Right-of-way acquisitions are under way in the South Elliott Street project.

Mayes County Commissioners encumbered $200,000 for the right-of-way and utility estimates in their Monday meeting.

Darrell Yoder, District 2 Commissioner, said right-of-way acquisitions will cost less than $100,000. The remainder of the $200,000 will go for utilities and their relocation. Yoder said the county will have to cover the cost of relocating a water line.

Yoder said the district needs to obtain 35 right-of-ways in order to go forward with the project. Thirty land parcels are secure, said Yoder.

“We’re gaining on it,” he said. “We lack five.”

Yoder said when he took office Jan. 1, not one right-of-way had been acquired for the rebuilding of Elliott Street.

“There was not an engineer under contract when I took office,” Yoder said. “I have had to start from ground zero.”

Six months later, Yoder feels progress is being made. Wingfield Engineering is the contracted engineer for the project, and the hydraulics study is completed.

“We are going forward now,” Yoder said.

Yoder expects more landowners to sign on right-of-ways after the flood plain board approves the hydraulics study.

The hydraulics study is a review of water levels to determine what the elevation of the road should be.

The commissioners approved a supplemental agreement because Wingfield Engineering hired another company to conduct the hydraulics study.

The commissioners approved a payment claim of $8,500 to Wingfield Engineering for the study.

Commissioners had approved the payment last week to be paid out of county money. Oklahoma Department of Transportation was to reimburse the funds to the county later. County Clerk Rita Littlefield said the purchase order for the county was cancelled. The claim for payment will be paid directly by ODOT.

District 3 is buying a new trailer with hydraulic ramps to haul large machinery.

The commissioners approved buying the

trailer from Southwest Trailers & Equipment. Southwest submitted the low bid of $47,150. Other bids were $50,862 from G.W. Van Keppel and $56,896 from Kirby-Smith Machinery.

The 35-ton breakaway paver special trailer will be used to transport the district’s new Komatsu trackhoe.

Cabin Creek Fire Department is getting a new brush rig.

Commissioners accepted a bid of $56,488 from Fire Supply House, who was the second lowest bidder.

Cabin Creek submitted a letter stating its reasons for not choosing the lowest bid. The lowest bidder, Chief Fire & Safety, gave 90 to 180 days for delivery. Fire Supply House said they would deliver in 90 days.

Fire Supply House bid exactly to the fire department’s specifications.

The company’s warranty offers a quicker response in case of problems with the unit. Fire Supply House would come from Warner, while the low bidder would have to travel from Chickasha.

Fire Supply House bid $847 higher than Chief Fire & Safety, who bid $55,641.

• The commissioners approved an agreement with U.S. Department of Agriculture for wildlife control. Commissioner Alva Martin said the county has trouble with beavers getting under bridges. The rodents have been damming up pipes and bar ditches. Martin said Luke Pharr, who works with rodent control, will trap and relocate beavers. The county is paying the department of agriculture $2,400 for wildlife control services.

• The commissioners approved juvenile detention agreements with Garfield County and Sequoyah Enterprises of LaFlore County. Both facilities will charge $23.26 per day to hold a Mayes County youth.

• The commissioners approved a road maintenance agreement with the town of Chouteau.