COVID19

Facilities/Infrastructure

Sturgeon County prepares for its re-opening strategy

Sturgeon County, Alberta – The Government of Alberta announced its provincial Stage 2 relaunch as of June 12, 2020. Sturgeon County will continue to take direction from Alberta Health Services to prevent the spread of COVID-19 cases and we will also monitor the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the region.

“Sturgeon County will be implementing a carefully planned and staged approach to re-opening municipal facilities to the public,” states Mayor Alanna Hnatiw. “And residents can expect the delivery of services to look different.” Changes will include enhanced infection control measures – including physical distancing requirements, practicing good hygiene, monitoring for symptoms and making changes related to COVID-19 conditions accordingly. Necessary facility modifications are underway and targeted re-opening dates may be subject to change at the discretion of the County.

Updated August 10, 2020

Re-Opening Stage 2: August 4, 2020

• Development Support Services counter at Sturgeon County Centre is now open
• Council Chambers gallery remains closed to the public -- all meetings are currently being held through electronic communications only.
• (Aug. 7, 2020)

Re-Opening Stage 3: To-Be-Determined

• Occupancy limit in Council Chambers and common areas will increase following the advice of the Government of Alberta.
• In person meetings or collaboration no longer discouraged provided health regulations are being followed.

Updated July 6, 2020

Re-Opening Stage 1: July 2, 2020

• Sturgeon County front counter services to re-open for business on July 2, 2020 as follows:
• Sturgeon County Centre – all services including tax payments, except for Development Support Services, opening with Stage 2.
• Agriculture Service Trailer
• Family & Community Support Services
• Protective Services
• Sturgeon South
• Assessment Services (July 15th at Sturgeon County Centre)
• Family & Community Support Services continues to offer virtual and telephone services for residents seeking supports. Call (780) 939-8334 for more information.
• Sports fields and diamonds for casual use and bookings for organized sports are open (following all Alberta Health Services guidelines).

For a listing of recreation facility/amenity re-opening timelines, visit sturgeoncounty.ca/COVID19. Sturgeon County continues to encourage phone and online contact with Sturgeon County staff, including online bill payments, where possible. Please call 780-939-4321 before coming to Sturgeon County offices.

As a reminder, Sturgeon County tax payments are due on June 30^th; however, penalty fees are waived until the end of August 2020. If you are not able to pay your taxes by June 30^th, please register for an extension at www.sturgeoncounty.ca/COVID19/Tax-Payment to waive the tax penalty fees.

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July 10, 2020 – Garage and Yard Sales in Sturgeon County

Residents who wish to host or attend a garage or yard sale are encouraged to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 by following the health and safety precautions required by Alberta Health Services. While the Province has relaxed restrictions with stage 2 of its relaunch, garage sales have the potential to violate mandatory physical distancing and sanitizing requirements. 

For your safety, and the safety of others, some recommendations for garage/yard sales are: 

• Implement practices to minimize the risk of transmission of infection among attendees, like providing hand sanitizer. 
• A maximum of 100 individuals at an outdoor gathering, and 50 individuals at an indoor gathering are permitted with 2 metres of distance maintained between members of different households. 
• If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, do NOT host or attend a garage sale. 

As much as possible, Sturgeon County residents are encouraged to comply with the COVID-19 General Relaunch Guidance and any other applicable Alberta Health guidance found at: https://www.alberta.ca/biz-connect.aspx 

For more information about Sturgeon County’s COVID-19 response, visit https://www.sturgeoncounty.ca/COVID19 

May 14, 2020 - Risk of Water Stagnation in Sturgeon Industrial Park and ProNorth Industrial Park

During the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have been affected by low or zero occupancy and reduced water flow through the building. Under these conditions, water may stagnate, disinfection residuals decline and water temperatures change, creating environments which may support microbial and chemical risks in water systems. In Sturgeon County, Sturgeon Industrial Park and Pro North Industrial Park are most at risk. To reduce those risks and prepare for building re-entry, Alberta Health Services recommends water systems be flushed for 15-30 minutes prior to reopening.

Read the “GUIDANCE FOR FLUSHING WATER SYSTEMS” for more information. 

