The City of Fernie took another step towards a return to normal on June 16. The city announced that city hall would be reopening for front counter services.
Business hours will remain the same, from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Services that are normally offered through the front counter, including property taxes, utility payments, pet licenses and business licenses are once again being processed in person.
With additional safety precautions in place to protect both staff and residents, people are reminded that wait times may be longer than usual. The City of Fernie also asks anyone visiting city hall to follow safety protocols including not entering the building if you are sick or required to self isolate, obeying physical distancing markings follow traffic flow arrows, sanitizing hands and only allowing two members of the public inside the building at one time.
The city has also undertaken their annual pavement patching program which began around June 15. Residents can expect to see contractors patching roadways throughout and should give crews room to safely complete their work.
In addition to this work, a contractor will be treating invasive and noxious weeds in high priority areas throughout the city as part of the Invasive Plant Management Program. Residents should keep an eye out for signage to mark where the treatments will be taking place. Once an area has been treated, it will be clearly marked to indicate that spraying has taken place.
Over the coming weeks, crews will be spraying in a number of areas including the Town Loop dike trail network targeting species that the City of Fernie is required to treat under the province’s Weed Control Act. More information about the herbicide treatments can be found on the City of Fernie’s website.
On June 20, an announcement came from city hall that the splash park would officially reopen on June 22 as a way to help residents beat the heat. Guidelines for safe use will be posted onsite and users should maintain physical distancing while using the facility.
editor@thefreepress.ca
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