WESTLOCK - The easing of provincial COVID-19 restrictions has led Westlock County councillors to shelve two pandemic-specific initiatives.
At their Feb. 22 meeting, councillors unanimously agreed to drop the six-page COVID-19 task force committee bylaw and the 16-page council chambers restrictions exemption program policy with interim CAO Pat Vincent writing in a request for decision that the taskforce was “no longer a necessity nor relevant in this new environment.”
On Feb. 26, premier Jason Kenney said the province will move forward into step two of phasing out COVID-19-related restrictions March 1. Some of the changes for Tuesday include the dropping of the mask mandate, lifting of capacity limits for venues, as well as the mandatory work-from-home order.
Both COVID specific items were first discussed by county councillors back in November, but it wasn’t until the Jan. 18 governance and priorities meeting when they were told a bylaw would be needed to codify the formation of a task force, while establishing the REP for council chamber policy only received legal approval Jan. 25.
While both were unanimously withdrawn by councillors, Coun. Isaac Skuban wondered if tabling the task force bylaw would have been more prudent.
“We don’t need this. If this does need to be resurrected the work has already been done,” countered Coun. Stuart Fox-Robinson.
“I’m fine with it, so long as we don’t get rid of all the work we’ve done. I would hate for it all to go away,” said Skuban. “I know it’s kind of a crazy thought but what if COVID comes back … it would suck to lose all the work that’s been done.”
Vincent, noting the “tremendous amount of time and effort” put in on both, said either can always be brought back if needed.
“We’re not throwing it away,” added deputy reeve Ray Marquette.
