Kingfisher County commissioners Monday approved resolutions to place two liquor questions to a vote of Kingfisher County voters at a special county election on March 3.

The first resolution deals with permitting the sale of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption (restaurants and bars) on Sundays and all holidays, except Christmas, and the second concerns permitting the sale of alcoholic beverages by retail spirits licensees (liquor stores) on Sunday within the county.

Retail liquor sellers appeared at a meeting of county commissioners earlier to request the measures be put to a vote in the county.

A state question liberalizing liquor laws, by allowing sale of high-point beer, had the unintended consequence of ending Sunday and holiday beer sales in Kingfi sher County and a few other counties that still had limited bans on liquor by the drink on the books.

State law defi nes low-point beer as nonalcoholic and restaurants previously could still serve beer on Sunday and holidays without violating the county ban.

However, after an Oct. 1, 2018, state question went into effect, beer companies phased out sales of low-point beer in the state, selling only the beer with higher alcoholic content, which fell under the county ban.

Retail sellers of the alcoholic beverages told commissioners that the ban was curtailing their Sunday and holiday business, and also reduced sales tax revenue to local governments and reduced employment by reducing staffi ng for restaurants and others.

District 2 Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek moved to approve the resolutions and District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss and District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny joined Shimanek in making the election resolution approvals unanimous.

Commissioners approved an agreement between Chisholm Trail Museum and Mass Architects to remodel the museum. Sales tax revenue dedicated to the museum will be used to pay for the work.

Commissioners opened bids from three companies to supply a 2016 or newer diesel motor grader to District 1.

Bidders were Cummins Equipment, $205,000; Kirby Smith Equipment, $179,500, and Yellow House Equipment, $259,607.

Bids were tabled to allow further study.

In other action, commissioners approved monthly fi - nancial reports of county offi c-es, state reimbursement for the district attorney and county election offices, a change order on the Duffy Road bridge in District 1, adding the drilling of piling pilot holes, and pipeline road crossing permits for the following:

• Encana – nine 90-day permits for water lines in District 3, located as follow: five miles west and one mile south of Kingfisher, five miles west and two miles north of Kingfisher, two miles west and one mile north of Okarche, two miles west of Okarche, one mile west and four miles north of Okarche, one mile west and five miles north of Okarche, two miles west of Okarche and five miles south of Loyal, two miles north and one mile east of Okarche and one mile west and fi ve miles north of Okarche.

• Petro Land Services – three permanent 10-inch water lines in District 3 located as follow: two miles north and one mile east of Okarche, one mile north and one mile east of Okarche and one mile east of Okarche.

• OG&E – line located four miles east and two miles south of Hennessey, District 2.

• Chesapeake Operating – Four public access drive installations, all in District 2, one located on EW County Road 690 about 1,000 feet east of NS 2830, north into; one located on EW CR 700 about 900 feet east of NS 2900 and north into, one on EW 780 about 200 feet west of NS 2910, and one located on EW 710 about 240 feet west of NS 2880, and south into, replacing existing drive.

Commissioners reappointed Moss to represent them on the Northern Oklahoma Development Authority (NODA) board of directors.

Attending the meeting were Sheriff Dennis Banther, County Clerk Jeannie Boevers, minute clerk; County Engineer Nik Smith, Pipeline Inspector Cody Murray; Jason Harris, curator of Chisholm Trail Museum, and Mike Wolf of Kirby-Smith Equipment and Gary Sharp of Cummins Equipment.