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Crawford County schedules night hearing on Mulberry annexation after residents raise fire-protection concerns
Summary
Commissioners set an evening public hearing for the proposed Mulberry annexation to improve turnout and heard residents press for an explicit local fire-protection plan rather than relying solely on mutual aid. A resident also raised an unverified concern that proximity to utility-scale solar panels could raise homeowners' insurance costs.
The Crawford County Commission scheduled an evening public hearing on a proposed annexation by the city of Mulberry and heard residents urge the county to require explicit local fire protection rather than rely only on mutual aid.
County staff told commissioners that Mulberry submitted annexation materials on Oct. 20, creating a procedural timeline that could require a final county decision by about Nov. 19. To allow working residents to attend, commissioners discussed and tentatively set a Thursday evening public hearing for Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the courthouse courtroom, pending confirmation with counsel. Staff asked that all parties attend.
During public comment, Phyllis Polnak said she attended a Mulberry City Council meeting and was told the town intends to rely on mutual aid for fire protection in the annexed area. “I don’t feel like we need to annex property saying we're gonna protect this with mutual aid. We need to have a plan of our own to protect this,” Polnak said. She also relayed a concern she had heard from neighbors — that homeowners within about a mile of large solar arrays might face increased home-insurance costs — but she acknowledged she had not researched the issue herself.
County counsel was noted as present during a closed attorney–client session on annexation, and staff discussed scheduling constraints and statutory timelines during the meeting. Commissioners emphasized that the public hearing would be an opportunity for residents to comment before any final action.
Ending note: The hearing date was to be confirmed next week; commissioners did not adopt annexation approvals at this meeting and directed staff to confirm the courtroom booking and statutory timing requirements.
