OKEECHOBEE — In an effort to provide the public with greater access to city government, especially during the COVID-19 health crisis, City of Okeechobee Administrator Marcos Montes De Oca announced the launch of the city’s new YouTube channel and livestreaming access to council meetings.

“This is an important new online platform to connect local government to citizens that we will continue to use for future city council meetings once the pandemic is behind us,” explained Mr. Montes De Oca. City council meetings will now be available as a live feed through the city’s YouTube channel and can be accessed directly from the city’s website. Planning and Zoning meetings will also be available online while COVID-19 safety protocols remain in place. “We look forward to receiving feedback on the new livestreaming platform,” added Mr. Montes De Oca.

The city is open for business

“While city hall is temporarily closed to the public due to the state’s emergency order regarding COVID-19, we want everyone to know we are still open for business as we continue to follow CDC guidelines. From handling building permits and business tax receipts to cleaning roads and maintaining parks, our employees are still hard at work keeping the city running and taking care of essential services,” said Mr. Montes De Oca.

COVID-19 City Resource Page

As part of the city’s continued efforts to provide helpful information to residents, the city has also created a dedicated page on their website specifically for COVID-19 updates and resources. The City of Okeechobee COVID-19 Resource Page includes federal, state and local resources for residents and businesses and will be updated regularly.

“We’re pleased to provide our residents with easier access to public meetings as well as up-to-date information and resources about the coronavirus,” said City of Okeechobee Mayor Dowling Watford Jr. “Our goal is to increase citizen engagement, provide more transparency for our government meetings and more helpful information during these challenging times. We believe adding the YouTube platform, livestreaming our city council meetings, and creating the new COVID-19 Resource page are helpful ways to accomplish that,” Mayor Watford added.

“Things are changing every day and we are doing as much as we can to keep our citizens informed in a timely fashion. We are confident our residents will continue to do the right thing and follow CDC guidelines to keep everyone safe. It’s been gratifying to see our community pull together during this health crisis and the many acts of kindness happening every day where neighbors are helping neighbors,” added Mr. Montes De Oca.

For more information, visit the City of Okeechobee’s website at cityofokeechobee.com or follow it on Facebook at facebook.com/CityOfOkeechobee.