Published: May 12, 2009 06:20 am      

Commission approves bond service

Woodward County Commissioners on Monday approved a financial services agreement with Capital West Securities Inc., whose administrators will figure the cost of the newly proposed jail and put a bond plan together.

The bonds would finance the proposed jail.

Sheriff Gary Stanley has proceeded with plans to build a new jail after inspectors told him it was necessary.

He now has in his possession preliminary blueprints to the proposed Woodward County Jail.

The blueprints, which were drawn up by Architects in Partnership, Norman, show a two-story jail, which would be built behind the courthouse.

The cells would surround a central station created for guards, who would be able to see all of the prisoners from that location.

Stanley also said visitors would carry on conversations with prisoners via a video set up.

Stanley said preliminary figures showed the jail could cost between $9 and $10 million.

“We plan to present the new jail plans to the people and put it on the ballot Aug. 11,” he said.

In other business, county commissioners accepted bids for bridge materials and bridge construction to repair a washed out bridge on EW-51 on the Sharon-Shattuck road in District No. 2. The materials bid went to Railroad Yard for $27,965. It was the low bid.

For construction, the commissioners accepted the low bid of $22,580 from Dietz Welding.

The washed out bridge has left a gaping hole in the roadway, caused by a severe storm two weekends ago. Rushing water left parts of the bridge strewn across a field with concrete fallen below the road.

A Dietz Welding spokesman said the bridge could be repaired by June 5, provided no bad weather caused delays.

In addition to accepting bids, the commissioners approved a request from OG&E for utility permits to construct overhead transmission lines crossing county District No. 2 and No. 3 roadways.

They also:

•Approved a request from the city of Woodward for a utility permit to put a water line in Crystal Beach Park on the east side of the fair buildings.

•Approved a county bridge and road improvement fund engineering contract for a nine-mile Eighth Street road overlay project in District No. 2 and No. 3.

•Approved a request for payment of contract funds and a monthly expenditure report for the Northwestern Domestic Crisis Services Grant.