Kingfisher County commissioners accepted the low bid of Haskell Lemon Construction Co. to pave the Omega Road at their weekly meeting Monday.

The five mile project includes a section on NS 2700 plus paving on EW 790 leading to the Omega Cemetery and EW 780 to the town of Omega.

Haskell Lemon submitted the low bid of $1,788,555.

Bids were opened at the preceding week’s meeting but District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny requested the bids be tabled for additional study to determine that bid specifications were met.

The project, which is in District 3, received higher bids from Schwarz Paving Co, $1,821,586, and from Cummins Construction, $2,245,314.75.

Dobrovolny moved to accept the Haskell Lemon bid Monday after reviewing all the bids. District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss made the second and District 2 Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek joined them in voting “yes” to approve the contract unanimously.

The project had been scheduled a year ago but the winning bidder at that time died before beginning the project. Commissioners allowed the bidder’s father to retract the bid.

Steve Loftis, city-county emergency manager, reported that the county has had 255 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began with 183 recovered, 82 active and one death. Of the active cases, Hennessey has 62, Kingfisher 15, Dover three and Okarche two.

Commissioners approved a $20,000 emergency management grant application submitted by Loftis for the 2021 fiscal year.

The grant is payable in quarterly installments.

Three permanent road crossing pipeline permits for Markwest Energy in District 3 received approval. They include a four-inch gas line, a 12-inch gas line and a four-inch oil line all at the same location, seven miles west and four miles north of Okarche.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. received approval for an overhead electric line immediately north of Lacey in District 2.

Kingfisher Rural Water District 3 received approval for a road crossing permit for a line on Lake Elmer Road two miles west of U.S. 81 in District 1.

County Clerk Jeannie Boevers attended the meeting as minute clerk. County Engineer Nik Smith also attended.