Employment office exiting Clinton soon; Moving to Weatherford

This area’s office of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, which has been located in Clinton for many years, will be moving soon to Weatherford.
State Rep. Harold Wright of Weatherford confirmed the move after being contacted Thursday by the Clinton Daily News and asked if it were true. He checked with Richard McPherson, executive director of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, and said it was.
Wright expressed surprise and said he had not been advised previously of the move.
“That really disappoints me,” he said when first told that the Daily News had heard it was happening. Later, after talking with McPherson, Wright said, “I didn’t have any idea about it. I’m concerned they wouldn’t let the legislature know they were moving so we could be aware of it. I didn’t know they were looking. I will support whatever they do, but I would have been very pleased if they had stayed in Clinton.”
McPherson told the Daily News the reason for the move is that the present quarters here do not have adequate handicapped accessibility.
“We’ve made attempts to find a new location in Clinton for several years,” he said, “but we have not been able to find suitable space there.”
McPherson said handicapped accessibility is a prime requirement of the U.S. Department of Labor, “which is our funding source.”
The agency will be locating on Lera Dr. in Weatherford. Other agencies presently located in the same building here as Workforce Oklahoma likewise will be moving, said McPherson. He said they include an office of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and Career Tech. The Department of Rehabilitative Services also falls under the Oklahoma Works “brand” but could not be located in its Clinton office because of the lack of handicap accessibility.
“We’re hoping they will be able to join us when we move to Weatherford,” said McPherson.
He thought the move would be made by Dec. 1 but stressed that the date is not a sure thing yet.
Wright said he was told the Employment Security Commission put out a new request for office space in Clinton but could not find anything that meets the requirements of its partners. “Then they put out a request to Elk City and Weatherford,” he said.
The Daily News had called other people with Workforce Oklahoma after first hearing rumors of the move, but one of them – while stating that it was true – asked that her name not be used as a source. Other people whose names the newspaper received did not return phone calls.
John Merrifield of Elk City owns the building in Clinton that the agency is presently leasing. He confirmed that it would be moving to a location in Weatherford on the north side of Interstate 40 where an existing building is being renovated. He did not know when the move would take place, stating that the agency is essentially renting “month to month” now with him. “I told ’em I’d work with ’em,” he said.