Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting - January 20, 2026

The Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners held its regular meeting on January 20, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Cleveland County Office Building in Norman, OK. Chairman Jacob McHughes, Vice Chairman Rusty Grissom, and Member Rod Cleveland were present. The meeting covered approval of prior minutes, a consent agenda with routine items, an election board presentation, fairgrounds policy approvals, a sheriff's office camera system renewal, and grant applications.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the Special Meeting on January 12, 2026; Regular Meeting on January 12, 2026; and Emergency Meeting on January 14, 2026, were approved unanimously (3-0).
• Consent Items (Items 2-14, 16-20): Approved collectively with a 3-0 vote, except Item 15 was pulled for separate consideration. Key items included:
  • Street closure request for the Norman Mardi Gras Parade on February 7, 2026 (6:30 PM – 10:00 PM).
  • Cleveland County District #1 scrap metal disposal (three quotes received).
  • Perfect Venue Premium Plan for the Cleveland County Fairgrounds ($3,588 annual fee).
  • Change order for Judicial Improvement ARPA project ($3,504 for 5 Brightsigns).
  • Independent contractor agreement for farm market music entertainment.
  • Donation of compost from the City of Norman (value $60.00).
  • Renewal with Nearmap for aerial photography ($104,603 for 12 months).
  • Resolution for updated Hazard Mitigation Plan (2026-2031).
  • Allocation of Alcoholic Beverage Tax collected in December 2025 (total $77,307.93 distributed to 6 municipalities).
  • Approval to apply for the Recreational Trails Program (Phase II of Lake Thunderbird trail improvements).
  • Donation of 7 loads of soil from Prairie Dirt Solutions ($11,645).
  • Donation of 7 loads of wood chips from EcoWood Solutions ($5,950).
  • Contract for Bid #COM-2177 (lighting controls update).
  • Raising Norman Farm Market booth rent from $20 to $30 per booth.
• Item 15 (Golden Land Survey plat for Rolling Oaks Estates): Pulled from consent and postponed to the next meeting (3-0) to allow review of missing standard language regarding road responsibilities.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up for comment.

Discussion Items

• Election Board – "I Voted" Sticker Design Contest: Secretary Bryant Rains announced the winners of the inaugural contest: Avery Austian (Timber Creek Elementary, Moore) and Millie Diffindaffer (Cleveland Elementary, Norman). The contest received over 780 submissions; the two winners were separated by a single vote in the tally. Their designs will be used alongside the classic flag design at the February 10 and April 7, 2026, elections. Certificates were presented.
• Cleveland County Fairgrounds Policies: Four items were approved individually (all 3-0):
  • Event Handbook
  • Facility Rental Agreement
  • 2026 Equipment & Services, Fees & Labor Pricing
  • Booking Policies
• Sheriff's Office – Flock Agreement Renewal: Under Sheriff Finley explained the system captures license plate data to alert on stolen vehicles or suspects entered by law enforcement with a case number and reason. Chairman McHughes expressed concern about statutory authorization, stating that from a non-attorney perspective the authority appears unclear, but he supported the renewal based on the District Attorney's favorable opinion. He recommended the Sheriff's Office work with the OSA or DA to file a bill for clear statutory authority. The item was postponed to January 26, 2026 (3-0) to allow further research.
• Environmental Officer Grant Application: Approval to submit the DEQ FY2027 grant to support environmental crimes enforcement and cleanup of illegal dump sites. Approved 3-0.

Key Outcomes

• All consent items (except Item 15) approved.
• Item 15 (Rolling Oaks Estates plat) postponed pending language review.
• Item 26 (Flock agreement renewal) postponed to January 26, 2026, for additional legal review.
• Item 27 (Environmental grant) approved.
• Unfinished Business:
  • Item 28 (Scanning/conversion of paper records) postponed for one week.
  • Item 29 (Bulk oil, lubricants, antifreeze contract) postponed for one week.
• Board members congratulated the sticker contest winners and warned of incoming severe weather.
• Meeting adjourned at approximately 1:50 PM.