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Westlock County opens office to the public

Councillors will also start meeting in-person
WES county spring 2020
The Westlock County office opened June 1 for the public. Andreea Resmerita/Westlock News

The Westlock County office opened to the public June 1 with limited hours.

The building will only be accessible to ratepayers from 10 am-12 pm and 1-3 pm, leaving time for staff to clean in between and after.

“This gives us an opportunity to see how it works. … I don’t expect us to see a rush at the door to get in, but I do think it’s a good idea to do this process, see how it works,” interim CAO Rick McDonald told councillors at the May 25 meeting.

Administration will also install safety screens, and place signage and floor markings.

“I think it’s a great start. We can ease ourselves in and get back to whatever normal is,” said reeve Lou Hall.

For in-person meetings, an appointment is required. These, McDonald wrote in his report, are mainly done with the planning department.

“When the province moves to Phase 2 of the relaunch strategy, the office may return to full-time hours,” he wrote.

There is a cost to re-opening, however. Estimates presented to council show that masks, gloves and hand sanitizer will cost under $3,000.

The county closed the office to the public March 13, when they announced via their website that there had been potential COVID-19 contamination after a staff member returned from traveling and presented symptoms.

In-person council meetings

Councillors will also start meeting in-person June 9 in the county’s chambers, although the public will continue to have access to their meetings via Zoom.

“We’ve done some experiments with a number of people and the way we’ve structured it. We would have a room for all of council and key staff to attend,” said McDonald.

They will have to complete a health risk assessment before going inside the building, the same process all staff is currently following to meet Alberta Health Services and the county’s own protocols.

If a councillor presents symptoms or feels uncomfortable with an in-person format, McDonald clarified the Zoom option is still available.

“Through diligence following AHS recommendations, Westlock County has kept the cases of COVID very low and it is still important to continue with this diligence to ensure the safety of staff and public,” wrote McDonald.

Andreea Resmerita, TownandCountryToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @andreea_res

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