CATOOSA, Okla. — While much of Green Country endured an icy Monday, smaller cities worked to keep roads and utilities active and safe, even while many city halls closed early.
And while ice days don’t really bring out the tourists in Catoosa, city workers and the city manager are still on high alert to make sure that streets and utilities are usable.
“Within about 30 minutes everything turned white," Catoosa City manager John Blish said of he and his city maintenance team checking conditions from Sunday night into Monday morning. Blish said he showed up to work even though most of city hall closed to ensure services kept up with demand amidst the freeze, keeping his phone number available online for anyone to call.
The city also announced on Facebook that nobody on the cutoff list will go without water.
“With the temperatures being below freezing we never cut anybody’s water off. It’s just a courtesy," Blish said. "We just want to make sure people have the basic needs which the city can supply.”
Some of the more inclined city streets in Catoosa closed once ice got heavy, but Blish said teams of plow and sand trucks took care of the rest of the 7 sq. mile city, whether local businesses stay open or not.
“This is a hometown for me. I mean, I have been here a long time, and I want to take care of the people that help take care of the rest of us.”
Blish added crews will continue to monitor streets as cold temps continue through the week.
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