The Board of Osage County Commissioners met for a regularly scheduled meeting at the fairgrounds in Pawhuska and safety for those entering county-owned buildings was a top priority for the commissioners.
The commissioners had further discussion regarding the possible purchase of air purifiers to put in heating and air units throughout all county-owned buildings. It is believed that these purifiers will help curb the spread of COVID-19. It would cost around $45,000 to put these systems in all county-owned buildings. The commissioners made the decision to get further information on these air purifiers. They also took no action regarding the public entering the courthouse and other county-owned buildings. The commissioners set the county-wide dump day for Saturday, Oct. 3rd and allowed Judge Stuart Tate to use the agriculture building and women’s building for the winter jury term, when those buildings are available for use. The commissioners signed a resolution setting the maximum amount the county will pay for health, vision, dental and life insurance for each month in the 2021 calendar year. One utility permit was also signed at the meeting. The next regularly scheduled Board of Osage County Commissioners meeting will be next Monday at 10 o’ clock in the morning. A cool front moved into the tri-county area earlier this week and it has yet to leave the area. That cool weather has brought with it upwards of three, if not four inches of rain across parts of the area. Osage County Emergency Manager Jerry Roberts said that is the last thingan already saturated ground needed.
Roberts went on to say that this cooler weather could put an end to tourism for the year across parts of Osage County. The tri-county tech interactive radar shows that the rain appears to be moving out, but the cool temperatures seem to be sticking around. The Board of Osage County Commissioners will meet for a regularly scheduled meeting at the fairgrounds on Monday to discuss a wide array of items.
The commissioners will consider making further amendments to procedures for those entering the Osage County Courthouse and other county-owned buildings. This is something the commissioners have elected to take no action on in several weeks. The commissioners will also consider purchasing air purifiers to install in ventilation systems throughout county-owned buildings. These purifiers are believed to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Last week, the commissioners made the decision to get more information on these devices. Judge Stuart Tate will be requesting the use of the women's building and the agriculture building at the fairgrounds for the winter jury term and the commissioners will look to set the date for the county-wide free dump day. The meeting begins at 10 o' clock in the morning for those interested in attending. The Washington County Free Fair won't have funnel cakes or caramel apples for sale, but you can find a spaghetti dinner for your eating pleasure on Friday night and Indian Tacos along with food trucks throughout the day on Saturday. Free Fair Chairwoman Shannon Adcock, who was helping with the cooking on Friday, says the $10 meal goes for a good cause this evening.
The Washington County Free Fair is taking place at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Dewey, which is just across from the high school. Pawhuska Code Enforcer Steve Hughes was at Tuesday's City Council meeting giving an update as to how things were going across the city. Hughes has had to mail 31 public nuisance letters out over the past 30 days and he said most of the residents have complied with the letter, as he only had to issue one citation during that time. Hughes says his department is continuing to do a great job cleaning the city up as well.
Hughes said the city has about five more houses they are ready to tear down as time allows. Hughes continues to get several requests for privacy fences as well to improve the homeowners property. An Osage County female older than 65 has passed away due to COVID-19. This is one of 13 deaths being reported across the state in the latest situation update from Thursday. There are 771 new coronavirus cases being reported as well.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports 103 active cases across Washington County, a slight increase from a day ago. Osage County is down to 77 active cases, a decrease of 14 from Wednesday’s report. Nowata County remains constant with 21 active cases at this time. The COVID-19 alert map will be released on Friday. Nowata County is currently in the orange, or moderate risk level, while Osage and Washington County are in the yellow, or low risk category. Time to reply to the United States Census is winding down and response rate across the state of Oklahoma continues to increase.
Nearly 86 percent of residents across the state have responded to the census. Locally, that number is lower, with two out of every three people responding in Washington County. Just over 50 percent of people have replied in Nowata County and 48 percent of those in Osage County have responded to the census. The deadline to reply to the census is Wednesday, September 30th. Tap fees to install a new water tap haven't been increased in years across the City of Pawhuska. These tap fees go toward material and labor costs to install a new water tap. Because the City hasn't increased these fees, Mark Chamberlain with the Public Works Department says money is being lost.
It costs the City around $800 to install a water meter when a homeowner purchases a new home. Residents hadn't been paying that fee until Chamberlain brought it to the council members attention on Tuesday. Chamberlain explains who will be paying for that initial service fee. Fees are the same no matter if it is a commercial or residential property. The City of Pawhuska Public Works Department will drive by and pick up tree limbs in people's yard when residents ask them to do so. Citizens have began to take advantage of this system and council members looked at a way to amend the ordinance at Tuesday evening's city council meeting. City Manager Tonya Bright told the council what she was considering.
Workers indicated that they had spent more than half a day at certain locations clearing brush. The ordinance now states that workers will spend no longer than 30 minutes of operating time in a yard. These three calls don't include times crews must come out and work after storm damage. The Osage County Free Fair was supposed to take place this weekend and the National Indian Taco Championships were scheduled to take place in early October. There are still plenty of events taking place in Pawhuska, though. Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce Director Joni Nash talks about an event that will be coming back to Pawhuska during the last weekend of September.
Local businesses are free to set up as a vendor at that event as well. Nash also said the Women's Ranch Rodeo Association will be bringing their event to Pawhuska because their current location is unable to host the event because of COVID-19 restrictions. Nash recently attended a social event at the governor's mansion with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and other dignitaries. |
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