SUNDRE - Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, presented the revised and updated business continuity pandemic plan for the municipal office during the May 10 regular council meeting.
“Of course during a pandemic, the services provided by the Town of Sundre may gradually be affected until we reach the point where sufficient staff are unavailable due to illness from the virus,” Nelson told council.
“This plan identified services the Town of Sundre must continue to provide, and particularly the critical and vital services,” she said.
That includes outlining services that can be suspended first, and those that must be maintained, she said, adding the plan was previously reviewed and supported by council during the spring workshop.
Coun. Rob Wolfe moved to support the plan as presented.
Seeking clarification, Coun. Richard Warnock said with regards to implementing the plan, no dates are included. The councillor asked if the measures would be effective immediately, and whether the document includes a section that outlines when the plan can be shelved post-pandemic, until such a time that it might need to be used again.
“The plan would be in effect as soon as it is adopted by resolution of council,” said Nelson, calling it a living document.
“So, it’s only active during the time when there is a pandemic,” she said.
On a final point of clarification, Warnock wanted to know whether a council motion would be needed to enact the plan in the event of another pandemic in the future.
“No, it would not need another motion to be brought back into effect,” said Nelson.
Coun. Todd Dalke wondered by what standards the municipality is defining a pandemic.
“Is it federal, provincial, local — at what point are we going to decide (there’s a pandemic)?” Dalke asked.
From her understanding, the chief administrative officer said a pandemic would first be declared federally before trickling down to the provincial level.
“And in this case, even global,” said Nelson. “By the very nature of a pandemic, it’s probably going to come down from the province. So, it would be more of a provincial-type of emergency.”
Without any further discussion, council unanimously carried carried Wolfe’s motion.
A subsequent motion by Coun. Cheri Funke to approve the municipality’s emergency response plan, which had also been revised during the spring workshop with the few recommended changes since made, was carried unopposed.
Both documents are available in full on the town’s website in council’s agenda package for the May 10 meeting.
