City to close some facilities, cancel activities and meetings in City-owned facilities until April 5
Due to a recently confirmed case of COVID-19 in Payne County, Mayor Will Joyce has declared a state of emergency in Stillwater in response to the spreading COVID-19 virus.
This declaration closes some City-owned facilities, cancels events and meetings, and highly encourages local restaurants, bars and businesses to impose strict social distancing measures. It will begin Monday, March 16 at 12 a.m. and will remain in effect until Sunday, April 5—but it can be extended if need be.
The City-owned facilities that will be closed during this time are listed below:
- Stillwater Public Library
- Stillwater Community Center
- Stillwater Senior Center
- Stillwater Parks and Recreation (facilities and events)
- Stillwater Area Sports Association (leagues and events)
All core City services will remain operational and all City employees will report to work as usual.
This declaration includes the cancellation of all activities and meetings at the Stillwater Community Center, the Senior Activity Center, Stillwater Area Sports Association (SASA) and Stillwater Public Library. Park shelter rentals will be closed, though residents are still permitted to use Stillwater’s parks. Events at Lake McMurtry will be cancelled, however individual use of the lake will be allowed. Planning Commission, citizen task force and City advisory board meetings are cancelled during this time. Municipal Court dockets are cancelled—the court clerk will issue written notification of new court dates.
Stillwater City Council, Stillwater Utilities Authority (SUA), and the Stillwater Medical Center Authority will meet as usual and remain open to the public, although steps will be taken to maintain social distancing for in-person attendees. Council and SUA meetings will remain televised. Check stillwater.org/agenda to see potential meeting cancellations.
In addition, the City strongly encourages the cancellation of all in-person gatherings. Restaurants, bars and similar facilities are encouraged to limit the number of patrons allowed inside and to pursue take-out or delivery options. Gym facilities are also encouraged to discontinue group activities.
“We understand these are major disruptions to local businesses and to all of our daily routines. However, this was not a decision that was taken lightly,” said Mayor Will Joyce. “The spread of COVID-19 is a serious public health emergency and we must be aggressive in our efforts to protect the lives of our community members. We are in close contact with all public health authorities and our local partners. We will continue to be vigilant and responsive as the situation evolves.”
See the proclamation declaring an emergency: http://stillwater.org/files/news-releases/State-of-Emergency-Declaration.pdf
The City relays updates, resources and information through its coronavirus information page: http://stillwater.org/news/view/id/531.
See updates and information from the Center for Disease Control at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
