Latest news with #BoardofStephensCountyCommissioners
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairground crews move indoors to complete renovations
With an agenda bearing a few quick project updates, a donation and budget approvals, the Board of Stephens County Commissioners delved into a relatively short business meeting and checked items off their list Tuesday morning. Chairman Todd Churchman and Commissioner Russell Morgan heard a quick update from Butch Lawson, construction manager at-risk with Hope Equipment and Construction, for the American Rescue Plan Act projects for the Stephens County Fairgrounds and Stephens County Courthouse. Lawson said both the fairground upgrades and construction crews are making progress on the renovation projects. He said the masons should be completed by the end of the week, as well as the metal stud framers. He said HVAC crews continue to work this week and electricians are preparing to get started. Lawson said the brick wall changed the whole look of the west side of the building. 'That little brick wall sure changed the whole looks of that side that west side of building,' Lawson said. 'Looks really good.' For the courthouse, Lawson said the demolition is complete in the courtroom. He said the framing crew looks to begin soon. Lawson said the final color selections were selected for the courthouse. In another segment, the county board approved a request to the Stephens County Excise Board for temporary appropriations. The request would pay current expenses for operating the county until the Stephens County general fund budget received final approval for fiscal year 2025-26. Chairman Todd Churchman said they approve this request every year. He said this request pre-funds a certain percentage before the final budget is approved. 'That way we don't have any interruptions,' he said. Stephens County Clerk Jenny Moore said most of the items are 50% approved. 'The travel accounts I left at full just because that funds training and travel and payroll travel,' she said. 'Most everything else is at 50%.' In the fairground report, Morgan said the fairground crews are doing a lot of work on the inside of the building out of the weather. 'It's coming along pretty good,' Morgan said. In other news, the board approved: • A utility relocation agreement in District #1. • To accept a donation of books from Pat Jennings for Stephens County Jail. • A surplus and disposal resolution for equipment items for District 1. • Two fairground agreements: One for the Devereaux Claim-A-Bull event in the Stephens County Arena June 14 and one for the Smith Family reunion in the Heritage Room Sept. 13. The Stephens County Commissioners will convene for the next weekly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 2 at their office, located inside the Stephens County Courthouse.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
County removes jail staffing restriction
Jail staffing numbers and removing the restriction around them took precedence with Stephens County Commissioners Monday morning. Chairman Todd Churchman said staff levels were set by the Board of Stephens County Commissioners in 2013. 'I don't know why they thought that they had the right to restrict your numbers,' he said. 'That jail is your business, it has its own funded stream.' Whether one person or 40, Churchman said it's up to Sheriff Rick Lang. 'None of us was here in 2013,' Churchman said. 'Personally, I don't think this board or any other board has the right to tell you what you can do with the money that's allocated to run the offices that you are in charge of.' Churchman said Lang is in charge of the jail. He said he didn't know there was a staffing limit. 'I don't see where we have the authority to tell you or limit you in anyway that you think is right, wrong or indifferent,' Churchman said. Stephens County Clerk Jenny Moore confirmed staffing at the jail for 33 jailers, one admin and two transports. Commissioner Russell Morgan said he agrees with Churchman. 'That's your office,' Morgan said. The board voted to lift the restriction with a 3-0 vote. In another segment, an insulation bid for a new fire department building will now switch contractors due to financial concerns, according to the county board, which opened up discussion for bid packages for the Corum Volunteer Fire Department's new building. Churchman said bid packages two, three and alternate one were awarded March 31. Construction Manager Butch Lawson said the alternate one bid was for spray foaming insulation. 'Originally, we had awarded alternate number one, so there was a deduction for bid packages two and three,' Lawson said. After talking to the fire chief, Lawson said they didn't want to spend the extra money. He said the price for the foam insulation would increase the project around $2,500 to $3,000. He said the department would like to go back to the vinyl faced insulation. Lawson said the purchase orders for the packages two and three had a deduction for the metal building insulation, labor and the fiber glass insulation. 