Now on the 20th day of October 2025, the County Commissioners in and for Washita County met in regular session with Chairman Gossen calling the meeting to order.
Chairman Gossen asked Kristen Dowell, County Clerk, for roll call. Roll call was answered by Gossen, present; Gray, present; Chandler, present.
Prayer was led by Vice-Chairman Chandler. The Board reviewed the minutes of the October 14, 2025 meeting. Motion made by Gray seconded by Gossen to approve the minutes as presented. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Motion made by Chandler seconded by Gray to approve the blanket purchase orders as filed in the County Clerk’s Office. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Kevin Rozell, County Sheriff, provided an update on projects at the Washita County Jail including the receipt of a donation of over 250 new mattresses to be used by inmates, saving the taxpayers of Washita County over $30,000. No action was taken.
Kristen Dowell, County Clerk, informed the Board that the Washita County Sheriff ’s Department has been awarded a grant from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office in the amount of $12,000 for traffic control. No action was taken.
Motion made by Chandler seconded by Gray to approve payroll for the month of October for all county employees. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Kristen Dowell, County Clerk, presented a slide show explaining the eligibility requirements, costs, and retirement effects for the longevity plan for eligible employees of Washita County. Dowell informed the Board that 50 of 75 full time employees are eligible for longevity pay and that there is an employee retiring at the first of the year whose retirement pay would be affected by the receipt or non-receipt of longevity pay. Following the presentation, Lynda Vermillion, Court Clerk, requested a discussion be held regarding placing the plan into the handbook. This agenda item was discussion only so at this time no action was taken.
Kristen Dowell, County Clerk, also presented information on the eligibility requirements, costs, annual luncheon, and safety incentive awards for eligible employees of Washita County. Dowell informed the Board that all 75 full time employees would be eligible for a safety incentive award. This agenda item was discussion only so at this time no action was taken.
The Board discussed re-evaluating the issuance of longevity pay, which was previously approved, due to unexpected expenses incurred by the county. Kristen Dowell requested, as a citizen of Washita County, to ask a question regarding an unexpected expense. Chairman Gossen approved the request to which Dowell asked if the County Assessor was going to continue to waste taxpayers’ money and take from the county employees, stating the tax dollars being used to pay the Board’s attorney are her tax dollars and everyone else’s in the room too. The Assessor’s response was that the schools stood to lose the most if his office is unable to perform their job duties to which Dowell replied that she did not believe there were very many citizens right now who would say the Assessor’s office is unable to perform their duties. The Board then continued discussing this being the third year of the longevity plan and the recognition that employees deserve for being long-termed employees of Washita County. Motion made by Gossen seconded by Chandler to issue longevity pay for 2025 to eligible county employees. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
The Board discussed re-evaluating the issuance of safety incentives and holding the annual safety recognition luncheon, which was previously approved, due to unexpected expenses incurred by the county. The Board discussed how safety is constantly pushed on the employees in an effort to keep employees safe and maintain affordable insurance rates and how 25 employees who were not eligible for longevity pay would receive nothing if the safety awards were not approved. Motion made by Gray seconded by Chandler to table a decision on the issuance of safety awards until later in November due to the unknown status of unexpected expenses incurred by the county. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Motion made by Gossen seconded by Chandler to sign Resolution No. 2025-52 executing the Project Agreement between Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Washita County for a bridge project over Gyp Creek located approximately 2 miles North and .9 miles West of State Highway 152 and State Highway 54, State Job No. 30066(04) for District 1. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Motion made by Gossen seconded by Chandler to sign Resolution No. 2025-53 executing the Project Agreement between Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Washita County for a bridge project over Coffee Creek located approximately 1.93 miles West of Corn, State Job No. 36100(04) for District 1. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Motion made by Gray seconded by Chandler to sign Resolution No. 2025-54 executing the Project Agreement between Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Washita County for a bridge project over South Fork Cavalry Creek located approximately 2 miles East and 3.9 miles South of Cordell, State Job No. 36096(04) for District 2. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Motion made by Gray seconded by Chandler to sign ODOT Form 324a assigning payment to CED#7 in the amount of $3,760.64 for the condemnation of property in the Bessie Road Phase 1 project administered by CED. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Motion made by Chandler seconded by Gray to sign ODOT Form 324a assigning payment to CED#7 in the amount of $5,200.00 for the survey of the right of way for the Bessie Road Phase 1 project administered by CED. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
Motion made by Gray seconded by Chandler to approve the County Utility Relocation Agreement between Plains Pipeline, LP and Washita County for the relocation of assets in District 2 and District 3 belonging to Plains Pipeline, beginning on SH-44 and extending East 6.05 miles of E/W 1120 Road due to road construction. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
The Board discussed Hazard Mitigation funding and the lack of reimbursement by FEMA moving forward. Motion made by Chandler seconded by Gray to not participate in Hazard Mitigation funding opportunities at this time. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes. Motion made by Gray seconded by Chandler to approve the following claims for payment: 2024-2025: Highway 1556, Embassy Suites Norman, 417.00, Room/Food/Phone; 2025-2026: General 328, AT&T Mobility, 86.72, Internet Service 329, AT&T Mobility, 374.48, Phone Service 330, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jenks, 109.00, Room/Food/Phone 331, Davison Fuels Company Inc, 178.14, Fuel 332, Trent Jr, Kenneth Carol, 191.00, Training 333, Amazon Capital Services, Inc, 1489.92, Supplies 334, The Home Depot Pro, 1269.36, Supplies 335, Farmers Coop Bessie, 305.95, Fuel; Highway 438, A+ Safety And First Aid, LLC, 410.60, Supplies 439, Western Equipment, 50.48, Repair Service 440, Napa Auto Parts Weatherford, 617.03, Supplies 441, Dolese Bros. Co., 14718.30, Rock 442, Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc., 841.65, Parts 443, Kirby- Smith Machinery Inc., 645.78, Parts 444, T & W Tire, 1411.92, Tires 445, Dub Ross Co., 6484.40, Supplies 446, Public Service Company Of Oklahoma, 160.69, Utilities 447, Windstream, 269.53, Phone Service 448, Proffitt, Lisa Ann, 123.20, Travel 449, Cummins Chevrolet GMC Cadillac, 50227.00, Vehicle 450, Chandler, Greg S., 165.90, Travel; CBRI 6, City Pavement LLC, 10920.00, Supplies; ML Fee 21, Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, 220.00, Room/Food/Phone; SH Commissary 12, CTC Commissary, LLC, 9232.05, Inmate Commissary; SH Svc Fee 110, Lipscomb Chevrolet GMC LLC, 1483.01, Repair Service 111, Melton Janitor Supply, 633.85, Supplies 112, Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills, 330.00, Room/Food/Phone 113, Cordell Memorial Hospital, 1291.03, Medical Services 114, United Supermarkets, 199.00, Supplies; Amb Svc Dist-ST 11, Tall Cotton Apartments LLC, 850.00, Room/Food/ Phone; Extension-ST 33, Oklahoma State University, 6666.66, Contract Services 34, Thomas, Kelley, 635.92, Travel; SH Funding Assistance Grant 39, Boss & Bling Firearm Solutions, 169.00, Supplies Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes. Motion made by Chandler seconded by Gray to adjourn. Gossen, yes; Gray, yes; Chandler, yes.
BART GOSSEN, CHAIRMAN GREG CHANDLER, VICE-CHAIRMAN DAVID GRAY, MEMBER KRISTEN DOWELL, COUNTY CLERK Notice posted 10/17/2025