forward to continuing to keeping our lines of communication open!
August 18, 2009 - "Thirteen Bridges Moving Forward"
Grant County Board of Commissioners solicited bids for bridge materials for thirteen bridges. Bids were received from four vendors with Sunbelt Supply in Meeker, Okla., turning in the lowest and best bid of $820,873.82. One year ago such a competitive bid would not have been possible. Some constitutions have asked the County Commissioners why these materials were not purchase off the county six-month bid list. Simply said, we saved you, the taxpayers, more than $125,000 by combining this massive steel order into one single run order. Commissioners were then asked where the money was coming from and how the materials were going to be paid. The “seed” money is coming from House Bill 2381 and will be re-paid with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, Bridge Replacement (BR) funds and HB 1288 funds. Effective July 1, 2008, House Bill 2381 became law and is found in Oklahoma Statutes Title 69 § 687.3 summarized as follows: “A fund to be designated the "Emergency and Transportation Revolving Fund" is hereby created in the State Treasury. Expenditures from said fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of State Finance for approval and payment. The Statewide Circuit Engineering District (CED) Board shall develop and adopt rules governing the application and qualification procedures for counties seeking funding.” This bill was my brain-child and was requested through the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO). The nuts-and-bolts of the bill is simply that County Commissioners may apply for a revolving loan for roads and bridges through their local Circuit Engineering District (CED) as long as they have dedicated funds allocated for the repayment of such loan. For example, funds owed to the county from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for large projects or funds held in reserve by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) for county Bridge Replacement (BR) allocations or for Special Funding of HB 1288 qualify. The rules and regulations are very tight and must be precisely followed. On July 8th Grant County Commissioners applied for $1,272,500 from the Emergency and Transportation Revolving Fund Program through CED #8. Two weeks later, the funds were sent to Grant County and deposited in a Grant County bank and began earning interest. These funds will continue to draw interest until they are expended. Of this money, $820,873.82 will be earmarked for bridge materials and will be paid out as materials are received. Of the 13 bridges to be built, seven of them are FEMA bridges. FEMA will reimburse 75% of the total cost and the state is suppose to reimburse 12.5% of the cost upon completion of the project (material, labor and engineering when needed). A total of $796,500 was advanced for these FEMA projects. Five bridges will be built with BR funds for force accounts bridges. This means that county employees will help build these bridges with “force labor” instead of ODOT soliciting bids from a contractor to build the bridges. A typical BR bridge bid through ODOT will cost $350,000 to $500,000 per bridge while counties can build the same bridge for $150,000 to $250,000, depending on the certification of county employees for cranes and welding. The county can receive 100 percent cost reimbursement (material, labor and engineering) through the BR funds The last remaining bridge will be paid for out of the Special HB 1288 fund for $140,700, which is also 100 percent reimbursed. As each bridge is completed, the county will apply to the appropriate agency for reimbursement. Reimbursement from each agency can take anywhere from two months to nine months to receive. When these reimbursements are received the county will then re-pay that portion of the revolving loan back to the CED. That money is then available to go out on yet another loan to Grant County or to another county in the CED. Grant County Commissioners have been approached by other county commissioners on following our lead by soliciting a single bid for several bridge projects within their counties. I think counties may also need to consider pooling bids in an effort to save even more money for you, the taxpayer. What do you think? I welcome any comments or questions that you or any taxpayer has concerning Grant County or county government in general. I make myself accessible to each of you. Please stop by the office at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call the shop at 580-395-2859 or my cell at 580-541-8950. District 2 Road Foreman is Robert Moss and his cell number is 580-541-8953. As always, we look forward to continuing to keeping our lines of communication open!
August 11, 2009 - "Safe Routes to School"
August has arrived and with that comes the start of school. The times sure have changed since I was in school. In 1969, approximately half of all students walked or bicycled to school. Today, fewer than 15 percent of all school commutes are made by walking or bicycling. In fact, approximately 25 percent are made on a school bus, and more than half of all students arrive at school in private automobiles. The statistics in rural areas vary slightly from the national average, but even in Grant County, many students travel to school in private automobiles. Safety issues are a big concern for parents, who often cite traffic danger as a reason their children are unable to bicycle or walk to school. Safety is a shared responsibility for all road users, including drivers and pedestrians. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center recommends the following tips to improve road safety for everyone. Safety tips for pedestrians:
Safety tips for drivers:
When communities help provide a safe environment for pedestrians, students can walk or bicycle and spend less on transportation. This is extremely helpful now, when the cost of fuel continues to rise. The cost of operating a bicycle for a year is approximately $120 according to the League of American Bicyclists and walking is FREE! Some students must rely on school buses for transportation. Grant County District 2 employees are currently focusing on ensuring school routes are safe for buses. If you know of a road on a bus route that needs repairs, please stop by the shop office or call 580-395-2859. Robert’s cell phone number is 580-541-8953 and Cindy’s is 580-395-8950. As always, District 2 is diligently working to improve road safety.
August 4, 2009 - "Help Us to Help You!"
History – I love history. Do you recall your Government and/or Oklahoma History classes? Do you recall who the real taxpayers are? More specifically who the taxpayers of Oklahoma are and in particular who pays the taxes to finance and support Grant County roads? Those who pay property taxes (home, land and real estate taxes) and/or personal property taxes (farm equipment and/or livestock) financially support schools and the general fund for county government (the courthouse, sheriff and health departments). These taxes are assessed by the County Assessor and then collected from the County Treasurer, payments are usually due in December to the following March. Please be aware that not one single penny of this money is collected for and/or transferred to the “Highway Fund” to give financial support to the maintenance or construction of any county bridge and/or county road. Therefore, be informed that no county roads are funded from “land and/or farm property taxes” or from “personal property taxes” as a great majority of you may believe. This paragraph is definitely worth reading again. How are county roads funded? All roads and bridges in Grant County are financially supported from designated “Highway Funds”, which are derived from Gross Production taxes (oil), Diesel fuel road tax, Gasoline fuel road tax, Special fuels (such as propane road tax) and a percentage of Motor Vehicle Collections. These monies are collected all across Oklahoma and sent to the Oklahoma Tax Commissioner to be appropriated and divided amongst the 77 counties of Oklahoma. The monies are then divided by a “formula” that is based on individual county population, road miles, bridge numbers, and total square miles. Please note that “road tax” and only “road tax” on fuels purchased in the state of Oklahoma goes towards roads in Oklahoma. So if and when fuel is purchase out-of-state (such as Caldwell, Kansas) there is not one penny collected to support county roads in Oklahoma (i.e. Grant County, Oklahoma). Furthermore, farm fuel is exempt from road taxes; therefore no money is collected on the purchase of farm fuel for upkeep, let alone for improvements, of county roads. I implore you to “help us to help you”! So how can you help? If you desire improved roads in Grant County I challenge you to please buy your entire road gas and road diesel in Oklahoma, because that money goes to roads. Remember – land taxes and personal property taxes do not. Farm diesel and/or farm gasoline do not help either – just road tax fuel. As an additional note, when the price of fuel goes up the road tax remains the same – in other words higher priced fuel does not equate to more road tax dollars collected. Finally, I challenge you to do something positive that can constructively help the plight of Grant County, Oklahoma. First, take a look at the entire county, see what others are doing to help with the roads – paying for rock, spraying and mowing their own ditches, scraping roads properly as needed, cleaning out their own culverts, trimming trees and properly removing them, buying their fuel in Oklahoma, buying all vehicle tags in Oklahoma, requesting help and giving thanks for help received, and the list goes on. For those who continue to help and support Grant County, we all thank you. Ask yourself if you too can make a difference? I believe you can make a difference but only if you choose to help.
July 29, 2009 - "Working Together"
A lot has changed in the past 4½ years that I have faithfully severed as your District 2 County Commissioner. Mostly good, some not as good, but never as fast as we would like! I am trying to be a good steward of the taxpayer’s money. Not just in my district, but in the entire county. I believe all eight county officers are also committed to trying to do the most with the funds available. Certain expenses are unavoidable and can’t be reduced at this time, but other expenses can be changed and are being monitored. Several people have made donations to help with certain projects and to them I say “THANK YOU! Other citizens benefit from your help also.” We all live in this county together and there aren’t many of us! I try to help the towns as much as I can. There are just certain things that can and can’t be done. If it’s possible for the county to help, I will do my best. Road maintenance is generally the main topic discussed. I have started a program of spraying and mowing roadsides. We have mowed the greatest part of the ditches north of Highway 11. Some have been missed due to rain, but we plan to get to them all eventually. We will continue to run the mowers all summer and into fall after the freeze for safety (wildlife, intersections, etc.) as well as for help with the possibility of drifting snow. Mowing also helps with maintenance and finding where the ditch should be for reconstruction. These problems didn’t happen overnight and it will take some time, but I feel we are making progress. Some people spray and mow their own roadsides. There are costs associated with this and I know it’s not possible for everyone to do this. I am well aware of the costs. To those who do, THANK YOU from your neighbors and me! It makes the roads safer for all of us and we do notice. Right-of-ways are a topic of debate also. Right-of-ways and easements that have been in existence for a great number of years will have to be honored. Prior to 1890 Congress passed the United States Code Title 43 Chapter 27 Subchapter I 1095 which states, “There shall be reserved public highways four rods wide between each section of land in said former Territory of Oklahoma, the section lines being the center of said highways…” Remember that one rod is 16 ½ feet wide so 4 rods is 66 feet total, with 33 feet on each side. Furthermore, “public highways” prior to 1890 simply meant “public roadways” as there was not any state highways systems in Oklahoma at this time. The 66 feet refers to the right-of-ways established prior to 1890, which are still in effect; however, some right-of-ways are greater than the original 66 feet. For example Oklahoma State Highways are greater as are several of the county farm-to-market roads. The additional right-of-way footage is legally recorded at the County Clerks Office and can be researched individually by the legal description of each individual property. As an officer of Grant County I am legally obligated to uphold and enforce these right-of-ways, not just for the present but for the future too. Fences are expensive and should be located correctly in reference to the right-of-way. If they are not, they will have to be moved and this is not good for anyone. Some people farm to the edge of the road, “Keep the weeds down!” This is well-intended, but don’t get mad when the ditch is graded to get the water off the road to maintain or make it usable again. Electric fences at the road edge are extremely dangerous to your livestock and anyone that uses the road. When I request that you move a fence it’s not that I’m picking on you (believe me I don’t like to have to request it), generally someone has brought it to my attention. Then I must give it all my attention and see that it is corrected. Please, let’s avoid problems and do it right the first time and/or correct prior misplacements of fences and field-borders. District 2 employees work a 10-hour 4-day work week, which is Monday-Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Each of them is working to make improvements for Grant County and particularly for each of you in this district. Please feel free to stop in or call me with any questions, concerns, comments, or just to visit. The shop office number is 580-395-2859, my cell number is 580-541-8950, and the Road and Bridge Foreman is Robert Moss and his cell number is 580-541-8953. Again, I thank everyone for their willingness to donate money, materials, and time to help improve the county and especially District 2. Great things happen when we all work together!
July 20, 2009 - "Hooked on Safety"
The Association of County Commissioners (ACCO) Summer and Safety Conference was held last week in Oklahoma City. Commissioner Max Hess, Commissioner Jerry Shaffer, District 3 Foreman Jerry Thomas, District 3 employee Jess Dillon and I attended. County Safety Director Rich Donaldson and District 2 Safety Director Jeri Donaldson were registered but were unable to attend since Jeri was in I.C.U. at the hospital all week. Nearly 1000 people registered and attended, this being the largest conference held by ACCO. During the conference the regular board meetings for SIG/SIF, ODOT/CAB, OCCEDB, County Engineers, ACCO District’s 1-8 and the Strategic Planning Committee held their month assembly. Wednesday was dedicated to safety. Billy Robbins was the special guest speaker. In December of 1980, while working on an aerial cable in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Billy was injured in an accident that was 100% preventable. Contact was made with a 7200-volt power line! Even though the accident investigation concluded he was not at fault, the results were profound ... the amputation of both his hands! Billy Robbins CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) is considered by many to be the most dynamic motivational safety speaker in the country. He has made presentations as a safety speaker to hundreds of companies, thousands of employees and all levels of management. His diverse clientele include Princeton University, NASA, Merck Pharmaceuticals, UPS, Tyson Foods, General Motors, ChevronTexaco, Kraft, ExxonMobil, Conoco, Tropicana, Lucent Technologies, General Mills, numerous associations and the Departments of Defense and Energy ... all of which he has helped to shape, change and forge their safety cultures. Billy's “Hooked On Safety®” presentation is a unique, behavioral based, fast paced, highly motivational safety presentation. Billy believes that 'changed attitudes produce safety™'. He calls it, "In Your Face Safety, That's Fun™"! Billy's blend of humor, audience participation and story of his own accident impacts audiences on every level. The audience of over 550 people was awe-struck by his 90-minute talk. His presentations most definitely produced a positive and immediate outcome for those of us who had the opportunity to attend and hear him speak. Without a doubt, this impacted me and has made me focus where I want to be in my life. That afternnon was the outside safety displays, kid’s fun carnival and OU Health Sciences Center medical screenings. The OK County Sheriff’s Office demonstrated their “Bearcat” and Bomb Robot, OK Department of Public Safety showed their rollover simulator and drunk-like goggles, L3 Communications exhibited the MPRI driving simulator as well as numerous other safety displays. That evening was the 7th Annual ACCO Cook-off and picnic. I was one of five judges for the cook-off. The food ranged from smoked whole hogs to fresh catfish to barbeque brisket and ribs to lemon peppered chicken and much more. This year’s winner was Mike Helm, Rogers County District 2 Commissioner with smoked barbeque ribs. They were awesome! Second place went to Phil Carson, Canadian District 1 Commissioners, with his fried catfish and hushpuppies. State Auditor Steve Barrage and his office also participated in the cook-off. Following the picnic was the County Safety Awards Ceremony which includes all employees of all 77 counties. Divisions are Category 1 for non-safety sensitive jobs and Category 2 for safety sensitive jobs. Awards are presented in increments of 5-years and are based on continuous years worked without any accidents. Jess Dillon, Grant County District 3 employee, was recognized in Category 2 for being safe and accident free while working for Grant County for the past 25 years. He was awarded a very nice ACCO Jacket. Nine other employees were awarded safety certificates and each received a $20 Visa Card for their safety record. Twilladean Cink from the Grant County Sheriff’s Department was recogninzed for 10 years in Category 1. Grant County employees recognized in Category 2 for 5 years of accident free service include employees from District 1, Eric George and Patrick Stepp; District 2, Jon Trenary; and District 3, Gene Crow and Billy Riggs. Also in Category 2 for 10 years accident free service are employees from District 1, Mark Barnard and Steven Clover; and District 3, David Prince. Grant County is very proud of these employees for their continued dedication to serve the people while instilling a conscious effort to think about safety first. As always, your comments and concerns are important to us. If you have a road concerns please call the shop at 580-395-2859 or Robert Moss, Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950.
July 13, 2009 - "Tips for Handling Women Employees"
Ask anyone who has served as an elected official or anyone who hires employees about procedures for hiring and firing and most will say that the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Legislation must be carefully followed. This legislation prevents discrimination and creates equal employment opportunity for everyone. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, gender, national origin and prohibits sexual harassment. In 1991 the Civil Rights Act was strengthen by providing the right to a jury trial and increased damages based on employers’ size. I have attended several OSU County Training classes to make certain that I comply with these laws as well as the numerous other employment laws. Recently while searching the World Wide Web for a specific issue on hiring part-time employees I came across an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This article was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II and was taken quite serious at its time. Obviously, the intent was not to be “funny,” but by today’s standards I found this to be very comical. Remember during World War II there was no longer the question whether companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage had settled that point. The important thing then was to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage. Here are the eleven helpful tips on how to handle women employees as written by Transportation Magazine in July 1943:
There you have it for 1943. District 2 is comprised of fourteen full-time and part-time employees with only one female; therefore, I may consider writing a few tips of my own on how to handle male employees in the 21st Century! As always, please call me with any county concerns and/or District 2 road concerns at the District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953. Furthermore, you may stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford to voice any concerns about Grant County or just to visit.
July 6, 2009 - "The Power of Words"
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Really? Insults, teasing, half-truths, lies and gossip can inflict deeper and more enduring pain than guns and knives. If you disagree then you have never been on the receiving end of name-calling, gossip and out-and-out lies. Ask anyone who as a kid was fat, skinny, short, tall, uncoordinated, acne-faced, flat-chested, big-busted or wore corrective glasses. In schoolrooms and playgrounds across the country, weight, height, looks, and intelligence are the subject of more taunting and ridicule than race or religion. Unfortunately, often it doesn’t get better as we become adults. As we mature and supposedly become wiser, the unkind words, criticism, ridicule, tasteless jokes, half-truths and un-truths, whether spoken or printed, and plain old gossip do not lose their sting. If we fail to appreciate how detrimental words can be the moral importance of verbal assaults can be lost. Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Instead of minimizing the importance of words, we should encourage conversation and printed reporting to achieve a higher level of respect and greater sensitivity precisely because words can be so powerful. It is important that each and every one of us remember that words have the power of grenades and must be used carefully. I personally apologize for any words that I may have spoken, written or been interpreted as hurtful. Please feel free to call me with any county concerns and/or District 2 road concerns at the District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953. If you would like to visit me in person please stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford.
June 29, 2009 - "Expired Driver License?"
