DUNCAN — Next year, fairgoers won’t have to worry about their cotton candy getting dirty when the wind whips up dust in the dirt-and-gravel parking area around the fairgrounds.

At Monday morning’s meeting, Stephens County commissioners approved a bid by H.G. Jenkins Construction of Lawton to pave the 160,000-square-foot parking area.

The 2-inch asphalt overlay, which will cost the county just over $130,000 in materials, preparation and labor, will be paid in part by the remainder of a Community Development Block Grant, with the rest coming from the county’s maintenance budget. Work is scheduled to begin the third week in September.

Jenkins’ was the lowest of three bids opened last week, quoting $66 per ton for the approximately 1,970 tons of asphalt needed for the job. Commissioners had delayed awarding the job for a week to consider the bid specifications.

The commissioners also tabled two other bids opened for the first time Monday morning.

Twelve spectators, all representing one of the bidding companies, crammed into the conference room as the bids were opened for overlay for Districts 2 and 3 and a new grader for District 1.

Depending on the cost, District 2 Commissioner Frank Kelly hopes to pave as much as 4.4 miles of road in the Meridian area. He had requested quotes for a four-mile and a one-mile stretch of road.

District 3 Commissioner Dee Bowen also plans to pave about four miles of road on 42nd Street.

Four separate companies submitted bids for the overlay project, with prices ranging from $53.45 to $57.80 per ton. Bowen said it takes approximately 1,250 tons of asphalt per mile of road, depending on the road’s width.

“We needed to have this tabled so we can do some figuring,” said Bowen to the room full of people. “But we thank you all for being here. We appreciate your bids.”

Four companies also submitted bids for a new motor grader for District 1 Commissioner Darrell Sparks. Prices ranged from $125,000 to $138,000 and, like the bids for asphalt, the decision was tabled until next week to allow the commission to review the information.

In other business, commissioners approved a claim submitted by Cobb Engineering against the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for $1,067.75 for services on the final phase of a road paving project on old U.S. Highway 81.

“It took five years, but we’re finally going to get it done,” said Bowen, referring to a federal grant he applied for to cover the expense.

Bowen said the federally funded project cost nearly a half-million dollars.

The final phase, which will be done by T&G; Construction, is the stretch from Refinery Road north to Duncan’s city limits.

In other business, the commissioners:

Approved the purchase of two walkie-talkies for the fairgrounds staff, at a cost of approximately $300 each;

Approved an agreement with Cotton County to sell that county a 2000 Crown Victoria previously used by the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department;

Approved the publication of the financial statement and estimate of needs (the county budget) for fiscal year 2008;

Declared two items from District 1: a 1995 excavator telescoop and a pneumatic roller, as surplus to be auctioned off by ACCO on Oct. 6 in Durant;

Approved a service agreement with U.S. Cellular for cell phones used by the Sheriff’s Department;

Approved two utility permits for Chesapeake Energy for a 10-inch high-pressure gas line and a 10-inch steel gas line north of Blackburn Road, a mile apart;

Approved the use of the courthouse lobby from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 for Women’s Haven for a public awareness display about domestic abuse.

The commissioners next meet at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4 in the conference room of their office at the Stephens County Courthouse.