While residents deal with kids being home from school, workplaces shutting down and learning more about what can be done to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the City of Oakdale is also taking some emergency measures.
On Monday, March 15, City Manager Bryan Whitemyer, with his authority as Director of Emergency Services, issued a proclamation of a local emergency in the City of Oakdale in accordance with the California Emergency Services Act and the Oakdale Municipal Code in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following information was issued from City Hall on Monday afternoon.
As a safety measure and to reduce potential spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Oakdale City Hall and several of our City facilities are closed to public access effective March 16 through March 31, 2020. During this closure, City employees will continue to work and carry out the essential functions of our City such as public safety, water and sewer, customer service and more.
Current Facility Closures:
Oakdale City Hall – 280 North Third Avenue;
Oakdale Animal Care and Control – 9800 Liberini Avenue;
Oakdale Police Department Lobby – 245 North Second Avenue;
Public Services/Public Works/Community Development – 455 South Fifth Avenue;
Gene Bianchi Community Center – 110 South Second Avenue;
Gladys L. Lemmons Senior Center – 450 East A Street;
Youth Building – 298 Gilbert Avenue;
T.L. Davis Sports Park.
Whitemyer went on to add that while the majority of City facilities will be closed to public access during this time, staff will be available by phone and email to assist the public with any questions on this matter.
For more information, contact City Hall at (209) 845-3571; Oakdale Police Department at (209) 847-2231; and Public Services, Building, and Planning at (209) 845-3600
You can also visit www.oakdalegov.com for up to date information on the City of Oakdale’s response to COVID-19.
Multiple local events are being impacted as well. Most notably, perhaps, is the cancellation of the annual Civil War Days that were to be hosted this coming weekend in Knights Ferry.
Originally planned for Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which helps host the event at the Knights Ferry Covered Bridge and surrounding Stanislaus River Parks area, said the decision was made to cancel the annual Civil War Days because of the sheer number of people that attend. Not only that, the Civil War reenactment groups also bring dozens of additional ‘soldiers’ to the area and authorities said they are adhering to the recommendation regarding social distancing and crowd size.
The Knights Ferry Community Club has had to cancel its annual Spaghetti Dinner, set for Saturday, March 21, which they put on as a fundraiser during the Civil War Days event.
There currently are no plans to reschedule in the near future.
Also, the Oakdale Museum and History Center will be closed to the public until April 15, 2020, as a preventative measure and “to secure the integrity of the collection,” said officials.
“The Friends of Oakdale Heritage Board of Directors has made this decision in the best interests of all involved and the community at large. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we assess the situation,” said Friends spokeswoman Barbara Torres.
The list of postponed, cancelled and possibly rescheduled events is likely to be rapidly changing over the next couple of weeks. Look to The Oakdale Leader website and Facebook page for up to date information.
Also, the state’s Economic Development Department has a wealth of information about programs and services available to those in the workforce affected during the pandemic. Visit https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm.
