Who filed for City Council seats, and can you provide their backgrounds?
According to information from the Washington County Election Board, the following people filed for seats on the City Council, which will be decided by ward residents during the General Election on Nov. 8.
Ward 1 — *Dale Copeland
Ward 2 — Loren Roszel and Chelsie Wagoner
Ward 3 — Brandon Wade and *James S. Curd Jr.
Ward 4 — *Billie L. Roane and John Maples
Ward 5 — *Trevor D. Dorsey
*Incumbent
Since its inception in 2016, City Beat has been utilized to provide information of interest to the public regarding matters of municipal government at the operational and administrative levels of the City while intentionally avoiding political coverage and any appearance of political focus or persuasion. For this reason, we’ll defer to local media and others to provide background information on City Council candidates and instead merely encourage voters to read, listen, and ask questions before thoughtfully casting their vote in November.
Note: Names are displayed as presented by the Washington County Election Board, including the order in which they appear.
Study time
When will the church study results be released?
Results of the Conference Center Feasibility Study, which has been underway since March, will be presented to the City Council during its Sept. 6 meeting.
City Beat readers may recall the study was launched to gauge the need for a conference center in Bartlesville and was to include whether or not the First Christian Church building, located at 520 S. Osage Ave., would serve as a feasible location. The building was donated to the City of Bartlesville pending results of the study. (Any alternate use of the facility must be approved by the FCC board prior to donation.)
For more information, see the March 8, 2022 issue of City Beat.
Mosquito program specifics
What, exactly, does the City spray in neighborhoods to kill mosquitos? I’ve heard it’s made from a flower and requires quite a process to apply.
The City uses Permethrin, which is a derivative of the chrysanthemum flower, in its mosquito control program. It does require certified technicians to mix and apply, and there are conditions associated with the application. For instance, it may not legally be sprayed when it’s raining or when the wind is blowing more than 10 mph.
The chemical is lethal to bees and other pollinators, which is true for most, if not all, chemicals used for mosquito control. Because of this, bee keepers are encouraged to contact the Public Works Department to have their property placed on the “no spray” list. The sprayer is turned off when the truck passes by these properties.
The City’s mosquito control program is an effort to reduce mosquito populations and mosquito-born disease, such as West Nile Virus. The city is divided into 10 sections and two sections are sprayed each evening, weather permitting — generally between the hours of 6 p.m. and midnight — allowing for the entire city to be sprayed every five days. Spraying begins in early summer, when mosquitoes become active, and ends when the temperatures drop, typically around October.
For questions and concerns about mosquito spraying inside the city limits, call 918.338.4150. For more information, see Mosquito repellent and Mosquito bite prevention.