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Oklahoma County approves cooperation, receives OSU Extension report and OKs lease
Summary
The Board approved a mutual cooperation agreement and a lease with Oklahoma State University (OSU) and received an annual impact report from the OSU Extension office covering volunteers and grant-funded programs in Oklahoma County.
The Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners' Policy and Governance special meeting approved a mutual cooperation agreement with Oklahoma State University Extension, received the county extension office's 2024 impact report, and approved a lease agreement between the Board of County Commissioners and OSU.
Donna, an OSU Extension representative, presented the office's 2024 impact statements and staffing information, saying the extension office is funded in part through county support and multiple grants. "We are the 3 b's. So anyways, I just wanted to kinda, understand our staffing and, for the amount that we ask for," Donna said, adding, "we have 376 [volunteers] this past year, and we've kinda tallied that into what it's valued at." Donna described several grant-funded programs serving Oklahoma County, including water conservation programming in partnership with Oklahoma City Water Utilities, a USDA farmers-market grant that supports market staff and vendor workshops, a community nutrition education program that works in schools and with adults on food benefits, a "strong dads" program funded through the Oklahoma State Department of Health, and a junior-master gardening program tied to CDC-related support.
Board members asked for clarifications about funding sources and programming; one board member asked, "If you don't mind sharing, roughly what kind of grant money do you end up receiving?" Donna outlined the types of grants but did not provide a total dollar amount during the meeting.
The board formally moved to receive the extension report and to approve the mutual cooperation agreement with OSU; motions were seconded and approved by voice vote. Later in the agenda the board also moved to approve a lease agreement between the Board of County Commissioners and OSU; that motion passed by voice vote.
Discussion items were informational and budgetary: Donna said the county contribution had not increased from the prior year and that many extension educators leverage grant funds and volunteers to expand programming. No specific contract terms, lease amounts, or long-term funding commitments were read into the record during the meeting; those details were not specified in the transcript.
Next steps: the agreements are approved and staff will proceed according to the terms of the mutual cooperation and lease agreements; the extension office will continue programming supported by a mix of county funds, grants, and volunteers.
