COVID-19 results in changes to City spring and summer services
By Jensen, Randy on May 16, 2020.
Lethbridge Herald
With the City of Lethbridge forced to make workforce reductions and adjustments to operational services to accommodate public health orders related COVID-19, residents will notice some differences in public spaces and services that are typically offered by the City.
“By modifying our workforce and following all public health legislation, our crews in public operations have had to prioritize tasks differently and change the way they do their work,” says Jody Meli, City Manager, in a news release. “We are asking for the public to be patient as we continue to keep our resources focused on critical and essential services during the provincial public health emergency, while doing what we can to also exercise fiscal responsibility.”
Residents may notice things like the grass getting a bit longer in public spaces, fewer potholes being filled, cancelled sewer maintenance calls and longer wait times for large item service and other service requests.
“By making these changes to some of our non-essential services, we can be fiscally responsible and still ensure the safety of our staff and the community we serve,” says Meli. “I know these changes may inconvenience some of our residents but we are constantly evaluating the level of services we can safely provide.”
Due to COVID-19, there have been approximately 300 temporary workforce reductions to date.
Residents are encouraged to call 311 if they have questions or would like to submit a service request.
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