North Battleford city council shown at Monday night's meeting. Next month's meeting will now take place Aug. 17. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

COVID-19 precautions

Council meetings expected to return to chambers at city hall in September

Jul 20, 2021 | 9:36 AM

The City of North Battleford plans to continue to hold council meetings at the Chapel Gallery until September.

At that time, tentative plans are for the city to return to holding council meetings in the council chambers at city hall.

The city temporarily moved council meetings to the Chapel Gallery while the facility was closed during the province’s COVID-19 restrictions. The Chapel Gallery space allowed council an opportunity to social distance adequately to meet the province’s guidelines. Meetings have been accessible to the public online via Zoom.

City manager Randy Patrick discussed the issue at Monday’s meeting.

“Council is supposed to be here until the next meeting of council,” he said. “We expect to be back in September to the regular council chambers, as we discussed previously.”

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The province lifted COVID-19 restrictions on July 11 as a significant number of people have now been vaccinated in Saskatchewan and COVID-19 cases remain low.

However, the City of North Battleford wants to exercise caution over the summer before returning immediately to hold meetings in council chambers again. As well, as it was a costly, labour-intensive effort to adapt the Chapel Gallery space for council meetings, the city wants to be sure council meetings will be able to stay at the chambers at city hall before dismantling the set up and audio system at the gallery.

“If something else changes, we will be bringing back a report at the next meeting if we believe there is a reason to stay here,” Patrick said. “I don’t think at this point it looks like there will be. But if there is any reason to stay here, if the numbers go up or if there is another wave of it, then it is recommended to council that it stays here.”

Mayor David Gillan said council hopes COVID-19 numbers in the province continue to stay low.

Date change

The city will now be holding its next council meeting on August 17 instead of August 16 at the Chapel Gallery. The Battlefords Agricultural Society plans to hold its annual parade on August 16 in North Battleford, so council wants the opportunity to be able to attend the event and show its support.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow