Why is the City of Bartlesville selling water when we’re in a shortage?
The City of Bartlesville provides water not only to Bartlesville residents but to the entire region, including the cities of Dewey, Ramona and Ochelata, as well as five rural water districts in Washington, Nowata and Osage counties.
Agreements between the City and each of these entities is contractual, so the City is legally obligated to continue providing water to these communities per the standing agreements despite lake levels and water availability.
But perhaps more importantly, it would be quite costly and in every way onerous for these smaller communities to acquire water rights and install infrastructure that would be necessary to secure their own water supply. The City of Bartlesville is easily able to fill that gap, so it’s quite simply just the humane thing to do.
But if humaneness doesn’t move the needle for you, consider that these contracts result in additional revenue for the City, which are used to further improve the City’s infrastructure and water service for everyone, not to mention will help pay for any additional water supply resources that are secured for the entire region in the future.
What’s happening with that?
When will Whataburger open?
Whataburger, which is under construction at 1350 S.E. Washington Blvd. in Bartlesville, was set to open this month. However, that opening has been delayed, according to the company. It is anticipated the restaurant will open later this month or in January 2024.
What’s being built on Sunset out in Oak Park?
According to the Community Development Department, a Dollar General store is being constructed at 1390 N.W. Sunset Blvd. in Oak Park. Contract crews poured footings for the store last week. The targeted completion date has not been announced.
Is there any news on what is going into the old Ocean China building? We’ve heard it’s going to be two businesses, a nail salon and a Vietnamese restaurant.
Community Development Department records indicate a permit was issued to Koon Tat Cheng, who plans to open a nail salon at the location, 3104 S.E. Frank Phillips Blvd. CDD staff said a targeted opening date isn’t known but it could be “any day.” The owner reportedly has plans to open a restaurant at the location at a later date.
Panhandling: Not illegal
Isn’t panhandling illegal? The City needs to stop the panhandling at Frank Phillips and Washington.
There are no City ordinances or Oklahoma statutes specifically prohibiting panhandling in Bartlesville or at the State level. In fact, attempts to curb or restrict panhandling have met with legal challenges that have thus far resulted in judgements against entities attempting to regulate it. One example of this is the City of Oklahoma City, which was ordered in 2021 to pay nearly a million dollars in legal fees and expenses after a successful 2015 court challenge. For more information, see OKC ordered to pay nearly $1 M to attorneys and Panhandling regulation after Reed v. Town of Gilbert.
Where are the street sweepers?
Are there street sweepers in Bartlesville? We have lived here six years and have not seen any.
The City does provide street sweeping; however, the service was temporarily discontinued earlier this year in an effort to help conserve water during the ongoing water shortage. Why you didn’t see one in the previous five years, however, remains a mystery.