Closures and Postponements as of March 14, 2020
Following both the State of Texas and Tarrant County direction, Mayor Shetter has issued a state of disaster for the City of Burleson due to a public health emergency over the coronavirus pandemic. By issuing an emergency declaration the city can authorize resources quickly and reassign needed resources to areas that need it most.
The most significant action from the state of disaster declaration is prohibiting events and gathering over 250 people and strong recommendations for organizers of events of any size where people are in close contact with each other to be canceled or postponed. This ban will begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 16, 2020. Mayor Shetter will host a Facebook Live Q&A on the city’s official Facebook at 3:30 p.m. today, March 14, to further discuss the state of disaster declaration and discuss what areas of Burleson resident’s daily lives it may affect in the next couple of weeks.
Burleson City Council held a special city council meeting on Saturday, March 14, and heard from health care professionals, city’s emergency management staff and other departments (you can view the meeting here). City Council has decided to align with the state, county, and local school districts the City of Burleson will be enacting the following closures or postponements to protect our most vulnerable populations starting at the end of business, today, Saturday, March 14, 2020:
• Burleson Senior Activity: CLOSED until Monday, April 6. City staff is working with area volunteers to meet the needs of seniors who rely on the center for meals.
• Burleson Recreation Center (BRiCK): all events, classes, and programs will be postponed or canceled until Monday, April 6. Spring Break camp will be canceled. The aquatic areas, KidsZone, gymnasium, family workout room and any other area where a large number of people would congregate will be CLOSED. The weight room and cardio area will remain OPEN at the BRiCk for individuals that would like to continue to utilize the facility. Astringent cleaning policy will be put into effect for both areas. Please check Burleson Recreation Center’s Facebook for information about particular classes or programs. If you have a reservation at the facility, please contact the facility to inquire about your reservation.
• Burleson Public Library: all events, programs and classes will be postponed or canceled until Monday, April 6. The library will remain open for individuals that would like to check out resources. Please check Burleson Public Library’s Facebook for information about particular classes or programs.
• Russell Farm Art Center: all events, classes, and programs will be postponed or canceled until Monday, April 6. Please check Russell Farm Art Center’s Facebook for information about particular classes or programs. If you have a reservation at the facility, please contact the facility to inquire about your reservation.
• Burleson Municipal Court: all March court dockets will be moved to no earlier than April 7. The municipal court will still remain open to take payments during regular business hours.
• Community Room at PD: CLOSED. All community meetings in the police department’s community room will be canceled until at least April 5.
• Burleson City Hall: OPEN. Where feasible, we encourage members of the public to conduct business with city staff through phone calls and emails rather than in person. As a reminder, utility bill payments may be made by bank draft or credit card through an online portal. There is also a payment drop-box available in the parking lot on the east side of the building. Please call, 817-426-9600, if you have any questions.
• City Parks and Trails: OPEN. Restrooms will be cleaned regularly. Participants are encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after using park equipment. We have dozens of trails that are available and encourage residents to get out and use them.
• City Meetings: Meetings of the Burleson City Council will continue, but public hearings will be limited or canceled for the upcoming council meetings. City boards and commissions will be discontinued until further notice. Meetings can be watched live online here.
City events that will be canceled or postponed include:
Please check back at the Burleson Events webpage at a later date to see if the event will be rescheduled.
• Be Healthy Run: originally scheduled for Saturday, March 28
• Vietnam Veterans Celebration: originally scheduled for Saturday, March 28
• Senior Health Fair: originally scheduled for Friday, April 3
• Aqua Egg Hunt: originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4
• Bunny Daze: originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4
• Russell Farm Egg Hunt: originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4
The goal of our actions is to mitigate the spread of the disease as much as possible. The city is aware that this situation is very fluid and could change at any given time. We will continue to monitor and evaluate if additional changes are needed. You can stay up-to-date with information at www.burlesontx.com/coronavirus
Again, please remember to stay at home if you are sick or feel sick, especially if you are running a fever or have been around someone running a fever. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and practice social distancing of at least six feet.