OLDS - As the town’s Emergency Operations Centre team entered its third week of COVID-19 pandemic response, Olds’ director of emergency management urged patience and vigilance.
“This is a marathon and not a sprint,” Brian Powell told members of council in an April 2 videoconference update, adding later “This thing in unfolding as we speak.”
Since his report, the provincial government's mapping of COVID-19 cases has changed for the Olds area. Smaller regions like towns, villages, and reserves are now incorporated into the corresponding rural area. So as of Tuesday, April 8, there were five cases in the Mountain View County area -- two active and three recovered.
Activated on March 16, the EOC supports the Town of Olds in its coordination with neighbouring jurisdictions as well as the provincial government to centralize all organizational conversations around planning and monitoring COVID-19.
The town’s Emergency Response Plan and Business Continuity for Pandemic Plan have both been enacted.
Powell said there has been no need to declare a local state of emergency yet, as “none of our trigger points” have been approached.
Price-gouging has not been an issue, he said, and “re-aligning two or so businesses” has not necessitated declaring a local state of emergency.
He noted “a tremendous amount of compliance going on" in relation to public health orders that have continually become more restricting.
“The CPOs (community peace officers) are monitoring social distancing and they are finding residents are conforming to that,” Powell said.
The “couple of concerns around non-compliance” that had been noted as of last week were largely to do with the self-isolation of people returning home from another country, he said.
“The EOC team has stood on its head to enhance the messaging” for snowbirds, he said, adding council is in a prime position to keep messaging up.
Within a week of the EOC’s activation, he said a new pandemic plan had been inked and skills for volunteer recruitment extending into the service sector had been set.
Training and job shadowing staff to backfill specific emergency management roles has been completed. COVID-19 Community Emergency Social Services (ESS) assistance Great Neighbour’s Outreach, isolation check-in, grocery and prescription delivery and FCSS Emergency funding have been launched.
Town of Olds facilities remain closed to the public with the exception of the off-leash dog park.
Doug Wagstaff, the town’s director of Community Services, told council last week that “for now, it’s best to keep it open.”
He noted a rise in complaints about dogs being off-leash in town over the preceding 10 days.
Because of its large area and few “close contact” sites like the gate, Wagstaff said it can still be used as long as people wash their hands and continue to social distance.
Powell’s update came during council’s first council meeting since the EOC was enacted. To keep the meeting open to the public, it was held via videoconference.
During the meeting, council also approved several actions to provide financial relief to those affected by COVID-19 in the town.
They have implemented a 90-day deferral of payments for town utility bills. Utility bills will continue to be sent out monthly, but no penalties will incur. Penalties will not be applied until July 2, 2020.
Residents must call into the town office to request this deferral. Town officials say this will allow staff to further help by dividing the payback (of the 90-day deferral) over a six month, penalty-free period. “During this 90-day period we will not transfer any amounts to taxes or shutoff any residence.”
A due date extension has also been approved for property taxes. Tax notices will be levied in mid-May as usual but with a due date of August 31, 2020 as opposed to June 30. Arrears penalties will still be applied throughout this period, but no current penalties will incur until September 1, 2020.
And, no penalties will incur on accounts receievable by the town until July 2, 2020.
Council has also approved increasing it’s Alberta Treasury Branch borrowing limit to $2 million.
“Given the current unprecedented situation of COVID-19 and the recommendations to provide financial relief to residents over a 90-day period, it is advisable to ensure the daily operations of the town are met that we increase this safety net,” Sheena Linderman, the town’s finance manager, wrote in a briefing note to council.
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