The Oklahoma State Capital

GUTHRIE, Okla. - At their first meeting of August, Logan County Commissioners signed off on a series of road crossing permits for the massive Invenergy Wagon Wheel Wind Turbine farm rollout. The permits, so numerous in quantity, prompted Commissioner Chairman Mark Sharpton to raise his limp wrist, sigh, and declare that he might need to "rest a little bit" before approving more.

This action is the latest in a series of steps taken by the commissioners to advance the project, which is one of the largest wind farms in Oklahoma. In March 2023, Invenergy representative Max Moore informed the commissioners that the farm would provide wind-powered electricity to consumers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

District 3 Commissioner Monty Piercy, in whose district the farm will be located, has previously noted that public sentiment about the project is mixed, with some residents in favor and others opposed. Sharpton, who has expressed opposition in the past, has nevertheless voted in favor of the project. During Monday’s meeting, he joked with Piercy about Piercy's support for the permits.

As Piercy signed the permits, he quipped, "I guess I could have voted no so I ain't got to sign them," to which Sharpton chuckled and replied, "You just told that fellow you gonna vote yes."

MORE: Logan County Strikes Agreement with Monumental Wind Turbine Project.

A Curveball from Charlie Meadows

District 2 Commissioner Charlie Meadows also supported the crossing permits for the wind farm but presented a unique challenge for County Clerk Troy Cole, who is responsible for recording the official minutes. Meadows requested to be recorded as voting "half for" and "half against" the permits, as he opposed road crossing permits for Cox Communications but supported those for the Wagon Wheel project.

This decision posed a problem for Cole, who had grouped all the permits into a single agenda item, making it difficult to reflect Meadows’ split vote accurately in the minutes.

Meadows, a longtime conservative commentator before taking office, has previously voiced opposition to government-subsidized wind farms but has supported the county's interactions with this particular wind turbine development project.

District 3 Road Graveling Project Moves Forward

Commissioner Piercy expressed appreciation to his fellow commissioners for their support in addressing a typographical issue in a resolution for a $125,000 graveling project. The project will allow District 3 to gravel County Road 75 from Broadway to Tontz Road. Piercy explained that a previous version of the resolution contained an error and asked the Board to rescind the earlier resolution and approve a corrected version.

Sharpton Announces Closure of Guthrie Workforce Development Office

A significant portion of Monday’s meeting involved an off-agenda discussion between Sharpton and Meadows about Logan County’s participation in the Workforce Development Board, where Sharpton serves as the county’s delegate.

As the Commissioners forced their way through the signing of numerous Wagon Wheel road crossing permits, Sharpton told Meadows of his advocacy for the Workforce Development Board to modernize its services by providing virtual access to employment services rather than relying solely on brick-and-mortar locations. He noted that while virtual access wasn’t on the Board's agenda, he raised the issue during a recent Workforce Development Board meeting.

Sharpton also announced that the Guthrie Workforce Development office is expected to close due to low usage, with only 300 individuals using the facility over a year's time. Meadows responded that he hadn’t been aware Guthrie even had such an office.

As their informal discussion concluded, Meadows asked Sharpton whether it fell under Agenda Item 12, traditionally reserved for general comments or reports from county officers. Sharpton confirmed that it did. However, the discussion actually occurred during Item 10, which pertained to road crossing permits—a segment that occupied much of the commissioners’ time due to the considerable volume of Wagon Wheel permits.

It will ultimately be up to County Clerk Troy Cole to draft the first version of the meeting minutes, which the commissioners will need to approve at a future meeting.