COV ID-19 - DEPA RT M ENTA L EF FECTS
COVID-19 DEPA RTMEN TA L EFFE CTS Finance The Finance Department shifted to conducting as much business as possible through remote work, email, online and telephone options for service. Additional and unforeseen costs due to the COVID-19 Pandemic totalled $116,996 in 2020. The CSRD received a $645,000 COVID Safe Restart Grant from the Provincial and Federal governments to support local governments in dealing with increased operating costs and decreased revenues for established services due to COVID-19. In November 2020, the CSRD Board allocated $387,907 of this funding toward operational expenses, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) facemasks for all fire personnel, and funding support for Shuswap Tourism. Financial implications of the pandemic continue into 2021, with finance staff examining options for the remaining grant funds. Information Technology / GIS The purchase of additional technology required significant effort. The Information technology (IT) staff were crucial in getting employees set up with the hardware and software tools needed to work remotely. The IT department ensured the technology was in place to keep essential public hearings, Board and committee meetings running through the use of Zoom video-conferencing. The department supported staff in the transition to remote work, as well as providing technical support services to the public. Corporate Administration Ensuring public access to the democratic process, while adhering to all public health and safety standards, was top-of-mind for Corporate Administration. Support was provided to all other departments to maintain access to information and transparency. This included live streaming and recording of Board and budget meetings, as well as other essential committee meetings. The department ensured the CSRD complied with legislation issued by the Province as well as orders from the Provincial Health Officer. Communication of these initiatives to the public was a critical component and took the form of regular weekly updates to the CSRD’s social media platforms, website and media outlets. Information was changing rapidly, especially in the early days of the pandemic, so significant time and effort was invested in ensuring the public received timely, accurate reports. The CSRD also undertook messaging in support of Provincial health directives, including mask-wearing and recommendations against non-essential travel.
2020 CSRD Annual Report
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