Credit Matt Trotter / KWGS
In a report from a COVID mitigation working group, as of Friday, the Tulsa Health Department is not recommending any additional steps from the City of Tulsa right now. They feel that we’ve taken the most action of any municipality, quite frankly, in the state, and we’re hoping to see more participation from our nearby partners, City Councilor Lori Decter Wright, a member of the working group, told fellow councilors during a Wednesday committee meeting.
Tulsa requires masks for people 10 and up and recently implemented measures to better enforce that requirement. Some neighboring communities, including Sand Springs, Jenks and Claremore have adopted their own mask requirements, but Owasso simply encourages them and some communities have taken no action on masks notably Broken Arrow, which has some of the county’s highest infection rates.
Credit Rental Realities
Tulsa city councilors will consider a resolution this week supporting a right to counsel for people facing eviction.
The resolution also encourages tenants, landlords, mediators and courts to find solutions that will allow time to get rent paid, including through assistance programs.
Councilors Kara Joy McKee and Lori Decter Wright are behind the resolution. They said they hope the resolution will send a message to judges and help steer more renters toward available, free representation.
Landlords have a clear upper hand. Decter Wright said there are at least a couple of Tulsa law firms that only do evictions, and more than 80% of landlords have an attorney in court.