The City of Kawartha Lakes’ Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which was invoked at the outset of the coronavirus emergency, advised Mayor Andy Letham last week to keep the municipality’s state emergency in place for now.
The state of emergency declaration due to the pandemic was to expire on June 2.
Earlier this week, the province extended its state of emergency to June 30.
“One of the big concerns is not that something might happen but the message and confusion if we released the local state of emergency while the province still had one in place,” Letham said. “Would that confuse people and would some think the pandemic was over and that it’s back to business as usual? It was highly recommended we keep it in place for now until we’re a little further into it.”
Letham says it’s his intention to add an item to the June 9 committee of the whole meeting to discuss the declaration extension with council.
Meanwhile, the economic recovery task force had its first meeting on June 2 and appointed three community members to it.
Bjorn Alfredsson, the former owner of Holsag Canada, Jill Quast, the owner of Happy Days Houseboats in Bobcaygeon and chair of the Kawartha Lakes Futures Development Corporation, and Mark Wilson, owner of MVW Construction, will offer suggestions from a business perspective to the task force.
One of the items that came up at the task force meeting is the need for stronger broadband internet in the rural part of the municipality, especially with so many people working from home during the pandemic.
Letham says this has been identified as a top priority during the last Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus meeting and a proposal is being put together by the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN).
“EORN is putting a proposal together to present to our provincial and federal partners, with a scope of running fibre to almost 96 per cent of the homes in Eastern Ontario. You’re looking at a cost of about $1.5 billion. Stay tuned,” Letham said. “Next Friday we’re having a meeting with our federal MPs and ministers to talk about the proposal as well.”
The task force is also in favour of a regional approach to reopening from the province and has asked the municipality to push that message to the provincial government.
“They all agree we should start messaging shortly that it’s OK to come visit the Kawartha Lakes. Come visit your friends and family, just make sure provincial guidelines are followed,” Letham added.
Letham said as more businesses open, the municipality will “ramp up its message.”
“The bottom line is we have space, water, lakes and open fields.
“It’s easy to isolate in Kawartha Lakes as long as it’s done carefully and all health protocols are followed as well.”
The task force also discussed a buy-local style of campaign to support the business sector, which has been hit hard during the pandemic.
That will be released soon.
On June 23, council will be asked to waive patio licensing fees to help the business sector and the task force is recommending the municipality allow restaurants to use more space on sidewalks and parking lots for patios for physical distancing once the province allows them to reopen for dining.
“We want to ask our residents, instead of going online to Amazon, take a minute to check our local businesses,” Letham said.
The municipality is not looking to close down any streets for this process, although the mayor floated the idea of future events that would temporarily close streets to help the business sector.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that the federal government would expedite $2.2 billion in planned gas-tax money for municipalities, doling it out in one lump sum this month instead of two planned installments — one in June, the other later in the year.
The City of Kawartha Lakes will receive approximately $4.5 million in gas tax fund money.
Letham said it is not extra money and has already been accounted for in the 2020 budget.