'They were part of the base bid, but then they were deducted as part of that alternate number one,' he said. Lawson said the fire department will go with the rolled fiber glass insulation. Morgan made a motion to accept the item knowing the auditors were good with the change. Bid package two went to Alliance Steel for the building and bid package three went to Ellco for labor. The board voted to rescind the package nine, alternate one, with Edwards Enterprises Rental with a 3-0 vote. With an update for the American Rescue Plan Act projects, Lawson said the generator for the Stephens County Courthouse Annex is installed. He said they are waiting on some of the utilities to increase meter sizes. 'All the other work is complete over there,' Lawson said. For the fairgrounds, Lawson said crews are moving along on the metal building. He said the rain this week could slow things down, but crews are about a week out from completing and trimming out the metal building. Lawson said WW Builders crews are working on the storm sewer. He said the concrete workers will begin to pump water and work on the concrete portion of the project. He said the metal stud framing material came in Monday and fire suppression materials will come in Friday. Lawson said he's working to get materials on-site. For the courthouse, Lawson said he spoke with Principal Architect Joshua Schoenborn about color samples so crews can begin after the court docket finishes. In other news, the board approved: • A disposal of surplus items, sold at auction from the Stephens County Sheriff. A list of items is available in the Stephens County Clerk's office. • To adopt section three resolution and plan for fiscal year 2025 for the CDBG grant. The project will bring water line improvements and booster pump rehabilitation for Stephens County RWD #5. • A master lease agreement with Williams Scotsman, Inc. for a 40-foot container, as well as delivery for the rest of fiscal year 2025, for the Stephens County Health Department. • Three fairground rental agreements, one for a Halliburton reunion event in Territory Hall April 26 and two for driving school events in the Prairie Room May 17 and June 14. The Stephens County Commissioners meeting will convene again at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 28, in their office of the Stephens County Courthouse, located at 101 S. 11th St.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
County approves over $1M for Courthouse renovation project
American Rescue Plan Act projects will continue in the area after the County Commissioners approved over $1 million to proceed with renovations for the second floor of the Stephens County Courthouse. Last week, on Feb. 3, the Board of Stephens County Commissioners opened nine bids for the remaining packages: selective demolition; drywall and acoustical ceilings; painting and finishes; millwork; general construction; doors, frames and hardware for supply only; and the fire alarm, as part of the ARPA projects. After tabling remaining bid packages Feb. 3, Butch Lawson, Construction Manager At-Risk with Hope Equipment and Construction, said he received a letter from WW Builders to rescind their bid for general construction. He said they received the labor to install, but not the materials. Lawson presented the second place bidder for the project with his recommendation. The county board opened discussion for bid packages, which included bids from Dec. 9, 2024, to furnish all labor and materials for the second floor renovation project. Lawson presented his recommendations to the county board. The board received low bids and alternates for: selective demolition from Midwest Wrecking for $69,840 with an alternate one at $200; DW and Acoustics from Hutch Construction for $110,640 with alternate one for $300; painting from Clear Creek Development for $223,800; flooring from Hurley Tile for $270,000 with alternate two for $18,000; millwork from Contact Fixtures for $147,913; general construction from Ellco Construction from $78,500; doors, frames and hardware from Texoma Builders for $22,651; building specialties from Texoma Builders for $11,960; plumbing from Farmer's Plumbing for $13,650; HVAC from Davis Air for $54,400; electrical from Gourney Electric for $97,829.32; fire alarm from Bishop Electric for $66,640 and access controls for cameras, speakers from Digital Controls Vox Audio for $5,880. There was no bid for interior signage. The county board approved bids with alternates for $1,192,203.32 with a 3-0 vote. In another segment, Lawson said the will have five truckloads delivered to the fairgrounds for the building Friday, Feb. 14. He said construction crews are scheduled to begin on the north end and work south. In other news, the board approved: • A contract with A&J Drug Testing Professionals, LLC for drug testing services for the fiscal year 2024-25. • The disposition of an unclaimed decedent. • A resolution for disposal for an Hoshizaki Ice Maker from the Stephens County Sheriff's Office. • A surplus resolution for a number of stock items for auction with Graham Auctioneers, LLC, on March 7 from District #1. • A cooperative agreement for District #2. • A fairground agreement for a circus event in Territory Hall on March 5. Due to the President's Day holiday, the Stephens County Commissioners will convene again at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the Stephens County Courthouse.
