From Rossland Mayor, Kathy Moore:
Dear Rosslanders,
With the growing concerns and impacts of COVID‐19, I wanted to provide you with an update on the City of Rossland’s response to date, and our commitment to you going forward. It is also important to remember that this is not the time for panic or hoarding. We have an excellent health care system and, as of March 18th, our Provincial government has been working diligently to address this crisis for over 9 weeks. Through the efforts of the Federal government, international supply chains remain intact.
There is no doubt that these are unprecedented and challenging times for everyone, and the health and well‐being of our residents and employees are a top priority for the City. First, I want to reassure you that the City is prepared to maintain essential services, protecting our critical infrastructure and business functions for the community. We have a number of cross‐trained employees to ensure that our essential services will not be interrupted. We have robust IT infrastructure and remote working capabilities for our employees so we can continue to support you and our day‐to‐day operations.
The City works closely with Regional District which has activated elements of our shared Emergency Management Plan. We are focusing on the health and safety of our employees and the community, ensuring we can continue to provide you with the levels of service you need and expect from us.
Many areas impacted by this crisis fall under the mandate of the Provincial and Federal governments and the Interior Health authority. That said, we will do everything that a municipality has the power to do as circumstances require. We are in constant contact with the appropriate Provincial ministries and other entities such as the Interior Health Authority and Emergency Management BC. Our staff are prepared to react as quickly as we can to mitigate any unforeseen challenges that may arise as a result of a significant increase in the impact of the Covid‐19 crisis. We are diligently preparing, but we are still considered a low risk area at this time.
To flatten the curve of transmission we need the entire community to be responsible and vigilant. We strongly encourage everyone to follow the guidelines for social distancing recommended by Canadian public health authorities to safeguard themselves and others. (Stay home as much as possible, don’t socialize in groups, keep a distance of two metres from others). We are committed to that policy for our employees, especially those staff members who are required to work in City Hall or interact with the public to maintain specific services. We have created a policy that includes:
- encouraging employees to work from home, and enabling them with the right technology and resources;
- restricting access to City Hall where essential employees are located;
- increased frequency of cleaning and disinfection of our offices;
- requiring employees to stay home if they are sick or have any symptoms; and
- mandatory protocols, including requiring employees who travel outside of Canada to self‐isolate for 14 days after their return.
In addition, we have restricted all non‐essential travel and are significantly reducing the number of face‐to‐face meetings. While we understand this may be disruptive, you have our commitment that we will continue to be available to you via digital meetings, teleconferences, email or just good old‐fashioned telephone calls.
Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted by COVID‐19, as well as to the public health organizations and front‐line health care workers for their tireless efforts. I would also like to thank you, our community members, and our employees for supporting each other. A special thanks goes to our local business community for all their efforts. To Ferraro Foods, Alpine Drugs, the Food Bank and others who continue to provide for our essential needs, we love you. To the businesses who have had to close, we promise to “shop local” like never before when you are able to reopen.
These are uncertain times for everyone, and the City of Rossland will continue to monitor this extraordinary situation very closely and adjust as needed. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out directly to me or members of City Council. Very importantly, frequently refer to our website, www.rossland.ca for updates and links to trusted resources. Lastly, now is a time of high stress and worry so be kind and generous with each other. We are all in this together and we will come out of this situation stronger than ever.
Sincerely
Mayor Kathy Moore
Phone 250 362 7396
Email cityhall@rossland.ca Web rossland.ca