Commissioners give assistance to RWD 17

Commissioners give assistance to RWD 17

By KEN MILAM

LeFlore County Commissioners threw a $27,715 lifeline to Rural Water District 17 at Monday’s weekly meeting.

RWD 17 Representative John Butler said the district has been foundering for several years, losing 50-80 percent of its water each month, depending on conditions.

He said most of the loss was due to leaking lines, which were installed poorly in 2000. However, some of the lost revenue was because aging, outdated meters that undercount the number of gallons actually used.

Butler said the district has received an 80/20 match rural infrastructure grant to and replace meters, with $27,715 being the 20 percent match required from the district. District 3 Commissioner Jamie Oliver, whose area includes the water district, moved to tap the district’s unallocated American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Commissioners also heard resident Ray Cox’ concerns over whether a road leading to his property was county-owned. Commissioner Cody Covey said he had checked and found no record mentioning the road as county-owned or maintained.  He said the county is not accepting any new road into the system.

Bids on trade-in for a 2019 flatbed truck and purchase of an F-550 truck for District 2 were rejected unopened because the bidders had not been given the standard three weeks to bid. The issue will be rebid.

Before the commission meeting, county elected officers met as the Budget Board.

That board approved an extra week of annual leave time for employees with 20 or more consecutive years of service with the county.

The board approved a deal with Turn Key Health Clinics of Oklahoma City to provide on-site medical and mental health care for County Detention Center inmates for $372,536 a year, County Clerk Kelli Ford said that is less than is being paid to transport inmates to and from Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center under guard.

Ford also told board members they need to begin thinking about how to spend the county’s remaining ARPA funds. She said there is $991,561 in a tribal fund and more than $6.2 million in county funds for maintenance and operation, personnel funds and commissioners’ other needs. She said the funds must be encumbered by December 2024 and completely spent by December 2026.

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