Lincoln County Commissioners this week agreed to raises for all county employees and also reimplemented restrictions at the courthouse as they were prior to the June 30 primary election.
They, along with other county elected officials, and without taking any official action, also discussed the Estimate of Needs.
Their decision on the pay increase came following a lengthy discussion. In the end, they decided to give $50 a month raises to the employees.
The discussion centered around concerns due to the drastic drop in oil prices and the economy.
Commission Chairman Lee Doolen at the beginning said, “We can’t afford raises. I understand everyone deserves a pay raise and we didn’t get one last year. But how we can afford it?” he asked.
“I’ve cut as many people as I can. I have the thinnest amount of people with the least amount of equipment I’ve had.”
He further cited his concerns, saying, “We don’t know what next year’s money is going to be. We had to dip into the Use Tax Fund to pay salaries for our highway personnel due to the oil prices dropping.
County Clerk Alicia Wagnon offered. “Maybe we do something on a temporary basis like we are with the Use Tax.”
Wagnon said a $50 per month raise for courthouse employees would amount to $37,101 for the year. Doolen stated $50 per month raises for employees in Districts 1, 2 and 3 would equate to $36,000 annually.
Later following the meeting, Doolen explained it will be probably October before the commissioners and other elected officials know for sure what the total amount of revenue and expenditures will be before they can adopted a final budget.
Concerning the restrictions at the courthouse, Emergency Management Director Wendi Marcy said Lincoln County’s positive numbers for COVID-19 stood at 35 as of Monday. She stated there were only nine of those considered active cases.
A week ago Tuesday, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, there were 29 positive cases. Marcy added there have been several new positive cases in the Chandler area.
Doolen asked other officials for their guidance, though he said regarding the courthouse that really could be his decision.
They agreed to restrict entrance to the courthouse to the front door and the east door.
During their June 22 meeting, the commissioners agreed to open up the courthouse without any restrictions beginning, Thursday, June 25, and allow it to remain that way until at least Monday, July 6.
The unrestricted opening coincided with the beginning of in-person voting for the June 30 primary at the County Election Board inside the courthouse in the lobby area which ran through Saturday, July 27.
In other business, commissioners agreed to award a six-month contract for cold patch to TMC.
They also decided to award the low bid for automatic doors at the east entrance to the courthouse to Advance Doors Control for $3,400.
The commissioners also:
Approved depository agreements with BancFirst of Chandler, Stroud National Bank, Vision Bank of Prague, Payne County Bank of Perkins, and Central Oklahoma Federal Credit Union of Davenport.
Adopted a resolution for the County ElectionBoard reimbursement for Fiscal Year 2020-2021.
Approved an interlocal jail agreement with the cities of Meeker and Tryon. Approved an intergovernmental agree
Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Sac and Fox Tribal Police Department.
Requested trash cop funding for Fiscal Year 2020-2021.
Agreed to a contract with Creek County Justice Center.
Approved a declaration of surplus for District 3.
Adopted ODOT programming resolutions for bridges and approaches on two projects. One is for a bridge over Salt Creek located approximately 0.9 miles west of the intersection of section line road EW 185 and SH 99 near Stroud.
The other is for a bridge over Quapaw Creek located approximately 2 miles east and 2 miles north of the intersection of U.S. 62 and SH 18 near Meeker.
Adopted a resolution to use the County Use Tax Fund to make lease payments not to exceed $84,000 per district for FY 2020-2021.
Adopted a resolution approving county lease agreements.
Renewed equipment lease with ODOT for FY 2020-2021.
Took no action to approve proper disbursement of SB 1888 CIRB funds.
Authorized District 3 to pay for easements out of CBRI Fund and get reimbursed by ODOT.
Approved Division Orders with Larry Sherman Oil, LLC.
Agreed to a contract between Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems and the Lincoln County Health Department.