By Traci Chapman/Staff writer

County officials Monday announced changes to the county’s floodplain areas and urged residents to make sure their homes have not been included in the new maps.

“Owners of structures that have moved into the floodplain once the new maps become effective should contact their insurance agent now to get flood insurance before Sept. 26 so they can grandfather in their lower risk rate,” floodplain administrator Amy Brandley told commissioners during their regular meeting. “If they wait until Sept. 26 or later, they will pay a higher premium based on that higher risk category.”

Canadian County must also adopt the new maps by that date, Brandley said, or would not be eligible for federal disaster grants.

“We have to do this to be able to participate in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program,” she said. “This is also tied to the National Flood Insurance Program.”

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to FEMA’s Web site, the HMGP “provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration, and the purpose of the HMGP is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.”

Canadian County Floodplain Board will hold a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. July 28 in the commissioners meeting room, and the new maps and regulations are on display for residents’ review in that room from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In other business, commissioners adopted a resolution putting a one-hour limit on visitor parking spots at the county courthouse.

“We have had a problem with people parking in those visitors spots and staying for hours and even the entire day,” District 1 Commissioner Phil Carson said. “This should cut down on people doing this.”

Anyone violating the one-hour time limit will be assessed a $30 fine, County Clerk Phyllis Blair said. Sheriff Lewis Hawkins said he wanted the penalty to “have some teeth” so it would be a real solution to the problem.

“We need to get those spots cleared out because we have such limited parking in the lot,” he said. “Hopefully, someone will get that fee once, and they’ll get the message.”

Commissioners also awarded a bid for a new air conditioning unit at the Oklahoma State University Extension Office. Ezell’s Refrigeration was awarded the project with a bid of $16,878.

Extension director Brad Tipton said although Ezell’s bid was not the smallest overall – the low bid was $14,680 from Yukon-based Bailey Brothers – it was the lowest bid that met all of the bid specifications.

“We believe this is the best way to proceed on the project,” he said. “This outfit uses puron, which is the way of the future in air conditioning. We believe this is a good investment.”