Kingfisher County commissioners voted to keep the same officers for the 2022 year Monday at their regular meeting.

That means District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny will continue as chairman and District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss will continue as vice president.

District 2 Commissioner Ray Alan Shimanek who had proposed retaining the same officers at an earlier meeting was not present for this week’s meeting due to checking positive for COVID-19 but Moss, who had joined Shimanek in the praise of Dobrovolny’s service earlier made the motion to change the tradition of rotating offices annually and to elect the same officers for another year.

The commission president serves on additional county boards and represents the commission at ceremonial events.

Both Shimanek and Moss praised Dobrovolny for the job he has done in 2021, particularly in staying abreast of requirements and dealing with additional regulations related to the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Commissioners approved declaring several items of aging road equipment as surplus for Districts 1 and 2, clearing the way for it to be sold at the Circuit Engineering District #8 Auction in Elk City in the spring. Sale prices at the auction have been higher than trade-ins.

Three road graders and two John Deere loaders plus one with AIM utility were declared surplus for District 1 and a Mack truck and Freightliner truck, two Rhino mowers, a John Deere tractor and two graders were declared surplus for District 3.

Commissioners held a special meeting Tuesday to open bids for election board ballots and a road grader for District 2.

Action on the grader bids was tabled until next Monday’s regular meeting.

Commissioners approved the bid of Midwest Printing of Sapulpa to provide election ballots this year.

Bids for the grader included Warren Caterpillar, $199,000; Cummins Equipment, $229,000, and Yellowhouse, $234,211.

Present for the special meeting Tuesday were Dobrovolny, Moss, Clay Vincent, representing District 2, County Clerk Jeannie Boevers, Dusty Bittle of Yellowhouse, Jeremy Crouch of Warren Cat and Jessica Sotelo of the election board.

Commissioners at their Monday meeting approved a public access drive for Teocalli Exploration at a point from E780 Road and North 2920 Road one-quarter mile south and west in District 1.

Road crossing permits were approved for the following:

• Ovintiv – two 12-inch lines located two miles east and four miles north of Kingfisher and two 12-inch lines located one mile east and five miles south of Kingfisher, District 1.

• Judy Grellner – two 10-inch lines beginning at a point seven miles east and three miles south of Kingfisher and extending four miles south.

• K&J Construction – 12-inch line located eight miles east and three miles north of the U.S. 81-DC Road intersection and a 12-inch line nine miles east and three miles south of the 81-DC intersection, both in District 2, and a 12-inch and four-inch line in District 1 starting in the SE SE Section 30-17-5 and ending in the SE SW of Sec. 30-17-5 .

A report from the state health department Monday showed the county with nine fewer COVID-19 cases this week than last. Cashion had six cases, one less; Dover had one case, one more than last week; Hennessey had no cases, down six; Kingfisher had 14 cases, down one, and Okarche had five cases, down two.

Also present at the Monday meeting were Boevers as minute clerk and County Engineer Nik Smith.