Road damage problems comprised late meeting discussion at last Monday’s weekly meeting of Kingfisher County commissioners.

The Dover-Crescent Road is closed due to a mammoth washout about 6.5 miles east of U.S. 81 and the Phillips Bridge on Lemon Road has been closed indefinitely due to structural damage caused by flooding.

District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss said work began Friday to repair the washout on Dover-Crescent Road.

Crews filled in another washout on the Beard Blacktop with rock and gravel to make it passable last week until permanent repairs can be made.

However, more rain and flash flooding continue to frustrate repair efforts while creating new road damage.

Another section of the Beard Blacktop was covered by water, although still passable at press time Friday.

And another section of the Dover-Crescent Road at the corner of 2890 Road (a little over two miles west of the existing washout) was seriously undermined by water and had to be closed Friday.

Moss said 9,000 cubic yards of shale will be required to fill the chasm in the road near Banner Cemetery, followed by a covering of gravel and then by eight inches of asphalt.

The repair is made more critical because the busy road will be in line for CIRB (County Improvements for Roads and Bridges) to resurface the road in the future and if the repair work does not meet Department of Transportation standards, the project will not be eligible for those funds.

District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny reported he had identified 73 (seriously) flood damaged roads.

District 2 Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek indicated similar problems with the absence of additional flooding over the weekend aiding the repair process.

Attorney David Henneke of Enid appeared at the close of the meeting to inquire if commissioners would consider employing a qualified independent inspector for building projects, as opposed to bringing in the state fire marshal’s office for inspections for a number of steel and concrete structures scheduled for construction in the county.

He said engaging the state fire marshal’s office for inspections was proving excessively long and complicated.

He cited difficulties in obtaining timely service from the state fire marshal’s office and listed several counties and municipalities who had employed a private inspector for such projects, which speeded up the process.

He said numerous building projects were planned in the county and getting them completed in a timely manner was important to the local economy.

Under the independent inspector process, the county would pay the inspector and be reimbursed by the company building the projects.

Commissioners said they would put the item on a future agenda for consideration.

Commissioners approved naming County Extension Agricultural Agent Bryan Kennedy, who has been named county extension director, as requisitioning officer for the free fair sales tax account, succeeding Laine Martin, an action by the county health department to hire cleaning service for the current fiscal year at a rate of $1,100 per month for cleaning five days a week, excluding federal holidays, declaring an eight-foot packer-roller as surplus for District 1 and a public service access drive for Blue Ribbon Construction located 400 to 500 feet west of EW830 and Euclid NW Corner in District 1.

The following companies received permits for county road pipeline crossings:

• Devon Energy 12-inch flat line five miles south of Omega, District 3.

• Mustang Gas Products – Six-inch poly line located two miles south and five miles east of Hennessey, District 2.

• Great Salt Plains Midstream – four four-inch and six-inch gas lines in District 2 located 16 miles west and one mile south of Hennessey.

• Markwest Energy Operating – four eight-inch oil lines in District 3 located as follow: three miles east and two miles west of Loyal, two miles east and four miles south of Loyal, and two lines located two miles west and four miles south of Loyal.

• Western Land Services – two 12-inch gas lines located six miles west and two miles south of Hennessey, District 2.

• Legacy Energy Consulting – two 12-inch water lines in District 3 located five miles east and one mile north of Omega.

• Complete Energy – four three-inch poly lines in District 1 located as follow: two lines eight miles east and four miles north of Kingfisher, one line eight miles east and three miles north of Kingfisher, and one line starting eight miles east and four miles north of Kingfisher.

• Transglobal Services – six oil lines in District 3 including a four inch line located 10 miles west and two miles north of Okarche and five six-inch lines including one located 11 miles west and two miles north of Okarche, one line located six miles south of Omega, one located seven miles south of Omega and one located six miles south of Omega.

Commissioners also approved a F.Y. 2020 detention transportation agreement with the Office of Juvenile Affairs and an agreement between the health department and Neida Yanin Ruiz, who will serveasd an interpreter for the department at a fee of $15 per hour.