Tuesday, July 6, 2021 - The Board of Commissioners of Sequoyah County discussed a proposed asphalt plant to be built in Vian at their regular weekly meeting Monday.
Vian Police Chief Keith Boshears said the town would be willing to donate 10 acres of vacant land west of the Little League baseball field for the plant. Feasibility studies have already been completed on the property, Boshears said. The property already has water, electric and natural gas capabilities, though some improvements are still required. A formal, 57-page proposal is expected to be released Thursday.
Talks about the proposed asphalt plant have been ongoing for more than a year, District 3 Commissioner Jim Rogers said Monday. The ultimate goal is to create a facility that will serve local municipalities in Sequoyah County, as well as other communities, the Cherokee Nation, the City of Sallisaw, as well as other businesses.
“This will be a game-changer for us,” Rogers said. “Not just for the county, but for the Cherokee Nation, for the municipalities, for your meal deliveries, for everything.”
The Vian plant would be modeled after the asphalt plant in Pittsburg County, Okla., Boshears said, and the team there has been more than willing to share its knowledge with Sequoyah County. “They have learned from their mistakes and are sharing their input with us. They've spent several hours with us.” One big difference in Pittsburg County, however, Boshears noted, is they can only sell their product to clients in Pittsburg County. The Sequoyah County plant will be able to sell to entities outside the county, giving it a wider sales market.
“There are so many areas (the asphalt plant) can benefit,” Rogers said. District 2 Commissioner Beau Burlison agreed, saying, “It's a no-brainer.”
The commissioners agreed to wait until the formal proposal is issued Thursday to meet again to discuss the issue further.
In other business, the commissioners:
*Approved a resolution designating county depository banks for the Sequoyah County treasurer
*Approved yearly contract renewals for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for the Sequoyah County Health Department
*Approved a resolution amending Sequoyah County's personnel policy to raise its salary cap
*Approved updated disaster recovery plans for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for the Sequoyah County Commissioners' Office, District 1, District 2, District 3 and the county treasurer
*Approved requisitioning and receiving officers for the Sequoyah County treasurer
*Approved the 2021 investment policy for the Sequoyah County treasurer
*Approved the Sequoyah County treasurer's resale financial statement
*Approved Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority Certificates of Compliance for Tamara Stockman/Xionglo Enterprises, LLC; Robert and Mary Barker; Sonya Houston/Kronic 84 Farms; and Nicholas Vang/The Hidden Cloud
*Approved officers' annual reports and estimates of needs as presented by county offices.
Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer
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