Merrick Brown, the City of Medicine Hat's director of emergency response, describes measures taken by the municipality in wake of the coronavirus pandemic during a press conference at city hall on Monday morning.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
No additional closures or operational changes affecting the public were announced at a Monday update by municipal emergency officials in the City of Medicine Hat.
That came after a raft of facility closures were announced on Sunday night, affecting all city recreation and cultural facilities that will no longer be open to the public.
Schools and daycares were similarly closed by provincial health authorities, meaning many Hatters began their week scrambling to rearrange their daily lives and work schedules, on top of the stress caused by the pandemic and calls to maintain physical separation.
Officials urged calm, stating that conditions are being monitored.
“We have robust plans in the city and we will get through this,” said Merrick Brown, the city’s director of emergency response.
“This is a very dynamic situation, and as the risk level changes, we’ll re-evaluate.”
Mayor Ted Clugston said he knows citizens are looking for answers.
“Every politician has their own pet phrase, but mine are the ‘four C’s’ – be calm, cautious, courteous and compassionate,” he said.
“These are difficult times, but be calm – we’ll get through this, we have in the past … There will be those of us who get through this without any symptoms and those who will be struggling.”
He called on Hatters to help friends and neighbours as well as local businesses “but still in a responsible way.”
“If everyone can help one neighbour, we’ll all be alright.”
Officials said that the city’s emergency footing has not changed since Friday when it opened the emergency operations centre.
Closing city facilities to the public was done to align with provincial advisories, not because of local conditions.
“This was not in relation to any confirmed cases in Medicine Hat,” said Brown.
“We did it out of an abundance of caution. We’re doing this to support the public, support our own employees and support the province in an effort to prevent mass gathering and the transmission of the virus.”
City hall and other city offices remains open to the public. City council met Monday night, and other meetings will proceed as planned.
Officials recommend conducting as much business as possible via the phone or the internet, such as billing or other inquiries.
Internally, the city is asking some workers who can to work from home, and urged other private businesses to examine their own response, and allow remote working.
For the city, the focus is on limiting exposure to avoid a large number of employees – including emergency workers like police an firefighters, as well as utility workers – from either becoming ill or being asked to self-isolate.
“We’re ensuring that it doesn’t get to that point,” said Brown, adding that beyond facility closures, “the public should not see an impact.”
No local state of emergency
Late Sunday, the City of Calgary enacted a state of local emergency, thereby giving the municipality the ability to limit the number of people gathering in private businesses and buildings. That number is the lesser of the provincial standard of 250, or half the specific building’s fire code occupancy.
Medicine Hat hasn’t instituted such measures, said Brown, but would have the same ability. He stressed though that Calgary’s and Medicine Hat’s situation are unique at this point.
“All businesses should be looking at their business continuity plans and instituting them,” he said.
Tri-Area plan passes
City council has passed a joint development plan with the Town of Redcliff and Cypress County, but without plans for a potential “greenhouse corridor” that raised concerns at a public meeting two weeks ago.
The Tri-Area Redevelopment Plan is a 10-year-old agreement between the three neighbouring municipalities that is required to be updated by the end of March.
The changes where brought forward with an amendment, said Coun Julie Friesen, deleting the corridor at the request of Cypress County. It passed in Medicine Hat council 7-0.
For two years administrators had reworked on the plan, while at the same working on a related Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework that could lead to greater co-ordination and cost sharing of transportation, storm and waste water, and recreation projects, and also includes a dispute resolution formula.
“It’s a real milestone,” said Friesen.
In the Redevelopment Plan, land near the city’s southwest boundary would have been designated for major greenhouse development when land was sold or reworked. Two major greenhouses are already located in the areas and city utility plans show expanding services there is a priority.
However, several county residents objected at February public hearing held jointly by all three parties. They felt major redevelopment would hurt their options to build housing for family members on the agricultural parcels.
Cypress County and Redcliff councils are scheduled to vote on the agreement later this month.
