MESTA director wants to reroute emergency calls

Julie Yates

Emergency calls from the northeast section of Mayes County may soon be routed to Mayes County 911.

Rick Langkamp, director of Mayes Emergency Services Trust Authority (MESTA), has been working to route all 911 calls in Mayes County to the county system.

The northeastern region of the county currently routes to Craig County’s 911 system. All 911 calls routing to Vinita must then be transferred to Mayes County.

Mayes County Commissioners tabled the resolution for the change and will possibly approve the issue next week.

Langkamp said changing the call routing should eliminate the possibility of delays and make the response time quicker.

After the changes are approved, Langkamp said he will send the resolution to AT&T.; When the phone company approves the changes, all 911 calls dialed from the region will go directly to Mayes County 911.

Langkamp said after the change is made, Mayes County 911 will be responsible for the addressing in that area. He said the overall concept of addressing will remain the same. For the most part, Langkamp said, no one will notice a difference.

911 calls from the towns of Disney and Langley already route to Mayes County 911.

A small area in the northwest corner of the county routes to Rogers County, which Langkamp said will be addressed later.

The commissioners approved encumbering $90,000 for right-of-ways in the South Elliott Street project.

Jay Childress of Wingfield Engineering said the hydraulics study on the project has shown the flooding will not increase with the new road construction.

The hydraulics study reveals how much water comes through the area and evaluates what size of bridge is needed.

Childress said there was concern about additional flooding being caused by raising the road.

“There will be no worse flooding anywhere,” said Childress.

Childress said the flooding will be lessened in some areas, but other sections along the road will have the same amount of flooding.

Commissioner Darrell Yoder of District 2 said four right-of-ways remain to be acquired.

• The commissioners awarded a bid to Ages Computers for laptops for the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office. The cost will be $17,639.88. The computers will be purchased with an Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant of $59,825. The county received the grant in a joint application with the City of Pryor

• Commissioners approved an agreement and resolution for right-of-ways, public utility and encroachments for the Snake Creek project. District 3 Commissioner Melvin Pritchett said this project is the replacement of a bridge that washed out near Rose in the May 1 flood.

• $3,200 will be deposited in the emergency management account. The funds are from Disney Fire Department from the sale of surplus diving equipment.

• $15,000 will be transferred from the sheriff’s revolving cash account to the general fund. County Clerk Rita Littlefield said the funds will help the county meet this year’s budget.

• The commissioners approved a grant application for the Violence Against Women grant program. The sheriff’s office reapplies yearly. The amount of the application is $75,967.48. The grant helps cover the salary of the domestic violence officer, Alan Davis.

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