By Roger Pugh
Contributing Writer
City Manager Jason Orr said Tuesday the City will ask the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to look into allegations a vehicle operated by a contractor working on a City of Piedmont project dumped large loads of dirt on the property of Piedmont Mayor Kurt Mayabb, and possibly on the property of another unnamed city official.
Orr said an individual complained to him Monday morning about the alleged incidents. He said he wanted to have an outside source look at the allegations. “We want to have someone else to look at it in an impartial, objective manner,” Orr explained.
Tuesday, after meeting with Piedmont Police Chief Scott Singer, Orr said the decision was made to turn over the information the City had gathered to the OSBI.
“After meeting with the Chief of Police to discuss the initial evidence surrounding this allegation, we feel it is in the City’s best interest to recuse our Police Department from the investigation in order to avoid the perception of partiality. We will pass along all information to the OSBI for their consideration,” Orr said in a prepared statement.
The vehicle was operated by Cimarron Construction of Oklahoma City. Cimarron was hired by the city to construct a gravity lift sewer line from 164th and Piedmont Rd. to near Jackson Ave NW. The $1.1 million project is to satisfy an Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Compliance Order.
Orr said he was told the amount of dirt dumped at the both locations was considerable.
He said if the report is accurate, the contractor would be in violation of its contract with the city. He said it is possible other state statutes might have been violated.
In response, Mayabb said his legal counsel told him he was not in violation of any law for receiving the dirt from the project.
“I had some dirt spread around trying to fill in some wash outs and a driver from Cimarron was driving along 164th. He saw that dirt. He stopped and asked me if wanted more,” Mayabb said
“He told me they were dumping a couple of miles north, near 206th, and they would like to find a closer place to dump the dirt from the project,” Mayabb continued.
“They brought a lot more than I thought was coming,” the mayor added.
He said the dirt from the city project was dumped at his property about 30-days ago.
“Cimarron did not get the (sewer line) job because of the dirt. I had just come on the council as Mayor when they got the contract,” he noted.
“The only guy I ever talked to from Cimarron was the guy in the truck. They needed a place to dump and the guy in the truck doesn’t even know who I am,” Mayabb said.
For the stir it might have caused Mayabb said Cimarron would not be dumping any more dirt on his property.
