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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Agenda - 2020-06-08 S - DSD-20-072 - Appendix A��� K TCHENER A PHASED APPROACH TO REOPENING MUNICIPAL FACILITIES & RESUMING VALUED PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND EVENTS JUNE 8, 2020 Version 1.0 Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens This framework for reopening is one component of the City of Kitchener's overall COVID-19 Recovery Plan. It outlines a gradual, phased reopening of municipal facilities, and the resumption of programs, services and events, based on the latest direction of the Province of Ontario and local public health officials as of June 1, 2020. As the situation in Ontario continues to evolve, those directions will change and the City will be required to adjust its reopening plan. Final decisions about when specific facilities will be reopened are subject to future provincial guidance and the easing of public health restrictions. In making final decisions about reopening, the City's primary goal will be to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees, as well as the residents it serves. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens .,._ .,._ .,._ TABLE OF CONTENTS City of l(jtchener's Emergency Response •Municipal Services Currently Provided Planning for Recovery •City of Kitchener Recovery Plan •City of Kitchener Reopening Framework Guiding Principles for Reopening Municipal Facilities & Resuming Programs, Services & Events •General •Outside Amenities •Indoor Facilities •Programs and Events •Employees City of l(jtchener's Phased Approach to Reopening •Stage 1 (mid-May to mid-June) •Stage 2 (mid-June to mid-July) •Stage 3A (mid-July to September) •Stage 38 (September to December) •Stage 4 (2021 +) Moving Towards Long-Term Recovery 2 4 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens "On behalf of Kitchener City Council, I want to say thank you to everyone who has been doing their part to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Throughout this pandemic, the City of Kitchener has made the health and safety of our residents and employees our top priority. I can assure you we will continue to do so as we begin to reopen municipal facilities and resume many of the valued programs, services and events that contribute to the wellbeing of our entire community. By looking out for one another and remaining true to our community's caring roots, we will get through this together." Mayor Berry Vrbanovic City of Kitchener "Since the beginning of this pandemic, City of Kitchener staff have done their part to help our community get through these challenging times. On behalf of the Corporate Leadership Team, I want to thank City staff for their contributions to our emergency response, for thinking creatively and acting quickly to provide new and different supports to Kitchener businesses and residents, and for once again demonstrating your commitment to public service. We are thankful for your professionalism and honoured to work alongside you." Dan Chapman, Chief Administrative Officer City of Kitchener Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens ..,_. ..,_. ..,_. CITY OF KITCHENER'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE In March 2020, the City of Kitchener activated its Emergency Response Plan and mobilized its Emergency Operations Centre in response to the spread of COVID-19. On March 25, 2020, the City of Kitchener declared a State of Emergency in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE Under the direction of the Province of Ontario and local public health officials, in March 2020 the City of Kitchener closed all municipal facilities, cancelled programs and events, and significantly reduced services being provided to the community, only focusing on the most critical services. Shortly afterwards, the City also closed all outdoor amenities. As a result of these closures and cancellations, the City made the difficult decision to put over 900 employees on emergency leave. While these closures and cancellations have been difficult on many people in our community, they were necessary to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health and wellbeing of our City employees and residents. SAFE & SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY Once through the immediate response to the emergency, the City began to focus on bringing a number of valued municipal services back online while also providing new supports to businesses and residents to meet needs that emerged from the pandemic. Significant work was completed to put new safety measures and protocols in place to allow some employees to safely come back into the workplace. During this time the City of Kitchener worked closely with the Region and all area municipalities to support one another and collaborate on how to provide these additional critical services in a way that is safe for employees and residents. 1n:rnuC"ov In May 2020, the City began to ramp up planning for the recovery phase of its emergency response by redeploying staff to focus on the creation of a comprehensive municipal recovery plan and reopening framework. At the same time, based on guidance from the Province and Public Health, the City began to relax some of its restrictions on community gardens, parks, trails and open spaces. Under the direction of the Province (A Framework for Reopening our Province), the City also re-opened some of its outdoor amenities including basketball courts, skateboard parks, picnic tables and benches. