Through the pandemic, Inverness County council meetings have not been public, but they’re still taking place. CHNE is providing regular segments with municipal officials so they can talk about the topics discussed at the meetings. Keith Macdonald, the county’s Chief Administrative Officer, provides an update on the Municipal Pandemic Response, discussed at latest council meeting on April 9th, 2020.  

Council has been looking to expand food bank services. Staff has been working on gaining greater access to funding from Feed Nova Scotia and other provincial and federal programs that focus on food security. 

The municipality has also been developing neighbour-helping-neighbour groups on social media to connect those in need with volunteers in their own communities who can help. The initiative was inspired by a Facebook group created in the Margaree area by councillor Laurie Cranton (District 2) and his wife Mary Ann.

Inverness County is working to develop a vulnerable population database. Staff has been reaching out to community members – mainly seniors for now, with plans to include others who’ve been facing difficulties during this pandemic. “What this is all about,” MacDonald said, “is so that the municipality can outreach to these individuals and keep track of how they’re doing as well as connect them with volunteers that may be out there to assist.” Residents can also sign up online to be part of the database.

Later in the segment, viewers hear from Tanya Tibbo, Inverness County’s Director of Finance, as she introduces new measures delaying payment of property tax interests and water utility bills. Tibbo said that staff recommended to council to waive interest on overdue property tax accounts and overdue water utility accounts for the months of March, April and May. “I think council is aware of the situation that we’re in,” Tibbo said, “and we’re trying to alleviate any additional charges that residents could incur. We understand that people have lost their jobs and people are going to have difficulty making payments.”

The situation will be reassessed in the coming months, though Tibbo said it’s a balancing act. “We do have to watch our cash flow because we still have essential services,” she said. The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities is currently developing a tax deferral package to help municipalities, although it’s still in its initial planning stages.