The Regional District of East Kootenay postponed all March meetings while they are planning a new approach for their April meetings, including online streaming and teleconferencing options for their monthly Board Meeting.
The move was made to fall in alignment with recommendations from the federal and provincial health authorities on COVID-19.
“Each of us needs to be doing our part,” said Rob Gay, Chair of the RDEK Board. “This is not just about protecting ourselves and our communities, it’s about protecting our health care system so it is available for those who need it most.”
All public hearings for March have been postponed until further notice.
On Wednesday, the RDEK launched an online comment forum to collect feedback on the cancelled public input meetings for the Columbia Basin Trust’s new Strategic Plan. The online tool will be available until 12:00 pm on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. The RDEK said that anyone without computer access can contact the RDEK office to get the list of proposals and get additional information on how they can submit their thoughts.
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Meanwhile, the RDEK is still planning for their April Board Meeting to proceed as planned, but with some additional precautions.
“We have encouraged board directors to participate in the board and committee meetings via teleconference,” explained. “At the same time, we are looking at options to allow the public to view or listen to the proceedings from the comfort of their homes.”
Gay said they are required to provide an opportunity for the public to attend the meeting, as per the Local Government Act.
“While we encourage the public to take advantage of the other participation options, if anyone chooses to attend in person, we will have social distancing measures in place within our board room.”
The RDEK said the status of any future meetings will be evaluated and updated on an ongoing basis as required.
More information can be found directly from the RDEK’s website.
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