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens ............... MUNICIPAL SERVICES CURRENTLY PROVIDED 2 The following are examples of the critical services the City of Kitchener has been providing throughout most of its response to the pandemic. As a result of public health restrictions and reduced staffing levels, some of these services are being provided at a lower level than the City's usual standard. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens ............... MUNICIPAL SERVICES CURRENTLY PROVIDED cont'd •Corporate contact centre 3 Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens ......... PLANNING FOR RECOVERY 4 CITY OF KITCHENER RECOVERY PLAN The City of Kitchener provides more than 200 services and operates out of more than 70 facilities that need to be reopened and restarted while ensuring the safety of employees and residents is not compromised. A comprehensive recovery plan has been developed that includes the following key elements: FACILITY RECOVERY PLANS (e.g. Arenas, community centres, pools, City Hall, Kitchener Operations Facility) PROGRAM, SERVICE, EVENT RECOVERY PLANS (e.g. Summer day camps, swimming lessons, Neighbours Day) CITY OF KITCHENER REOPENING FRAMEWORK (Prioritizes facilities, programs, services and events to be brought back online) BROAD SERVICE LEVEL PROTOCOLS (e.g. Office/administration functions, one-to-one service, crews/outside teams, program delivery) CORPORATE-WIDE RECOVERY POLICIES, PROTOCOLS & STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (e.g. Health and safety, physical distancing, PPE, health screening, return to work) To help guide the reopening of those facilities and the resumption of those services, a comprehensive recovery plan has been created which is focused on: •meeting the needs of the community by providing valued programs and services to business and residents, •ensuring the health and safety of City employees and members of the community, •contributing to community and global efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, and •minimizing the City's projected 2020 financial deficit. In order to reopen safely, each City facility that was closed, as well as the services, programs and events that were paused, will require: •conformity with group size limits in place at the time, as mandated by the Province, • a customized plan to reopen safely, •time for staff to implement that plan, and •in some cases, funding for new safety measures. Given all of that work to reopen safely, with less than a full complement of staff, it is not possible for the City to reopen all of its facilities and restart all of those services at once. To help prioritize where staff time and other resources will be focused in the corning weeks, the City has created a framework for reopening which is a major component of its overall Recovery Plan. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens CITY OF KITCHENER REOPENING FRAMEWORK The City's framework for reopening lays out a gradual, phased approach to reopening municipal facilities and resuming programs, services and events. This gradual phased and evidence based approach: •provides an opportunity to monitor the situation as facilities are reopened and adjust future plans to ensure the health and safety of staff and residents, •prioritizes where the City will focus staff time and resources to be as ready as possible to reopen specific facilities once the province relaxes current public health restrictions, •ensures related facilities, programs, services and events are coordinated in their reopening, and •ensures health and safety protocols are applied consistently across all City facilities. On April 27, 2020 the Provincial Government released its framework for a gradual re-opening of the Province. That framework lays out the approach, principles and three stages the province will use to guide the reopening of business, services and public spaces across Ontario. The City's reopening framework is in general alignment with the province's staging and utilizes many of the same guiding principles to determine which facilities may be reopened within specific time periods. PROVINCE OF ONTARIO'S REOPENING FRAMEWORK (PHASE 2: RESTART) STAGE 1 The province will consider: •opening select workplaces that can meet current public health guidelines •allowing essential gatherings of a limited number of people •opening some outdoor spaces •continued protections for vulnerable populations STAGE2 The province will consider: •opening more workplaces with significant mitigation plans •opening more public spaces •allowing some larger public gatherings •continued protections for vulnerable populations STAGE3 The province will consider: •opening all workplaces responsibly •relaxing restrictions on public gatherings •continued protections for vulnerable populations According to the provincial framework, there will be a two-to-four week period between the launch of each of their stages to allow the Chief Medical Officer of Health to assess conditions and provide advice on whether to proceed to the next phase of reopening, stay in the current stage, or potentially adjust or tighten restrictions depending on circumstances at that time. IMPORTANT NOTE: The City of Kitchener reopening framework is based on the latest direction of the Province of Ontario and local public health officials as of June 1, 2020. As the situation across Ontario continues to evolve, those directions will change, and new information will become available that will require the City's to adjust its reopening plan. Final decisions about when specific facilities will be reopened are subject to future provincial guidance and the easing of public health restrictions. In making final decisions about reopening, the City's primary goal will be to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees, as well as the residents it serves. 