I received my first driver’s license two days after my 14th birthday – it was a motorcycle license. I was in the big time. It cost me about fifty cents to fill up my gas tank and I could drive a lot of miles on that tank. At age 15½ I received my official permit to drive a car with a licensed driver of any age in the front seat. Wow, the speed limit was 70 miles per hour. Guess I am showing my age. Then at age 16 I had full rights to drive by myself, as long as my parents didn’t ground me! A driver license number was the individual’s social security number unless they didn’t have a social security number issued yet. People didn’t need a social security card until they were employed. The actual driver license was printed on blue paper and there weren’t any “twin-evil” photos on them either. The good news was that they were easy to replace and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety would mail you a renewal notice before your license actually expired. Things are different today. Effective November 1, 2007, a new state law tightened procedures for persons applying for a driver license or identity card. Proof of identity and proof of legal presence in the United States are included in the new law. This does not affect Oklahoma residents who are renewing, unless they allow their license to expire. I have heard horror stories from people getting their expired driver license renewed! If the license is expired, the applicant must appear before a Driver Examiner to establish proof of legal presence in the United States and must present an original certified copy of their birth certificate. Do not have an original certified copy of their birth certificate? Then a trip to Oklahoma City to obtain one will be in order. Long story short – don’t let your driver license expire! The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety will now send an email as a reminder before a driver license expires. To get your email reminder go to www.dps.state.ok.us/ and click on “DL or ID Renewal Notification” on the right hand side of the page. All you provide is your name, driver license number and an email address – quick and simple. As always, please call with any county concerns and/or District 2 road concerns at the District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953. Furthermore, you may stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford to voice any concerns about Grant County or just to visit.
June 22, 2009 - "Obama Denies FEMA Aid to Counties in Oklahoma"
On April 29 Gov. Brad Henry issued a State of Emergency for nine Oklahoma counties impacted by tornadoes, severe storms and flooding that occurred April 25-28. The counties declared were Alfalfa, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Major, Woods and Woodward. This was the first step. On May 21 Gov. Henry officially issued a Major Disaster Process requesting that President Obama grant public assistance for 17 Oklahoma counties in the aftermath of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that battered parts of the state between April 25 and May 16. The storms caused an estimated $5.2 million in damages. “Heavy rainfall, severe storms and flooding this spring have caused significant damages in these counties, particularly to roads and bridges” Gov. Henry said. “Federal assistance is needed and warranted, and I hope President Obama will act quickly to approve the request.” The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) received word on Saturday, June 20 that President Obama denied Gov. Henry’s request. The official Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) letter cites no specific reason for the denial, saying “it has been determined that the damage was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the State, affected local governments and voluntary agencies.” OEM is perplexed by the denial and is working to appeal this decision. Grant County was hardest hit on April 25 by the 3-hour flash flood that delivered over ten-inches of rain. Miles and miles of roads were completely destroyed. Numerous culverts washed out and some floated down river as well as many bridge approaches were damaged. For the past 60-days emergency repairs have been made to a majority of the sites but it may take another 12 to 18 months to get all sites back to 100 percent pre-disaster condition. It is estimated that Grant County received $800,000.00 in road and bridge infrastructure damages. If President Obama truly believes that these storms' ‘damages were not severe and of a magnitude that would affect local governments’ then I believe that he is not in-touch with rural Oklahoma infrastructure and finances. Your help is needed. Please make calls to the following and ask for their help in getting this decision appealed. Also, be sure to thank them for their past support. Gov. Brad Henry – 405-521-2342 Lt. Gov. Jari Askins – 405-521-2161 Sen. James M. Inhofe – 202-224-4721 – http://inhofe.senate.gov Sen. Tom A. Coburn – 202-224-5754 – http://coburn.senate.gov Rep. Frank D. Lucas – 202-225-5565 – http://www.house.gov/lucas Rep. Dan Boren – 202-225-2701 – http://www.house.gov/boren Rep. Tom Cole – 202-225-6165 – http://www.cole.house.gov Rep. Mary Fallin – 202-225-2132 – http://fallin.house.gov Rep. John Sullivan – 202-225-2211 – http://sullivan.house.gov Just for your information Obama issued Presidential Major Disaster Declarations for the following states for severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred during the approximate same time frame (Oklahoma’s time frame was April 25-May 16): Arkansas – April 27 (exact same storm system) Missouri – May 8-16 Kentucky – May 3-20 Alabama – May 6-8 West Virginia – May 3 Florida – May 17 As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford just to visit.
June 16, 2009 - "Think Safety First"
Grant County employees are working fast and furious in an effort to get the roads, drives, culverts and bridges safe for wheat harvest. The April and May flooding caused countless problems from washing out roads and culverts to filling in ditches and flooding the county shale pits. Trevor Donnell from Pond Creek and Trevor Smetana from Medford have been hired for the summer to mow ditches and help with road projects. Mowing has begun on the Oklahoma/Kansas state line and will progress south during the summer. The plan is to mow every right-of-way once in an effort to knock back grasses and weeds with an expectation of mowing them again before the fall harvest and planting season. Please use extreme caution when traveling and passing these mowers as debris can and may be discharged from under the mowers. For all of you that have been mowing your own ditches, we do notice and we do thank you. It not only improves the ditches and drainage of your property but it also helps keeps the roads open and easier to maintain. Most important is that you are keeping your roads safer for all travelers. Again, thank you! I know that farmers and custom harvesters are working extended hours to get the crops to the elevators. Time is money, but safety needs to be first and foremost on EVERYONE’S minds. Rough roads, blind corners and speed can translate into danger. Please drive responsibly and keep a watchful eye out for others. District 2 employees will also be watching out for you. The District 2 office phone number is 580-395-2859. Robert’s cell phone number is 580-541-8953 and Cindy’s is 580-541-8950. Please call us for your road needs.
June 9, 2009 - "Free Prescription Discount Cards Are Now Available!"
The Grant County free prescription discount cards have arrived. This card offers significant savings for both uninsured and underinsured residents of Grant County. There are no enrollment forms, restrictions, fees or use limits with this discount card. A cardholder simply presents the card at a participating pharmacy any time that a prescription is being filled. I encourage every resident of Grant County to pick up their free prescription discount card at any of the following locations: Grant County Courthouse, 112 E. Guthrie – Room 104, Medford District 1 Shop, 318 N. Elm, Wakita District 2 Shop, 524 N. Front Street, Medford District 3 Ship, 416 W. Dogwood, Pond Creek How much does the plan cost? Does everyone in my family need an individual card? I just received my card. Can I use it right away? How is this prescription discount program different from traditional prescription insurance? I’m not going to sign-up for a Medicare prescription plan; can I still use my Which pharmacies accept the card? How much will I save? Will I always receive the lowest price? Can I find out the discounted price of my prescriptions before going to the pharmacy? Do I have to choose between my prescription discount card and a retail pharmacy flat rate generic pricing plan? No, always present your prescription discount card at a participating pharmacy so you will receive the lowest price available from the pharmacy for that prescription medicine on that day. You will receive the flat rate price when applicable and the prescription discount card discounted price when it is lower. Should I still present my prescription discount card at a retail pharmacy when buying generic medicine listed on a flat rate generic pricing plan? Yes, always present your prescription discount card when buying prescriptions not covered by a prescription drug benefit plan. For medicine on a generic pricing list, you will pay either the flat rate or the prescription discount card price, whichever is lower. What is Mail Service? If you have any questions, please call the Commissioners Office at 580-395-2214, District 1 Shop at 580-594-2925, District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859 or District 3 Shop at 580-532-6499.
June 2, 2009 - "Hurry, Hurry-Up"
As I mentioned in my last column I had the occasion to travel by plane and to watch people – people in a great hurry. Once they arrive at the airport they must locate their airline to acquire a boarding pass and to check luggage. Some people are so impatient, there is also a line at curbside to check luggage faster. In this line there is a charge involved, but for those in a hurry to get to the gate it is worth it. Some people are in such a hurry they don’t even check baggage at all, but drag it behind them on wheels. Most airline policy’s is one small carry-on bag and one personal item, such as a purse or laptop computer. It amazed me to see just how big the so-called “carry-on” can be as well as the number of items carried on from wedding dresses to large framed pictures to multiple tote bags and even grocery bags with food. Of course many of these “over-sized” items and bags will be tagged and stored with the other “checked” luggage below; however, these same “over-sized” items and bags will be returned to the passenger at the plane door when exiting the plane. Once the customary checked luggage at the ticket counter is taken care of, it’s off to the concourse. Next comes that horrible time consuming obstacle – the metal detector. Valuable minutes are lost poking purses and luggage thru the conveyor belt. You must also take off jackets, shoes, belts, hats, cell phones, and anything else in your pockets and place them in bins to proceed thru the conveyor belt. If anything sets off their alarm…WOW! Forget it! The hurried passenger becomes a hostage of the airport security guards for five or more minutes. Passing inspection, passengers must keep moving while re-dressing themselves (not an easy task) and then they are free to proceed… and proceed… and proceed… Of course, the furthest gate at the end of the concourse is the gate for the most hurried people. Now that the correct gate is found another wait begins. People fidget, they read, they use cell phones, laptop computers, or watch TV, if there is one. Why doesn’t the plane get here? Don’t airlines know people are in a hurry? At last the attendants come out. Before they can announce the flight, the suitcase people, who were in too big a hurry to check in at the ticket counter, begin to line up. After all, people in a hurry need to be first! Finally, boarding begins and chaos evokes. Never mind that seats are assigned. People cannot wait, they stand by eagerly waiting for their row to be called so they can rush on the plane. Some don’t wait, but cut ahead of others before their row is even called. On the plane all the aisles are blocked by the early boarders who have wheeled luggage and are trying to put it in overhead compartments. The other hurried people are very annoyed by not being able to get to their own seat and put their own wheeled luggage overhead. The smaller personal items are supposed to be stowed under the seat in front of the passenger, but the hurried people want everything stowed overhead. Unsurprisingly, it is these same hurried people that must get up and get their laptops or books or anything else they might need out of their stowed luggage during the flight. The hurried people need to make one last call while the flight attendants try to prepare the cabin for departure. Should the flight be delayed in taking off for a few minutes, people begin to fidget, murmur and look at watches, sure they will never make their next connection on time. At the end of the flight, people are out of their seat belts and in the aisles before the plane can stop taxing. Cell phones are turned on and calls are being made all while bags are jerked from overhead compartments. Once again, impatient evokes until the door is finally opened and the hurry-up people run from the plane pulling their wheels behind them on to their connecting flight for off to the baggage pick-up carrousel. The baggage pick-up is where the hurried person realizes that their most precious moments can be lost. Therefore, the next time they fly they will not check any luggage; they will purchase a bigger “carry-on” with bigger wheels. Their reasoning is that by dragging their baggage with them they “Saves time.” Also, “Don’t have to wait to get your baggage when you get off.” And the really big, super-duper time consumer is “Don’t have to worry about the airlines losing it.” Yes, it is too bad there is no way to collect up all the time saved at airports. We could dole it out to the impatient, baggage pulling passengers along with their airline tickets and give them all sorts of time to board. I’ll have to watch myself just to be sure I don’t fall into the “hurry-up” crowd any time soon. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953.
May 18, 2009 - "2009 Memorial Day to be observed May 25th"
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers, declared in General Order No. 11 that: “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decoration the graves of comrades who died in defense of their county during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.” Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings; however, it is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. Today, Memorial Day is a time of the year when people come together to honor their close friends or relatives who have died. It is still very much about honoring America’s fallen soldiers, such as in gatherings at places like the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia to visit such moving memorial tributes as the tomb of the unknown soldier, which represents “everyman” who with bold patriotism laid down their life for this country. But in addition to this, Memorial Day is about celebrating all people, all of our ancestors and forefathers who have created the world we live in today, who have paved the long road we walk down into the future. It is a day to celebrate and thank all these people who died to create what we have today. The Grant County Courthouse and road district offices will be closed to allow employees to honor their deceased family members as well as all service men and women who have died for our freedom and the freedom of our country. As always, the Grant County Sheriff’s department and all military personnel will remain on duty to insure your safety, the safety of Grant County and the safety of the United States of America. Thank you Sheriff Roland Hula and thank you to all service men and women who are serving our country!
May 12, 2009 - "Make those calls today"
What may be good for one is not necessarily good for all. In this instance, I am referring to Senate Bill 832 by Senator Bingman (R-Sapulpa) that is described as an “emergency” and as being for “county bridges – bridge replacement projects.” Although the bill is labeled as being “county bridges,” this bill is in no way or form good for all 77 counties in Oklahoma. In fact, this bill was neither requested nor supported by the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO). SB 832 is specifically for Creek County (Sapulpa is the county seat) and for the turnpike that goes through Creek County. The bill proposes to move 1 percent (approximately $6 million) of the Motor Vehicle Tax Revenues from General Appropriations to a new sub-account in the County Bridge and Road Improvement Act (CBRI) fund. The CBRI fund is overseen and managed by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). CBRI funds can only be used for county bridges. The fund originally was created for counties to finance matching monies for large county bridge projects or to build county bridges using force accounts. Bridges over turnpikes are owned by individual counties or the State, but for safety reasons, these bridges are maintained and financed by the turnpike authority. When these bridges are in of need of repair, the turnpike authority can take care of possible detours and lane closing as well as traffic control. Counties are not equipped to handle such mechanisms. However, bridges over turnpikes are inspected the same way other county bridges are inspected and must be repaired and/or reconstructed if they become structurally inadequate. Again, the turnpike authority funds these projects. SB 832 was introduced because Creek County officials want to convert a two-lane bridge to a four-lane bridge and add additional road and bridge crossings over the turnpike in their county. However, the bridge they want to convert is structurally adequate and the turnpike authority does not want the burden of building and maintaining more overpasses. The county does not want to foot the bill, either. Creek County is experiencing tremendous growth, including growth in population and business (which, by the way, has increased the county’s tax basis). Like many of you, I would rather this $6 million be available for use by all 77 counties. This year, ACCO solicited both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate for money to help with much-needed maintenance and operations for county roads and bridges. We were told that the budget was not only tight, but also cuts were going to be put in place. It is flagrantly contradictory that SB 832 now proposes to create a fund specifically for Creek County and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. Please call your Senators and Representatives and let them know that SB 832 does not help any county in this state with county roads and bridges because the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has their own funds for all bridges associated with the turnpike including county bridges crossing the turnpike. Additionally, motor vehicle tax is one that is a “road user” tax that should go to all 77 counties’ maintenance and operation funds. For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford even if only to visit.
May 5 , 2009 - "My 'to do' list grows"
We maintain several types of “to do” lists which include such things as closed bridges to rebuild, closed roads to reopen, major roads to shale, major roads to rock, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) repairs to complete, federal Emergency Relief (ER) repairs to finish, emergency watershed programs (EWP) to identify and complete, legislative issues to monitor and many more. Maybe “to do” lists are helpful, but they are also a pain. Once something is on my “to do” list, I have to do it whether I want to do it or not. There is something about having things written down that makes them more compelling. It is hard to rationalize something away when it is on a list of things “to do”. District 2 has been working hard to finish up the infrastructure damages sustained from the June 2008 and September 2008 floods, consequently the FEMA and ER “to do” lists were actually dwindling in size. This FEMA “to do” list still has two major bridges to be built but the actually road repairs were nearly completed. It was an awesome feeling marking off each and every item on the list when they were completed, a real sense of accomplishment. However, collecting the money is another issue on yet another “to do” list. Now, with over 14-inches of rain in the past couple weeks, Robert’s “to do” list and my “to do” have had to be reprioritized. In fact, a completely new April/May 2008 flood “to do” list is being made by Robert and the list continues to grow. Robert has already identified over 50 areas damaged and he hasn’t even covered a fourth of the district infrastructure. Unfortunately, several bridge projects, as well as shale and rock projects that were scheduled to begin this spring, summer and fall will have to be moved down on the “do to” lists. Believe me; I do not like this anymore than you like it. Nevertheless, emergency priorities must be moved to the top of the lists, especially with crops to be harvested and planted in the next 60 days. I have places to go, people to see and things to do. But there is one thing I can mark off my “to do” list now. I have just written this column and it is no longer something that I need “to do” this week!
April 27, 2009 - "Will it rain for the next five Sundays?" The weather is often a topic of conversation, sometimes because of the volatile weather and sometimes because people have nothing else to talk about. In early times, people had to rely on weather indicators to help foretell the weather, these were known as weather lore’s. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time while lore is a traditional belief. The purpose of weather lore was to instruct early farmers, sailors, herdsmen and others on how to predict the weather. Many were poetic in nature, which made it easier to pass on to later generations. Some of these indicators had a true correlation with factors that do affect the weather. Others had no relationship at all to the weather. Did you enjoy the benefit of the rain on Easter Sunday? Most farmers and ranchers will agree that at that time they did due to the top soil being dry and the wheat crop and spring pastures needing a drink from Mother Nature. Now according to weather lore, “If it rains on Easter, it rains for the next seven Sundays.” Yes, it rained on Easter and for the following two Sundays. So the question is will we get rain for the next five Sundays? It’s a wait-and-see game if that weather lore will hold water in 2009! People who make their living outdoors and work in road construction depend on the weather, which has always been the case. Fortunately, today there are meteorologists who make use of satellites, weather balloons, super computers, Doppler radar and a complex communications network to produce reasonable accurate daily weather forecasts. As your Grant County District 2 Commissioner, I personally would prefer to see a few weeks of dry weather. The three to ten-inches of rain received this past Saturday night and Sunday morning in a three to four-hour time span was much more than was needed, but that’s for another column. I would ask for your consideration, cooperation, and patients during the next month or so while crews attempt to patch and repair the roads prior to wheat harvest. As always, please call me with any county concerns and/or District 2 road concerns at the District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859. You may also reach Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950. Furthermore, you may stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford to voice any concerns about Grant County or just to visit.
