The Bartlesville City Council will consider final adoption of the 2020-21 Fiscal Year budget during a videoconference meeting set to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1st via Zoom. A public hearing will be held during the meeting so that citizens can weigh in on budget issues prior to council consideration of the item.

Options available for any member of the public who would like to address the council regarding the proposed budget before the item is considered are virtual attendance, using either Internet or dial-up service, and in-person attendance using a manned station at City Hall during the meeting.

Those interested in addressing the council about the proposed budget during the public hearing should contact the City’s communications department as follows:

Virtual:

• Send a request to join the June 1 meeting via Zoom by emailing kwilliams@cityofbartlesville.org. Please include your name and address. You will receive an email with a link to join via Zoom as well as a number for dial-up access and instructions on how to access the public hearing.
• Once you join the meeting, you will be placed into a virtual waiting room. When it is your turn to speak, you will be brought into the virtual meeting to address the council. When you are brought into the virtual meeting, please mute your radio, television or webcast of the council meeting to avoid feedback.
• Once your remarks are concluded, you will be placed back into the waiting room. The council may have follow-up questions for you if you choose to wait in the waiting room, though you may disconnect from the meeting at any time.

In-person:

• For those who do not have Internet access or would simply prefer an alternative to the videoconference option, a monitor will be set up in the Council Chambers located at City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave., so that citizens can be given access to the public hearing portion of the meeting.
• Seating for the public will be spaced six feet apart inside the chambers. Once the seats are filled, additional speakers are asked to remain outside the chambers, maintaining six feet of distance from others, until it is their turn to speak.
• This session will be manned by City staff, who will connect each speaker to the in-progress public hearing portion of the meeting.
• Once all speakers have been heard, the public hearing and the Council Chambers will be closed.

 During the public hearing, any citizen may appear and provide oral or written commentary on the proposed budget, which may be viewed anytime at 2021 Proposed Budget or at the City Clerk’s Office, 401 S. Johnstone Ave., during regular business hours. Once the public hearing starts, no further requests for access will be honored. Each participant will be allowed three minutes to speak.

“We are required to hold a public hearing as part of the budget process and, obviously, this is more challenging given our current circumstances than it has been in previous years,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “We hope by providing as many options as possible everyone who wants to do so can easily address the council on this very important issue.”

Citizens with a disability requiring special accommodations may call 918.338.4212 no later than noon on Friday, May 29th, to request accommodations.