5 Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens ......... GUIDING PRINCIPLES 6 The City of Kitchener's reopening framework is founded on the following guiding principles. Final decisions about when to open specific facilities and restart individual services will be made based on these principles: GENERAL •The City's top priority will be the health and safety of its staff and residents. •The City will take a gradual and phased approach to reopening. •Decisions about reopening will be guided by, and in alignment with, direction from the Province of Ontario and the Region of Waterloo's Medical Officer of Health. •To the extent possible, the City will coordinate reopening plans with other local area municipalities. OUTDOOR AMENITIES •Some amenities can be reactivated quickly (e.g. park benches) while others will take a significant amount of time (e.g. sportsfields). •It is not possible to sanitize most outdoor amenities due to the large numbers of them and limited staffing. INDOOR FACILITIES •Physical distancing, limitations on groups sizes, and sanitization within City Hall will necessitate an appointment­ based approach for the foreseeable future. •Similar recreation facilities (e.g. arenas, community centres, indoor pools) will be re-opened in phases (as opposed to all at once) to limit safety risks, and to manage staffing and financial impacts. •Reopening indoor facilities will require an increased frequency and level of cleaning and sanitation. •There will be a lag between when the Province announces an indoor facility can reopen and when we will be able to reopen them. PROGRAMS AND EVENTS •Standing Committee and Council cycle, along with legislated consultations, should begin once protocols can be established. Starting in August 2020, most delegations will be virtual for the foreseeable future. •It is expected that the province will cancel, or restrict, large events until 2021, or when a vaccine is available. •Restarting programs and events will be dictated by provincial restrictions on sizes of gatherings as well as whether or not appropriate protocols can be in place. EMPLOYEES •Staff (as well as the public) will be required to complete a health check prior to entering the municipal facility. •Staff (as well as the public) are expected to adhere to public health guidance regarding hand washing and physical distancing. •Staff will be required to complete COVID-19 related training before re-entering the workplace. •Staff who can continue to work from home effectively will do so for the foreseeable future. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens PHASED REOPENING STAGE 41 MID·MAY TO MID-JUNE GUIDANCE FROM THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO'S FRAMEWORK FOR REOPENING •Opening select workplaces that can meet current public health guidelines •Allowing essential gatherings of a limited number of people •Opening some outdoor spaces and amenities •Continued protections for vulnerable populations •Public health measure/restrictions will continue •Remote work arrangements should continue where feasible ASSUMPTIONS •Province eases restrictions on some outdoor spaces •Non-essential gathering restrictions continue •Staff continue to work from home where they can do so effectively •As businesses reopen, staff will be as responsive as possible to adapt to new requirements OUTDOOR AMENITIES rjjl::· • Outdoor park amenities, dog parks, tennis courts, BMX bike course, pickle ball, basketball and volleyball courts, skateparks and Huron Natural Area parking reopen •Rockway Golf Course open •Some sports fields open for informal recreation use •Doon Golf Course open •Slow/Shared Streets Program launches INDOOR FACILITIES •Staged Farmers' Market Reopening •Gym Judo club reopening PROGRAMS & EVENTS l�i •Small business outreach recovery program begins and toolkit launched • Legislated written consultations begin (e.g. notice of application) •Non-legislated written consultations linked to legislated approvals (Planning, Engineering) resume •Program to support restaurant patio expansions city-wide begins This framework for reopening is one component of the City of Kitchener's overall COVID-19 Recovery Plan. It outlines a gradual, phased reopening of municipal facilities, and the resumption of programs, services and events, based on the latest direction of the Province of Ontario and local public health officials as of June 1, 2020. As the situation in Ontario continues to evolve, those directions will change and the City will be required to adjust its reopening plan. Final decisions about when specific facilities will be reopened are subject to future provincial guidance and the easing of public health restrictions. In making final decisions about reopening, the City's primary goal will be to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees, as well as the residents it serves. