Washington County Commissioners tackled Resolution 26-20 during Monday morning’s meeting, with the biggest item on the agenda being the possible removal of the county’s burn ban. After nearly two weeks of everybody pretending they absolutely had to burn brush “right now,” county leaders appear ready to ease restrictions following recent rain and improved conditions. The burn ban was put in place in late March after volunteer fire departments spent days chasing runaway grass fires started by controlled burns that turned into anything but controlled. Apparently, “I thought I had it” is not an official firefighting strategy after all.

Commissioners also recognized April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month through a proclamation submitted by Alicia Smith of CASA of Northeast Oklahoma. The proclamation highlights the role CASA volunteers play in advocating for children dealing with abuse and neglect cases in the court system. April is traditionally marked with blue pinwheels and awareness campaigns meant to remind people that protecting children is everyone’s responsibility, not just something to think about when a Facebook post shows up once a year. CASA representatives were present for the proclamation, which provided one of the more meaningful moments in a meeting.

Beyond the burn ban and CASA proclamation, commissioners reviewed several road additions and county action reports from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, including work in Districts 2 and 3. Other routine items included blanket purchase orders and claims, and continuing the tred of county commissioners keeping Washington County running smooth in 35 minutes or less.