The County of Renfrew is giving the Chief Administrative Officer and Warden the power to award contracts, tenders, hire or fire staff and decide when to call the next council meeting. A special county council meeting was held this afternoon (March 17th) to discuss a business continuity plan surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. A by-law was passed to delegate council’s authority to the CAO and Warden until the state of emergency issued in Ontario has been lifted.
Warden for the County of Renfrew, Debbie Robinson, says it’s not business as usual right now and they will be scaling back non-essential services. Robinson says they must protect paramedics, social services, long-term-care and public works for the well-being of everyone in our community. She adds the county is not closing themselves off from the public, but they’re trying to keep local residents safe. Robinson says we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County of Renfrew, but that will change and we need to be prepared.
The county is making important staffing changes. Health information can now be disclosed to let co-workers know if someone has been infected with COVID-19, the county will by-pass normal recruitment steps to fill critical positions on a case-by-case basis, lower the dress code standards, remove an overtime cap for employees, cancel attendance for conferences and workshops and temporarily suspend the need for criminal record checks with long-term-care, social services, and the vulnerable sector on a last resort basis. The CAO and Warden will also be authorized to award tender and contracts that have already been approved by council in the budget.
Robinson says the decision to declare a state of emergency in Ontario was an extraordinary step, but one she feels was necessary to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Warden told members at the county council meeting today they need to continue to be strong leaders in the community.
In an abundance of caution and to help ensure the continued delivery of critical services to its residents, all County of Renfrew buildings will only be open for contact via telephone and email.
If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19, call TeleHealth Ontario for medical advice at 1-866-797-0000 (TTY 1-866-797-0007) or Renfrew County and District Health Unit at 613-735-8654 ext. 577 (Toll-free 1-800-267-1097). Be sure to mention your symptoms and your travel history, including the countries visited.
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