City Focusing On Providing Essential Services In Covid-19 Crisis
By Robert Thomas
Despite the highly dynamic situation surrounding Novel Coronavirus Covid – 19 the Mayor and the City want residents to know work is going on behind the scenes to ensure vital services continue operating during the Provincially Declared Emergency.
In a Thursday afternoon update and news conference Mayor Fraser Tolmie and City Manager Jim Puffalt updated residents as well as took questions from the media.
Mayor Tolmie said he wanted to take the time to update the community.
“The measures we are taking now are to overcome this issue as quickly as possible. And we are adhering to public health recommendations. The measures we are taking now are being taken to protect the most vulnerable in our community. We are taking a common sense approach to this and we are asking our citizens to do the same,” Mayor Tolmie said. “We are going to get through this we are going to prevail.”
He said it was important for residents to get their information from the SaskHealth website and not from erroneous sources some people are offering through social media.
Mayor Tolmie said the City has residents offering to help as well as asking for advice.
“Our advice is to wash your hands with soap and water and adere to the social distancing recommendations being recommended on the Sask Health web-site.”
The Mayor spoke out against the people who are panic buying and hoarding as it hurts the most vulnerable people in the community.
“Buy what you need becaise limiting your purchases helps others who are in need. I wold like you to know I have been out in our community and the people that I meet have a positive outlook and no we will get through this….I am proud of you are communty because in these circumstances your true character is shining through.”
Mayor Fraser Tolmie at Thursday’s media briefing - MJ Independent photo
Tolmie said the City’s Emergency Measures is meeting daily to help ensure services are being provided.
City Manager said a number of City services are fully operationa and staffed including emergency services, water and sewer, waste managenent and services including the landfill. Where possible staff are working from home.
“In accordance with the Provincial government declaration of a State of Emergency we are completing business continutiy planning and working towards sending as many people home and to work from home to limit their exposure to others,” Puffalt said. “As an emergency measures organization we have been watching this since January and we are well prepared and we are managing it.”
Puffalt said the situaton is changing rapidly “sometimes even hourly.”
“We are following Provincial guidance to send everybody home who can to work from home. Our IT (Informational Technology) department has been working overtime to ensure everybody who can work from home can that is possible can….some people have to come back and forth to obtain files but generally we are going to have as many people work from home as we can.”
Puffalt said water and sewer services were key and the department was fully functioning.
“We want the community to know we are here and we are maintaining essential services,” he said.
Asked by MJ Independent what considerations have been given regarding property taxes - both commercial and residential - as well as what consideratin has been given to not turning off the water for those unable to pay their water bills and could face disconnection at a time they are being told to wash their hands to stop the spread Piffalt said the City has it on the agenda for Monday evening’s Council meeting.
“It is a budgetary issue it is something we felt we could not deal with but we thought it should be brought before Council,” Puffalt said. “Quite honestly we have been focused on ensuring essential services can be provided with property tax notices there is still time yet. We made a decision very early we were going to be quite careful about cutting off any water and certainly talk to any people to work with them. As you said to wash their hands is very important.”
“We made a decision very early we were going to be quite careful about cutting off any water and certainly talk to any people to work with them. As you said to wash their hands is very important”
Asked about employees who are non-essential and some of the challenges staffing services are Puffalt said “childcare is a really big issue with us” and it is having an effect on the City’s operations. In accordance with the Province March 18th elementary and high schools were closed and final grades awarded to students at that time.
SEE RELATED - Schools Are Closed
“We have been able to redeploy staff,” Puffalt said.
Asked by the Moose Jaw Express the number of employees who are affected by childcare Puffalt said it was a small number.
“It is a small number right now, I think we are lookin 8 or 10 to fifteen percent across the board…the closing of the schools caused quite an issue…Many of them have (children) who cannot stay at home by themselves and of course you cannot expect people to come to work they have to look after them (their children).”
Employees with health issies are also not being forced to show up at work but being told to look after themselves, he said.
“We are moving resources where we have to. At present we haven’t had to go out to the community and give a hand to anything out there but we fully expect that may happen at some time so we are trying to be prepared for that as well.”
Emergency Measures gear on display - MJ Independent photo
Puffalt said the City has never before dealt with an issue of this magnitude before but they are doing their best to be prepared. But unlike a fire, flood or a hazardous train derailment it is not about making a decision that if not made within 10 minutes the results could prove to be catastrophic.
“It really is how do we insure we have enough people to provide essential services.”
Mayor Tolmie re-iterated people need to be careful about where they are gatting their information from especially some of the sources now floating around social media.
“We are not interested in opinions we are interested in facts.”
Asked by MJ Independent if plans were being made to allow the elderly and those who are immune compromised to have access to store hours reserved exclusively for them due to the fact many are early morinig when Moose Jaw Transit is not regularly operating he said the City is right now working on that with grocery stores and phatmacies.
“That is one of the conversations we have been having and you know if this turns out to be a long term situation we want to coordinate that with the grocery stores and pharmacies withn our community. Those things are being discussed because again we are doing this to protect the most vulnerable in our community and we want to insure those people are looked after. So that is a good question,” Mayor Tolmie replied.
COVID-19 Information Online
Residents can go to www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 for the latest information reorganized to make it easy for residents to find what they need. It includes information on travel guidance and preventative measures as well as information for care providers.
Unsure of your symptoms?
Visit www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 and use the self-assessment tool to determine if you should contact HealthLine 811.
Note that any use of the former URL will redirect residents to the new site. Public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.