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The Washington County Commissioners heard from Emergency Management Director Kary Cox on Monday morning, who proposed that the County's Disaster Emergency Proclamation for COVID-19 should be extended.

The proclamation, Cox said, is an administrative issue because of the Federal Emergency Management Agency funds that are available. Since Washington County is continuing to collect costs associated with the ongoing crisis, it was recommended that the Commissioners extend the proclamation.

Cox said extending the Disaster Emergency Proclamation would maintain Washington County's availability of compliance with all the FEMA rules for federal funding.

The proclamation began on Monday, March 2nd. The proclamation technically expired at the end of April, but the Commissioners approved to extend the emergency declaration through the end of May.

The Washington County Commissioners will have the option to extend or end the proclamation when they meet for the first time in June.

Also approved in the meeting was a state and local agreement for COVID-19 disaster assistnace. Cox said Washington County did something similar to this last spring when historic flooding hit the area. He said that was due to some audits they participated in with FEMA on some State of Oklahoma funding.

Gaps were identified then. Cox said Washington County Emergency Management participated in something similar with the City of Bartlesville last week.

The agreement that was approved on Monday states the Oklahoma Emergency Management is the administrator for grant funds on Washington County's behalf with FEMA. Cox said they can make amendments to the agreement should the pandemic alter how things are handled.