April 20, 2009 - "Governor Signs House Bill 1470" Governor Brad Henry signed House Bill (HB) 1470 on April 14, 2009. This bill, which was authored by Representative Mike Sanders and Senator David Myers, was requested through me and supported by the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO) and the County Government Legislative Council (CGLC). This bill amends Oklahoma Statute Title 19 § 455 relating to the county reward fund and expanding the list of crimes that qualify. Specifically, “The board of county commissioners of each county is hereby authorized to offer and pay a reward, from county funds, in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for the arrest and conviction, or for evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of any person stealing or defacing county road signs or any other county property.” Prior to this, only one hundred dollars ($100.00) could be authorized and paid out of county funds and it pertained only to county road signs. It is difficult to convince someone to step forward with information about a crime and then to follow through with making a legal statement that can be used for an arrest and conviction. By offering a larger sum on money, perhaps some of these individuals will be more willing to step forward with needed information to make such arrests. Districts 2 has experienced numerous incidents of damages to road signs and even complete destruction of some signs. Additionally, vandalism of county buildings and equipment has occurred, which by prior law a reward could not even be offered for information relating to such vandalism. HB 1470 now addresses all such issues. This bill will become effective November 1, 2009. If you, or if you know of someone who has information about person(s) that have destroyed county road signs or vandalized county property, please call the Grant County Sheriff at 580-395-2356 or the county shop at 580-395-2859. If requested, you may remain anonymous.
April 13, 2009 - "Tax Freedom Day" Tax Freedom Day® for 2009 officially arrived on April 13, the 103rd day of the year, according to the Tax Foundation. What does this mean? It means that Americans had to work about three and one-half months of the year before they had earned enough money to pay this year’s tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. Determining the national Tax Freedom Day involves calculating an overall average tax rate for the nation. This is done by dividing the nation’s total tax payments by the nation’s income as projected by the Tax Foundation for 2009. The source for income and tax data is the National Income and Product Accounts published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the Department of Commerce. The good news is that as an Oklahoma resident your Tax Freedom Day was actually on April 4, a full nine days earlier than the average. Oklahoma is the 40th lowest out of all 50 states in federal, state and local tax assessments and collections. Why? Because Oklahoma has a lower state income tax rate with no local income taxes. Residents of Alaska will bear the lowest average tax burden while Connecticut is highest. One important part to remember is that Tax Freedom Day does not include the current year’s deficits. If the projected deficit for 2009 was counted as a tax then Tax Freedom Day would arrive on May 29 instead of April 13. This is the latest date ever in history for this deficit-inclusive measure according to the Tax Foundation. The only previous years when taxes and deficit spending comprised a similarly large share of national income were 1944 and 1945, at the peak of World War II. While tax revenues decline due to the recession, the United States government expenditures are escalating due to the stimulus package. The stimulus package, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, includes large temporary tax cuts for 2009 and 2010 while spending billions of dollars in an effort to stimulate the economy and create jobs. As always, please stop by the office or call if you have any county concerns or road concerns. Our shop is located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford and the shop office number is 580-395-2859. You may also reach District 2 Road Foreman Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950.
April 6, 2009 - "Three Emergency Watershed Programs Move Forward" Grant County Districts’ 1 and 2, in cooperation with the Grant County Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS), has begun work on Emergency Watershed Program (EWP) projects. Three sites were approved last year, and the county has been waiting for federal funds to complete the work. EWP’s in Grant County were authorized under flooding from September 11-13, 2008 and these projects will help stabilize streambanks and reduce soil erosion along the county roads and/or bridges and culverts. The NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to States, local governments and Tribes (project sponsors) to implement authorized watershed project plans for the purpose of watershed protection; flood mitigation; water quality improvements; soil erosion reduction; rural, municipal and industrial water supply; irrigation water management; sediment control; fish and wildlife enhancement; and wetlands and wetland function creation and restoration. The three approved sites include two for District 1 in the Clyde area and near the Moore Cemetery, while the one approved site for District 2 is in the Deer Creek area. Grant County is required to match 25 percent of the bid with in-kind services, which include labor and equipment. These roads will be closed with barricades to through traffic during work hours, so please comply and use alternative routes until each project is finished. Scheduled work hours will be 10 to 12 hours per day Monday-Friday. All projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of May. For comments or questions please call the office at 580-395-2859 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman at 580-541-8953, or me at 580-541-8950. For questions concerning District 1 projects, please call Max Hess at his office at 580-594-2925. March 30, 2009 - "Remember the county has a right-of-way" Spring sprung with a white winter wonderland! One day it is 90 degrees and the next day we have an ice and snow storm followed with warm weather again. Why can’t we just have normal seasons like we used to have? One thing for certain, Mother Nature is in control. I am thankful that Grant County dodged the big bullet and did not get the snow blizzard, complete with ten-foot snow drifts, that hit much of the northwestern part of Oklahoma, in particular in the panhandle. Actually District 2 received more ice than snow, while the western portions of the county received more snow than ice. Several Grant County road crews were out on Saturday, with a few on Sunday, trying to clear snow and ice to make the roads and bridges safer to travel on. By late Sunday evening, Mother Nature helped us with sun and wind that melted the remaining snow. The moisture was much needed for the winter wheat and spring crops. Precipitation totals from this storm were from two to three inches with predictions for additionally rain in the forecast for this week. As conditions and the weather allows, crews will be out grading and grooming roads. We also plan to get started with spraying ditches in an effort to slow down the vegetation while targeting summer broadleaf weeds. It is very important to remember that the county has a 66-foot right-of-way for county roads and ditches on each and every roadway Farmers, please think of your family, your neighbors and all travelers as you begin your spring and summer tillage and planting. Please do not farm nor plant in the ditches to help insure that the people have a better, wider view of the roads, bridges, and intersections while also avoiding wildlife crossings. Grant County is diligently re-claiming the full 66-foot right-of-way to construct and maintain a better and safer roadway for the general public to travel. Your fuel, fertilizers, chemicals and seeds will be wasted if you farm and plant in the county right-of-ways since they will be destroyed in an attempt to uphold safe roads. As always, please stop by the office or call if you have any county concerns or road concerns. Our shop is located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford and the shop office number is 580-395-2859. You may also reach District 2 Road Foreman Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950. March 23, 2009 - "FEMA projects continue, still to collect money" During the June 2008 flood, Grant County District 2 was approved for $108,995.00 in road damages from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Additionally, one 23-foot-long bridge washed down the creek and was completely lost. FEMA has not approved a replacement cost for this bridge; however, an estimated cost for replacement is between $40,000 and $45,000. During the September 2008 flood, Grant County District 2 was approved for $253,739.00 in road and bridge damages from FEMA. This includes one 90-foot-long bridge that was 75 percent damaged; however, funding includes the replacement cost of $154,450.00 for a new bridge. FEMA pays 75 percent of the cost for repairs, while the Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) picks up 12.5 percent and the county is responsible for the remaining 12.5 percent of the costs. Monies that have been received from FEMA for both disasters total $195,982.00 and OEMA has not paid for any of these costs. In other words, Grant County generally has to “up-front” the costs for repairs and then wait for reimbursements. All repairs, with the exception of the 23-foot bridge, have been completed from the June flood. There are a few more sites to be repaired, including the 90 foot bridge that is still being worked on. In addition to working on these flood sites, district employees are busy grading up ditches, working on bridges, culvert and low water crossings, as well as day-to-day operations. As always, please stop by the office or call if you have any county concerns or road concerns. Our shop is located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford and the shop office number is 580-395-2859. You may also reach District 2 Road Foreman Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950. March 16, 2009 - "A campaign to unite the federal-county partnership" During the NACo Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., last week, I had the opportunity to meet with Senator James Inhofe about the stimulus package. We discussed the counties’ concerns of the division of the transportation and highway money between the state and counties as well as the reintroduction of the Economic Development Administration. Another topic of discussion was about the possible termination of the Resource Conservation and Development (RC & D) program in the President’s budget. Oklahoma is to receive approximately 465 million dollars for transportation and highway from the stimulus package. This money will be sent directly to Gary Ridley, Director for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Thirty percent of this money is ear-tagged for certain projects with the remaining 70 percent to be divided by Director Ridley. My concerns are that Director Ridley has specified only $26 million to counties for transportation and highway. This is 5.5 percent of the total package, while counties are responsible for 75 percent of the total road miles and 62 percent of all bridges in the state of Oklahoma. This is not an equal distribution of funds. Oklahoma ranks third highest in the nation for deficient and obsolete bridges because of the deficient and obsolete bridges on county roads, not from the bridges on the state highway system. Another concern I voiced was that the President has proposed to completely delete the RC & D program from his budget, which would eliminate the program. The President states that this program has met its mission statement, so there is no longer a need for the program. However, the RC & D program is most certainly still needed in a global economy because the program helps grow America. The RC & D works at the local level with parks, schools, cities and county entities. They help research and implement grants, rural development, job creations, economic development, tourism opportunities, farm workshops, tribal outreach, natural resource education, and emergency watershed protection projects. I also spoke with legislative assistants from the offices of Representatives Frank Lucas, John Sullivan, Tom Cole, Mary Fallin, and Senator Tom Coburn about these same concerns. If you have not contacted your U.S. Senator and Representative about these and other issues that are importation to you, Grant County and the State of Oklahoma, you should do so immediately. To locate your legislator’s phone number, email or address, please visit http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml. For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on mycell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford even if only to visit. March 9, 2009 - "Inviting stress into my work and life" As a general rule I am organized; however, recently I seem to constantly shuffle and reshuffle paperwork and clutter. Therefore, I cleaned my desk and office last week and diligently sorted, filed and shredded while still transferring a great deal of the paperwork to my EA, Jeri Donaldson, to “deal” with. She seems to handle it without a concern and yes, she completed the job in record time. In my own defense, I have attended forty-one different scheduled meetings in the last 64-days. Would you consider that as being over-committed? While being prompt and well-informed for my meetings, it seemed I am always looking for just “one more piece of information” while walking out the door. I surrender that to my over-achiever attitude. While growing up, my grandmother Eva offered many “Eva-isms”, as we referred to them. One of them was, “Difficult and trying problems are opportunities in disguise that your Lord and Savior will lead you through.” So instead of viewing stress as an unpleasant source of trying times, I sometimes prefer to redefine stress as “challenging opportunities for growth.” Throughout the past four years many of my growth opportunities have come from uninvited and unanticipated situations complete with obstacles and problems that have been placed in my path. Some choices or decisions have been successful while others were not so successful; but more importantly, I learned valuable lessons from all of them. To deal with both invited and uninvited stress I find comfort in the serenity prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” As always, your comments and concerns are important to us. If you have a road concern please call the shop at 580-395-2859 or Robert Moss, Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950. March 2, 2009 - "Preparing for the NaCO Legislative Conference" The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, county and local. Americans, as well as their leaders, have developed a preference for government close to the people since the inception of the United States. Even today, to examine a detailed map of the United States, or to fly across the country at a modest altitude, is to see in the very land itself how central counties are in our united life. As an air traveler, I can still detect the regular pattern of roads and planted fields, the remnants of the great grid laid out by the surveyors that prepare the land for inhabitation. The placement of towns and cities, occurring regularly even in the most infinite and empty parts of the nation, recalls the 19th century rule that county seat should be within a day’s buggy ride for every citizen. History is everywhere, and it important to think about where this past evolution and knowledge of history will lead us. Today’s counties are arguable the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the United States. Certainly they are the most diverse, varying impressively in size, population, geography and in structure. As the economic slowdown continues, county officials are looking to state and federal governments for not only assistance but from relief in many instances. As your Grant County Commissioner I will do my best to influence state and national legislation to not only help Grant County but also to help county government in general with pending legislative requirements that will benefit counties while not inflicting un-funded mandates or deliver negative impacts. As always, your comments and concerns are important to us. If you have a road concern please call the shop at 580-395-2859 or Robert Moss, Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950. February 23, 2009 - "HB 1845 - Motor vehicle collection tax" This bill would not impose any increases in tax collections. Rather, it would move 10 percent of the motor vehicle taxes already collected from the general fund to counties’ highway funds. Currently, 29.84 percent of these collected funds are going to the general fund; with the passage of this bill, 19.84 percent of these funds would continue to go to the general fund and 10 percent would go to counties’ highway funds. It is estimated that the 10 percent tax collection would generate approximately 59 million dollars per year. These monies would be appropriated using the same Oklahoma Statute county transportation formula with 40 percent distributed based on certified road miles, 30 percent distributed based on the latest certified census population and the remaining 30 percent distributed based on the area of each county bears to the total area of the state. When these motor vehicle taxes were first imposed they were considered a “user’s tax.” In other words, a tax was collected on motor vehicles to help bear the expenses for the roads and bridges that the vehicles used. Over the course of time, these monies have been siphoned off and moved to the general fund. Oklahoma has the third highest percentage of deficient bridges in the nation because of poor county bridges. According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) the costs of materials used for road, highway and bridge construction have increased by 55 percent throughout the last five years. It is past time to move a portion of this “user’s tax” back to the funds where the intent was originally solicited. This bill is going to be heard in committee on Thursday of this week. Please let Representative DeWitt and Representative Jeff Hickman know that you are in support of this bill and thank Representative DeWitt for carrying this bill forward. You may email DeWitt at daledewitt@okhouse.gov or call him at his office at 405-761-3716. You may email Hickman at jwhickman@okhouse.gov or call him at his office at 405-557-7339. As always, please call me with any county concerns and/or District 2 road concerns at the District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953. Furthermore, you may stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford to voice any concerns about Grant County or just to visit. February 16, 2009 - "County officers at CODA meeting" During the conference I attended the general sessions as well as the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO) break-out sessions. Beginning early Tuesday morning I attended the ACCO Legislative meeting where new legislative bills were discussed in detail. I also attending my SIG/SIF board meeting where information was reviewed on county property insurance as well as workers compensation claims. After lunch I attended the general session where Lt. Governor Jari Askins gave the welcome followed by speakers Attorney General Drew Edmondson, State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage and State Treasurer Scott Meacham. I then attended the ACCO Board Meeting covering commissioners business and program aspects. That evening vendors provided food and the opportunity to learn about their various products and services. On Wednesday everyone was invited to go to the State Capitol. I visited with numerous Senators and Representatives about current bills that affect not only county commissioners but bills that will impact county government. I will be giving you detailed legislation in future columns. Following lunch I attended the commissioner’s break-out session. The first session I attended covered inmate medical expenses liability revolving fund, burn ban procedures, changes to family medical leave act, SIG/SIF insurance renewals, fair labor standards act and personnel policy updates. The next session covered floodplain management with an overview of regulations, FEMA actions for non compliant programs and records, files, and permits. The last session I attended covered transportation, specifically on the federal stimulus update and the county bridge and road improvement (CBRI) fund. That evening was the Legislative Reception with live entertainment, which was held at the Oklahoma History Center. Again, I had the opportunity to visit with Representatives Dale DeWitt and Jeff Hickman and Senator David Myers. Grant County is well represented with these fine individuals. Representative DeWitt and Senator Myers are currently carrying some important legislation for county commissioners. It is going to be a very tough year at the State Capitol but a year in which I will work diligently to help solicit support for increase county highway funding. By attending this conference the Grant County officers had the opportunity to learn more and to become united in working together. As always, please call me with any county concerns and/or District 2 road concerns at the District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953. Furthermore, you may stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford to voice any concerns about Grant County or just to visit. February 10, 2009 - "County officers at CODA meeting" Serving as your county commissioner is a 24-hour-a-day job, not because I am “at work” 24 hours each day, but because I am “on call” at all hours. Talking with you, the constituents, is a big part of my job. Writing a weekly column is one avenue through which I can reach all of my constituents to keep you informed about the state of the district and our projects. As your county commissioner, I also serve on numerous boards and attend many official meetings as well as community functions and gatherings. By attending these functions, I have an opportunity to learn and gather additional information that helps me make reliable decisions that will be in the best interest for Grant County and help improve the life for you, the citizens. This week all county elected officials (commissioners, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, court clerk and county clerk) have been in Oklahoma City at the County Officers and Deputies Association (CODA) to attend meetings as well as work shops. January 26, 2009 - "Our critical economic infrastructure" As a county commissioner, my interests lie with road and bridge infrastructure. The benefits of a superior transportation system have provided the American economy with production growth envied by the world for the past seventy-five years. The underlying difference between developed and developing countries is economic infrastructure. In other words, an advanced transportation system and a sophisticated utility configuration make a big difference. Reliable electricity, clean water, fuel and communications, along with well-designed highway systems, railroads and airports make our modern economy possible. Because of investments from our ancestors, the United States is far more mobile and more prosperous than they ever could have imagined. We inherited a well-oiled economic infrastructure, which seems to have begun to collapse from neglect and from selfishness. At some point in time, the “me” generation forgot about the “we” generation. Our transportation system allows products to be shipped at extremely low costs to the advantage of consumers and producers. Americans have all profited from higher wages and cheaper food. Travel is more frequent and destinations are further than enjoyed by any generation in history. Increased travel has altered and created industries – from hotel chains to entertainment parks and sport utility vehicles to airline companies. However, Americans have bought in to the idea that we have very little, if any, personal responsibility for a public service that we cannot see benefit us individually. And, if it does benefit us, we prefer to have someone else pay for it. Most of Grant County bridges were built in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and the roads were built to carry vehicles and machinery for that time period. Farm trucks were single axle while cars weighed less than a ton. Today, many farm commodities are transported by 18-wheeled semi’s and cars can easily weigh up to two tons. Our roadways are deteriorating with many fixes today being no more than band-aids. The United States truly is the wealthiest society the world has ever seen. We have more reason to invest in our critical economic infrastructure than at any time in history. Yet we remain unwilling to do so. If Americans are indifferent about investing in their future, then our past reminds us and tells us that courageous leaders today must act in our best interest. Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Eisenhower all understood and today they are recognized for their fundamental contributions to this nation’s transportation infrastructure. The United States Congress, as well as the Oklahoma State Legislators, has the opportunity to make the difference by authorizing and financing needed legislative bills for improved road and bridge infrastructure. January 19, 2009 - "Board and committee responsibilities continue" Boards and positions I discussed last week included the Board of Grant County Commissioners, the Economic Development Authority, the Board of Tax Roll Corrections, the Grant County OSU Extension Program Advisory Committee, the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO) Legislative Committee, theCounty Government Legislative Council (CGLC) and the National Association of Counties (NACo). As promised I will continue to explain several of the other boards that I have been appointed and elected to serve on. Wheatheart Nutrition Project, Inc. Board of Directors - This board is comprised of nine members, one from each of the eight counties, Alfalfa, Blaine, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Kingfisher, Major and Noble counties and one at-large member. I was appointed by the Grant County Board of Commissioners and am presently serving as Vice President. Meetings are held every other month rotating between Blackwell and Enid. Wheatheart Nutrition Project, Inc is a not-for-profit organization. The Corporation was established to provide a senior nutrition and outreach/social services program for the elderly. The Corporation receives federal and state grant funds from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services which are passed through the Northern Oklahoma Development Authority (NODA). All communities in Grant County are presently being served in some level by the Wheatheart Nutrition Projects including but not limited to community served meals, home delivered meals and/or other senior citizen outreach services. District 4 Community Sentencing System Planning Council - I represent Grant County Commissioners in the 5-county area including Blaine, Canadian, Garfield, Grant and Kingfisher counties. I was appointed by the Judge. Meetings are held quarterly in Enid. Mandatory members are Judge John Michael, District Attorney Cathy Stocker, a sheriff and a county commissioner. Each of the 5-county area also has a member from the prosecutor, county commissioner and/or sheriff as well as at least three citizens. The District 4 Community Sentencing System Planning Council helps plan, assist and review local community sentencing programs, which is a division of the Department of Corrections. The council also oversees the budget and funds appropriated and spent. Board of Trustees for ACCO Self Insurance Group (SIG) - There are nine members on this Board of Trustees, one from each of the eight districts across Oklahoma and one at-larger member. I was elected by the commissioners of Alfalfa, Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Kay, Kingfisher, Major, Noble, Texas, Woods, & Woodward counties to represent District 8. Meetings are held monthly in Oklahoma City. ACCO-SIG is a true Self Insured Pool and was created in 1986 with 26 counties including Grant County. These same 26 counties are still member of the pool with a current total of 71 of the 77 county’s in Oklahoma being members. ACCO-SIG is insurance for property and liability insurance for county government in Oklahoma. ACCO-SIG purchases reinsurance to protect the pool from large losses. Board of Trustees for ACCO Self Insurance Fund (SIF) - There are nine members on the Board of Trustees, one from each of the eight districts across Oklahoma and one at-larger member. I was elected by the commissioners of Alfalfa, Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Kay, Kingfisher, Major, Noble, Texas, Woods, & Woodward counties to represent District 8. Meetings are held monthly in Oklahoma City. ACCO-SIF is a true Self Insured Pool and was created in 1983 with 35 counties including Grant County. These same 35 counties are still member of the pool with a current total of 73 of the 77 county’s in Oklahoma being members. ACCO-SIF is insurance for workers compensation insurance for county government in Oklahoma. OSU Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Advisory Board - Members of the OSU Local Technical Assistance Program Advisory Board are appointed by the Center of Local Government Technology and include county government officials and appropriate state agency representatives. Meetings are called by the Director of the Center of Local Government Technology and are held in Stillwater. This advisory board assists in developing educational programs and materials for training county government officers and their employees. Wheatland Rural Conservation & Development (RC & D) Board - The Wheatland RC & D serves Alfalfa, Blaine, Canadian, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Kingfisher, Logan, Major and Noble counties. Meetings are held every other month at Autry Technology Center in Enid. The RC & D program is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) effort. The organizational purpose of RC & D is the conservation, development and utilization of natural resources to improve the general level of economic activity and to enhance the environment and standard of living in the RC & D area. Most project funds come from in-kind donations and grants. Medford, Deer Creek-Lamont, Pond Creek-Hunter, Wakita and Timberlake schools have all been recipients from Dell Corporation by receiving All-in-one machines that I have also personally taken the time to deliver. An assortment of grants have also been sought after by Wheatland RC & D personnel and a variety of corporations have awarded various county volunteer rural fire departments, local towns, area law enforcement agencies and community historical societies with several monetary grants. I am a firm believer in keeping the public informed as to what is going on with county government; therefore, I also take time every week to write this column. Writing afactual column can be an enormous investment in time and research. Time that I hope is useful, helpful as well as enlightening to each and every one of you taking your time to read this column. For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford even if only to visit. January 12, 2009 - "A responsibility to serve on boards and committees" Attending meetings takes a great deal of time. Commissioners’ schedules must allow time for regular board meetings, work sessions, executive sessions, special meetings, budget meetings and public hearings for all boards and positions each commissioner holds. Also, as an elected official, commissions are expected at many other gatherings – school curriculum, 4-H banquets, FFA activities, fire department meetings and numerous other events. Commissioners Max Hess, Jerry Shaffer and I have been appointed and have been elected to serve on numerous boards. The various boards that are appointed and that we must serve on have been divided amongst the three commissioners. For the next two weeks, I will address some of the boards and positions to which I have been elected or appointed. Board of Grant County Commissioners - Each county in Oklahoma is divided into three districts, and each district elects its own county commissioner. Each district’s county commissioner is a member of the Board of County Commissioners, which administrates the county. Therefore, county commissioners have a responsibility to the entire county and not just their own district. Grant County Commissioners hold regularly scheduled meeting the first four Mondays of every month. Special and emergency meetings are scheduled as needed. I have just completed two years as Chairman of the Board. Max Hess has been elected to serve as chairman for the next two years, and Jerry Shaffer will serve as vice-chairman. Economic Development Authority – The chairman of the Board of Commissioners also serves on the Economic Development Authority, which provides assistance directed toward encouraging the startup, retention and expansion of Grant County businesses and jobs, particularly with small businesses; creation of new jobs and employment opportunities; and diversification of economic activity and strengthening the County’s tax base. This month I was notified that Grant County is the recipient of a grant that will help move forward with strategy for the Economic Development Authority. A meeting will be held in March to proceed. More information will be made available at that time. Board of Tax Roll Corrections - Members of the Board of Tax Roll Corrections include the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners (who serves as Tax Roll chairman), the Chairman of the County Board of Equalization and the County Assessor. This board meets once a month as needed. The Board is authorized to hear allegations of mistakes or differences regarding any item contained in the tax rolls. The Board may act to correct assessment, exemption, transcribing, tax levy or valuation errors. When the Board determines that an error has been made, the County Clerk issues a Certificate of Error indicating either a tax increase, no taxes due, or a tax decrease. Actions of the Board of Tax Roll Corrections may be appealed by the taxpayer to the District Court. Grant County OSU Extension Program Advisory Committee - Members are made up of local individuals from government, bankers, business owners, farmers and ranchers. The Grant County OSU Extension office sponsors a meeting annually at the county extension office in Medford. All three commissioners serve as members on this committee. This committee serves as a sounding board for ideas and suggestions for consideration by OSU Extension Program Coordinators to incorporate into their wide variety of programs in regards to agriculture, economic development, family and consumer sciences and youth development. ACCO Legislative Committee – District 8 Representative - I am one of five members elected to represent Alfalfa, Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Kay, Kingfisher, Major, Noble, Texas, Woods, & Woodward counties. Meetings are held weekly during the legislative session and as needed during other times. Most meetings are held in Oklahoma City and/or at the State Capitol. This legislative committee is involved and actively participates in the grassroots lobbying effort to persuade legislation that would be beneficial to counties and county government. Action alert meetings are called when urgent legislation is being heard on the Senate Floor or on the House Floor. During these action alert meetings all commissioners in Oklahoma are requested to attend the Legislative Session. County Government Legislative Council (CGLC) - Members of the County Government Legislative Council include four county commissioners, two sheriffs, two court clerks, two treasurers, two assessors and two county clerks who have been elected by their respective organizations. I am an alternate member representing the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO). Meetings are held monthly in Oklahoma City and/or at the State Capitol. The CGLC is intended to support and/or sponsor legislative proposals designed to improve all County Offices of county government. National Association of Counties (NACo) Board of Directors - The Board of Directors for the National Association of Counties are elected and appointed county officials from active member counties or designated officials and are nominated at the Annual Conference to serve on the Board. I was elected by the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO) in December to represent Oklahoma. Meetings are held quarterly, once in Washington D.C. and the other three are held at various locations across the United States. The Board of Directors have general supervision, management and control of the business and property of the association. The Board is also an advocate for NACo’s legislative agenda, member services and programs. These are just a few of the boards on which I serve. Being a member of these boards or any board is not something that should be taken lightly. I firmly believe that if I am selected to serve on a board or committee that I must be an “active” participant. This means that I attend the meetings and that I have input to help fulfill the needs for the advancement of the organizations that are represented. Next week I will continue to explain the other boards on which I serve. For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford even if only to visit. January 6, 2009 - "Grant County designates 2009 holidays" Sadly, but as always, holidays “off” for many officers/employees of law enforcement personnel are not possible. I personally would like to thank these individuals that put the safety of Grant County citizens above their own deserved and well earned time off. A total of 13 days have been granted for Grant County employees and you might want to mark them on your calendars or in your planners so that you can plan your county business around these days. January 1 was New Year’s Day. The celebration of this holiday begins the night before when people gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous coming year. January 19 Martin Luther King Day will be observed. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was an African-American clergyman who is recognized for his efforts to win civil right for all people though nonviolent means. February 16 we will observe Presidents’ Day to honor the legacy of all past presidents of the United States. Before 1971, February 12 and February 22 were observed as federal public holidays to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. In 1971 President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday, the Presidents’ Day. April 10 Good Friday will be recognized for the day that Jesus Christ was crucified and died on the Cross. The following Sunday is Easter, which is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. May 25 is Memorial Day. It originally honored the people killed in the American Civil War, but has become a day on which the dead of all wars, and all deceased, are remembered. July 3 Independence Day will be observed. This holiday honors the nation’s birthday – the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. September 7 honors the nation’s working people known as Labor Day. October 12 we will celebrate Columbus Day. This day commemorates October 12, 1492, when Italian navigator Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. November 11 is Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day. This holiday was established to honor Americans who had served in World War I, but it now honors veterans of all wars in which the United States has fought. November 26-27 we will commemorate Thanksgiving. This holiday dates back to 1621 when Puritans, who had just enjoyed a bountiful harvest, showed their gratitude to the Native Americans for their help by hosting a feast to give thanks. December 24-25 Christmas will be celebrated. Christmas is a Christian holiday marking the birth of the Christ Child. Each county government in Oklahoma as well as the Oklahoma and United States governments officially declares which holiday and which days will be observed within their jurisdictions. You can typically find out what days have been declared holidays by calling the office you wish to visit. For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford even if only to visit. December 20, 2008 - "Character and ethical values" (Part 2 of 2) Good citizens know the laws and obey them, pure and simple. Beyond that, a good citizen also volunteers and stays informed on local, state and national issues. By keeping informed we are better prepared to execute our duties and privileges in our democratic society, which I believe is our civic duty. An ethical person respects and accepts individual differences and beliefs without prejudice and judges others only by the content of their character. Respect focuses on the moral obligation to honor the essential worth and dignity of the individual. We judge ourselves by our best intentions, our most noble acts and our most virtuous habits. Unfortunately, sometimes we are judges by others from gossip and hearsay. Fighting fire with fire is the false assumption that lying and deceit are justified if they are dealing with one whom engages in such gossip and hearsay themselves. Remember, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. We have a responsibility to be the best we can be in all situations, even when dealing with unpleasant people. Respect focuses on the moral obligation to honor the essential worth and dignity of every individual. Being responsible means being in charge of our choices and decision. Our conscience helps us to detect right from wrong. Responsibility means recognizing that what we do and what we do not do matters. Fairness can be a complicated concept and it is in all probability more subject to legitimate deliberation and interpretation than any other ethical value. Fairness typically refers to an array of morally justifiable conclusions rather than the discovery of one fair answer. No one is born with good character; it is not hereditary. Character must be developed. Building character refers to the process of instilling in a person positive traits based on principles that can be expressed in many ways. I believe that it is most important that all elected officials, whether at the local, state or national level, posses good character and make ethical decisions for the best interest of the people we serve. Although we are not perfect humans and yes, we are apt to make wrong decisions when we are stressed, when we are in a hurry or under pressure, and even when we are ignorant of important facts. However, as one of your county commissioners I dutifully and faithfully make a conscience effort to try to make the right choices for Grant County. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and to serve Grant County. For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford even if only to visit. Respectfully submitted, December 15, 2008 - "Making choices and taking those decisions seriously" (Part 1 of 2) It may be all right to make spontaneously decisions for what to wear, what to eat or what to say in casual conversations. When the issues are not morally complex and the stakes are small, our normal instincts are sufficient. However, the problem arises when we do not distinguish between minor and potentially major issues, whether they are personal or public in nature and when we go with the flow in situations that demand a much more careful approach. As one of three county commissioners in Grant County I must say that sometimes each and every commissioner may and can be challenged every minute of every hour of every day to make decisions that may and can affect every citizen in Grant County. In my opinion, one of the most important steps to making better decisions is to follow the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In other words a decision is ethical when it is consistent with core ethical values that sustain trust, demonstrate respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship toward all mankind. During this season of Advent, I challenge each of you to recognize the importance of each and every decision that you make. It should not matter whether it is personal or public in nature but it should be ethical. Be sure you have adequate information to support an intelligent choice. You cannot make good decisions without knowing the facts. Making sound decisions involves making good judgments as to who and what to believe. Consider the reliability and credibility of the people providing the information – is it factual. Consider the basis of the “supposed” facts. If the person giving you the information says he or she personally heard or saw something, evaluate that person in terms of honesty, accuracy, and memory. Please remember that assumptions, gossip and hearsay are not the same as facts. Consider all perspectives, but be careful to consider whether the source of the information has values different from yours or has a personal interest that could affect his or her perception of the facts. We are apt to make foolish decisions when we are stressed by powerful desires or fatigue, when we are in a hurry or under pressure and when we are ignorant of important facts. When possible, seek opinions from people whose judgment and character you respect, but be especially careful to distinguish the difference of well-grounded opinions of informed people from the coffee-shop gossip, casual hearsay, presumption and speculation. Finally, evaluate the information you have obtained in terms of completeness and reliability so that you have a sense of certainly and fallibility of your decision. Next week I will address steps and procedures that have helped the Grant County Commissioners evaluate decisions that are made, which also include possible consequences. Please be assured that all board issues are based on ethical decisions for the betterment of Grant County whether it could be construed as a legal issue or a personnel issue. For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call me with any county concerns and/or District 2 road concerns at the District 2 Shop at 580-395-2859. You may also reach me on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss, District 2 Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953. Furthermore, you may stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford to voice any concerns about Grant County or just to visit. Respectfully submitted, December 8, 2008 - "Heavy loads, lack of funds stress county infrastructure" Heavy loads damage the surfacing, rut the roads and create dust concerns. Most of the heavy loads come from the oilfield and agricultural industries. However, if Grant County is to survive and be successful, our oilfield workers, farmers and ranchers also must thrive and be successful. In the past, it took oil locations longer to be built and drilling rigs longer to drill the wells: fewer locations meant fewer moves. Also the drilling equipment was considerably smaller: smaller equipment meant lighter loads. Today, as in the 1980s, the energy industry is booming, so more wells are being drilled and being produced. This means more trucks are hauling heavy loads of equipment to make and maintain locations and drilling rigs, as well as loads of oil to refineries and salt water to disposal wells. Likewise, some time ago, more agricultural commodities were used on the farms, and the vehicles needed to transport the commodities from the farm to the market were much more modest in size. From these local markets, most commodities were then transported by railroads to ports. Today, with improved farming techniques more fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides are being used while yields have been greatly improved. This all translates into more heavy loads hauled from supplies and to markets. Nearly everything we own, eat, use, grow or manufacture is carried by truck on at least part of its journey. Because Grant County knows the importance of trucking, we are willing to work with all aspects of the trucking industry. All we ask is that you do your part in making sure that the commodities you transport in Grant County are legal as to the weight per axle and that you consider the condition of the roads you travel, such as bridge structures on the road as well as the weather condition – wet or dry roads. We also ask that if it is absolutely necessary to travel on the county roads during wet conditions, please make an effort to minimize damages and/or help restore the road to prior conditions, especially when dozers are used to drag oil field equipment to and from their locations on county roads. Grant County has paved roads that can approach 1,000 vehicles per day during wheat, corn, milo or bean harvests. Gravel roads draw nearly 600 vehicles per day. That is a lot of weight on roads, which creates potholes, washboards, ruts, and the loss of fines in the dust. Funding for the bridge and road infrastructure is an industry-wide concern. You, the public demands a higher level of service, yet these demands go un-funded. With inflation, it is becoming increasingly difficult just to cover the maintenance on our existing infrastructure, let alone consider the initial costs of bridge and road reconstruction or improvement. Even though the Oklahoma Legislatures are not officially in session, they currently are writing bills for the upcoming session. Now is the time to once again get involved and make contact with your senator and representative and request that funding for maintenance and operations for county infrastructure be funded.
