Regional Chair Bradley called the meeting to order at 4:03 p.m.
Regional Chair Bradley noted that given the weight of the challenges before us as a community, and as a Council, the special meeting was called to ensure we are taking steps to safeguard the legislative continuity of the Regional Government. He stated that it was important to provide all Councillors with the opportunity to hear from senior staff regarding the numerous activities and plans that are underway to guarantee the Region’s critical business, and essential services, remain as operational as possible during this time.
Chair Bradley advised that Council seating had been rearranged to ensure there is some social distancing between each member and that staff attendance at the meeting had been kept at an absolute minimum to demonstrate we are doing our part during these challenging times.
The Chair noted that some Councillors would not be joining the meeting due to self-isolation after travelling outside of the country and although they would have liked to be in attendance they believe it is important to follow the guidance of our public health professionals at the local, provincial and federal level.
The Regional Chair advised that as we move through the next several weeks, the Region will continue to take all necessary steps to combat the spread of COVID-19, while maintaining our essential Regional services and it is our responsibility to ensure we have the policies in place to make sure the critical business of the Region can proceed.
The Chair offered, on behalf of all of Regional Council, his thanks to all Regional staff for their dedication and commitment to the residents of Niagara and noted he could personally attest to the talented team of staff working around the clock in every department to ensure the business of the Region continues. He noted that under the leadership of the Acting CAO, staff at all levels and in every department are going above and beyond to protect the people of Niagara. He thanked the staff in the Public Health Department, under the leadership of Dr. Hirji who continue to manage an unprecedented response to this pandemic and recognized Commissioner Jugley and her team in Community Services who are also working diligently to ensure critical Regional services continue to be safely provide to our seniors, children and those who struggle with housing and homelessness.
In closing, the Chair offered the following message of reassurance to the people of Niagara - "It goes without saying that we are living through a challenging time of uncertainty. But I know as a community we will emerge as a stronger and more resilient Region. We are taking steps as a community to address these challenges head on; just this afternoon Niagara’s 12 mayors, in partnership with the Region, announced the creation of a rapid response team to help plan for the economic recovery of our Region. We have all heard countless stories over the last few days of residents helping one another and taking care of each other – I trust that this spirit of community will continue to define us in the coming weeks."