Madawaska Valley Council held a Special Meeting today, March 17, to hear an update from staff on response to COVID-19 pandemic. Before introducing CAO Suzanne Klatt, Mayor Kim Love played a brief video clip of Dr. Michael Ryan of the World Health Organization (WHO) speaking about lessons learned during the ebola outbreak. Love stressed that his message was, “We must act. It’s super important.”
Klatt outlined a series of recommendations and said MV staff had met over the weekend to determine these. Public messaging about municipal services and provincial announcements will be available on the Township website www.madawaskavalley.ca Instructions and updates from Renfrew County and District Health Unit will be available at rcdhu.com/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-2/
Council heard that staff recommends the municipal office remain open with observance of high vigilance to prevent spread of the virus. Residents are urged to use alternative means of communicating with the office. Payments can be made online or by cheque (mail or after-hours drop box) and staff will mail receipts. Members of the public should minimize their exposure. Treasurer Amanda Hudder said, “If you are going to the bank to withdraw cash to pay your taxes, just pay your tax bill at the bank while you’re there.”
Meetings will be cancelled after today’s 4 p.m. Council meeting until further notice. Time-sensitive business will be conducted at Special Council meetings as needed, all delegations will be teleconferenced, Council Chambers seating is reduced (photo above shows social-distancing at today’s meeting), and sound recordings of meetings will continue to be available online.
Klatt and Township staff outlined the recommendations from each Department, as summarized briefly below. Public Works, Fire Protection, Water and Wastewater, and General Administration were deemed to be essential services. They pointed out that for the protection of staff and residents, it is possible that some of these essential services may not happen as quickly as usual.
- Public Works: Roads, waste management, transfer stations and curbside pickup will continue.
- Planning and Building Department: Legislated timelines under the Planning Act will be met for existing matters where notice has already been given; future time-sensitive planning matters will be scheduled as recommended but legislated timelines may not be met. Building and septic inspections will continue, subject to concerns under Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Fire Department: Chief Fire Officer Corwin Quade confirmed they have a full complement of firefighters at the moment and will follow the Mutual Aid protocol as needed. Council gave Quade authority to determine the issuance of burning permits after April 1.
- Water & Wastewater Services: The water meter replacement program may be postponed.
- Recreation Department: Recreation facilities are closed and programs are cancelled. All rentals are suspended until further notice. Council authorized refunds requested by two renters of the Paul J. Yakabuski Community Centre (PJYCC) and authorized refunds of any deposits paid for future bookings. Council authorized staff to proceed with ice removal at the PJYCC immediately as hydro costs are $15,000 per month. Although the Madawaska Valley Public Library is closed, staff are working to make some library materials available to the public.
- General Administration: Interest on the tax installment due March 31, 2020 will be waived for the month of April. Municipal staff will follow provincial and federal directions to deliver services to the public. This may mean reduced availability of staff depending on requirements for health-related social distancing. Municipal telephone lines may be re-directed. The public may experience some delay in receiving service.