For more information about District 2 please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, please call us with any road or county concerns at the shop at 580-395-2859, or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. You may also stop by the shop at 524 N. Front Street in Medford just to visit. Respectfully submitted, December 1, 2008 - "Much to be thankful for, you top the list" I am thankful to receive the final funds from the 2007 ice storm and the three 2007 floods that have been reimbursed to District 2 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency (OEMA), totaling was over $150,000. While being conservative with these funds it is also great not having to refuse repairs and/or improvements that must be made to county equipment and/or roads and bridges for the safety of the district. Furthermore, your assertive involvement with legislation for county roads and bridges has made a difference. On the federal level there has been funds appropriated for reimbursements on major collector roads from the 2007 ice storm, the three 2007 floods as well as the June 2008 flood, which translates to over $100,000 for District 2 once the paperwork is completed and approved. Even though it felt like it rained when it should have been dry and was dry when it should have been raining, I realize that is a sign that county road maintenance is never-ending. Nevertheless, I am thankful that District 2 has been able to continue to make road and bridge repairs from the June and September 2008 disasters. I will be even more thankful when all these disaster repairs are completed! In addition, I am thankful for the opportunity every week to fill some space in this publication. I’ve found the editor and the people who work here to be a wonderful, dedicated group. Additionally, I’ve found the readers to be the salt of the earth who care deeply for Grant County. Finally, it feels good to be full of thanks – as good as it feels to be full of turkey and pumpkin pie. I hope that each of you are also full of thanks, turkey and pumpkin pie too. Respectfully submitted, November 17, 2008 - "Wind energy potential" Look around you. Try to imagine what your home, community and life would be like without abundant, reliable, affordable energy. For lights and refrigerators, computers and televisions, schools and hospitals, offices, shops and factories, food, transportation and countless other marvels that improve, enrich and safeguard our lives. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration the energy we use comes from eighty-five percent fossil fuels, eight percent nuclear power, and seven percent renewable fuels. A good number of people expect that renewable energy technologies will be more prevalent in the future, which includes wind power, hydroelectric power, biomass, solar power and geothermal energy. Wind power is not new, it can be traced back to pharaohs’ barges, clipper ships, Holland’s picturesque windmills as well as windmills speckled across Grant County grasslands and pastures. Today, enormous high-tech towers – in small clusters or sprawling “wind farms” – generate increasing amounts of electricity that powers homes and other facilities directly or that is fed into power grids in virtually every state. Grant County Commissioners have been approached by a couple different wind energy companies that are seriously looking at the possibility of developing “wind farms” in Grant County. Therefore, this past week while attending the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO) Conference I also attended an interim study at the State Capitol on “Tax Credits for Wind and Geothermal Energy”. Authors for this study were Rep. Dale DeWitt, Braman, and Rep. John Enns, Waukomis. The fact is that wind energy is growing steadily in the United States. Wind turbines generate no greenhouse gases or other emissions. Improved electrical grid equipment will make it easier for companies to integrate wind energy into grids. The biggest engineering problem involves the fact that wind speed can vary from zero to gale force. At either extreme, electrical output vanishes: no wind means the turbine blades don’t turn at all and in windstorms the system must be shut down to prevent catastrophic accidents. So what is the potential for wind energy in Grant County and/or Oklahoma? I personally believe that Grant County could and would benefit from property tax revenue and that landowners can and will benefit from lease payments for hosting wind turbines. Furthermore, I believe that it could and would provide economic development with jobs for project construction and operations and maintenance as well as the possibility to provide Oklahoma with new manufacturing facilities for wind turbines components. As your county commissioner I will continue to study, research and attend upcoming meetings and conferences to learn as much as I can about wind farms and the potential of bringing wind farms to Grant County. Remember what Einstein said, “If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?” As always, your comments and concerns are important to us. If you have a road concern please call the shop at 580-395-2859 or Robert Moss, Foreman, on his cell at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell at 580-541-8950. Respectfully submitted, November 4, 2008 - "Bridges are a sign of the times" Of the 457 total bridges in the Grant County, 244 of them are deficient or obsolete. The replacement costs for these bridges are estimated to exceed $150 million. District 2 has the highest number of deficient and/or obsolete bridges in the entire state of Oklahoma. Additionally, District 2 has 49 bridges that are either closed or sustained by “temporary structures.” Closed and temporary bridge structures can be listed on the state inventory for approximately 7 to 12 years. During that time, the temporary structures must be replaced and closed structures must be repaired or replaced to meet bridge standards or they will cease to receive state and/or federal funding. The average bridge age in Grant County is 43 years, and the oldest bridge is an astounding 92 years old. Bridges deteriorate over time, and while District 2’s oldest bridge is an 88-year-old bridge it is “structurally” useable but it is “functionally” obsolete. In past decades, District 2 has done a poor job repairing (let alone replacing) deteriorating bridges. For example, the 20 years between 1940 and 1960, the district saw 88 newly replaced or built bridges in District 2. In comparison, a mere 37 bridges were built from 1960 to 2000. In fact, not a single bridge was built during the 1970s. This means District 2 is trying to play catch-up, which is not an easy task when facing a foe as mighty as Mother Nature. In addition, the shear volume of the necessary improvements can be financially overwhelming when operating on a very stretched and tense budget. Remember that of the 77 counties in the State of Oklahoma, Grant County ranks 1st for number of bridges and 5th for total road miles. On the other hand, Grant County is seventy-sixth in the state for the amount of funds received per mile to maintain all bridges and roads! Do you notice a monetary dilemma at this point? I would love to have a 5-man bridge crew, but that won’t happen any time soon due to a shortage of funds. In addition, you may see culverts in our yard and think we are “not using them anyway.” These are generally already dedicated to a project or need to be available for emergency repairs. Believe me, we have plenty of these jobs but due to the shortage of funds and labor these culverts are being installed on a much slower time scale. What you think of as a minor request or “not a big deal” becomes more than our budget will allow when taken into the context of the entire district. Respectfully submitted, October 27, 2008 - "Making choices for the betterment of Grant County" One issue that District 2 sometimes must deal with is the dike-like wrinkles on the edge of the road from grading. Unfortunately, for the past two years during the late summer and early fall budget restrictions and weather have hindered our progress. The fact is that mowing services and spraying ditches have had to be cut due to budget limitations. In an effort to keep the roads wide enough for safe traveling and passing of other vehicles, the vegetation on the sides of the roads must be cut with the grader blades, thus creating a large wrinkle. However, these wrinkles are being rolled back and forth later when the wind will help blow the grass materials out of the soil. Regrettably, we have had floods and continuous rains over the past two months, and it is virtually impossible to roll wet wrinkles. The grader operators especially don’t like the dike-like wrinkles because it takes time away from maintaining other roads, which in turn makes it more difficult for the operators to maintain their entire area. (When all six graders are running, every grader operator is responsible for more than 100 miles.) At the present time, District 2 has a mere 11 full-time employees doing the work of 18 people. We are functioning with six grader operators, three truck drivers, one mechanic and one road foreman. Consequently, there are no extra operators to designate to mow, to work on bridges, to work on culverts, and so on and so forth. In fact, when shale needs to be dug, or when shale is laid and needs to be packed, or when tubes need to be replaced and set, or when bridges need to be repaired, several of these operators must cease what they are currently doing to work on these other jobs. Setting priorities and completing jobs is difficult at best. For District 2, our top priority is that of safety. I have had to ask myself, “Is it better to grade the road after the rains for safe traveling or is it better to continue to haul and lay rock to an improvement projects?” and/or “Is it better to repair a damaged bridge on a bus route or is it better to continue to haul and lay shale to an improvement project?” I believe that the safety issues have and must continue to take precedence. Therefore, a rock project or a shale project may be stopped so issues that affect public safety can be addressed immediately. In addition, I have made a decision to complete most improvement projects in stages so that each area within District 2 receives some major infrastructure improvements. It would be unfair to all constituents if one community received all the improvements while others received none. As always, funding continues to be an issue when completing large projects. The first stage of the Numa project on Numa road going north from Highway 11 is completed. These first eight miles were subsidized through the first and only grant of its kind for a county road improvement through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) Fund. The remaining five miles of this road going north to the state line will be completed and will be funded with Grant County funds when funds become available. Furthermore, the one mile south and one mile west of Numa has been completed with county funding. The Renfrow/Braman road project has been undertaken through shared funding. The easternmost five miles have been completed and were cost-shared with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) and county funds. Additionally, the westernmost mile has been completed and was paid for by District 2. The remaining four and a half miles in between will be completed and will be financed with county funds when additional funds are acquired. Once again, the Salt Fork road going west 2.75 miles to the 5-mile road, 12 miles of the 5-mile road from the Salt Fork road to Highway 11, and 12 miles of Tallyho Road going both north and south from Deer Creek will be completed with shale and/or rock when county funding becomes available. Be assured that these projects are included in my District 2 4-year plan and hopefully the weather will cooperate. District 2 roads are not where I wanted to be at this time due to many circumstances, including the price of fuel and steel, as well as the necessity of major repairs from six natural disasters in the past two years (one ice storm and five floods). Once more, choices had to be made for the safety of school buses, mail carriers and emergency service vehicles, as well as for all the constituents living in the country or on their 100-year-old homesteads. These are just some of the reasons we have been in a state of repair instead of improvements being made. Respectfully submitted, October 20, 2008 - "County audits in compliance" I will go over a few of the questions I personally responded to for District 2. Several of the audit tests were the same for both 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 years due to the fact that the SA & I were 2 years behind on their audit of Grant County. In 2005-2006 there was a question concerning the purchase of a vehicle through the Department of Central Services. This should have been directed to the Purchasing Agent as it fell under Title 19 O.S. § 1501 – Duties of county purchasing agent. A copy of the bid has now been attached to the purchase order. Travel related reimbursements related to the use of my personal airplane for viewing, photographing and assessing roads and county issues were correctly documented on a travel claim as required by Oklahoma Statutes. As recommended by the auditor I spoke with proper authorities to determine this was a proper expenditure for the county. Those I spoke with included commissioner Jerry Shaffer, commissioner Max Hess, assistant district attorney Steven Young and deputy state auditor and general council Michelle Day. Day stated that travel by airplane would be particularly vital to view areas and roads that were not accessible by vehicles or to view areas of flooding. She did not understand the opinion that this would not be considered for travel reimbursement as reflected in the audit from auditor Sherri Merle. Day, Hess, Shaffer, Young all verified this was a proper expenditure as per Title 19 O.S. § 163-164. Using guidelines found in Title 74 O.S. § 500.6-500.6.A to figure the reimbursement for a privately owned airplane I was underpaid $105.10. Let the records show that I have not and will not ask for reimbursement for the underpayment. Concerning other travel related reimbursements in the audit reports the issue was that better documentation was needed, not that it was being denied. Many line items were properly documented and were apparently overlooked by the auditors, while other items in question were given better documentation. District 2 employees work a 10-hour, 4-day workweek. The audit issue was that employees might have been shorted for holiday pay during the two fiscal years. To make this correction, scheduled work hours will be changed during the holiday week. When a holiday falls between Monday and Thursday, employees will receive 8-hours of holiday pay on the day of the holiday and then will work an extra 2 hours on other days in that week (total of a 40-hours week). However, when the holiday falls on a Friday, employees will only work four 8-hour days for that week (total of 40 hours for the week). In 2006-2007, there was a test concerning six-month bids from vendors. As per Title 19 O.S. § 1505.B.4, the Board of County Commissioners shall select the lowest and best bid based upon the availability of material and transportation cost to the job site. Some of the issues mentioned in the audit were the lowest price; I believe the auditors did not understand the difference in materials as well as how to read the bid list. Be assured that when materials are purchased off the six-month bid list and the lowest price is not purchased, the reason behind the decision will be put into the official minutes of the Board of County Commissioners. More information about District 2 may be found at our Web site at www.grantdistrict2.com. If you have any questions concerning the audits or any county issue, please call me at the shop office at 580-395-2859 or on my cell at 580-541-8950. Additionally, Robert Moss may be contacted with any District 2 road issues at 580-541-8953. Respectfully submitted, October 13, 2008 - "Feet first" For the next few minutes I would like to “get my foot in your door,” so to speak, and out of my mouth. A few weeks ago I asked for your help getting H.B. 2381 funds released from the State Treasurer. It turns out Mr. Meacham had not released the funds because he felt the bill was unclear about how the funds were to be distributed. The information that was provided to me through the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO) and through the associations’ attorneys was the information I put in my column, and my column was published before Mr. Meacham took the time to personally call me about the isuue. What is truly unfortunate is that ACCO had to “foot the bill” and hire outside council to help get this issue resolved. However, one good thing is that our legislators were made aware of this issue by you, the people, who called them to let them know what was going on. Again, I thank you for that. It is very important that all constituents take time to remain involved in the democratic process and let their voices be heard. On another note, I'd like to let you know Grant County in one of 10 counties that were declared a disaster from the September 11-13 floods. Unfortunately, the request for assistance to aid individuals and businesses that also were hit hard by this storm was denied. On Wednesday there will be a kick-off meeting to discuss the disaster funding for Grant and Alfalfa Counties at the District 2 Shop. This will be my sixth disaster to work for Grant County. District 2 employees will be “putting our foot down” to get these repairs made as quickly as possible. With $5.1 million estimated for damages in just Grant County, it will be a long haul – but we are up to the challenge! Respectfully submitted, October 6, 2008 - "Decision-making bottom line"
The next issue that I reflect on is to decide whether to buy new or used equipment. Both new and used equipment offer advantages and disadvantages based on:
All equipment is designed to perform a specified number of hours work. Buying used equipment means you purchase the remaining unused service life of the machinery. I consider how the equipment has been used, maintained, and repaired and remember that most used equipment does not come with any guarantees. Lease-purchase agreements are the primary method Grant County road districts use to purchase equipment. A lease-purchase agreement spreads out the terms of payment for equipment. At the end of the payment period, the county has the option to purchase the equipment or let the equipment company or bank retain ownership. During this lease-purchase period the county has been able to use the equipment and to spread equipment payments over time to ease the financial burden of making large acquisitions. One of the difficulties with analyzing machinery costs is that they change over time. Interest expense is high initially, but gradually demises. On the other hand, repair costs may amount to little or nothing when a machine is still under warranty, but eventually increase as parts wear out and maintenance requirements rise. Being able to anticipate when large repair costs will be needed is a key consideration in deciding when to replace a machine. Fuel and lubrication cost usually do not change much over time, although an older engine may eventually lose some degree of fuel efficiency. Besides the standard machinery costs, I also consider timeliness costs in my replacement decisions. One example of timeliness costs occurs when farm constituents are planting or harvesting and roads become impassable due to weather. If county machinery breaks down at a critical time, timeliness costs can be quite high for these constituents. Furthermore, if roads cannot be timely maintained for school bus routes and mail routes the issue of safety looms over the county. Safety, in my mind, is always key to making decisions. The strategy that I am maintaining is to try to replace one or two pieces of machinery every year. The goal is to spend about the same amount on new equipment every year. This prevents the district from having large cash outlays in any one year. The biggest disadvantage of this strategy is that machinery may become seriously unreliable before the county has sufficient funds to replace it. The bottom line is that serving as District 2 commissioner, I continue to make decisions over whether to repair existing equipment or to replace existing county equipment on these factors as well as what is best for Grant County. Respectfully submitted, September 29, 2008 - "$226,542.97 owed to District 2 for completed work from 2007 disasters" As to the June 2008 flood disaster, no project work orders have been completed and filed – yet some of the work has been finished. District 2 has turned in 62 sites, including one bridge that was completely destroyed. I am estimating the repairs in District 2 to be close to $250,000. On top of that, FEMA has estimated that repair costs for the September 2008 flood will be $5.1 million. These repairs are for the entire Grant County road and bridge infrastructure. Funding these repairs is going to be difficult at best. District 2 also is owed $102,278.82 from the Federal-aid Highway Emergency Relief (ER) fund for damages sustained on major collector roads from the 2007 flood ($61,603.77) and June 2008 flood ($40,675.05). Shannon Sheffert, Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) division engineer for the Local Government Division said it may take 6 months to 2 years or more to receive this reimbursement. So once again, I need your help. Please make those phone calls to inquire about the Federal-aid Highway ER funds and when they will be paid. The following phone numbers are for each of the Oklahoma senators’ and representatives’ Washington offices. Unfortunately, their government Web sites do not have email addresses that can be retrieved for publication; however I do have emails for two Field Representatives that call on Grant County. Remember, you can make the difference by making those calls and speaking out for Grant County. Consider the numerous other repairs and improvements that District 2 would have accomplished had this $226,542.97 been reimbursed and put back into the highway account. Also bear in mind that District 2 employees are working within an extremely tight budget while completing as much work with these very limited resources. For more information please visit www.grantdistrict2.com. As always for all your road concerns please call me at the office at 580-395-2859 or on my cell at 580-541-8950 or Robert Moss on his cell at 580-541-8953. Respectfully submitted, September 22, 2008 - "State Treasurer refusing to release funds mandated by HB 2381" HB 2381 allowed $25 million to be transferred from ODOT’s construction and maintenance funds and deposited into a fund designated as the “Emergency and Transportation Revolving Fund.” The language in the bill is as follows, “All monies … may be budgeted and expended by any qualified county or counties … for the purpose of funding emergency or transportation projects of a county that are reimbursable.” HB 2381 was signed by Governor Brad Henry and became effective July 1, 2008. My idea was that this fund would help fund “up-front” costs for materials for “force account” bridges as well as Presidential Declared Disasters that are budgeted with 75 percent funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In small counties with limited resources, “up-front” money sometimes is very difficult to put together. It becomes even more daunting when counties must wait months and sometimes years for reimbursements. For example, Grant County District 2 has spent $296,000 on projects that have been completed. We are now waiting for reimbursement from FEMA, OEMA, the federal-aid highway and “force account” funds. As of today, state treasurer Scott Meacham has not released the $25 million designated for the Emergency and Transportation Revolving Fund. If these funds were released as mandated in HB 2381, the $296,000 Grant County District 2 is owed would be available to fund projects and problems created by the recent Presidential Declared Disaster. The good news is, you can help Grant County by requesting that HB 2381 funds be release by State Treasurer Scott Meacham and deposited to the Emergency and Transportation Revolving Fund. Please call the following government officials to make the request: Respectfully submitted,