April 29, 2020 – Community Garage and Yard Sales are Not Permitted

Sturgeon County is reminding its residents that community garage and yard sales are not permitted until provincial public health orders are relaxed or cancelled due to COVID19. Please refer to the public notice for more information. 

April 20, 2020 – Redwater Sandhills Natural Area under Provincial OHV Ban

Update: The Alberta government lifted OHV Ban late Friday, April 17. This included Redwater Sandhills Natural Area, as for fires this area it remains “No Open Fires” permitted. There are no other fire bans or otherwise within Sturgeon County.

Bylaw 1476-20 Burning Bylaw

Cancelled: April 16, 2020 – Redwater Sandhills Natural Area under Provincial OHV Ban

On Tuesday, April 14, the Alberta government issued a fire ban for Alberta’s Forest Protection Area, provincial parks and protected areas and banned recreational off-highway vehicles (OHV) on Crown land in the Forest Protection Area.

Alberta Fire bans.ca/ or Alberta Parks.ca/redwater-pra/

In Sturgeon County, this ban applies to the use of OHV in the Redwater Sandhills Natural Area. This area is currently signed prohibiting open fires year-round and will have OHV Ban signage posted by Provincial authorities.

Residents are encouraged to continue responsible burning practices. Conditions throughout the County relating to fire hazards are being monitored and if required, restrictions or bans will be implemented and communicated at sturgeoncounty.ca on social media. Fire permits are available online at sturgeonservices.ca

April 3, 2020 – Alexander First Nation Road Closure

In keeping with a number of public measures to protect communities from COVID-19, Alexander First Nation (AFN) has temporarily limited access to their Nation. 

• Sturgeon County residents should note that road closures and checkpoints may impact their normal travel patterns.
• These changes are part of the State of Emergency declaration issued by AFN Council earlier this week in order to limit the pandemic risk to Nation residents.
•  At this time, no outside visitors are permitted to enter the Nation.
•  Access to affected roads is being monitored and all travellers will be detoured unless they are AFN residents. 
• While we recognize that these temporary changes may be inconvenient for some, the continued health and well-being of all of our Sturgeon County residents is the utmost priority.
• Sturgeon County appreciates your patience and compliance with these temporary new travel conditions within our region and will provide further updates on any changes.

Tax and Utilities

April 30, 2020 - On April 28, 2020 Sturgeon County formally passed its 2020 Tax Rate Bylaw. Recognizing the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, the County has decided to forgo earlier plans to increase tax rates by 1.18%. The decision to keep rates steady with a 0% increase balances the need to support local ratepayers while focusing on key capital and operating initiatives to support the local economy.

Additionally, for those experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce the economic impact on residents and business owners, Sturgeon County is eliminating late payment charges for property taxes for July and August in 2020 for those who register with the County as having been financially impacted by COVID-19. Read the full statement here.

We encourage taxpayers who are able to continue paying their tax and utility bills on time to do so.
Residents planning to use our 2020 tax payment extension deadline to August 31, 2020 may register their intentions using the online form below.

2020 Tax Payment Extension Registration 

April 1, 2020 - Sturgeon County Council and Administration recognize the financial hardship many residents are currently facing with the unprecedented landscape due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. On March 31, 2020, Council voted to waive penalties for residential utility bills and extend the deadline to pay taxes without penalty to reduce economic impact of COVID-19 on residents.

Bylaw 1499-20 Cancellation of Residential Utility Penalties for COVID-19

Bylaw 1498-20 - 2020 Tax Penalty Bylaw Amendment for COVID-19

We have put together a list of FAQs below. If you have a question that is not covered in the below FAQ, please email us with your question. We will endeavour to either post your Q&A below and/or reach out to you directly if it is a unique question, within 48hrs.
 

Resident inquiries can be directed to the following:

• Phone: 780-939-4321 or toll free at 1-866-939-9303
• Email re: Taxation: taxation@sturgeoncounty.ca
• Email re: Utilities: utilitybilling@sturgeoncounty.ca

Tax & Utilities FAQs

Sturgeon County's Temporary Mandatory Face Covering Bylaw

Temporary Mandatory Face Cover Bylaw 1513/20 was approved at a special Council meeting on August 20, 2020. The bylaw which comes into effect immediately applies to all indoor or substantially enclosed indoor spaces that are available to the public, whether owned privately (e.g. gas station) or by Sturgeon County (e.g. a community hall, Sturgeon Centre) as well as public vehicles (e.g. taxis, shuttles).

