Kingfisher County Commission Chairman Heath Dobrovolny gave a heads-up to fellow commissioners Monday that the county’s health insurance was going to cost more this year.

He said a meeting of the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma state health committee, of which Dobrovolny is a member, received word last week that coverage would increase 9.5% this year due to costs of the COVID-19 pandemic during the past year. Dobrovolny said this would amount to a $60 per county employee increase for the county if the same policy is retained.

He also said five alternative policies are available and asked fellow commissioners to review them before the health insurance appears as an action item on the agenda for next week’s meeting.

The insurance conversation occurred after it was reported that the county’s active number of Covid cases was up by 148 this week – to 340 active cases.

The breakdown of active cases by county community, as recorded by the state health department, included:

Cashion – 58, up 26.

Dover – 22, up 11.

Hennessey – 70, up 23.

Kingfisher – 131, up 52.

Loyal – 8, no change.

Okarche – 46, up 31.

Omega – 5. up five.

The health department records showed that since the pandemic began 54 county residents have died from the disease and 2,855 have recovered.

In other action, commissioners approved updating the county employee personnel policy handbook and an agreement with Oklahoma State University to continue support of OSU Extension services in the county.

The handbook changes primarily dealt with federal Center for Disease Control regulations requiring a fiveday quarantine for Covid patients.

The OSU Extension Service contract requires slightly higher county contributions for the service – $18,500 for travel expense up $2,000 from a year ago.

The total agreement cost is $207,500. The county’s share goes to provide space and utilities for the extension office as well as secretarial service.

OSU pays the professional staff.

County road right-of way permits for utility and pipeline crossings were approved as follow:

• K&J Construction – permit for three-inch water line six miles east of Dover, District 2, and permit for 12- inch water line in District 1, seven miles east and two miles north of Kingfisher.

• McDonald Land Services – permit for three-inch water line one mile south and four miles west of Loyal, permits for three 12-inch water lines located three miles south and three miles west of Loyal, two miles east and two miles south of Loyal and two miles south and three miles west of Loyal, all in District 3.

• Ovintiv USA, Inc. – permit for 12-inch water line located three miles south and two miles west of Loyal and permit for a three-inch line located two miles north and two miles west of Kingfisher, both in District 3.

• Cimarron Electric Coop – utility permit located four miles north of Kingfisher on Lemon Road, District 1.

• ONEOK Hydrocarbon public access drive nine miles east of Kingfisher, District 1.

• ONEOK Hydrocarbon – two public access drives in District 1, one located 350 feet north of S.H. 33 on NS 2950 Road and one located 2,600 feet south of S.H. 33 on NS2950 Road.

District 2 County Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek and District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss were both present for the meeting, completing the three-member board, along with County Clerk Jeannie Boevers as minute clerk and County Engineer Nik Smith, who reported he will be completing federally-required driver’s license checks for all three commissioner districts this week.

Smith said the checks are required for all Class A drivers, wherever they work.