City moves to cancel all summer recreation, park events due to virus
Royal Oak’s recreation department says the city should cancel all summer programs and events at parks through Labor Day.
Because of the state’s stay-at-home orders for the COVID-19 pandemic, classes, summer camp and events such as the annual Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair should be put on hold, said John Fedele, city superintendent of recreation, in a statement.
The City Commission is set to vote on the move at its meeting on Monday.
Fedele’s recommended cancellations also include walk-in activities at the Salter Community Center, the Mahany/Meininger Senior Community Center and the Lindell Ice arena.
However, Fedele suggests a tiered system of event and activity prohibitions so Royal Oak can perhaps restore some activities in response to any easing of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s current executive order.
That order ends May 28, but it remains to be seen what aspects the governor may change.
“When (the order) is no longer in effect, the recreation department expects there will still be safeguards in place to protect the public that will make it impossible to offer the type of programming that our residents have come to expect” that is safe for everyone, Fedele said.
Once Whitmer and the Oakland County Health Division give updated directives later this month, Royal Oak officials can decide whether it’s allowable to lift some local restrictions on playground equipment, pavilions, facility rentals and sports courts.
“We’re all assuming the restrictions are going to be loosened” on May 28, said interim City Manager and Attorney David Gillam, “but to what extent we’re just going to have to wait and see.”
Royal Oak awhile ago had to have nets removed from public basketball courts since there is no way to allow any kind of games on them and maintain social distancing, Gillam said.
The city has received very few questions from residents on what they are allowed to do under the present COVID-19 restrictions.
“The residents who live near the parks have called police because of concerns over the types of activities they have seen there,” Gillam said. “Just about everybody here in Royal Oak seems to be acting responsibly and we appreciate that.”
Most other nearby cities have canceled their regular summer park, recreation and event activities in the last week or two.
Royal Oak officials said the health and safety of the public will continue to be the top priority.
They urge residents to follow measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, as well as state and county health agencies.