County Commissioners met on Tuesday. Among other topics discussed, citizens expressed concern over the damage being done to Ranchette Road in Durant.

A group of citizens that live on and around Ranchette Road attended the meeting and address commissioners with their concerns.

Janie Ben said the trucks that have been going down Ranchette Road to a new oil rig at the end of the road are damaging the road.

She said that the road was already in poor condition but that the trucks have worsened the condition of it.

She and other citizens addressed the commissioners asking if the company can be made to fix the road.

“You can see the holes in the road,” said Shawn Scarberry when he addressed the commissioners. Scarberry himself works on an oil rig in Texas and said he knows how many trucks it takes to run a rig.

The group said that there are at least 10 trucks traveling the road every day on top of regular daily traffic.

County Commissioner Monty Montgomery told the group that he had become aware of the rig and possible issues approximately two weeks before Tuesday’s meeting.

Montgomery said he had done research into the project and had sent an expert out to assess if there had been damage done to the road.

The expert had told Montgomery that the road did not seem to have sustained damage due to the trucks.

Montgomery also found in his research that the company did obtain permits from the state allowing the use of trucks along Ranchette Road. for the sake of the oil rig.

Montgomery said that state law chapter 14 section 101 which states that the state sets the weight limits and sized limits for vehicles on all roads.

The section also says that local authorities have no power or authority to alter these limitations. Due to this, Montgomery said that there is little that the commissioners can do at the time.

Montgomery did say that if there is damage done that can be proven to the District Attorney, a civil suit can be filed against the company to make it pay for the damages.

He said he was unsure at the time if the oil company or the trucking company contracted to do the project would be held responsible.

Montgomery said he would have an expert monitor the road on a regular basis to determine if damage is being done by the trucks.

Also discussed in Tuesday’s meeting was the new fire sales tax board of directors. The first official meeting of this board was set for Monday September 10 at 9 a.m.

Montgomery said when the fire sales tax was passed a board was set up to monitor the way the money is to be distributed. The tax will be divided among all fire departments in Bryan County.

In Monday’s meeting the board will be sworn in by District Judge Mark Campbell. After being sworn in the board will elect its officers.