By Erik Jackson
Contributing Writer
Members of the Piedmont Meadows Homeowners Association will have to wait another week to see if their request for a road improvement district advances.
The HOA’s petition was tabled for further study by the Canadian County Commissioners in their weekly meeting Monday.
District I Commissioner Marc Hader stated that he had concerns with respect to the roadway becoming public.
“I have spoken with their HOA president, Ben Bailey, about road construction for about a year and a half to two years,” Hader said. “I have have tried to steer them in the right direction so that the project can move forward.
“This is an unincorporated area of the county, in the four corners area, and I am concerned about taking a private road and making it public. We already have between 900- 1,000 roads, and even if we spent every dollar, we can’t make it right.”
Hader says the petition is simply the initial step, as construction would require substantial planning.
“Rebuilding those roads requires a number of things to be in place,” Hader said. “First, we will need an engineer and a consultant to assess the roadway in order to project the costs associated. Then we will need to understand the obligations of the county based on two different options for funding.
“Ultimately my responsibility is to the citizens of my district, and I would like to see this resolved as quickly as possible. This affects 19 households, and we understand how important it is to them.”
Dave Anderson, District II Commissioner, echoed Hader’s concerns.
“If we were to become responsible for the roadway, we would set the standard for construction,” Anderson said. “I don’t know that the HOA can afford to build at that standard, and that’s what makes it difficult.
“I don’t want to go back at some point in my lifetime to make repairs. There is so much construction in that area that has moved from Oklahoma County, and adding public roads is a major financial commitment. It becomes a burden, and with everyone moving here we really have to look at the larger picture.”
Hader stated that he will work with the assessor’s office to ensure that 60% of the signatures on the petition originated from the area. The item will return next week for a vote by the commissioners.
In other news, Anderson will retain his role as Trustee for the Oklahoma Environmental Management Authority Board. He was recently appointed Chairman for the entity.
In addition, 10 floodplain permits from Iron Horse Midstream covering all three districts were approved.
District III Commissioner Jack Stewart concluded the meeting by reporting on the status of the county jail.
“We currently have 143 in custody, which is six more inmates than last week,” Stewart said. “That’s a good number to be at, as we are well within capacity.”
