Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners Meeting – September 8, 2026

The Board of County Commissioners (Rusty Grissom – Chairman, Rod Cleveland – Vice Chairman, Jacob McHughes – Member) met on September 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM. The meeting was called to order, roll call established a quorum, and the notice was properly posted on September 4, 2026. Key actions included a 2–1 vote to approve a stipulated judgment related to a death in the county jail, unanimous receipt of a state auditor’s report, approval of infrastructure committee changes, and renewal of a burn ban. Public comment was heard on the jail death.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda listed 21 consent items (items 2–22) covering routine approvals: return of $21,614.05 in ERA 2 funds, ARPA purchase requests, Sheriff’s Office appointments, contract renewals, Farm Market agreements, Health Department contracts, and blanket purchase orders/payroll claims. Note: The transcript does not include discussion or a vote on these items; they may have been approved without recorded debate or omitted from the recording.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Cynthia Rogers, a Cleveland County resident, addressed the board regarding the death of Shannon Hanchett in the county jail. She stated that the community let her down, that Ms. Hanchett should not have died alone, naked, and in mental health crisis, and called for accountability, transparency, and oversight to prevent future deaths.

Discussion Items

• Item 23 – Stipulated Judgment (Shannon Hanchett Estate v. Sheriff of Cleveland County et al.): The board considered a resolution approving a proposed stipulated judgment for $20 million (as stated by Commissioner Cleveland). Commissioner Cleveland opposed the settlement, arguing that the death was ruled natural (pre‑existing heart condition), that the board does not run the jail, that the case had not gone through discovery, and that settling without testing liability was an improper use of public funds. Commissioners Grissom and McHughes supported the settlement, citing legal exposure, recent large verdicts ($33M, $88M, $125M), and the recommendation of specialized attorneys. They also noted plans to mitigate the impact on property taxes through existing sources. The motion passed 2–1 (Cleveland voting no).
• Item 24 – State Auditor & Inspector’s Report (Sheriff Turnover): The board acknowledged receipt of the statutory turnover report. Motion carried unanimously.
• Item 25 – Infrastructure Committee Resolution: A resolution amending the advisory Infrastructure Committee to add representation from the Cleveland County Excise Board was approved unanimously.
• Item 26 – Appointment of Commissioner to Infrastructure Committee: Commissioner Rusty Grissom was appointed as the BOCC representative on the Infrastructure Committee. Unanimous.
• Item 27 – Burn Ban: Following a brief comment from staff about low range and forecast thresholds, the board voted unanimously to renew the Cleveland County burn ban.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved (unanimous).
• Stipulated judgment approved (2–1) – The board authorized the settlement in Hanchett v. Sheriff of Cleveland County et al., despite Commissioner Cleveland’s objection. Commissioners stated they would work to mitigate the financial impact on property taxpayers.
• State auditor’s report received (unanimous).
• Infrastructure committee expanded to include an Excise Board representative, and Commissioner Grissom appointed as the BOCC representative (both unanimous).
• Burn ban renewed (unanimous).
• No new business was presented; the meeting adjourned after board member statements.