Huntsville council had an opportunity to discuss the town’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan.
The plan was presented during the Council’s electronic meeting on Wednesday by CAO Denise Corry, who provided the principles that will be used to reactivate municipal services as public health restrictions are lifted safely.
The plan was reviewed in consultation with the COVID-19 Recovery Tactical Team and was based on recommendations made in the provincial framework for reopening.
Speaking to Council, Corry says if there are amenities or programs they can bring back that are financially beneficial, they will look to doing that, so long as the province allows.
“For example, last week the Premier lifted the restrictions, and we were able to open park areas, some sports fields – that’s something in discussions with the team and looking at our checklist we could do reasonably and financially responsibly without having to get council approval to do that.”
The Recovery Plan outlines health and safety considerations for residents, policies and procedures to be considered, amended or implemented.
As the next phase commences, Corry adds the town’s aim is to respond and recover in a safe, community-focused manner.
“Just because the province lifts the restrictions and grants us the ability to move forward, doesn’t mean we have to. I think each municipality has to gauge, is it safe? Is it financially reasonable to proceed, and is it in the best interest of the community?”
As the current situation regarding COVID-19 continues to evolve on a daily basis, Huntsville is committed to supporting our staff, Council and citizens as we navigate through these uncertain times.
Corry says we need to be extremely prudent in our next steps.
“There is a chance that if there is a resurgence that the province could pull it back and restrict that use yet again. So, we really have to be cautious about whether putting that investment into opening that activity is financially feasible if there is a resurgence in cases. That’s a vital part of our recovery plan.”
To have a look at the full Recovery Plan, you can head here.