Commissioners declare April as National County Government Month

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, during a March 18 meeting, passed a resolution that would declare April as National County Government Month.

Board Chair and District 1 Commissioner Bobby Whitewater said the theme of this year’s NCGM is Forward Together, highlighting the role of county governments as intergovernmental partners that connect, inspire, and lead.

“Cherokee County is proud of the many programs and services available to our residents,” he said. “This month, we celebrate the ways our government connects our community and in collaboration with our tribal, state and federal partners.”

The board gave its nod to a resolution to authorize the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Grant application and the project identified in the application.

“This is a resolution needed so we can get our application turned in for the opioid grant award, find an extra ordinary need to combat the opioid crisis here in Cherokee County,” Whitewater said.

In other business, Sheriff Jason Chennault’s request for designated parking for the sheriff’s office at the courthouse was approved.

“We’d like to designate one spot out front for one of our security deputy’s vehicles. It’s the one we use to transport people that we arrest in the courthouse [and take them] to the jail,” Chennault said.

A lease agreement between commissioners and the city of Tahlequah for Emergency Management to reside in the old Cherokee County 911 Center building was approved.

The board granted a memorandum of understanding between the Cherokee Nation and Cherokee County.

District 3 Commissioner Clif Halls’ request for approval of an additional .55 miles on South 524 Road and to add that .55 miles to the Department of Transportation County Action report was granted.

“It’s one that we maintain, and it was, I don’t know why it was purple [so] it was eligible, and we maintain it regularly anyhow, so we wanted to go ahead and put it on there,” Hall said.

New business that was not foreseen prior to Monday’s meeting included a request for additional lighting at the Cherokee County Election Board by Chennault.

All claims, purchase orders, blanket purchase orders, appropriations, and transfers were approved.

What's next

The next Board of Cherokee County Commissioners meeting is slated for Monday, April 1, at 9 a.m., at the Cherokee County Courthouse.