On Monday Garvin County Commissioners voted to extend a countywide burn ban, now in its 10th week, as dry conditions continued across the county and high winds were expected mid-week. Commissioners voted to renew the burn ban resolution for another 14 days, with the promise to revisit the issue at their regular meeting on Feb. 22 if the county receives significant moisture by then – a prospect that is looking less likely than it did at the beginning of the week.
Garvin County has been under a burn ban since Dec. 13.
The county’s burn ban resolution prohibits “setting fire to any forest, grass range, crop or other wild lands” and outdoor burning including campfires, bonfires and burning trash. Penalties for violating the burn ban can include a fine of up to $500 and up to a year in jail.
Commissioners also met with Elmore City Fire Chief Eddie Stewart during their regular meeting on Monday to discuss improvements to a building south of Elmore City’s Fire Department, which currently provides storage for one of the community’s tanker trucks, using part of the department’s county fire tax funds.
Stewart told commissioners Elmore City recently received a routine audit by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), which rates how prepared a community is for a fire. Lower ISO ratings can translate to lower homeowner insurance rates for residents in the community. In the recent audit, Elmore City’s rating was lowered from a 6 to a 5, but Stewart said there is still room for improvement, explaining the ISO doesn’t recognize the tanker truck stored in the building to the south of the fire department, because the building is not insulated or equipped with heat.
Stewart would like to build a smaller bay inside the building that is insulated and that can be heated. He estimated the project would cost around $10,000.
The commissioners agreed for the project to move forward, with Stewart working on the improvements in stages.
During Monday’s meeting, commissioners also met with Bonnie Meisel and Lou Hall representing the Samaritans Food Pantry, regarding the pantry’s growth and additional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We just came today to kind of remind you of who we are and what we do, and also to thank you for your past generosity to the Samaritans Food Pantry,” Meisel told the Board of Commissioners.
Meisel said the pantry, which started in 1978, two years before the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma opened its doors, has seen a significant increase in the number of citizens requesting services in the last two years.
Prior to the pandemic, the Samaritans only served the Pauls Valley community, but Meisel said after the pandemic began, the need was so great the non-profit’s board decided to open its services up to residents across the county.
According to Meisel the pantry is currently serving 251 households in the county in communities outside of Pauls Valley. All the Samaritans funding comes from donations and grants, and while they do buy some food items elsewhere, they regularly partner with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to purchase food and make those donation dollars go further.
The pantry also has other needs such as commercial food storage and freezers, and roof work on the building they currently occupy. Meisel encouraged the board to keep the Samaritans in mind as they consider how to spend federal relief funds.
