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Operation Clean House is the free, countywide event for Washington County residents to dispose of hazardous household and automotive goods without harming the environment or endangering human health. Appearing on CITY MATTERS on KWON on Monday was Terry Lauritsen, P.E. Engineering and Water Utilities Director, who said the annual event will be held this year on Earth Day, April 22.

 

Operation Clean House is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 22 at two locations: the Phillips 66 downtown parking lot and the District 2 Washington County barn in Dewey.

 

More than a hundred volunteers are needed to help offload and organize the waste that is dropped off, organizers say. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt and breakfast and/or lunch. To volunteer, contact OCH.BVILLE@gmail.com

 

 

Last week, the City Council heard a report on proposed ward boundary changes and directed City staff to notify the public of plans to update the ward maps. The council will consider final adoption of an ordinance outlining the new boundaries during a future meeting.

 

Appearing on CITY MATTERS on KWON, City Development Director Larry Curtis said,"The City is taking steps to ensure more equitable populations in the city’s five wards, each of which is represented by a member of the Bartlesville City Council."

 

Curt said, "On Monday, the City Council heard a report on the proposed boundary changes and directed City staff to notify the public of plans to update the ward maps. The council will consider final adoption of an ordinance outlining the new boundaries during a future meeting." State law requires that governing bodies review their ward boundaries following every federal census and change the boundaries or number of wards to ensure that:

 

⦁ All wards are formed of compact and contiguous territory

⦁ All wards are substantially equal in population

⦁ To the extent practicable, precincts established by a county election board shall not be subdivided

 

In addition to righting population imbalances, Community Development Department staff say they attempted to ensure that wards are compact and contiguous, as required by state law, and that they reflect communities of interest, giving consideration to groups of people in a geographical area who have common social, physical, or economic interests. An effort was also made to achieve alignment with the Washington County voting precincts.

 

The council is expected to revisit the issue for final approval during an upcoming meeting.

 

View the existing and proposed ward boundary maps here:

 

Existing Map        Proposed Map

 

City Engineer Michah Siemers on CITY MATTERS listed a littany of projects in the city that include:

 

 

Lauritsen ending the program reminding water customers that the drought conditions and supply chain issues delaying the renovation of the Caney River Pump Station and that voluntary water conservation is encouraged.