Commissioners address 2017 case involving crash victims
Dec. 18—The Cherokee County Commissioners met Monday, Dec. 18, when they took action involving a past lawsuit.
An executive session pertained to all aspects of the case and trial, including settlement regarding Donald Wardlow. District 3 Cherokee County Commissioner Clif Hall was nominated to work the negotiations.
In March 2019, a past Tahlequah Daily Press article reported Cherokee County officials were being sued after several Northeastern State University students died Sept. 17, 2017, when their vehicle careened off Welling Bridge. The vehicle landed in the creek.
The suit was originally filed March 1, 2019, by Wardlow, administrator of the estate of Donovan Zachariah Caldwell; Carrie Murphy, administrator of the estate of Lily Marie Murphy; Jacqueline Turnbull, administrator of the estate of Jessica Elaine Swartwout; Ladonna Jean Wells and Damon Lynn Wells, co-administrators of the estate of Drake Austin Wells; and Latasha Duncan and Charles Seely, co-administrators of the estate of Rhianna Autumn Skye Seely.
The board approved of the Cherokee County Livestock Arena application and rental amounts.
"[The rental] amounts are $900 when you rent that building," Hall said. "If you rent that building for two consecutive days, the second day will be $700. Then there is a list of do's and don'ts you will get the day before. I think the deposit is $500."
For District 1, a bid for the demolition and removal of the old Moodys Store was approved by the commissioners for $23,475 from American Demolition. An agreement was accepted for work District 2 to be done on private property with Herb Davis. Where the property is located, Jenkins said, rain will often cause "everything to be washed into the road," so they will fix the flooding issue.
A resolution was accepted for District 3 to request $240,000 from Cherokee Nation Roads for South 510 Road. The funds will be matched be from another account.
The commissioners approved Cookson Volunteer Fire Department to remove a representative, Tim Knight, and an alternate, Alan Anderson, from the fire department's tax advisory board. The replacements will be Ryan Biggers as a representative and Cory Beights as the alternate.
The Assessor's Office was approved to declare three metal secretaries as surplus. The commissioners accepted the written vendor quote of $21,620 for replacement of a roof on Lost City Community Building.
A summons from Armstrong Bank for the bank v. Bobby Dale Simpson was acknowledged, but no action was taken. According to On Demand Court Records, the case involves a foreclosure.
Discussion of internal controls has been tabled to Dec. 21 at 9 a.m.
What's next
The Cherokee County Commissioners will meet again at the Cherokee County Courthouse Monday, Jan. 9, at 9 a.m.
