Flower Mound extends disaster declaration through May 18

On Monday night, Flower Mound Town Council approved and Mayor Steve Dixon formally signed a fourth-amended disaster declaration that aligns with current state and county stay-at-home mandates. Without the Council’s vote to approve the disaster declaration extension, the town’s current stay-at-home order would’ve expired Monday, but it will now continue through May 18.

The purpose of having the May 18 end date is to be flexible and align with any possible upcoming state and county extensions past the current April 30 end date, according to a news release from the town. When appropriate, the mayor will easily be able to rescind the order prior to May 18.

The May 18 date was chosen to coincide with the second Flower Mound Town Council meeting of the month. Any future extension of the disaster declaration requires Council approval. The Mayor and Council have all expressed the hope that they will be able to revoke the stay-at-home measure sooner, rather than later, according to the town.

The fourth amended declaration includes the following changes from the previous version to align with state and county mandates:

• Except where modified by GA-15 — one of three recent executive orders by Gov. Greg Abbott — all elective medical, surgical and dental procedures are prohibited anywhere in the town of Flower Mound. Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dental offices and other medical facilities are directed to identify procedures that are deemed “elective” by assessing which procedures can be postponed or canceled based on patient risk considering the emergency need for the redirection of resources to COVID-19 response.
• Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, April 24, retail services that are not “essential services,” but that may be provided through pickup, delivery by mail, or delivery to the customer’s doorstep in strict compliance with the terms required by DSHS, may operate strictly in accordance with GA-16.
• Guidance from the Texas Attorney General has interpreted GA-14 to allow that some elements of golf course business may provide “essential services” under GA-14 and the federal CISA Guidance it adopts. Golf courses within the Ttown may operate in strict accordance with revised Disaster Declaration and Executive Order for Denton County in response to COVID-19 dated April 14 or as amended.

The town says that the declaration extension by Flower Mound officials is to support the effort to help save lives and flatten the curve of community spread of COVID-19 in Denton County. Visit the Town’s coronavirus webpage at www.flower-mound.com/covid19 for more information. To view the town of Flower Mound’s fourth amended disaster declaration, visit https://bit.ly/2xNvxQB.

Flower Mound Mayor Steve Dixon released the following statement:

The Town Council and I want to open Flower Mound back up to business as soon as possible. However, we are required to follow County and State mandates. The only additional restriction outside of current State and County mandates in the Town of Flower Mound’s declaration is the suspension of solicitor permits.

As stated during the April 20 Town Council meeting, Town staff estimate a revenue loss of approximately $2.8 million and have already begun cost-cutting measures.

As Governor Abbott and Judge Eads implement changes to start re-opening Texas, we will follow suit with changes to the Town’s order. I am hopeful we can end the disaster declaration prior to its May 18 expiration date while also continuing to keep our residents safe.