The Town of the Blue Mountains (TBM) is staffing up in advance of the anticipated increased summer crowds.
“What we were intending to do is increase our service level at the primary waterfront properties and other areas where we know there are issues,” said Ryan Gibbons, director of community services for TBM.
Earlier this week, TBM council approved an upset limit of $59,600 to implement COVID-19 related measures for the second quarter of the year – from April 1 to June 30.
Town staff have broken down the COVID-related budgetary asks into quarters as they anticipate resource requirements may vary depending on the provincial regulations and public health recommendations as the year and conditions progress.
TBM will be adding to its bylaw department by extending two contract officer positions from six to ten months, as well as adding two additional officers from May 1 to Oct. 29.
Officers are expected to focus on paid parking and parking infractions in busy areas and will be looking to establish an “enhanced level of service” on weekends and long weekends by visiting each paid parking location every hour during operating hours.
As a complement to the bylaw staff, TBM will also be establishing an ambassador program at its Northwinds and Peasmarsh waterfront properties.
The town intends on engaging four volunteer ambassadors that will be tasked with “providing information and to inform and remind our residents and visitors of our commitment to COVID-19 recovery policies, guidelines and rules and to help residents and visitors enjoy their experiences in this new normal.”
Local service clubs have been contacted to consider assisting the town with local area information distribution and the overall ambassador program.
In addition, a volunteer policy has been vetted through the town’s senior management team and was developed through the review of other municipal volunteer policies.
The town will also be implementing additional staff resources to ensure sanitation of park and trail washrooms and portable toilets twice a day.
“Parks and trails staff indicated that there was significantly less waste removed from these properties as a result of limited access on weekends, however the need to provide the second shift is still required,” stated Gibbons in a staff report to council.
As COVID safety measures permit one staff member per vehicle, the town will also be required to lease four additional vehicles.
At a council meeting held on Monday evening, TBM council approved the upset limit of $59,600.
Gibbons said that without spending these funds, access to town facilities would be reduced.
“We did identify that this would be an upset limit. So if things do move along better than expected, staff wouldn't spend money where it wasn't required,” said Gibbons.
A follow-up report will be presented to council on June 15, which will include “an overview and update of second-quarter activities, including third-quarter operational and resource considerations, for further direction and approval for potential COVID-19 related operational and resourcing needs.”
“We'll fund this from working capital and then if we're successful in a grant application, the grant application will offset that, and we will see where we end up at the end of 2021,” said Ruth Prince, director of finance and IT for TBM.
“At this time staff does not believe the grants received to date are sufficient to cover these [second-quarter] costs,” stated Gibbons.
To date TBM has received $247,523 in COVID-related grant funds.
Town staff say these funds have been allocated to cover the waived penalty and interest on tax and utility bills, lost revenues at the Beaver Valley Community Centre, contract cleaning and bylaw staff that were included in the 2021 approved budget for the first quarter of 2021.
