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Updates from the industry; Ready, Resilient, Resourceful

Urbantoronto.com
October 6, 2020

Throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Vaughan has been guided by three core values --readiness, resiliency and resourcefulness --which continue to shape its ongoing response efforts. During the recent second meeting of the City's Ready, Resilient and Resourceful (RRR) Committee of Council, discussions focused on updates and actions taken by City staff in the following categories: our people, our places, our services, our finances, our economy and our communications.

Our People
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the City’s human resources, Vaughan’s administration has adapted quickly and efficiently. Across the organization, every department has risen to the challenge to continue city-building and providing quality public services, collectively developing more than 160 innovations and process improvements.

Currently, more than 50 per cent of City employees continue to effectively and productively work from home. Staff required to work on-site or in the field were provided with appropriate personal protective equipment and protocols and procedures to abide by.

Our Places
On March 17, Vaughan became the first city in Ontario and the first municipality in York Region to declare a state of emergency in response to COVID-19. Since then, the City has taken a disciplined, responsible and measured approach to closing and gradually reopening City facilities and amenities. This approach includes the decision to keep select City facilities closed until at least Jan. 4, 2021. The City’s Business Reintegration Plan has been developed and continues to evolve as the pandemic progresses. The plan outlines a staged approach to guide and prepare employees for a future return to municipal facilities. The goal is to ensure a safe and efficient transition for all staff.

Our Services
Although the pandemic has resulted in some impacts to City services and programming, essential services continue uninterrupted. Many virtual programs have been introduced and facilities and amenities are gradually reopening. Below is an update on actions taken for each of the City’s portfolios.

Administrative Services and City Solicitor:

Community Services:

 

Infrastructure Development:

Planning and Growth Management:

Public Works:

Vaughan Public Libraries:

Our Finances
In response to the pandemic, many measures have been introduced to support citizens including:

Vaughan will also receive $6.15 million of federal relief funding through phase 1 of the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement. The City continues to explore other options --including further funding support from senior levels of government --to mitigate additional financial pressures.

Our Economy
The City is working to mitigate the impact of the virus on local businesses. By understanding the impact, the City is able to provide up-to-date, relevant and reliable information to help businesses navigate various programs and support avenues available to them. The demand for business-support programs continues to increase in Vaughan --there has been a 90 per cent increase in business consultations, a 150 per cent increase in repeat consultations and a total of 163 consultations facilitated since the start of the pandemic.

New program launches, with a focus on resiliency building, continue to be implemented to:

Our Communications
The City is committed to keeping citizens, stakeholders and staff informed throughout the pandemic. The Corporate and Strategic Communications department employs a variety of communications methods, including media outreach, eNewsletters, social media, website content, mailers, signage, links to various provincial and federal websites and resources, and much more. In fact, the team has issued approximately 1,450 COVID-19-related products to date. That is in addition to extensive internal communications efforts to ensure staff are well informed.

For more information on ongoing services, disruptions and cancellations, or for updates on COVID-19 in Vaughan, residents can directly connect with Access Vaughan --the City’s contact centre --by phone at 905-832-2281 or by email at accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. To receive the latest news as it is released, residents can visit:

QUOTE
“It has been more than six months since Vaughan became the first city in Ontario to declare a state of emergency. As the world watched during those initial weeks of uncertainty, the City of Vaughan acted with a great deal of certainty. We took immediate action to protect all citizens, businesses and the community from the virus while ensuring essential services continued without disruption. From the beginning, our priority has been the health and safety of everyone who lives and works in Vaughan. We continue to collaborate with all levels of government to address the impacts of COVID-19 in our city. Our work to develop a fulsome post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan continues. The plan will focus on securing Vaughan's place as the Region's largest employment centre, enhancing Vaughan's key strategic economic drivers like our downtown commercial zone, manufacturing and logistics, and the health and tourism industries, and leveraging public spaces by supporting community events and the arts. While we have come a long way, our journey is not over yet. As we look toward the future, I am confident that being ready, resilient and resourceful will help ensure that we emerge stronger.”
- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

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