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A State of Oklahoma Emergency Management project completion certificate and final reimbursement acceptance was presented by Eric Ashlock with Washington County Emergency Management to the County Commissioners this week.

Ashlock said the project completion certificate was for the County's storm shelter grant. He said the total project cost was $302,630.

$12,000 was de-obligated, which Ashlock said is a good thing. A total amount of storm shelters for residents living in Washington County topped out at 87.

Ashlock said Washington County Emergency Management has one payment that they have sitting at the treasury. He said after the budget board at the end of the month, they will be paid out in March.

The Washington County Commissioners approved this item in their meeting. Approximately $172,000 was returned to Washington County residents due to the work that was conducted by the County.

Ashlock said it has been an honor to work on this project with the State of Oklahoma. He thanked Matt Rollins and Melissa Moore with the State of Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management for helping Washington County close out this process.

There were additional monies in this process. Ashlock said the communication with the State of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management led them to earmark the money to go through Sooner Safe Storm Shelter Rebate Program. He said people were waiting in line for years across the state to get storm shelters for their own program, but the shelters were earmarked specifically for Washington County residents with the additional funds Washington County had.

The reason Washington County did not get every single storm shelter they were going after for residents was because people moved around the county during the process.