The bylaw requires individuals in the municipal boundaries of Sturgeon County and/or in Sturgeon County-owned facilities to wear a face covering at all times while in an indoor, enclosed, or substantially enclosed public place or in a public vehicle.

Sturgeon County’s primary focus will remain on educating on the importance of wearing face coverings in indoor public spaces and public vehicles. Once the bylaw is triggered, failure to wear a face covering when required can result in a penalty of $100.

The bylaw will remain in effect as long the Sturgeon County region remains on the “Watch” designation by the Government of Alberta for a period of 14 consecutive days. The bylaw is set to automatically expire on December 31, 2020 unless Council decides to extend the requirements.

Resources for Local Businesses

Download a face covering sign for your business

Face covering exemptions in Sturgeon County

Temporary Mandatory Face Coverings Bylaw 1513/20 is exempt for:

• Children under the age of 10
• People who are unable to place, use, or remove a face covering without assistance
• People unable to wear a face covering due to a mental or physical concern or limitation, or protected ground under the Alberta Human Rights Act
• People consuming food or drink in designated seating areas or as part of a religious or spiritual ceremony
• People engaged in physical activities, water activities, or the paid supervision of water activities, or attending within a sauna or steam room
• Caregivers or those assisting a person with a disability where a Face Covering would hinder that caregiving or assistance
• People engaging in services that require the temporary removal of a Face Covering
• Performers who are participating in a theatrical dance or theatrical or musical public performance (if all participants in the performance are able to maintain at least two metres of physical distance from each other and do not enter the areas where the public is viewing the performance
• People providing or receiving a service that requires personal consultation if that activity occurs in a closed office or meeting room and all participants in the personal consultation are able to maintain physical separation of at least two metres from each other
• People separated from others by physical barriers or shields such as plexiglass.

This municipal bylaw does not apply to the following places:

• Schools and other educational facilities
• Child-care facilities
• Areas not accessed by the public
• Platforms or stage areas in places of worship during worship services

Face Coverings

The Government of Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health has encouraged Albertans to wear non-medical masks and face coverings in public places to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Please remember to be kind and respectful. Exceptions to the temporary Face Covering Bylaw exist and not all members of the community can safely wear a face covering.

What is a face covering

A face covering, which includes masks, covers the mouth, nose and chin.

A face covering can include homemade cloth masks and non-medical masks.

As per Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, face shields should not be used as a substitute for a face mask. These shields are not commonly needed outside of health-care settings for biological hazards, such as COVID-19. For more information, visit the Government of Alberta’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Non-medical Masks for Non-Health Care Settings.

Choose the right face covering for wearing in public.

Source: Government of Alberta

When to wear a face covering

Residents are required to wear non-medical masks when in all indoor or substantially enclosed public places within Sturgeon County and outside where keeping a distance of two metres is difficult

Learn more about wearing masks on Alberta’s prevent the spread webpage.

You can also refer to Guidance for Wearing of Non-Medical Face Masks for the General Public for more information on how and when to wear a mask.

In addition to wearing masks, please follow the other guidelines such as physical distancing, handwashing, and staying at home when sick.

Indoor public places includes any property accessible by the public (publicly or privately owned). This includes locations such as:

• Calahoo, Namao, Bon Accord, Gibbons and Redwater District Firehalls
• Retail markets/gas stations
• Restaurants/Golf Clubhouses
• Community Halls and Churches
• Recreation facilities such as indoor arenas and curling rinks
• Vehicles for hire and community buses

This does not include a school or other educational institution, a hospital or other health care facility, or a child- care facility.   

How to wear a face covering

Source: Government of Alberta

For more information

• Read the Temporary Mandatory Face Coverings Bylaw 1513/20 
• Government of Alberta, COVID-19 Masks
• Government of Canada, Learn how to make a cloth mask
• Download the Mandatory Face Coverings poster for your business in Sturgeon County.