City Council to consider status of local mitigation measures
The City Council will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, via videoconferencing to review the City’s current Covid-19 mitigation measures and take possible action on an ordinance to amend them.
The council is also expected to hear an update from Bartlesville Development Authority President David Wood on the Covid-19 economic development task force, which met for the first time on April 25. The task force was created to focus on current business retention, small business assistance during the Covid-19 crisis and a path to eventual economic recovery when the crisis has passed.
The council will hold the special meeting in advance of their regularly scheduled meeting on May 4 after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order and his three-phased “Open Up and Recover Safely” plan last week. The governor’s new executive order permitted personal care businesses, including hair salons and pet groomers, to reopen last Friday and allows restaurants, movie theaters and several other businesses to reopen on Friday, May 1.
Measures in place for Bartlesville residents that were passed by the City Council during meetings held March 16, March 23 and April 6, include:
- Closure of most City facilities
- Bars, restaurants, taverns, etc., limited to curbside, drive-thru and delivery service (no dine-in)
- Closure of gyms, exercise facilities, bowling alleys and movie theaters
- Safer in Place requirement effective for all Bartlesville residents
- Several restrictions for daycare and child care facilities
- Requirements for retailers to limit the number of customers at one time and other social distancing practices
- Banning of garage sales, estate sales and auctions
- Requirement for City meetings to be held via teleconference or videoconference
Local mitigation measures also permitted personal care businesses to remain open as long as certain requirements were met; however, those business were closed entirely under Gov. Stitt’s previous executive order. The most recent order lifts the closure restriction, leaving those businesses to operate under the City’s ordinances once again.
If not amended or repealed by the council prior to May 1, City ordinances currently in effect would conflict with the governor’s new executive order pertaining to some businesses — notably restaurants, which are restricted to curb-side and delivery options by City ordinance. In the absence of the City ordinance, restaurants would be permitted to reopen under the governor’s order for dine-in service on May 1, with social distancing practices required.
The City Council could elect to amend, extend or repeal the current ordinances during the meeting on Thursday. The council meeting will be conducted via Zoom, and may be viewed live on the City’s webcast at www.cityofbartlesville.org and local cable television channel 56.
In other, unrelated business, the council is expected to discuss and take action on a contract award for an Interactive Art Feature for the Tower Center at Unity Square, a community gathering space under construction at Sixth Street and Dewey Avenue. The project was approved by voters in the 2018 General Obligation Bond Election.
For a full list of mitigation measures and more information on these issues, see City Beat April 7, City Ordinance No. 3525 and City Ordinance No. 3526. For Covid-19-related comments and questions, email covid-19@cityofbartlesville.org.