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens PHASED REOPENING STAGE MID-JUNE TO MID-JULY GUIDANCE FROM THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO'S FRAMEWORK FOR REOPENING •Opening more workplaces with significant mitigation plans •Opening more public spaces •Allowing some larger public gatherings •Continued protections for vulnerable populations •Public health measure/restrictions will continue •Remote work arrangements should continue where feasible ASSUMPTIONS •Province eases restrictions to allow some larger public gatherings •Staff continue to work from home where they can do so effectively •Requirements for physical distancing continue •Adequate staffing is available to provide these additional services l'fi/f.­ �' •Some sports fields reopen for modified bookings, if organized sports are allowed by the province (under modified conditions). •Playgrounds and other outdoor amenities open, if allowed by the province •Phased reopening of outdoor pools and splash pads, if allowed by the province •Smaller public bookings may begin at 1-2 City facilities, dependent on crowd size •City Hall open by appointment •Limited number of community centres reopened for modified programming, if allowed by the province •Reopening of lawn bowling clubs, KMHA and WRBA offices, Budd Park (indoor), if allowed by the province •Pilot food trucks at 5 community centre locations across the city •Non-legislated written consultations begin (not linked to statutory approvals) ..,... This framework for reopening is one component of the City of Kitchener's overall COVID-19 Recovery Plan. It outlines a gradual, phased reopening of municipal facilities, and the resumption of programs, services and events, based on the latest direction of the Province of Ontario and local public health officials as of June 1, 2020. As the situation in Ontario continues to evolve, those directions will change and the City will be required to adjust its reopening plan. Final decisions about when specific facilities will be reopened are subject to future provincial guidance and the easing of public health restrictions. In making final decisions about reopening, the City's primary goal will be to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees, as well as the residents it serves. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens PHASED REOPENING STAGE a MID-JULY TO SEPTEMBER GUIDANCE FROM THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO'S FRAMEWORK FOR REOPENING •Opening all workplaces responsibly, with appropriate protocols in place •Further relaxation of restrictions on public gatherings •Continued protections for vulnerable populations •Public health measure/restrictions will continue •Remote work arrangements should continue where feasible ASSUMPTIONS •Province further eases restrictions to allow large public gatherings •Concerts and large sporting events continue to be restricted •Requirements for physical distancing continue •Risk assessments and policies are in place to protect staff and the public accessing services •Adequate staffing is available to provide additional services •City Hall continues to be open by appointment only •Phased re-opening of arenas for small scale bookings and organized sports booking, if allowed by the province •Reopening Dom Cardillo Ice Pad •Additional staff begin to work at City Hall utilizing shifts (later in this phase) •Accept slightly larger bookings at City facilities, if allowed by the province •Some additional community centres reopened with limited capacity, if permitted by the province •Phased re-opening of indoor pools, if permitted by the province •Regular Standing Committee/ Council cycle resumes in August (virtual delegations only) •Modified Advisory Committees and quasi judicial committees commence •Virtual meetings used to facilitate other legislated engagement requirements (e.g. Planning Information Centres for Environmental Assessments) •Virtual meetings used to facilitate non-legislated community engagement •Increase group programming capacity in recreation facilities •Provide small scale events/festivals in a modified format, if allowed by the province ... Thisframeworkforreopeningis onecomponentoftheCity ofKitchener's overall COVID-19 RecoveryPlan. ltoutlinesa gradual, phased reopening of municipal facilities, and the resumption of programs, services and events, based on the latest direction of the Province of Ontario and local public health officials as of June 1, 2020. As the situation in Ontario continues to evolve, those directions will change and the City will be required to adjust its reopening plan. Final decisions about when specific facilities will be reopened are subject to future provincial guidance and the easing of public health restrictions. In making final decisions about reopening, the City's primary goal will be to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees, as well as the residents it serves. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens 10 PHASED REOPENING STAGE b SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER Specific outdoor amenities, indoor facilities, programs and events that will be reopened between September to December will be determined later in 2020 based on the effectiveness of Stages 1-3a and the potential for a second wave of COVID transmission. In addition, limited in-person pubic engagement may commence for both legislated and non-legislated engagements if provincial directions allow. PHASED REOPENING ASSUMPTIONS •Post pandemic period •Vaccine or treatment for COVID 19 is widely available •Remaining provincial restrictions are lifted t.f:i/f.