Woods County commissioners approve routine payments and $75,000 REAP application; discuss road-permit rules and AT&T contract

At its March 2025 meeting, the Woods County Board of Commissioners approved a series of routine actions — including approval of minutes, monthly reports and contractor payments, a $75,000 REAP application and several budget transfers — and discussed permit requirements for wells on Thalom Road and a proposed AT&T fiber contract for the county health department.

The approvals included an application under the Oklahoma Economic Development Authority (OEDA) REAP program to support a landline service project monitored through a contract at $75,000; the board voted to approve that application. The board also approved monthly reports and payments that included a $19,000 payment request from Allison Systems/Home Construction and moved several personnel- and operations-related transfers in the general fund.

Why it matters: the votes finalize short-term county spending, move personnel funding between line items and authorize a REAP application that could bring $75,000 in grant-backed service support to county infrastructure. The discussions raised questions about adherence to county purchasing rules for outside entities receiving county-managed grant funds and about whether landowner permits are required for certain well drilling and road use.

The board approved minutes from the March 3, 2025, regular meeting as its first action involving a recorded motion. Later, the board considered the Wienoca Senior Citizens Project and a related change order (sign change order number 2). The board reviewed the document and confirmed signatures were present for return to the contractor; there was no extended debate recorded on the change order.

On grant and purchasing issues, the board approved the OEDA REAP application for a monitored landline service in the amount of $75,000. During discussion of REAP applications, Speaker 3, a county staff member, expressed frustration about local organizations not following county purchasing rules when spending grant funds: “they’re not paying attention, and they’re not asking us questions. And, therefore, it’s making a lot of extra work on my office with my girls,” Speaker 3 said. The staff member said nine REAP applicants had come through this cycle and that inconsistent purchasing practices were creating additional administrative work.

The board also discussed permits tied to activity on Thalom Road, described in the meeting as about 1–3 miles south on County Road 490, south of Stevens, where a landowner plans to drill a well. Speaker 3 said the work did not involve road cutting or boring and that previous county practice often required landowner permission on permits; however, the speaker said that, after litigation and changes in practice, the permit requirement may no longer be necessary in every case: “We kinda left that on our permit just to kinda but it’s not necessary,” Speaker 3 said. No formal policy change was made; the segment recorded discussion and clarification but not a board directive to change county permitting rules.

Regarding telecommunications, the board heard that the county health department’s AT&T contract for fiber or line service would carry a higher monthly charge than previously: meeting remarks suggested a previous monthly charge around $157 was now “like 300 and something,” though a precise new contract rate and formal contract language were not provided in the transcript.

Votes at a glance - Approve minutes of regular meeting 03/03/2025 — Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor). - Approve sign-off on Wienoca Senior Citizens Project change order number 2 (return to contractor) — Board confirmed signatures; outcome: approved. - Approve and disprove monthly reports and contractor payment including Allison Systems/Home Construction payment of $19,000 — Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor). - Approve OEDA REAP application for landline service (monitored contract), $75,000 — Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor). - Transfer appropriations: assessor part-time to full-time, $15,000 — Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor). - Transfer appropriations: general free fare full-time to part-time $3,000 and to maintenance & operations $20,000 — Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor). - Declare surplus: transmission jack ID D410-13 and air compressor ID D406-2 — Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor). - Approve blanket purchases — Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor). - Motion to adjourn — Approved.

The meeting included routine procedural confirmations and several short motions that passed without extended debate. Several items flagged for follow-up included clearer documentation on REAP applicants’ purchasing practices and the county’s approach to permitting for well-drilling or road access on private land.

The transcript records board discussion and staff comments but does not include final contract text for the AT&T arrangement or a formal ordinance or policy change regarding permits; both would require future agenda items for formal adoption.