By Charles Betzler
Commissioners voted to approve joining the new national opioid settlements with Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, and to authorize the District Attorney to sign the settlement participation forms on behalf of the County. Legal Counsel Andrew Goforth briefed the Board on part two of the opioid settlements. He said that Attorney Bret Barron has provided the County with information about the next step in the national settlement with the five aforementioned companies.
Related: Read about the original opioid settlement the Commissioners agreed to join in late 2022.
Janssen and Johnson and Johnson were involved in the previous multi-jurisdiction settlement in which the County received the first payment of $62,158.28 “We are waiting on the multi-jurisdiction Judge to rule on how the funds can be utilized, we should be seeing the guidelines soon, as the deadline to apply for this settlement is the end of April,” said Goforth. He stated that there will be an annual payment of $100.00 for a period of 14-18 years.
In other business, Creek County Clerk Jennifer Mortazavi told the Creek County Board of Commissioners she had recently received the 2023 report of unclaimed mineral interests from Kathy James, Director of Unclaimed Property for Mineral Interests, at the Oklahoma State Treasurer’s Office. She informed Commissioners that she had not received a report last year and that the current report will be on file in the Creek County Clerk’s office.
Chair Newt Stephens asked if this could be placed on the Creek County website, to provide easier access for citizens, and Mortazavi said that could be done.
The Board passed a motion to sign a Circuit Engineering Distinct (CED) materials request for one mile of 1.5” asphalt overlay, one mile west of HWY 48 on West 301st St. S. (Iron Post Rd), in District #3. The projected cost is $100,000.00, with $50,000.00 being requested from CED#1. Commissioner Jarrod Whitehouse stated this project will tie into the Muscogee Nation road project termination point.
Commissioners passed a motion to sign a juvenile Detention Contract with Murray County for the remainder of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, for $85.00 per child per day.
The Board also voted to sign a juvenile detention contract with Okfuskee County for the remainder of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, for $85.00 per child per day.
Commissioners voted to sign Resolution#2023-35 surplussing a radar unit for the Sheriff and Resolution#2023-35A disposing of the same to be transferred by Intergovernmental transfer to the Mounds Police Department.
The Board voted to sign a resolution surplussing a 1998 Dodge Welding Truck; 1993 Ford with snow plow and blade; 2008 Case 850K Dozer; and a 2011 Kubota M108SDSC Tractor for District #3 and a resolution disposing of the same, to be sold on Purple Wave (an online auction for heavy equipment).
Commissioners voted to add a mandatory pre-bid meeting to be held on Friday, April 14, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., at 222 E. Dewey, Sapulpa, Oklahoma, to the language of Bid#23-17 Courthouse Coping Repair, which was let on 3-27-23. Purchasing Agent Jana Thomas stated the scrivener’s error was found in the invitation of bid. “We have published the information correctly”, said Thomas. Chair Newt Stephens stated that Thomas will send the clarification to all vendors.
The Board passed a motion to approve a utility permit request from East Central Electric per County Specs to lay fiber-optic cable, to cross South 449th West Avenue near West 241st St. S. in District #3.
Commissioners voted to approve a utility permit request from Oklahoma Natural Gas Company per County Specs for a natural gas pipeline, to cross 900 East Harrison Ave approximately 0.51 miles East and .25 miles S. of ST HWY 16 & ST HWY 48, in District #3.
The Board voted to let for bid, sewer main and lateral line replacement for Town of Mounds to be opened on 5-8-23 and to approve the transfer of $275.67 from the Mounds ARPA Capital Outlay Commissioners’ account to the Mounds American Rescue Plan Act M&O Commissioners’ Account, to pay for publication of bid. Chair Newt Stephens stated the pre-bid meeting will be held on 4/24/23 at 10:00 a.m.
Commissioner Leon Warner asked when the County might open the remaining funds up to other entities, “We had previously discussed last year around April this year,” said Warner. Stephens pointed out that the current projects that have not yet been completed or let for bid.
Mortazavi and Thomas both stated that they were “a little behind” on this due to the SAM.GOV registration delay. “We do not have any water/sewer projects completed at this point. We have four started and two remaining. The projected timeline given by the entities was to start October
to January, so we need some time to get through some of these projects,” stated Thomas.
Thomas also stated that there are a number of county bids upcoming, “We would like to say July or August would be the earliest we could look at others.” Projects must be encumbered by 12/2024 and must be completed by 12/2026.
The Board of County Commissioners meet every Monday at 9 a.m., at the Collins Building.