­�- •All sportsfields reopen for regular bookings and return to their regular maintenance cycle •All Municipal buildings open to public use •Reinstate larger bookings at City facilities STAGE •Regular Council/Committee delegations resume •Resume events and large gatherings 2021 + •Resume regular day camps and community centre programming � This framework for reopening is one component of the City of Kitchener's overall COVID-19 Recovery Plan. It outlines a gradual, phased reopening of municipal facilities, and the resumption of programs, services and events, based on the latest direction of the Province of Ontario and local public health officials as of June 1, 2020. As the situation in Ontario continues to evolve, those directions will change and the City will be required to adjust its reopening plan. Final decisions about when specific facilities will be reopened are subject to future provincial guidance and the easing of public health restrictions. In making final decisions about reopening, the City's primary goal will be to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees, as well as the residents it serves. Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens ...,. ...,. ...,. MOVING TOWARDS LONG-TERM RECOVERY Kitchener's reopening framework is just one component of the city's overall Recovery Plan. While moving forward with the important work outlined in this framework, the City of Kitchener will also take steps with external partners to position the community for long-term economic, socio-cultural and emotional recovery. Critical to our success will be an ongoing partnership with the Provincial and Federal Governments as well as an internal commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. ECONOMIC RECOVERY With the initial focus of minimizing job losses and business closures, the City of Kitchener will support local business retention, recovery, adaptation, development and attraction by: •actively engaging in the work of BESTWR -the Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region - a collaboration between Communitech, the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation •implementing a framework for action in conjunction with other area Economic Development leads with a focus on industry consultation, joint advocacy, updated Economic Development strategies, PPE supports for local companies and financial supports for businesses •realigning the City's economic development resources, both staff and financial, to support recovery efforts across all sectors with a focus on timely interventions (e.g., economic relief measures, streamlined patio approvals, modified Kitchener Market operating plans, new programming through the Small Business Centre, etc.) SOCIO-CULTURAL AND EMOTIONAL RECOVERY The City of Kitchener will support our citizens with celebrating their survival, mourning those we lost and getting back to life in the new norm by: •participating in the development of the Region of Waterloo's Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan and identifying opportunities for the municipality to take a leadership role where appropriate •reinforcing the multi-cultural strengths of the community with a focus on restarting and enhancing various cultural activities that were cancelled due to the pandemic •focusing on the social, emotional and mental health needs by supporting agencies and associations, encouraging community-building activities and implementing mental health strategies to mitigate the acute and long-term psychological consequences of disaster •working with the Region to ensure that social supports are in place for Kitchener's most vulnerable residents, which includes advancing work on Kitchener's Housing Strategy in 2020 11 Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens 12 THE ROLE OF PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS With declining revenues, rising expenses and a legal proscription against running operating deficits, municipalities are at imminent risk of having to cut essential services to Canadians to remain solvent. In view of this fiscal crisis, the City of Kitchener has endorsed the request of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for emergency operating funding. This would include the ability to transfer unused allocations to the federal Gas Tax Fund program for capital expenditures as part of Canada's COVID-19 economic recovery plan. INNOVATION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Recognizing the challenges and opportunities introduced by this unprecedented global pandemic, the City of Kitchener commits to: •conducting a comprehensive review of its emergency response and business continuity protocols to the pandemic to document lessons learned and identify potential improvements •leveraging a number of lessons learned through the City's response to the pandemic to maintain new practices in workforce management and customer service (e.g. working from home policies, virtual meetings, electronic signatures, online services, etc.) •reviewing the priorities identified in its Strategic Plan to determine what, if any, changes should be made in-light of the impacts of COVID-19 on the community and the corporation ''Through each stage of A Framework to Reopening our Province, the government's number one priority will continue to be the health and well-being of the people of Ontario. But recovery from COVID-19 doesn't just mean stopping the spread -it also means setting up Ontario to help create jobs, prosperity and growth well into the future." Government of Ontario A Framework to Reopening our Province Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens Appendix A - Kitchener Reopens