Date of Release: March 27, 2020

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR MAYOR:

“One thing is very clear in the information that we have all seen from public health experts regarding COVID-19…it is a serious threat to human life.
I continue to meet regularly with the Village’s Municipal Emergency Control Group (MECG) to monitor the pandemic and implement preventative measures. This is a highly contagious and deadly virus, so it is critical that we have the full cooperation and dedication of all residents and businesses to minimize its spread. I urge you to follow the advice of the Leeds, Grenville & Lanark Health Unit at https://healthunit.org/coronavirus/ and to:

• Practice mandatory self-isolation for 14 days after traveling back from other countries in compliance with the Federal Emergency Order issued under the Quarantine Act.
• Practice social distancing by staying at least 2m (6ft) away from other people in public areas.
• Wash your hands often, avoid touching your face, and cough or sneeze into your arm, not your hands.

For further information relating to COVID-19, please contact the Health Unit at the link I have provided. I cannot stress enough the importance for each and every one of us to do our part to limit and prevent the spread of this deadly virus in our community. We need your help to save lives. Stay safe!”

Mayor J. Douglas Struthers

Council, Boards and Committees

• Regularly scheduled Council meetings have been suspended at this time. Meetings will be held at the call of the Mayor subject to need until the Provincial Emergency is terminated.
• Council passed By-law 26-2020 to allow for Council Meetings to be held by electronic means during a declared emergency.
• Please note that audio recordings of Council Meetings will be made available on the Village’s website in order to maintain transparency.
• Police Service Board, Merrickville Public Library Board and all other committee meetings are cancelled until further notice.

Burn Ban in Effect

• To protect our Firefighters and to limit the amount of calls that may consume their resources during this emergency situation, a Counties-wide burn ban is in effect until further notice.

Village Office and Facilities

• The Village Office is closed to the public. Staff may be contacted by email, regular mail or by telephone at 613-269-4791. Further contact information is available on our website at merrickville-wolford.ca.
• All municipal facilities, including the Merrickville Community Centre, Eastons Corners Centennial Hall and the Merrickville Public Library are closed until further notice.

Water/Wastewater Service

• To help ease financial pressure, Council has waived late payment fees for residents and businesses connected to the water/wastewater system until the end of April and will re-evaluate the situation at that time.
• Please “Disconnect & Protect”! Downspouts & sump pumps illegally connected to the sanitary sewer send thousands of litres of clean rainwater to our sewage treatment plant, needlessly consuming capacity … especially critical during the wet spring season.
• It is unlawful to connect your downspouts and sump pump to the sanitary sewer. The Ontario Building Code, Division B, 7.1.5.2 (1), states: “Every storm drainage system shall be connected to a public storm sewage works … or a designated storm water disposal location but shall not be connected to a sanitary sewage works.”

Building Department and By-law Enforcement

• To keep our Building and By-law Enforcement Officers safe and reduce the spread of the virus during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Village has placed the following restrictions on site inspections:
  • No inspections shall be carried out within an enclosed and heated building or structure, within any building that is occupied, or in the presence of any person such as a building owner, occupant or representative.
  • All other requests for Building Code and By-law Enforcement inspections will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
• In accordance with the Province’s Emergency Order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (subsection 7.1(2)), all legislated timelines for carrying out inspections by the municipality are suspended.

Pitch-In Event and Garbage Collection

• To support social distancing, limit the spread of the virus, and protect the safety of our residents, the Pitch-In Event has been cancelled at this time. This difficult decision was made recognizing that COVID-19’s half-life on surfaces is yet to be confirmed and exposure to refuse may pose danger.
• Waste collection rules in Merrickville practiced by our contractor, Limerick Environmental Services, have been revised for safety reasons. Please visit our website at merrickville-wolford.ca for further details.