September 15, 2008 - "Clean-up kits and bottled water available for flood victims at Grant County Road Districts 1,2 and 3" Now comes clean up and recovery. This is the most difficult task. Grant County commissioners are assessing damages to roads, but more importantly, are working with the people in Grant County who sustained damages to their homes. Over the weekend, all three road districts had numerous employees working overtime not only securing signage for damaged roads, closing roads and repairing roads affected by the floods, but also helping families evacuate their homes. Grant County road districts are working with the Red Cross in Blackwell to obtain clean-up kits for homes devastated by floodwaters. Additionally, the road districts are working with the Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) to obtain bottled water for the towns with flooded water wells as well as rural citizens whose private wells were flooded. If your home or improvements have received floodwaters you may contact your county commissioner to obtain a clean-up kit. The clean-up kits consist of a mop, broom, bucket, bleach, rubber gloves, garbage bags and sponges. Also, your county commissioner will have bottled water for you if your water wells have been flooded. To contact your commissioner please use the following phone numbers:
Respectfully submitted, September 8, 2008 - "Fixing roads" In my role as a county commissioner, I often get request to “fix” roads. Yes, I know how to “fix” roads. The employees of District 2 also have the knowledge to “fix” roads. “Fixing” roads is not as simple as getting the equipment and manpower to the site. For the most part, is takes money to “fix” the road, and determining how to finance the labor, the equipment, the materials, as well as the fuel and repairs to “fix” the road can be a problem. We all know that in the past 3 ½ years, fuel prices have quadrupled in price, going from less than $1 to almost $4 per gallon. While fuel prices have increased, the amount of travel has decreased. Funding for county roads primarily comes from a fixed fuel tax per gallon. Please be advised and/or remember that road fuel tax is a set price per gallon, which means that when the price of fuel increases, the road fuel tax remains the same. Therefore, the revenue counties receive from this tax has nothing to do with total dollars spent on fuel. Counties receive 4.5 cents per gallon on gasoline road tax and 3.7 cents per gallon on diesel road tax. There are 231 county commissioners across Oklahoma – three commissioners per county. Ask any of them if they know how to “fix” roads and the answer will always be the same, “If your road needs fixing, it takes know-how but more importantly, it takes money to do it.” Again, District 2 employees, as well as myself, have the know-how – we just don’t have an abundance of money. In this situation, it takes someone who knows how to best utilize resources to stretch their money for the best of the county. I am actively involved in working with Oklahoma senators and representatives to find a way to increase funding for county roads. Not only are county budgets tight, but also the state is dealing with a tight budget. Monies that originally were collected for roads, such as motor vehicle tags and a higher percentage of the road fuel taxes, have been diverted to other areas over the past decades. We are also looking to find new money, such as from wind energy that can be collected for county roads and bridges. Please become actively involved in becoming educated in county government so you can be sure that your tax dollars are best spent for the betterment of all of Grant County, including the courthouse offices, the county health department, the sheriff’s department, as well as road districts 1, 2 and 3. On October 8, the Association of County Commissioners (ACCO) along with the Circuit Engineering District #8 (CED) will be hosting a County Transportation Partners meeting in Enid. This meeting is open to the public, and I am inviting each of you to attend. More information will be coming in the next few weeks, but mark your calendars now to attend! As always, please contact me with any of your county government concerns including road concerns at the District 2 shop located at 524 North Front Street in Medford, or by phone at 580-395-2859. You may also reach Robert Moss, Road Foreman, at 580-541-8953, or myself at 580-541-8950. For more information be sure to check out District 2’s website at www.grantdistrict2.com. Respectfully submitted, September 1, 2008 - "Much to learn from tending your garden" I always asked my mother why I had to get up so early and why I had to work in the garden. “It’s cooler in the morning, and besides, it is good for you,” she said. “What, mosquito bites and blisters on my hands are good for me?” Then one day, I discovered an amazing thing. Everything I have every really known about life, I learned in the garden. Like life, no garden is perfect. Another person will never know how much work you have put into your garden. And sometimes people never know how much work you put into a particular district job or how much work you put in for an entire county. A little seed can grow into a big thing. It works with ideas, too. It is always good to protect yourself from over-exposure to everything, including the sun and hearsay. I discovered that weeds are like bad attitudes. If you let them grow, they get bigger and harder to pull out. Then they will multiply, sending their seeds (gossip) to faraway places. But if you get rid of them when they are little and you stay vigilant, pretty soon weeds and attitudes get a little easier to maintain. Of course, there seems to always be one that hides for a while then unexpectedly it rears its ugly head and tries to spoil your past and proven work in the garden or past and proven work for county business. Bad things will surely enter both your garden and your life. Rabbits will steal from you and insects will invade. Money will be short and costs of supplies will increase. Plants may encounter hail while one’s character may encounter rumors. Both can be devastating and cannot always recover 100 percent. At these times, I must gather up what I can, ask for help when needed and hold on to my faith and hope that tomorrow, next week, next month and next year will be better. Growing up we had a very large garden and orchard, and both my mother and father believed in feeding the entire community. We not only planted and harvested the produce for our family, but also we shared bushels and bushels of our crops with our neighbors and friends far and wide. Sharing is interpreted as love and love helps you become a better gardener. Sharing information and concerns about Grant County and road District 2 helps me be a better commissioner and a public servant. Being both a gardener and a commissioner are pretty good circles to be a part of even with the highs and lows. One things for sure that getting really hot and dirty makes you appreciate a shower at the end of the day. Without getting really hot and dirty, a shower is just another chore, not a luxury. I hope that you will share information and your concerns about Grant County and road District 2 by stopping by the shop office at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or by calling the shop office at 580-395-2859. You may also email me at gtcommd2@wiredok.com and put “Grant County District 2” in the subject line. More information may be found at the Web site www.grantdistrict2.com. You may reach Robert Moss, road foreman, on his cell phone at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950. As always, feel free to contact us with any of your thought or concerns. Oh, just so you know, when I turned 10 I did get to drive a tractor but I still had to get up at 6:00 to work in the garden first! Thanks mom, thanks dad for instilling moral values and work ethics. Respectfully submitted, August 25, 2008 - "Getting hot under the collar at work" Extreme heat can lead to on-the-job accidents. It also can lead to serious health issues associated with heat stress such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. In rare cases, heat stroke can be deadly. Heat stroke occurs when the body’s regulatory system fails and body temperature rises too high. Unfortunately, a District 2 employee experienced heat exhaustion while welding on a current bridge project this month. Although the employee thought he was drinking plenty of water, he was not. Additionally, short and frequent breaks are necessary to help prevent heat related problems. So, when you see county employees working outside in the heat taking breaks frequently it is because they are required to do so – not because they are lazy. If you or your employees work outdoors in agriculture, construction, coaching or some other capacity, caution should be taken when temperatures rise. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards provide the following information to educate both employers and workers about the hazards of working in the heat.
For information about heat stress visit http://ehs.okstate.edu/kopykit/HEAT.HTM and for more information about OSHA visit www.osha.gov. Hopefully, cooler weather will return in the next 30 to 45 days so Grant County employees can work in a better climate. As always, if you have any concerns, comments, or questions about District 2 please stop by the shop office at 524 N. Front Street in Medford or call me at the office at 580-395-2859. Also you can reach road foreman Robert Moss on his cell phone at 580-541-8953 or me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950. For your convenience you may also email me at gtcommd2@wiredok.com. Be sure to include “Grant County District 2” in your subject line. I delete “junk” mail and mail for senders unknown without opening them. There are too many viruses out there that can activate computer shutdowns! The District 2 Web site is www.grantdistrict2.com Respectfully submitted, August 18, 2008 - "Emergency Watershed Protection projects completed" During last Monday’s regularly scheduled commissioners’ meeting, yet another resolution for EWP help was made to request additional funding for damage incurred during the June 2008 flooding. All three Grant County commissioners are on the forefront in requesting assistance in repairing and protecting bridges and roads when such options are made available. Furthermore, all three commissioners are very serious in securing any and all other kinds of funds available if and when they become accessible. Grant County is fortunate that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of Oklahoma has received word that more funding for EWP’s has been approved at the national level. In past years, it has sometimes taken several years to actually get the work approved and financed. Now that these projects are completed these employees will return to grading, trucking, welding, bridge building and working on flood damaged sites. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel will be here this week to once again begin surveying and documenting the flood damages incurred in District 2. Some of these sites have been repaired while a great many of them have not. District 2 has 13 employees who have been working endlessly in an effort to repair the roads, culverts and bridges that were damaged during the June 2008 flooding. They are Robert Moss, foreman; Jon Trenary, mechanic; Bob Werneke, Steve Wilson, Richard Metcalf, Jeremy Bellin, Bruce Shook, and Joey Hayes, motor grader operators; Tom Phillips, Ronnie Cambron and David Cink, truck drivers; Greg Doty, certified welder; and Jeri Donaldson, executive assistant. Twelve of these men do many other jobs than listed above because all employees are crossed train to work where needed such as mowing, spraying, packing, mining shale and/or on the bridge crew. Jeri Donaldson joined the District 2’s work force on July 1, 2008 when Rich Donaldson was promoted and moved to the county commissioners executive assistant position at the Grant County Courthouse. Rich served as executive assistant for District 2 since November 2006 and possessed the knowledge to miraculously keep records and documentation in order. Rich has carried his professionalism and knowledge with him to the office of county commissioners. Furthermore, Jeri brings extensive computer skills along with a competent accounting background to this organization. Her past expertise in these areas will insure that FEMA records will be successful logged and tracked for this – the fifth Presidential Declared Disaster in Grant County as well as being competent in fulfilling all other duties required. As always, you are invited to please stop by the shop office to visit or to let us know what your concerns are. Our shop is located at 524 N. Front Street in Medford. Our phone number is 580-395-2859. You also may reach Robert on his cell phone at 580-541-8953 of me on my cell phone at 580-541-8950. Respectfully submitted, August 11, 2008 - "County officials work for the common good of Grant County" Grant County has eight elected officials – three commissioners, a sheriff, court clerk, county clerk, treasurer and assessor. The county election board secretary and the county emergency management director are appointed officials. As important as it is for county officers to recognize the importance of collaborative leadership within county government, it is also crucial for officers to know how to bring people together around common issues and tasks. Grant County is very fortunate to have elected and appointed officials who are all committed to their jobs and that work together for the common good of the county. To maintain a positive image that promotes public confidence in county government, an officers meeting is held once a month. Most meetings are just informational reporting on what has been going on in each office. Some meetings are more problematic with solutions being sought. The most important aspect is to insure that the lines of communication are kept open between all the offices. Grant County District 2 also wants to ensure that the lines of communication are kept open between constituents and all district employees. If there is an issue that you feel has not been addressed – whether it is a county issue or a local road issue – please call me at the shop office at 580-395-2859. More information may be found at the District 2 Web site, www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, District 2 employees are working to make repairs and improvements to your roads. If you do have a road concern in District 2, please call Robert at 580-541-8953 or myself at 580-541-8950. Respectfully submitted, August 4, 2008 - "Safe routes to school" The statistics in rural areas vary slightly from the national average, but even in Grant County, many students travel to school in private automobiles. Safety issues are a big concern for parents, who often cite traffic danger as a reason their children are unable to bicycle or walk to school. Safety is a shared responsibility for all road users, including drivers and pedestrians. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center recommends the following tips to improve road safety for everyone. Safety tips for pedestrians:
Safety tips for drivers:
When communities help provide a safe environment for pedestrians, students can walk or bicycle and spend less on transportation. This is extremely helpful now, when the cost of fuel continues to rise. The cost of operating a bicycle for a year is approximately $120 according to the League of American Bicyclists and walking is FREE! Some students must rely on school buses for transportation. Grant County District 2 employees are currently focusing on ensuring school routes are safe for buses. If you know of a road on a bus route that needs repairs, please stop by the shop office or call 580-395-2859. Robert’s cell phone number is 580-541-8953 and Cindy’s is 580-395-8950. As always, District 2 is diligently working to improve road safety. Respectfully submitted, July 28, 2008 - "Emergency Watershed Program projects to begin this week" NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to States, local governments and Tribes (project sponsors) to implement authorized watershed project plans for the purpose of watershed protection; flood mitigation; water quality improvements; soil erosion reduction; rural, municipal and industrial water supply; irrigation water management; sediment control; fish and wildlife enhancement; and wetlands and wetland function creation and restoration. EWP’s in District 2 were authorized under flooding June 10-19 of 2007 and will help stabilize streambanks and reduce soil erosion along the county roads and/or bridges and culverts. The five approved sites include the state line bridge over the Chikaskia River (located in the northeast corner of the county), bridge #27 on Bluff Creek (located about 3 ½ miles due east of Renfrow), a culvert across Sand creek (located 10 miles east and 2 ¼ miles north of Renfrow), cement box culverts for drainage of Spring Creek (located 6 miles east and 1 mile south of Renfrow) and a bridge for drainage of Deer Creek and Spring Creek (located 7 miles east and 3 ¼ miles south of Renfrow). The contracts for these project were awarded to T. McDonald Construction out of Eufaula, Okla., in the amount of $167,239.25. Grant County is required to match 25 percent of the bid with in-kind services, which include labor and equipment. These roads will be CLOSED with BARRICADES to through traffic during work hours, so please comply and use alternative routes until each project is finished. Scheduled work hours will be 10 to 12 hours per day Monday-Friday. All five projects are scheduled to be completed by August 14. For comments or questions please call the office at 580-395-2859 or Cindy at 580-541-8950 or Robert at 580-541-8953. Respectfully submitted, July 21, 2008 - "Five things drives can do to improve tire safety"
For more information about safety programs in which Grant County District 2 participate, please visit our Web site at www.grantdistrict2.com. As always, Grant County District 2 employees will be looking out for you while traveling on the country roads, and we hope you will look out for us. To contact us with your road needs and concerns please call the office at 580-395-2859, Cindy at 520-541-8950 or Robert at 580-541-8953. Respectfully submitted, July 14, 2008 - "It is official, Grant County declared disaster area" These storms that involved tornadoes, floods and flash floods, hail and high winds did much damage to the Grant County infrastructure. All three road districts received damages and all three districts are still feverishly working in an effort to make temporary repairs. In District 2, we have found more than 100 culverts, bridges, and low areas with extreme washouts. In fact, District 2 experienced washouts crossing areas on roads that have never received flooding. When 2 to 6 inches of rain comes in minutes, water will find a route to travel. It does not help when the rain continues for days and weeks, totaling nearly 20 inches in some areas! The biggest dilemma is what to fix first. We still have not applied a “band aide” to all damaged areas, let alone began to “permanently” fix the damages. I will be calling on the constituents who signed up to represent your townships and/or farm areas for assistance. I also plan to call a few others for their expertise. I need your help to map each area and determine which main roads best serve the farmers in each of the areas. I realize that everyone is extremely busy trying to get summer crops in as well as preparing the fields for fall crops. However, with almost every road receiving some kind of damage, a plan must be developed that will best serve the constituents who use the roads. If you did not sign up to represent your township and/or farm area and would like to or would be willing to serve on this team, PLEASE call me. As always, please call Robert or me with ANY of your county and/or road concerns. District 2 works a 10-hour 4-day workweek, with extended hours during disasters (such as now). The shop phone number is 580-395-2859, my cell number is 580-541-8950 and Robert’s cell number is 580-541-8953. Respectfully submitted, July 7, 2008 - "Farewell to Bryan Brown" According to Carlin, “If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.”“‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key.” Bryan Brown, foreman for District 2, has been employed with Grant County since March 1, 2004 – yes, four and a third years! Alas, I will not be able to say that it is four and a third years, going on five. Bryan recently turned in his resignation, effective July 31, 2008. Bryan began his county career as a grader operator in 2004, and in January 2005 he became the road foreman. On Jan. 4, 2005, while several employees were moving steel beams with pry bars in the shop the bar slipped and hit his right knee. Now after numerous emergency room calls, four surgeries, hundreds of hours of physical therapy, and three and a half years, his knee is never going to be 100 percent better. Furthermore, because the left knee was bearing all the activity for both knees, it now requires surgery. Bryan’s energetic, dependable and tough work ethic positively made a difference for Grant County. His optimistic outlook and friendly attitude made District 2 a little brighter and a little bit better for all constituents. During his tenure as foreman the following has been accomplished:
Anyone who knows Bryan knows that he always gives more than 100 percent to anything he undertakes. On June 5, 2008, Bryan was released from workers comp for “light duty” with permanent job restrictions in place. We all know that being foreman is not “light duty.” Consequently, Bryan felt that with no hopes for his knee to ever return to 100 percent, the requirements of his job would be difficult to be carried out to his satisfaction. District 2 employees will be saying goodbye and good luck to Bryan on Thursday, July 10 at the county shop around noon. If you are in town please, come by the shop and wish him the best for future success. Carlin’s views on aging further say, “You become 21. YESSS!! But then you turn 30, then you’re pushing 40, you reach 50, you make it to 60, you hit 70, you get into your 80’s, and into the 90s you start going backwards – ‘I was just 92.’ Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m a 100 and a half!’” Since Bryan has already reached 50 we can anticipate that Bryan will makes it to 60. We also expect that he will have no more road problems (at least as a road foreman), no more cussings, no more after-hour and weekend calls and we hope that Bryan celebrates a healthy and wealthy 100 and a half! Grant County District 2 employees and constituents are brighter and better for having worked with you Bryan while you have worked for us. Thank you and God bless and keep you. Respectfully submitted, July 1, 2008 - "Apportionment of Statutory Revenues" The road districts receive monthly apportionments from the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) for maintenance and operation. For fiscal year 2007, counties received the following revenues:
For this fiscal year, the OTC collected almost $7.8 BILLION, of which $224 million (2.8 percent), went back to the 77 counties. Grant County received less than $900,000 for that year (only .4% of the total monies that were dispersed to all counties). The general fund directly received $5.6 BILLION (71.5 percent of the total budget). Education received approximately $1.3 BILLION (16.34 percent of the total budget). These two funds together receive 87.84 percent of the budget. The remaining is divided among the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Aeronautics, Participating Tribes, as well as numerous other projects. Please remember that none of the property taxes (real estate or personal) collected go to help county roads and bridges. Eighty percent of this ad valorem tax money goes to schools, with the remaining 20 percent going to the county courthouse, sheriff department and county health department. You might remember that following the stock-market crash and the “Dirty 30’s,” the state of Oklahoma also faced some tough budget times. For years, the state highways and county roads and bridges were collecting more money than they used each year. Motor vehicle taxes were collected with 100 percent of it going into transportation funds. In the early 1940’s the state legislators saw the motor vehicle tax funds as a “cash cow” and they voted to take a large portion of this motor vehicle taxes and redirect this money to other funds. Unfortunately, none of this money or even money collected over the following years and decades was every returned to the transportation fund where it belonged. I realize that the legislature is not in session; however, this is a great time to contact your senators and representatives so that they are thinking about bills and legislation for the next session. Numerous bills are drafted during the summer months so make those calls today.
