Oldsmar City Manager's
Weekly Update
May 8, 2020
Official City Seal
Oldsmar City Manager
Al Braithwaite
Weekly Greetings from City Hall –
 
Another week is in the books, and we appear to be starting the process of returning to full operations, although we will be doing it slowly and carefully.  Currently, City buildings are not open to the public, but any business that can be completed remotely is still available and occurring. We’ve learned a great deal about what we are capable of in this mode of operations, but we all still hope to come back to work full speed, as soon as safely possible.  Even once that happens, there will be noticeable differences in how we do business, and that requires some preparation on our part, which we are doing now.  The most significant part of this emergency may be the realization that it will continue to affect aspects of our daily lives, for a long time to come.
Around town, you should notice that a couple of things have changed, although City buildings are still not open to the public.  A few of the facilities within our parks, that were closed (tennis and pickleball courts), have been re-opened. Access to the South Support area is also open again. Generally, facilities in our parks that can be used while still complying with Social Distancing guidelines are available.  We are following the guidance of both the Governor’s office and the Board of County Commissioners in the phased approach to complete return.  Your Mayor has issued multiple executive orders throughout this emergency period, and they have been well crafted in adapting the State and County directives into more locally relevant requirements, for as long as we are in this situation.
 
We hope the next phase of the return process is coming soon.  Once implemented, there will be some access to City buildings, mostly by appointment only.  Our employees, who have continued to work in a modified capacity throughout this difficult time, are coming back in greater numbers, and will continue to do so.  Even while society was required to “Stay at Home”, our employees continued to grind it out, still fixing water leaks, maintaining property, responding to emergency calls, paying bills, and creating our budget for future years, just like we normally would.  We may have been slower than usual, because we had fewer people here at any particular time, but we were as committed as ever to providing the necessary services that you require.  Also, I’d like our Communications and Marketing division to get some well deserved recognition, as they have consistently delivered the messages and necessary news items to keep you all informed, with a sense of urgency, throughout. If you followed our website, social media and Alert Pinellas posts, you learned what we knew very shortly afterwards. I hope you all are as proud of our Staff as I am, and remember that throughout this emergency, most of the elements of your lives that were not negatively affected by the pandemic, was because our employees were HERE doing what they do, oftentimes instead of being home with their families.
 
The next phase of our return to whatever normal will be, doesn’t have a date on it yet. If you are following along, know that it will be very shortly after the next phase of return guidance from the Governor and the Board of County Commissioners.  We are hoping to ramp up to the next phase in the next couple of weeks, but we must do so safely, and within CDC guidelines, which won’t be going away.  
 
Thank you for your patience and diligence in continuing to make this community so special.  Below, you will find some helpful links and programs to use as you see fit.  I’m proud to call Oldsmar my home, and I hope you are too.

Al b
NEW!
INDIVIDUAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Registration is NOW OPEN for Pinellas residents to apply for one-time financial assistance for those who have lost jobs or significant income due to COVID-19 to help pay for overdue rent/mortgage and utility bills.

NEW!
SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS
$5,000 grants NOW AVAILABLE to assist Pinellas County small businesses that had to close or significantly reduce operations due to COVID-19 to cover wages, vendor bills, and mortgage/rent costs.

ALERT PINELLAS
Receive alerts about emergencies and other essential City news by signing up for ALERT Pinellas - a free service to residents and businesses. You choose how to receive alerts and can enter up to five different Pinellas County locations for notifications. An excellent resource for the upcoming Hurricane Season.

YOU LIKE US!
Be sure to LIKE or FOLLOW the City on Facebook. We're posting unique activities to help you practice social distancing and news from City Hall.

DOWNLOAD THE APP
To provide a more Connected City experience, the City of Oldsmar offers a mobile app to enjoy convenient access to calendars, view job opportunities, or watch a City Council meeting online. Available for both Android and Apple devices.

THE TOILET IS NOT A TRASH CAN
Due to the current demand for toilet paper, you can consider other options to use. Please remember to flush only TOILET PAPER down the toilet. Wet wipes and pre-moistened towlettes may have labeling marked 'flushable,' but they are, in fact, substantial contributors for clogs and backups in our sanitary sewer systems.

NEW! FREE COVID-19 TESTING
Community Health Centers of PInellas is offering COVID-19 testing at NO COST. You don't need to be a CHCP patient; however, they require a condensed electronic registration before testing. Make an appointment by calling (727) 824-8181 / option 0. Testing sites open M-F, 10 am - 3 pm.

CITY COUNCIL VIRTUAL MEETING
The Tuesday, May 5th Oldsmar City Council meeting was held in a virtual setting as we practice social distancing. You can always view the meetings on the City's YouTube Channel.

STORY TIME WITH MR. ANTHONY
The Oldsmar Public Library offers ' Story Time with Mr. Anthony ' - a series of animated videos to keep our younger residents entertained while at home. There are 12 engaging videos on their YouTube Channel - be sure to subscribe!

100 State Street West, Oldsmar 34677
MyOldsmar.com (813) 749-1100