Alva Review-Courier -

The bulk of Monday's county commissioner meeting was spent discussing various policies regarding the sale of 3.2 beer on county property.

The Northwest Oklahoma Leadership Class VI represented by Kelsey Martin and Blake Jordan were on the agenda to request permission to use the courthouse square for a new promotion called “Night in the Northwest” for Aug. 25. Martin said, “The event is scheduled within a few days of the start of college (Aug. 21) in order to get students to cross Oklahoma Boulevard and come and see there is a downtown business district.”

The document she distributed suggests a goal of five food trucks and lots of local bands performing in 30 minute increments on the stage.

She said there are two or three food trucks in Alva, one in Cherokee, and several in Enid that might participate. Some of these routinely sell 3.2 beer and have their own liquor license. She said that beer was served by Champs at the Chamber Gala event at the Act 1 building with no problems.

Much of the discussion had to do with possibly obsolete city ordinances that prohibit the parking of vendor trucks on the square in regular parking places. The county would not have any say as to what those trucks sold because they were operating on city property. On the other hand, if the food trucks were denied parking on city streets, but on the courthouse parking lot, then the beer/no beer policies of the city and county might collide. It was pointed out that vendor trucks park in city parking spaces during the car show in September.

The commissioners said there is plenty of time for the Northwest OK Leadership Class to approach the city and possibly get the ordinance changed. Also, the next step would be to get the sheriff, police chief and city manager to see if they can agree on a policy. David Hamil said the sheriff has always been opposed to any event permitting alcohol sales on county property.

Burn Ban

In other business the commissioners voted to extend the burn ban another week. John Smiley said he talked to six fire chiefs in the area and five of them wanted to continue the ban.

Donnie Head from Circuit Engineering (#8) presented a bill for the inspection of 44 bridges in the amount of $10,054.50. He mentioned only one bridge as having a slight problem: its carrying capacity is mislabeled too low.

The commissioners paid a juvenile detention transportation claim of $197.24.

Consolidating OEDA and SWODA

Finally, the commissioners approved a plan entitled Local Elected Officials Consortium Agreement. The purpose is to consolidate the Southwest Workforce Development Area with the Northwestern Workforce Development area. Any questions should be directed to Jennifer Miller or Justin Carnagey of OEDA. The counties affected in OEDA are Beaver, Cimarron, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Texas, Woods and Woodward counties. The counties affected in SWODA are Beckham, Custer, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Roger Mills and Washita counties.