As always, please call us with your road needs and/or concerns. The shop phone number is 580-395-2859 and cell numbers are Bryan at 580-541-8951; Robert at 580-541-8953; and Cindy at 580-541-8950. Respectfully submitted, June 23, 2008 - "Here we go again!" With 682 road miles in District 2 (and the majority of them sustaining some kind of damage, including washed-out culverts and bridges, scoured or wash-out roads and vegetation overgrowth), please bear with us as we make quick, temporary repairs. Additionally, District 2 lost another 30-foot-long bridge. This $50,000 bridge is in the bottom of the creek and is located 4 miles north on Highway 81 then approximately 2 miles east, past Bill Downing’s home. Employees are working fast and furious in an effort to get the roads “passable” for the conclusion of wheat harvest. The flooding also caused problems in our shale pits, as many endured standing water. We have spent days pumping water out of the pits. This morning the trucks were finally able to get in the north pit, but then the loader would not start. Alas, the starter quit! Until we can get the starter repaired or replaced, all the shale will need to be hauled from the I-35 pit. This means that each trip needed in the north end of the district will take longer to repair as well as adding to the cost with more fuel and labor. I know that farmers and custom harvesters are working extended hours to get the crops to the elevators. Time is money, but safety needs to be first and foremost on EVERYONE’S minds. Rough roads, blind corners and speed can translate into danger. Please drive responsibly and keep a watchful eye out for others. District 2 employees will be watching out for you, too. The District 2 office phone number is 580-395-2859. Bryan’s cell phone number is 580-541-8951, Robert’s is 580-541-8953 and Cindy’s is 580-541-8950. Please call us for your road needs. Respectfully submitted, June 16, 2008 - "Animal carcass disposal options" A list of approved disposal methods is overseen by the State of Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF) as a matter of health and safety. Without proper disposal, carcasses can threaten the health of wild and domestic animals, as well as the public. Failure to comply with disposal guidelines is a violation of Oklahoma law. The ODAFF has approved five carcass disposal methods for animal remains: rendering, landfills, burial, incineration and composting. At our Grant County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, this issue was discussed with Stephen Young, assistant district attorney, and Roland Hula, Grant County sheriff. Grant County does not have additional requirements for disposing of dead animals. Therefore, please ensure you are familiar with the ODAFF requirements for each approved disposal option.
In my opinion, burial would be the most economical option of the five approved options. However, composting could be an option if some entrepreneur wanted to start a new business here in Grant County. Rendering plants and landfills all charge a fee to accept dead animals. If you are interested in beginning a composting business, you would need permission from the ODAFF Agricultural Environmental Management Services (AEMS) Division. The AEMS can be reached at 405-522-4659. Every person who violates Oklahoma Statutes concerning the disposal of carcasses shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For more information and all the regulations covering such disposals please contact D. J. Parrish, ODAFF AEMS director at dan.parrish@oda.state.ok.us or by telephone at 405-522-4659. Violations of animal disposal laws may be reported to the Grant County Sheriff’s Department at 580-395-2359, as the Grant County Commissioners by law do not have any requirement or responsibility to help in disposing of dead animal carcasses. Respectfully submitted, June 9, 2008 - "Turn around, don't drown" We know that time is of the essence, and we plan to get the road graders out as quickly as possible. I have asked each of the District 2 employees to work as many hours of overtime as possible. Since I do not have the money to pay them overtime wages, I will be giving them “comp-time”, which means that they will be taking paid time off in the future. District 2 has approximately $25,000 total revenue right now, which will not cover employees pay, fuel purchases, lease-purchase payments and rock costs to finish the February 2007 ice storm FEMA rock project as well as keeping equipment running this month. Simply said, we will do our best to get the roads ready as quickly as possible while curtailing expenditures. While most floods cannot be prevented, there are simple steps you can take to protect your life. Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm-related hazard such as lightening or tornadoes. Why? The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as people are swept downstream. Many of these drowning are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn them the road is flooded. For example, two feet of water can move with enough force to wash a car away while just six inches of fast-moving water can knock a person off their feet. Flood waters are more dangerous than a “regular” body of water, because they can apply much more pressure than an ordinary river or creek. This is due to the massive differences in water volume that exist during many floods. If you come to a flooded road, PLEASE TURN AROUND, you will not know the depth of the water nor will you know the condition of the road under the water. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers. For those citizens that took the time to contact me, Bryan Brown, and Robert Moss with reports of washed out culverts and roads – thank you. I know lives and/or property were saved. Again, our cell phone numbers are as follows, Bryan 580-541-8951, Robert 580-541-8952, Cindy 580-541-8950, and the shop office number is 580-395-2859. Respectfully submitted, May 27, 2008 - "House Bill 2381 includes counties"
The Statewide Circuit Engineering Board (CED) develops polices and procedures for counties seeking money from the fund (funds must be repaid upon completion of projects). In addition, interest earned from fund, will stay with the fund. While I was a little disappointed that legislation for additional funding for counties maintenance and operations did not pass, I am delighted that this bill will become law. Without the support and willingness of ODOT director Gary Ridley to allow $25 million to be taken from his maintenance and operating fund, this bill would never have passed. Now, what this means directly for Grant County is that when any of the three districts are working on large projects we will receive “up-front” money. “Up-front” money will allow the county to purchase materials, which has been difficult and sometimes next to impossible in the past. For example, District 2 is still working on ice storm damages from February 2007. The cost of the rock alone for these 17 miles is more than $150,000. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved $88,000 for possible reimbursement. I have been depleting my cash accounts paying not only for the rock, but also for trucks, fuel and wages. Under FEMA policy, not one penny of this is eligible for reimbursement until all 17 miles are completed. As you are aware, District 2 has been working diligently to complete this project, but other projects within the district also need attention. Therefore, we cannot devote 100 percent of our time to any one project. Had H.B. 2381 been in place at the beginning of this project, I would have been able to ask for “up-front” funding for the rock, and the project would have been able to be completed much earlier and for less money. Remember, today’s fuel prices are double what they were in February 2007. Respectfully submitted, May 19, 2008 - "County Commissioners do more than simply care for roads" Serving as your county commissioner is a 24-hour-a-day job, not because I am “at work” 24 hours each day, but because I am “on call” at all hours. Talking with you, the constituents, is a big part of my job. Writing a weekly column is one avenue through which I can reach all of my constituents to keep you informed about the state of the district and our projects. As your county commissioner, I also serve on numerous boards and attend many official meetings as well as community functions and gatherings. By attending these functions, I have an opportunity to learn and gather additional information that helps me make reliable decisions that will be in the best interest for Grant County and help improve the life for you, the citizens. Respectfully submitted, May 12, 2008 - "Rock-n-Roll Roads" Last week, the District did complete the FEMA rock project on the Renfrow road, and the District began the FEMA rock project on the Jefferson road. Please keep in mind that all the costs associated with this FEMA rock has to be paid by the district up front, with reimbursement from FEMA upon completion of ALL roads – 17 miles in total. The District hopes to be able to connect the west and east ends of the Renfrow road with additional rock as soon as the FEMA rock project is completed. However, with a continued shortfall in the monthly appropriations that we receive, I will have to save funds for numerous months before this project will be completed. Our county is being good stewards with the funds that are received; however, escalating costs of fuel and materials have depleted any carryover funds that have been available in prior months. I still plead with you to ask that you continue making calls and speaking with your senator and representative to plead for additional transportation funds for counties. The Legislators must hear from their constituents daily about the dire needs of your county highway system. For information, comments, or concerns about Grant County District 2 please visit our Web site at www.grantdistrict2.com, or call me 580-395-2859. Respectfully submitted, May 5, 2008 - "State line bridge progressing and funding urgently needed for roads and bridges" An Emergency Watershed Project (EWP) also was submitted last year for assistance through the Grant County Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the State Line Bridge as well as four other sites in District 2. Carl Smith, Project Coordinator of Wheatland RC&D, with the assistance of Karla Stephens of the Grant County NRCS, wrote the grant proposals for financial support to install riprap and bedding on bridge abutments and along the stream banks. When finalized, this project will provide better protection to the State Line Bridge during potential future floods. Recently, Grant County District 2 sponsored a “crane safety certification” for county employees from Grant and Garfield Counties as well as employees from Gonzales Welding & Construction in Medford. Sixteen people attended. Those attending from Grant County included Frank Barwick, George Barwick, and Billy Morawita from District 1; Greg Doty, Richard Metcalf and Jeremy Bellin from District 2; and Dean Hull and Roger Sparks from District 3. The classes covered 24 hours of classroom and hands-on instructions followed by a written test to become certified. All 16 students received certification. Grant County, in addition to the other 76 counties, desperately needs funds for maintenance and operating to help assist with the escalating cost of fuel and materials. Funds have been depleted on repairs from nine natural disasters in 2007. Roads are being closed, and bridges are being closed because legislation has not adequately funded the county transportation system. Not only are farmers and ranchers hindered by these detours, but also are school buses, mail carriers, fire departments, emergency services, utility services, oil and gas companies and you, the constituents and citizens of Oklahoma. All are dependant on county assistance to survive. Legislators gave a $60 million dollar tax incentive to “the Sonics,” yet there is no money available for transportation. What will their legacy be? Who will be responsible for accidents caused from unsafe highways and roads? How will they explain choices made? These are hard questions that must be asked now and before total devastation happens. I understand that there is $63 million dollars remaining in un-appropriated funds for this fiscal year as well as the talk of a state bond issue. I urgently request that you call your Oklahoma senators and representatives to ask them to stop choosing to put off funding for transportation! Legislators must stand strong on some tough decisions. YOUR county highway system cannot afford to wait until times are better. It cannot afford to wait until all else if fully funded. The Legislators must say “yes” to statutorily fund the county transportation system today! On behalf of Grant County, I ask you to please make that call today to your senator and representative.
As always, be sure to thank them for their past and continued support. Respectfully submitted, April 30, 2008 - "Roadside spraying begins" Ditches going to the cemeteries will be sprayed first, followed by all the blacktops and gravel roads. Plans are to continue spraying bridges, intersections and other roads as time allows. We feel that the time spent spraying will be significant compared to the time it takes to mow the same area. Of course, spraying will cut down on time spent mowing but it will not completely alleviate future mowing of the same ditches. The five miles of rock on the Renfrow road that was included in the February 2007 ice storm damage has been completed. We will now begin on the FEMA-approved five miles damaged on the Jefferson road followed by two miles on Stauffer road north of Highway 11 and five miles on the ARM road. These FEMA projects have a July deadline. In an effort to meet this deadline, the trucks have been running every Friday and even a few Saturdays. The good news is that our new rock trailers have arrived and should be delivered in the coming week. With a bit of luck this should mean there would not be any breakdowns caused directly by the trailers. With the realization that spring crops are being planted and wheat harvest is just around the corner, we also have geared up to do spotting in of shale. Unfortunately time is getting short and we have countless projects with so little time. District employees will be observant of you and your farm implements as I caution you also should be watchful for our employees and our equipment. Respectfully submitted, April 22, 2008 - "Rain, rain go away. Come again another day" Our phones here at District 2 have been flooded with calls and reports of some of the road damages that you, the public, travel every day. I appreciate your thoughtfulness to alert us of problems, as we cannot visually inspect every road every day. The county does not have the man power or the finance to do that. Many damaged roads and bridges will have to be closed until funding is received to repair them. It may sound simple to just replace a culvert here and there or dump a load of shale or rock on a small spot, but when you remember District 2 has 682 miles and each mile has at least one culvert (most have three or more), the cost escalates quickly. A culvert that is laid across a road measures 32 to 34 feet, while a culvert at an angle measures 40 to 45 feet. As a government agency, the county is required to take 6-month bids for supplies. Unfortunately, with the escalating prices of steel, many of our suppliers are not honoring their January-June 2008 bids. District 2 ordered culverts for this period at the following prices:
I realize all roads are not in top-notch condition. Many roads are in their current condition because of the continuation of rainfall. Many of the same culverts and roads are being washed out with every rain; the culverts and roads get fixed one day and the next time it rains, they are washed out again. You may not realize it was repaired because you did not travel a particular road between rains. You might get upset because you think it had never been repaired – but it had been. Losing your temper and venting obscenities to county employees will not fix the problem. Threatening employees personally is unacceptable. If you are to this point, you should come to the shop to speak to me personally or call me at 580-395-2859. If I am away from the office, call my cell phone at 580-541-8950. Some days it is two steps forward and one step back, while other days it is one step forward and two steps back. In the three years that I have served as your county commissioner, District 2 has made progress. This progress may not be as fast as I would like or as fast as you desire, but improvements are happening every day. Working together, the employees and citizens of Grant County can be certain that more improvements will occur as funding becomes available. Respectfully submitted, April 15, 2008 - "County Government statewide unite in plea for road funding" We spent time with Rep. Dale DeWitt, Rep. Jeff Hickman, Rep. Ken Luttrell, Sen. David Myers and Sen. Joe Sweeden, as well as numerous other representatives and senators. There are several transportation bills out there that do not include funding for counties. We spent much time and worked diligently explaining that without adequate funding that the number of closed roads and bridges will continue to increase – impacting school bus routes, mail routes, farmers, ranchers, oil field services, and emergency service vehicles. Some listened and some did not. Some felt that this is an urban versus rural issue, which it is not. While at the Capitol, we also attended a House Transportation Committee meeting. We listened to many bills but we were most interested in SB1396, which is authored by Sen. Brian Bingman and Rep. Mike Thompson. ACCO asked Rep. Thompson to include an amendment that would include funding for county roads immediately. It was designated “do pass as amended”. Following this committee meeting, ACCO held a press conference at the Capitol. I was asked to speak to the press. Gayle Ward, ACCO Executive Director, Gene Wallace, Muskogee County Commissioner, and Fred Perry, Oklahoma County Commissioner and former State Representative also spoke. I had the opportunity to tell the media about Grant County and District 2’s maintenance and operating hardships, which I wrote about in last weeks “Commish Cindy’s Comments.” Earlier this month, SB 1767 authored by Sen. Roger Ballenger and Rep. Steve Martin also was designated “do pass” and was referred to Appropriations and Budget Committee. Sen. Ballenger, as the author, is adding an amendment to this bill to include county funding to go directly to maintenance and operations. Because all transportation bills will either be killed or merged into other bills, it is vitally important that each of you continue to call or e-mail your representatives and senators. Let them know you would like them to support bills that will include funding for counties as follows:
If all transportation bills include funding for counties, then the final bill would be more assured to include some type of funding for counties. To follow legislation and track bills visit http://www.oksenate.gov/legislation.htm. Committee meetings will end this week with the Legislation Session to continue for approximately six more weeks. I will continue to lobby at the Capitol for Grant County, but your help and support is needed now. Contacts can be made as follows:
As always, be sure to thank them for their past and continued support. Respectfully submitted, April 1, 2008 - "Follow the money" I have spent hours at the State Capital during this Legislative Session lobbying for more funding for county government. County Commissioners all across Oklahoma are requesting that Amendments be added to the current proposed road bills so that funding will be increased for county roads and bridges this year. Senator Ballenger is carrying SB 1767 with an amendment that would increase funding for counties. I believe that our Representatives and Senator is in support of the needed amendment; however it would be of great help if each of you would call them and ask for their support. Grant County has great representation from Representative Dale DeWitt, Representative Jeff Hickman, and Senator David Myers, let them know you appreciate what they are doing for you. For your information here is what Grant County District 2 has been dealing with for funding recently. These are the dollars that were appropriated each month as follows:
Expenses for the past 3 months are as follows:
Additional expenses that vary month to month ($10,000 to $20,000) that are not included above yet are expenses that must be paid include:
