Local News
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.
- Local News
-
-
Woodward County sees unemployment rate drop
In the last quarter of 2009, the unemployment rate in Woodward County dropped by almost a full percentage point and the number of county residents seeking unemployment benefits decreased by more than 100, according to information from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
-
Sharon-Mutual schools not making layoffs, yet
Sharon-Mutual updated its reduction in force policy during its recent school board meeting, but only to “give our support staff more protection as far as a getting hired back in case we do have a reduction.”
- Wranglers to host square dancing festival Saturday
-
Okla. Senate passes drug testing bill
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask that our elected officials are submitting to drug tests,” Sen. Bryce Marlatt said.
-
Flex program extended due to initial success
WHS teachers and administrators are “pleasantly surprised” with how well the flex days are going, according to Assistant Principal Kyle Reynolds.
-
School board upholds parent’s suspension
Cedar Heights parent not allowed on any school property for next six months after getting into scuffle with school principal.
-
Murphy to host town hall meeting on horizontal drilling
Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy hopes to get feedback and educate people who may be affected by horizontal drilling.
-
TSA students preparing for state contest
Fourteen middle school students and six high school students will compete at the TSA state competition March 29 through March 31 in Oklahoma City
-
Originality key for art judge
It’s hard work, picking art for a juried show- and Bob Palmer takes it very seriously.
- Parks board hears updates
- More Local News Headlines
-
