Kingfisher County commissioners Monday struck bids for oil and chip work on county roads.

District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny, who moved for the action which was unanimously approved by District 2 Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek and District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss, cited uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and actions that might have to take precedence over the road project.

Shimanek indicated after the meeting that commissioners preferred to keep funds available for efforts to fight the disease if that becomes necessary.

After experimenting with a virtual meeting via Facebook Live video last week, commissioners returned to their traditional in-person format this week, open to the public even though the courthouse itself remains closed.

City-County Emergency Management Director Steve Loftis reported that the county has had no cases of the viral disease reported as of Monday while the state has ascertained 481 cases with 17 deaths.

He said two cases have been identified in neighboring Garfield County.

(By Tuesday, total cases confirmed by the state health department had jumped to 565 with 23 deaths, one of which was reported in Canadian County. Confirmed cases in neighboring counties on Tuesday included: Canadian County, 19 cases; Logan County, four cases, Oklahoma County, 155 with seven deaths, and Blaine County, 0.)

Loftis also reported that a Hennessey company had reported to him that it could obtain large containers of hand sanitizer if the county wanted to order it for use by county officials and first responders.

He estimated the cost for the material at $11,000.

Commissioners took no action on the matter.

They approved payment of a bridge inspection invoice of $3,930 from Circuit Engineering District 8 for bridge inspections in all three districts, payments of $500 for a temporary construction easement and $6,800 for four parcels of land needed to replace a Turkey Creek bridge southwest of Hennessey in District 2, a resolution for disposal of two 2018 mowers for District 2 which are being traded in, and a monthly report for Court Clerk Lisa Markus’ records management and preservation efforts, plus pipeline crossing permits for the following, all in District 3:

• Markwest Energy fourinch steel water line located three miles west and one mile south of Kingfisher;

• Encana – 12-inch temporary water line located six miles west and four miles north of Okarche;

• Ovintiv – eight 12-inch temporary water lines located at the following locations: two lines four miles west and three miles north of Okarche; two lines three miles west of Okarche, one crossing one mile west and five miles north of Okarche, one line eight miles west of Okarche, one crossing five miles west and four miles north of Okarche, and one site one mile west and one mile north of Okarche;

• McDonald Land Services – permit for 12-inch water line located five miles west and one mile south of Kingfisher, and a second permit for 12-inch and 16-inch poly lines three miles west and three miles north of Okarche.