Equipment must be maintained and kept safe for the employees as well as people traveling on the roads. The Department of Transportation is very serious about trucks and trailers meeting DOT specifications. Last month two of the 1995 rock trailers were sold and two new ones are on order. The 3rd trailer has been upgraded with new doors, new brakes, and new tires; over $10,000 spent and we still have a 1995 used rock trailer. As you see, I am under funded and I cannot continue to go negative every month. Services provided by the county will have to be cut which means fewer roads will be maintained and more bridges will be closed. District 2 has been fortunate that numerous constituents during the last 3 years have paid for rock, shale, fuel, and/or wages as reimburse to the county to improve their own roads. These roads would not have been rocked or shale had the constituents not stepped up and paid for all or even a portion of these expenses. Respectfully submitted, March 2008 - "Success or failure?" First a “kick off” meeting must be scheduled with FEMA, as well as the Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency (OEMA), some time after each and every declaration is made. Paperwork is then completed to determine each county’s eligibility. Once a determination is made and if a county qualifies, a FEMA project specialist and an OEMA project officer are assigned. The larger, harder hit counties generally receive priority, but assistance is also given on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the project specialist and project officer arrive at the county, all damaged sites must be viewed, measured and assessed. A report is then written for approved sites. For each site, the paperwork includes an estimated and itemized log of all equipment (trucks, trailers, pickups, packers, graders, backhoes, trackhoes, etc.), all product (culverts, steel, rip rap, fill dirt, shale, rock, etc.) and manpower (non-paid regular hours or paid overtime hours). The county commissioner, the FEMA project specialist and OEMA Project officer approve this paperwork, and it then sent to FEMA program assistance coordinator for additional approval. Generally, funds for smaller projects (less than $50,000) distributed as soon as the paperwork is approved. All large projects must be 100 percent completed and 100 percent approved before receiving any funds. For Grant County, this first part took months and months to complete. District 2 has received FEMA funds (75 percent) for all its small projects (as originally filed) and is waiting on the OEMA (12.5 percent) funds. The County provides the other 12.5 percent of costs. If small projects exceed the estimated costs, documents must be submitted with final prices reflected. These “over cost” claims may or may not receive approval and funding. District 2 has submitted “over cost” claims, and the County is yet to receive reimbursement. The second obstacle to disaster repair is the excess rainfall that began in March 2007 and continued through October 2007, which hindered the completion of many projects. In December the rain, snow, and/or ice began, and today, Grant County continues to be in a “wet cycle.” Repair of six of the 17 miles of road that received ice damage has been completed. Unfortunately, the other 11 miles have not been completed; therefore, District 2 applied for a 6-month extension to complete these repairs. What remains to be finished includes adding rock to five miles on the Jefferson road, two miles on the Renfrow road, and four miles on the ARM road. No monies have been received for any of these projects because these 17 miles were written up as one large project, which is estimated to cost $88,000. Possibly the most challenging aspect of large FEMA projects is that the county must front 100 percent of the cost with FEMA and OEMA reimbursing the county at 75 percent and 12.5 percent after the work has been done. This is very difficult on such limited funds. One reason that the 11 miles are not finished is that District 2 chose to work these rock roads in between building roads and hauling shale in the Renfrow area as well as laying shale and rock on other roads in poor condition. You have to give and take to TRY to make as many improvements as possible. I know I have failed in making everyone happy but I have been fair to everyone involved. Another large project that District 2 is currently working on is the repair of the State Line Bridge over the Chikaskia River. The repairs to the bridge have been engineered, bids were released and a bid was accepted. The bid was awarded to Graham Excavating and Construction out of Stillwater, Okla. Their work is to be completed on or before May 1, 2008. Additionally, District 2 applied for an Emergency Watershed Project (EWP) grant to rep rap both the east and west banks and on both north and south sides. More information will be available about this project later. When determining the success or failure of a project, I think Winston Churchill said it best: “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” I am very enthusiastic about Grant County and the improvements that have been and continue to be made. No – they are not as fast as I would like or as fast as you desire, but District 2 employees give 200 percent effort every day for you. District 2 employees include Bryan Brown, Robert Moss, Jon Trenary, Rich Donaldson, Bob Werneke, Steve Wilson, Tom Phillips, Richard Metcalf, Jeremy Bellin, Ronnie Cambron, Gene Clayton, Bruce Shook, Joey Hayes, Jimmie Loveall, Greg Doty and David Cink. As always, for more information check out our website at www.grantdistrict2.com. Questions and comments may be made by calling me at the office at 580-395-2859 or by e-mail at gtcommd2@wiredok.com. Respectfully submitted, October 22, 2007 - "District 2 employees giving 200% to Grant County constituents" District 2 is now fully staffed according to what I have managed to “stretch” from the budget! Six, yes SIX, new field employees and one part time employee are working for you, the taxpayers of Grant County. Each and every one of them will help make the needed repairs from the numerous floods that we incurred as well as doing daily road maintenance. The new field employees are Gene Clayton of Medford, Bruce Shook of Medford, Joey Hayes of Pond Creek, Jimmie Loveall of Deer Creek, Greg Doty of Wakita and David Cink of Medford. Furthermore, Dale Berline of Renfrow has signed on for weekend work. All employees are being cross-trained from driving a truck to grading roads to building and repairing bridges. I am excited to have each of these Grant County residents and taxpayers working for Grant County as each one shows their dedication and enthusiasm to help make your roads and bridges better and safer. When we were extremely understaffed, the other employees stepped up to the plate and worked hours of overtime in an effort to accomplishing the much-needed roadwork. These five, yes ONLY FIVE, field employees are Bob Werneke, Steve Wilson, Richard Metcalf, Jeremy Bellin, and Ron Cambron. While these five employees were busy completing FEMA flood repairs, day-to-day maintenance was unattended. For example, I know your roads did not get graded as often as needed, and I know your ditches and corners (and some roads) became very overgrown with weeds and grass. I also know floods washed out roads, culverts and bridges, causing many to be completely impassable and several had to be closed. Our mechanic, Jon Trenary, has worked diligently keeping the equipment fully functional while supervisor Robert Moss has miraculously managed five employees to do the work of 10 employees. Then there is executive assistant Rich Donaldson who lives and breathes FEMA. With more than 60 sites that incurred flood damage, the FEMA paperwork has become a full-time position in itself. Lots of paperwork, including regular and overtime man-hours, itemized equipment hours, materials, individual sites, etc., with logs from each employee and each piece of machinery must be consolidated into a single report of precise records. Of course, this is after our assessment including pictures are made then having numerous on-site inspections with personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) followed by more meetings to review and sign work order declarations. The result is that precise work records translate into 75 percent FEMA funding and 12.5 percent OEMA funding IF the project qualifies and IF the paperwork is completed correctly and timely. As for the employees, I have not heard one complaint from any one of them. Several of the employees begin their work day at 5 a.m. and some work until 6 p.m. or later Monday through Thursday. Some of these same employees, as well as others, have worked on Fridays and Saturdays. You may ask “why”? Well, it is not for the money – it is for you and it is for me, the constituents of Grant County District 2. They know your needs and they desire to repair and improve your roads. If you appreciate what they have done and what they are doing – stop and tell them so or let me know and I will pass it on to them. Furthermore, please remember that District 2 employee Ron Dixon is still on military leave until May 1, 2008, serving our country during this most difficult time. I ask that each of you remember him and his family in your prayer and devotions. We humbly hope and pray that this time for Ron, as well as all fellow soldiers, will be short and successful. Please remember Veteran’s Day is November 11, and all Grant County Government Offices, including District 2, will be closed for remembrance on Monday, Nov. 12, 2007. As your commissioner and as an accountant, finances are always on my mind, and they are a very real concern. Please be advised that the county road districts funds for the month of September were $39,000 less than August funding. Additionally, the county road districts funding in October were $27,000 less than September money. In plain language, this means Grant Country Districts 1, 2 and 3 received $93,000 (20 percent) less in October than we received in August and September. Constant monthly fuel bills are approximately $55,000, wages are about $85,000, and equipment leases are $65,000. Then, there are repairs to equipment, utilities, employee benefits (insurances, FICA, FUTA, SUTA), as well as property insurance and many other costs. I am proud to say that in the past 34 months, I have been very diligent in being conservative and saving county funds in all ways possible and I pledge to always get the best bang for your dollar! For more information check out our website at www.grantdistrict2.com. Questions and comments may be made by calling me at the office at 580-395-2859 or by e-mail at gtcommd2@wiredok.com. Respectfully submitted, Cindy R. Bobbitt, Commissioner July 16, 2007 - "To Build a Bridge"
However, District 2 is diligently working to “build” various types of “bridges.” In other words, we want to “build better communication” to connect Grant County and the taxpayers and/or constituents as well as to “build structural bridges” for an improved county road infrastructure. By becoming better informed about county government and our tribulations, constituents may be more willing and able to “help us help you”. For example, enlightened constituents may give verbal support rather than verbal abuse, lend a helping hand as an alternative to calling the county lethargic, suggest workable ideas instead of condemning current practices or write letters of support in contrast to mismanagement allegations. I am acutely aware just how awful Grant County roads have become. The continued rains have resulted in major flooding, which in turn, has permanently damaged the bridges and roads. Do you how many days it has rained and approximately how much rain Grant County has received? I reviewed local climatological data from the National Weather Service (Ponca City location), the Mesonet (Medford location), and the Argonne Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Site (Lamont location). Using the combined data, the average results are as follows:
This year, we have received MORE rain to date than the normal average yearly precipitation. Seeing these numbers on paper as well as experiencing this anomaly, you certainly must comprehend why the wheat has not been harvested, why the land has not been worked, as well as why all the ditches have not been mowed and why the roads have not all been perfectly graded. The farmers themselves should be the most understanding of the situation rural Americans are experiencing in rural Grant County – most likely, your crops are still in the field and many acres have been lost to rain! When has it been dry long enough for Grant County graders, mowers and sprayers to cover 682 miles of roads? How can shale be hauled and laid on wet roads? Not only are the finances going to cause the county a hardship but also the workload is going to be complicated. Where do we begin? Every road is needed! Rebuilding the main roads is going to take time. Spending the time to rebuild the main road means even less time spent on the secondary roads. In the nearly 5-months of rain, we have already lost a large number of secondary roads to grass and weeds. Presently, the county is working with FEMA and the State of Oklahoma to assess damages caused from all the flooding. FEMA has the flooding broken down into two separate flood periods – May 4-11 and May 28 to present. Grant County has tentatively turned in $210,000 worth of damage for the May 4-11 flood. Damages for the later flood are still being compiled, but could run anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million. FEMA DOES NOT help with any damages on major collector roads such as Renfrow road, Beer road, Stauffer road, 5-Mile road, Jefferson road to Lamont, Salt Fork road and others. Some counties may be eligible for Emergency Relief (ER) funding from the Federal Highway Administration for these roads; however, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has not received final confirmation at this time. Next week, this column will discuss FEMA, state funds, ER funding and what they mean for Grant County. Respectfully submitted, July 9, 2007 - "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" To contemplate this issue, however, it is necessary to understand some basic facts about bridges and roads in Grant County:
This number does not include the more than 1000 unrecorded bridges such as wooden or cement structures measuring under 20’ and/or culverts that I estimate are in District 2. In addition, the District provides one “drive” per farm. If we assume there are four farms per section, the District also has an additional 1,400 – 1,700 structures to maintain. Then, there are the innumerable “low water crossings” in the District that must also be sustained. All these numbers correspond to a great financial responsibility for county government.
Bridges deteriorate over time, and while District 2’s oldest bridge is an 88-year-old bridge it is “structurally” useable but it is “functionally” obsolete. In recent decades, District 2 has done a poor job repairing (let alone replacing) deteriorating bridges. For example, the 20 years between 1940 and 1960, the district saw 88 newly replaced or built bridges in District 2. In comparison, a mere 37 bridges were built from 1960 to 2000. In fact, not a single bridge was built during the 1970s. This means District 2 is trying to play catch-up, which is not an easy task when facing a foe as mighty as Mother Nature. In addition, the shear volume of the necessary improvements can be financially overwhelming when operating on a very stretched and tense budget. However, since January 2005, District 2 has replaced or rebuilt 5 inventory bridges that were either closed or was being ordered closed. Furthermore, because bridges cannot be used without functional roadways, bridges and roads are dependent upon each other to be of service to the public. Like county bridges, Grant County also has impressive statistics concerning county roadways.
Remember that of the 77 counties in the State of Oklahoma, Grant County ranks 1st for number of bridges and 5th for total road miles. On the other hand, Grant County is SEVENTY-SIXTH in the state for the amount of funds received per mile to maintain all bridges and roads! Do you notice a monetary dilemma at this point? With the preceding statistics about roads and bridges in mind, the next question is “where do we go from here?” and more importantly “how do we financially afford the progression to accomplish these NEEDS?” I will address this and other issues in next week’s comments. Respectfully submitted, July 4, 2007 - "Help Us Help You" Do you remember your Government and/or Oklahoma History classes? Do you recall who the real taxpayers are? More specifically who the taxpayers of Oklahoma are and in particular who pays the taxes to finance and support Grant County as well as the Grant County road districts? Those who pay property taxes (home, land and real estate taxes) and/or personal property taxes (farm equipment and/or livestock) financially support schools and the general fund for county government (the courthouse, sheriff and health departments). These taxes are assessed by the County Assessor and then collected from the County Treasurer, payments are generally due in December and the following March. Please be aware that NOT one single penny of this money is collected for and/or transferred to the “Highway Fund” to give financial support to the maintenance or construction of ANY COUNTY BRIDGE AND/OR COUNTY ROAD. Therefore, be well informed that no county roads are funded from “land and/or farm property taxes” or from “personal property taxes” as a great majority of you may believe. This paragraph is definitely worth reading again. How are county roads funded? All roads and bridges in Grant County are financially supported from designated “Highway Funds”, which are derived from a proportion of Gross Production taxes (oil), Diesel fuel road tax, Gasoline fuel road tax, Special fuels (such as propane road tax) and a percentage of Motor Vehicle Collections. These monies are collected all across Oklahoma and sent to the Oklahoma Tax Commissioner to be appropriated and divided amongst the 77 counties of Oklahoma. The monies are then divided by a “formula” that is based on individual county population, road miles, bridge numbers, and total square miles. Please note that “road tax” is highlighted and only “road tax” on fuels PURCHASED in the state of OKLAHOMA goes towards road in Oklahoma (county and state roads). So if and when fuel is purchased out-of-state (such as Caldwell, Kansas) there is not one penny collected to support any roads in Oklahoma (i.e. Grant County, Oklahoma). Furthermore, farm fuel is exempt from road taxes; therefore no money is collected on the purchase of farm fuel for upkeep, let alone for improvements, of county and/or state roads. I implore you to “help us to help you”! So how can you help? If you desire improved roads and/or bridges in Grant County I challenge you to please buy your entire road gas and road diesel in Oklahoma, because THAT money will help to fund our roads. REMEMBER – land taxes and personal property taxes do not. Farm diesel and/or farm gasoline do not help either – just road tax fuel. If you are burning tax-exempt “farm fuel” in your vehicles, you also are not helping to fund roads. As an additional note, when the price of fuel goes up the road tax remains the same – in other words higher priced fuel does not equate to more road tax dollars collected. I am not opposed to help and/or suggestions including constructive criticism and appreciation. Furthermore, writing factual informative letters to your state legislators can be a positive start. Address support for county government and their needs for additionally funding to help with road material, road equipment, fuel costs, and for increased wages to help hire new employees and also to help keep present district employees. Please be aware that oil field wages are considerable higher and good solid trained employees are leaving and/or are tempted to leave for employment in the ‘oil patch’. Above all, do not be negative and do not point fingers, that is always unconstructive and a turnoff in general. Finally, I challenge you to do something positive that can beneficially help the plight of Grant County, Oklahoma. First, take a look at the entire county as well as surrounding counties, observe what others are doing to assist road districts – such as buying fuel in Oklahoma, buying all vehicle tags in Oklahoma, putting up a ‘downed’ sign when found, helping to shale and/or rock roads, spraying and/or mowing ditches, scraping roads properly only when needed, cleaning out culverts, trimming trees and property removing them, and the list goes on and on. Additionally, ANYONE and EVERYONE could help just by supporting and giving thanks to the men out there working in all kinds of weather and in all kinds of conditions because they are in fact doing their best to improve Grant County roads and bridges for YOU. Now ask yourself if you too can make a difference? I believe you can make a difference but only if you choose to HELP and SERVE OTHERS rather than to be self-serving. Respectfully submitted, June 2007 - "Our Cup Runneth Over" Climate statistics in Oklahoma began being recorded in 1895 – 110 years ago. Spring 2005 was the number 1 driest year ever recorded for North Central Oklahoma with 0.52 inches of moisture; Spring 2006 precipitation was recorded at 4.47 inches. It's somewhat standard for Oklahoma's severe drought episodes to end with a deluge instead of a trickle. The state's most notable droughts, the 1930s Dust Bowl and the 1950s, were both broken in a spectacularly wet fashion. The Dust Bowl episode was whittled away in early 1941 before being blasted from existence by a statewide average rainfall of 11.32 inches in October, the wettest Oklahoma month on record. The 1952-57 drought, considered the state's worst statistically, ended rather abruptly in May 1957 with heavy rains and major flooding on the state's largest river systems.That year still stands as the wettest in Oklahoma history at 48.21 inches. Information is the key to the process. The challenge is one of moving people to constructive action. Anyone who would seek to understand the political forces that move Americans to action on county government issues w | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
