The Rogers County Commissioners counted their blessings Monday amid some current and future changes in county staff.
At the meeting, the commissioners approved the removal of former Undersheriff Jon Sappington and the instatement of former Chief Deputy Zach Starkey as requisitioning officer for the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office.
Starkey is taking over Sappington’s role as second-in-command because Sappington, who has worked for the sheriff’s office since 2005, is moving on. He said he has accepted the job of chief operating officer at the Vinita Forensic Center, an inpatient behavioral health facility operated by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
Oklahoma inmates deemed incompetent to stand trial receive treatment at the Forensic Center. Sappington helped pioneer the county’s use of mental health screenings and in-jail counseling to identify inmates incapable of standing trial before a judge declares them incompetent, thereby alleviating strain on the Forensic Center’s limited bed space.
District 1 Commissioner Dan DeLozier said Sappington has been a blessing to Rogers County.
“He’s done a lot as undersheriff,” DeLozier said. “I’m sure we’re going to see the same with Zach Starkey. I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s really doing a good job, stepping up so quick. Mr. Sappington went on to a different job that pays a whole lot better, and I wish him well.”
The commissioners also praised Andy Armstrong, a consultant who will soon retire from his career applying for and administering county grant programs.
Armstrong attended Monday’s meeting because the commissioners renewed their annual contract with the Grand Gateway Economic Development Authority, one of the organizations Armstrong works with to secure grant funds. The development authority, headquartered in Big Cabin, partners with the county for $1,000 per month to pursue federal and state grants.
District 2 Commissioner and Chairman Steve Hendrix said Armstrong was instrumental in helping the county navigate the American Rescue Plan Act funding process. In 2021, the federal government granted Rogers County about $18 million in ARPA money. The county spent it on projects ranging from broadband expansion to its investment program.
DeLozier said the amount of money Armstrong has bagged the county is staggering. Hendrix said Armstrong would stay on until the end of 2025 and thanked him especially for securing funds for the rural water districts.
“He’s certainly been a blessing, a wealth of knowledge for the county,” Hendrix said. “… I appreciate your service. When you do decide to ride off into the sunset, we will miss you.”
“Thank you,” Armstrong replied.
District 3 Commissioner Ron Burrows paid a blessing to Meggie Froman-Knight of Claremore Economic Development for her work driving growth in the county. The commissioners renewed their routine annual contract with the economic development agency Monday.
Also at Monday’s meeting, the commissioners approved a pair of agreements to put two road and bridge projects into motion.
The first was a settlement agreement to secure a right-of-way along 4220 Road, a truck route connecting Inola to Wagoner County. More right-of-way acquisitions will follow.
At their June 9 meeting, the commissioners applied for a $550,000 grant from the Emergency and Transportation Revolving Fund for this project.
Burrows said the grant would pay for the rights-of-way the county would need to add extra width and shoulders to three miles of 4220 Road, where he said accidents occur at a higher than normal rate.
The second agreement was for the last utility relocation the county needs before the Oklahoma Department of Transportation can begin building a bridge over the low-water crossing on 4310 Road.
The crossing straddles the Rogers-Craig county line. DeLozier said 2 inches of rain is enough to swell Little Pryor Creek high enough to rise above the roadway. He said a few cars have been swept off the road in such conditions, though no one has gotten seriously hurt or killed.
“We put a set of flood gates there,” DeLozier said. “We go out and lock those gates when the water gets over the road, which is almost every day anymore, so this is going to be a good thing.”
Using the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges Fund, ODOT and the county plan to span the crossing with a long bridge. At their Jan. 13, 2025, meeting, the commissioners identified bridging the crossing as their No. 1 priority with this funding.
DeLozier said he aims to have the bridge built by the end of the year.
At the beginning of the meeting, the commissioners discussed the weekend’s severe storms with Scotty Stokes, director of Rogers County Emergency Management.
Stokes said Foyil and Chelsea got about 5 inches of rain in two hours Sunday night. The storm felled power lines across State Highway 66 in Foyil between 400 and 410 roads, he said, resulting in a temporary closure.
DeLozier said the storm damaged some culvert ends and asphalt.
“Be patient,” he said. “We’re getting everything — we’ve been out all night.”