The Okmulgee County Board of County Commissioners met for its regular session Monday and approved several bids and surplus lists.

Among the early items of business were officers’ reports, blanket purchase orders, employee forms, submitted utility permits, and private property agreements. Commissioners also took action related to surplus property and the disposal of county equipment, with several items from District 3.

The surplus list included a trailer, a Chevrolet truck, a John Deere tractor, an asphalt roller, office equipment, chairs, scanners, battery backup equipment, a weed eater and other assorted items. A motion was made and approved to declare the listed property surplus, with clarification that some items were designated for surplus only rather than immediate disposal.

Commissioners also considered Bid No. 8 for road materials for a six-month period. According to discussion during the meeting, several submitted bids were rejected. Vendors referenced during discussion included Vance Brothers, Coastal Energy, Logan Asphalt and Logan Construction. It was noted that hauling was not yet being considered under the current bid, and commissioners ultimately approved moving forward after reviewing the provided spreadsheet of submissions.

Related to road operations, the board voted to move forward with Invitation to Bid No. 10 for the hauling of road materials for a six-month period, with commissioners asking whether additional vendors needed to be added to the bid list before proceeding.

Payment of claims was also addressed, including discussion of claims related to LeBlanc Construction. A motion to approve the claims was made and passed by the board.

During the Emergency Management portion of the meeting, commissioners discussed an agreement related to geographic information system (GIS) improvements. It was explained that a contractor would be handling grant-funded updates to county mapping, and that assessors were already aware of the project. The board acknowledged the agreement as part of ongoing county improvements.

Under new business, county officials raised concerns regarding juvenile detention arrangements with Pittsburg County. Commissioners were informed that Pittsburg County officials had verbally indicated an intention to terminate the existing contract for housing juveniles, though no written notice had yet been received. It was emphasized that the contract requires formal written notice and a specified timeframe before termination can occur.

The issue reportedly stemmed from an incident involving a female juvenile who caused significant damage at the detention facility. Despite requests from Pittsburg County for her removal, a judge declined to authorize the transfer, leading to tension over the agreement. Commissioners noted that juvenile detention facilities inherently deal with difficult situations and that unilateral termination of the contract could present legal and logistical challenges.

Officials also discussed potential future impacts should the agreement be terminated, including the possibility of transporting juveniles to facilities in Norman or near the Craig County state line. It was noted that while some beds may be available at Creek County, female juvenile placement options are limited.