Mexia city facilities closed, events canceled due to virus threat
By Roxanne Thompson
Mexia City Council is closing all city facilities and canceling all city events, effective Wednesday, March 18, at 8 a.m.
The moves come as Council passed a temporary emergency ordinance at its Tuesday, March 17 meeting, declaring an emergency and imminent threat of disaster in the city due to the COVID-19 virus.
The emergency ordinance is in effect until 8 a.m. on March 25, only one week, but the Council members agreed to authorize the mayor to extend the closures on a week-to-week basis until the threat from the virus has passed. Consequently, the closures and cancellations are anticipated to go on for a while. The closures include the temporary library, Hughes City Park, the Civic Center, City Hall and City Warehouse; and Municipal court proceedings through March 28. Fines and fees will still be collected at the drive-through window. Residents who require priority services, e.g., water reconnection or electrical inspection, are asked to make an appointment with the respective city official by email at mexia@cityofmexia.com or calling 254-562-4110 during business hours.
Church services are not directed to be canceled, but church leaders are urged to consider cancellation or reduction of services.
Residents are strongly encouraged to refrain from gathering in groups of 50 or more, and additional measures may be added to prevent the spread of the disease. Also at some point, a dusk-to-dawn curfew may be implemented, if warranted, though not at this time.
The ordinance will be posted on the city’s website, cityofmexia.com, so residents may read it for themselves, and City Manager Eric Garretty, as the city’s public information officer, is directed to provide information on the situation to residents by all communication means at his disposal.
See the Saturday, March 21, Mexia News for more coverage on this matter.
