The Woodward News

Local News

July 7, 2009

County officials get earful

Eighty-foot tall utility poles placed by OG&E; in bar ditches along county road NS 204 are unsafe because they are too close to the road

That’s what Jeff Klick and 21 other property owners told Woodward County Commissioners Monday morning.

Because there were so many people attending, the commission moved their regular meeting to the Woodward County Courthouse basement to accommodate everyone.

No OG&E; representatives attended.

During the meeting, various questions arose as to what the commissioners could do about the utility poles.

Among them, one property owner asked? Can’t they run their cables underground?”.

No one responded to the question.

Klick said, “We have a safety issue with everyone one of those utility poles. It’s a safety concern.”

Klick was referring to the close proximity of the poles to the road, especially at the intersections.

“We want the poles removed,” Klick said.

County Commission Chairman Ted Craighead said he and District Attorney Hollis Thorp already met with OG&E; regarding safety issues and that the utility company’s representatives agreed to widen an intersection where one of the poles was placed.

The company also agreed to put safety barriers around other poles.

So the property owners knew the scope of the commission’s authority regarding OG&E;, the commissioners gave everyone at the hearing a copy of a statute stipulating the commission’s rights about the issue.

According to the statute, OG&E; can use a public right of way to install utility poles. Bar ditches are in a public right of way.

However, the statute also stipulated that utility poles shouldn’t pose a safety risk.

Thorp, who also was at the Monday meeting, referred to the part of the statute about safety issues.

“They’re supposed to (install utility poles) that aren’t a safety hazard,” Thorp said.

Klick asked that a meeting be arranged with OG&E; so that all of the property owners could voice their opinions to utility representatives.

“It’s time to meet with them and have them do what we want them to,” he said.

The county commission agreed to the request to set up a meeting with OG&E; representatives but did not set a date Monday.

In other business the commission:

• Approved a bid from Priefert of Mount Pleasant, Texas, to build 200 pens for sheep and goats at the county fairgrounds for $58,216. The Woodward County Fairboard has enough money in its budget to finance it.

• Transferred funds to Highway District No. 3.

• Renewed a radio tower agreement with Clair Craighead for all county highway districts.

Text Only
Local News