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City of Enderby planning COVID-19 recovery

City also looks ahead to flooding, wildfire mitigation during B.C. Emergency Preparedness Week
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The City of Enderby is transitioning to the recovery planning stage of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, May 5, 2020. (Darren Robinson photo)

The City of Enderby is shifting into the recovery planning stage of its COVID-19 pandemic response.

The city’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) remains activated at Level 1 for response to the pandemic.

Marking Emergency Preparedness Week in B.C. from May 3 to 9, the city is also undertaking advance planning for potential flooding and wildfire.

Recovery planning does not entail a sudden reopening of facilities and businesses, the city said.

“Recovery planning normally begins during response. Recovery does not mean that everything opens up just like it was before. Recovery means that we plan for when and how we open City facilities in a responsible and reasonable way, as well as how we resume City services that may have been curtailed during the emergency,” said city spokesperson Tate Bengtson Tuesday, May 5.

“Recovery also means how we support individual and business resilience, as we develop community-specific measures to help transition to the next phase.”

The city said three principles will be used to inform recovery plans for city facilities.

  1. Clear guidance from a health officer that it is reasonably safe to resume the service, and the basis on which it may be resumed.
  2. A risk assessment of the service to ensure that we can provide for the safety of workers and the public in accordance with the guidelines of a health officer.
  3. An analysis of industry stakeholder positions (such as Destination BC and the BC Recreation and Parks Association) as well as comparison to neighbouring jurisdictions.

Council has created a Pandemic Recovery Select Committee to provide advice and recommendations on how to support individuals and businesses.

Flooding

The EOC is planning ahead for potential flooding, monitoring the Shuswap River and weather forecasts. Projecting the river levels

After conducting river level projections for the next 10 days, the city said the Shuswap River is not at risk of flooding in the immediate future, as it currently has enough capacity to accept upstream flows. That said, areas near smaller streams and creeks will be at higher risk of earlier flooding.

River projections for the next 10 days show a slow increase from the current flow rate of of 164.8 m3/second (current) to 195.2 m3/second on May 14. The city said its river level projections could change quickly with increased temperatures or precipitation, noting Wednesday could see about 15 mm or rain.

Sandbags have been made available outside the Public Works Yard at 2308 McGowan Street. Property owners are responsible for protecting their property, and we encourage you to take appropriate measures in advance if your property may be at risk.

Wildfire

Fire bans remain in effect on Category 2 and 3 open fires, resource management fires, fireworks, sky lanterns, and burn barrels or burn cages of any size, except when used for a campfire.

Campfires are also subject to regulations under the city’s Good Neighbour Bylaw.

READ MORE: B.C. Premier John Horgan set to announce slow reopening of economy in pandemic

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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