Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting - October 13, 2026

On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session at 1:00 PM at the Cleveland County Office Building in Norman, Oklahoma. Chair Rusty Grissom, Vice Chair Rod Cleveland, and Member Jacob McHughes were present. The meeting opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call confirmed a quorum, and notice had been properly posted on October 9, 2026. The board approved minutes, accepted consent items, opened a bid for lawn care services, approved a new-business quote, adopted a Domestic Violence Awareness Month resolution, and held an executive session.

Approval of Minutes

• The agenda listed minutes of Monday, October 8, 2026, but the transcript records a clerical error and approval of the October 5, 2026 minutes. The motion was seconded and carried by roll call.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved consent items 2 through 21, excluding item 4, with a single roll-call vote. Items included:
  • Acknowledgement of Tort Claim TC 2026-14 from Kasi Larue Prentiss.
  • Annexation of 25 acres owned by the Noble Utility Authority into Noble city limits from unincorporated Cleveland County.
  • ARPA purchase order for $7,086 to the Norman Farm Market for the Walk, Bike Skate program.
  • Declaration of surplus items for PurpleWave Auction by District 2 and the Sheriff's Office, plus surplus and disposal of a 2016 Chevy Impala by the IT Department.
  • Renewal of annual Tier 6 support and maintenance for the Sheriff's Mobile App from 10/20/2026 through 10/19/2027.
  • County Clerk blanket purchase orders, claims for travel, maintenance, operations, and capital outlay, payroll for the period ending September 30, 2026, and the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026.
  • Monthly reports from the Assessor, Election Board, and Health Department for September 2026.
  • Health Department agreements with Viemed Healthcare Staffing for WIC nutrition technicians Jennifer Knapp and Ashley Packard, and a contract with Scott Oliver Mincey for Kids Martial Arts classes at The Well.
  • IT lease of a Ford Explorer through Armstrong Bank for 60 months at 4.509% interest.
  • Renewal of the TransUnion/CyberScout credit monitoring agreement related to the November 20, 2025 data breach.

Item 4 - Resolution 2027 Employee Benefits

• Item 4 was pulled from the consent calendar for separate consideration. A commissioner said they value employees and competitive benefits but could not support the resolution, citing more than $500,000 in additional expenditures including health premiums and flex benefits and the need to avoid using one-time funds for recurring costs. The final roll-call result is not clearly discernible from the transcript.

Bid Opening

• The board approved a non-encumbered contract for lawn care services at three Health Department locations - Norman, Moore, and The Wellness Square - for the term October 19, 2026 through October 18, 2027.

New Business

• The board approved a quote from Steve Owens and Associates that was received on Monday after the agenda had been posted. No additional details were stated in the transcript.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resolution

• The board adopted a resolution recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Cleveland County and commending the Women's Resource Center of Norman and all who support victims and survivors. Commissioner McHughes read the resolution and noted the county has provided up to $320,000 since FY19 to support this work. The motion passed by roll call.

Executive Session

• The board voted to enter executive session under 25 O.S. Section 307(B)(4) for confidential communications with its attorney regarding Tort Claim TC 2026-14. After returning from executive session, the board took no action on the matter.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the October 5 minutes, correcting the October 8 date listed on the agenda.
• Approved consent docket items 2 through 21 except item 4.
• Item 4, the 2027 employee benefits resolution, was considered separately; one commissioner opposed it citing sustainability concerns.
• Approved the Health Department lawn care bid.
• Approved the new-business quote from Steve Owens and Associates.
• Adopted the Domestic Violence Awareness Month resolution.
• Held an executive session and took no action on Tort Claim TC 2026-14.