Kingfisher County commissioners took the first step Monday to replace the aging Robberts Avenue Bridge over Uncle John Creek at the east edge of Kingfisher.

They approved an agreement with the Oklahoma De partment of Transportation to replace the bridge as a CIRB project.

The county’s portion of the estimated $1,788,544 cost of the 80-20 percent cost-share project will be to provide in-kind contributions: right of-way, utilities and design costs, an estimated $588,544. ODOT will supply to $1.2 million of the actual construction costs.

The new bridge will be a 60-ton weight limit structure.

The current bridge has been off-limits for much oilfield and other heavy loads because of its 15-ton weight limit.

The present bridge was built during Kingfisher’s earlier days when vehicles and loads were lighter.

The county will forward its signed copy of the agreement to ODOT, which will set the letting and starting dates for the project.

Commissioners gave final approval to a $30,494 contract with Chickasaw Communications Co. to build a 100-foot radio tower for the sheriff’s department.

Sheriff Dennis Banther recommended accepting the Chickasaw bid, which was the lowest of three bids submitted to build the tower.

Commissioners proclaimed Farm Bureau Week in the county – Feb. 17-21 – with a number of county Farm Bureau officials in attendance, including Tim Taggart of Hennessey, treasurer; Tom Edgar of Kingfisher, secretary; Jacque Pope of Loyal, women’s committee chairperson; Joe M. Maly of Hennessey, board of directors member, and Doug Hauser of Kingfisher, agent.

Commissioners approved a request from Heather Jones, Kingfisher County Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer coordinator to place cutouts of children on the courthouse lawn from April 1 to May 1, Child Abuse Prevention Month. The cutouts would represent child abuse-neglect victims confirmed in the county.

Richard Meyer, Loyal Fire Chief and Dusty Biehler, Loyal Fire Department assistant chief, reported to commissioners that motor repairs on a brush truck donated to the department by the Oklahoma Forestry Department apparently had been unnecessary. Meyer said after the engine repairs were made the unit still had the same problems and replacing the Electronic Control Module (computer) on the unit fixed it.

James Matousek of the Hennessey Fire Department, brought Hennessey’s new fire rescue unit to the meeting for commissioners to inspect.

He said Cooper Creek Manufacturing had overhauled the unit for the Hennessey department and it was working well.

A cost-share agreement with the City of Kingfisher on maintaining, construction and repair of former county roads now inside city limits, specifically Victory Lane by the new county jail complex under construction received approval.

District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny, who chaired the meeting in the absence of District 2 Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek, said city commissioners were to consider the agreement at their meeting Tuesday.

Shimanek suffered a light stroke over the weekend, according to a Facebook posting by his wife, Jamie. She said he was expected home early in the week.

A Phillips 66 oil line on NS County Road 2860 needs repair, it was reported, and Phillips has agreed to be responsible for the county’s added cost to repair the blacktop road.

District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss moved for approval of six gas pipeline crossings for Superior Pipeline Co. in the Cashion area – two eightinch lines located four miles west and two miles south of Cashion, a 16-inch and a four-inch steel line located five west and three miles south of Cashion, a four-inch line two miles west and five miles south of Cashion and a 16-inch line five miles west and five miles south of Cashion.

Other utility line crossing permits included:

• 12-inch water line for Devon Energy Production Co. located two miles east and one mile south of Omega, District 3.

• OG&E residential line two miles east of Hennessey, District 2.

• Cimarron Electric Cooperative line five miles west and one mile south of Kingfisher, District 3.

Ervin Young who resides east of the U.S. 81-Dover/ Crescent road intersection and Bryce Everett, who resides in southeast Kingfisher County, reported concerns about county roads in their vicinities.

Moss agreed there was a need for numerous road repairs, principally the result of heavy flooding in 2019 and held up a three-page typewritten list of projects his road crew was working on.

Young expressed special concern about a rough place where a washout had occurred on the concrete-paved portion of the road in District 2 but said the entire road is rough.

County Clerk Jeannie Bo evers attended the meeting as minute clerk and County Engineer Nik Smith attended to provide information as needed regarding county projects.

He said the Phillips oil line did not rupture but only needed repairs at the road crossing location.