Novel COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

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Updated Instructions for Employers - September 21, 2020

Huron Perth Public Health has released updated Public Health Instructions to Persons Responsible for a Business or Organization permitted to be open under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA) and related Regulations, or otherwise. HPPH has also released a Business and Organization Toolkit to support operators when implementing these instructions in your workplace. Find the updated instructions and toolkit here on the HPPH website.

Instructions on masks/face coverings

Dr. Miriam Klassen, Medical Officer of Health for Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH), has issued formal instructions, effective July 17, to employers requiring the use of face coverings in all commercial establishments in Huron & Perth counties. Please review the letter from Dr. Klassen outlining the formal instructions for employers, businesses and organizations in Huron and Perth counties, as well as FAQ for the Instructions for the Use of Masks from HPPH, by clicking here.

Are you or someone you know wondering where to get a mask? Please read our Mask Information Poster.

Do you have other questions on mask/face covering policies in Huron Perth? Check out the Mask/Face Coverings FAQ section on the Huron Perth Public Health website.

Municipal services and contacts

The Municipal Administrative Office is now offering service by booked appointments. Please contact the Customer Service Associate at 519-291-2950 or nnoble@northperth.ca to inquire on booking an appointment. The doors to the municipal office will remain locked. Staff are also available by phone or email to serve customers and answer questions. Please see the contact information below for frequently requested services.

Building and Planning

COVID-19 Update from the Building Department

At this time, building permit applications will be accepted electronically by email. Please send the applicable forms and documents to Dave Culp or Dave Wilson. For most up to date information, please monitor this website.

If not possible to apply electronically, please schedule a time with Building Department staff to drop off your application and drawings at the Municipal Office (330 Wallace Ave. N., Listowel).

Permit applications

Once the application has been reviewed and is ready to be issued, applicants will be notified of application fees owing via email or phone. Cheques can be dropped off at the Municipal Office drop-box (please put “Building Permit” on the memo line) or be paid online (see below on how to pay online). Once payment is received, the building permit will be issued electronically, or arrangements will be made to be picked up.

Inspections

The Building Department will only be performing mandatory building inspections for non-occupied buildings. Inspections of occupied buildings will only be conducted if no persons are present in the building, during the inspection or by photos.

We will determine, at that time, if work can proceed. Please send all required pictures to any of the Building Department staff listed below for review. All other Building Division services will be conducted online or by telephone.

Dave Culp: dculp@northperth.ca; 519-292-2061
Dave Wilson: dwilson@northperth.ca; 519-292-2060

Plans for any new structure, addition or renovation must be approved. A Building Permit is your formal permission to start construction or demolition.

How to Pay your Permit Fee Online

Please note that RBC doesn’t provide this service to their customers.

Telephone or Online Banking choosing “North Perth Accounts Receivable”
The amount owed is shown as “Balance Due” on the bottom right
Use your Customer No. on the top right of the page (11 digits)

Chief Building Official contact:

Ed Podniewicz, Chief Building Official

Municipality of North Perth

epodniewicz@northperth.ca

Phone: 519-292-2058

By-law

Staff will continue to take calls regarding By-law Enforcement at 519-292-2050 or 519-291-2950 ext. 2065. You can also email the By-law Enforcement Officers at mboyle@northperth.ca or nalexander@northperth.ca.

By-law concerns can also be reported online through our Report a Problem form.

Child Care

If you are interested in signing up for Child Care, please go to https://onehsn.com/Stratford

Environmental Services

Water and wastewater

Water and wastewater services are considered an essential service and are operating as usual. Precautions have been put in place to ensure staff are protected and able to perform their operational duties. Emergency resposnse will be provided 24 hours a day. Operations have been divided amongst staff to ensure social distancing.

Water and wastewater staff will not be entering homes or businesses and will be refraining from interaction with the public whenever possible.

If you have a water or wastewater question/concern, please email Public Works or call 519-292-2067.

For after-hours emergencies related to water or wastewater, please call 519-291-2940.

Garbage and recycling

Curbside garbage and recycling pick-up is provided by Bluewater Recycling Association and will continue as an essential service. We strongly encourage the public to utilize curbside pick-up to dispose of your waste and recycling as much as possible during this time.

Landfill

Effective September 1, 2020, the Elma Landfill will resume the normal process for accepting payments, including cash, cheque or debit. North Perth Landfill accounts will be accessible to property owners only.

Landfill transactions that are less than $30.00 will be encouraged to pay by cash, debit or cheque, at the time of the transaction. Landfill transactions that are more than $30.00 may also be left on account to be invoiced (if you are a North Perth property owner).

Landfill accounts will be managed as follows:

On a monthly basis, accounts under $30.00 will have an additional $5.00 administration fee added.
Interest will be added monthly on overdue accounts.
Accounts that are overdue for 90 days will have the balance added to property taxes with an additional $100.00 fee from the transfer to taxes.
Any accounts that are outstanding for 90 days (billed during COVID-19) as of September 1, 2020 will have until September 30, 2020 to make the payment. As of October 1, 2020, outstanding balances will be added to property taxes along with the transfer fee.
If you are a tenant and you have an outstanding account, you will not be given access to the landfill until your account is paid in full.

To access the municipal landfill site, you must provide proof that you are a current North Perth resident. This can be achieved by providing one of the following:

Current landfill account (available to North Perth Property owners only)
Driver’s license with North Perth address
Current North Perth property tax bill

Fire

The North Perth Fire Department is responding to all emergency requests as normal at this time. All other services have been suspended until further notice.

Contacts:

Fire Chief Edward Smith - email esmith@northperth.ca or call 519-291-6825 ext. 3101
Assistant Chief Jason Benn - email jbenn@northperth.ca or call 519-291-6825 ext. 3102

Finance

North Perth will resume the application of our normal tax water/sewer accounts receivable policies with regard to penalty/interest and NSF charges as of August 1, 2020.

Property tax, water/sewer and general accounts receivable (dog tags) statements will or have been mailed. Please refer to the insert included regarding details on payment options and additional fees.

The Municipal Administration Office is currently closed to in-person payments. Please use one of the following options to pay your account (be sure to include your account number):

A drop box is available at the Municipal Office at 330 Wallace Ave. N., Listowel located to the right of the front doors. We ask that you only pay with cheque/bank draft with this option. In a sealed envelope, please include your payment and payment slip to ensure payment is applied to the correct account.
Mail cheque payable to the Municipality of North Perth.
Telephone or online banking choosing the right payment option and using the right account number, if you have any question please contact 519-292-2046.
E-transfer – please contact us at 519-292-2047 for more details.
Credit card payments are also available through the North Perth website. A third-party processing charge will be applied.
Pre-Authorized Payment Plans - complete the PAD agreement form or contact the Municipal Office at 519-292-2046.

Please contact the staff below for any questions:

General Inquiries - email Nicole Noble or call 519-291-2950
Accounts receivable - email Leanne Marks or call 519-292-2047
Property taxes - email Emily Erb or call 519-292-2044
Water/sewer - email Becky Richardson or call 519-292-2046

Public Works

For inquiries or concerns related to roads, sidewalks and construction, please email Public Works or call 519-292-2067.

You can also use our online Report a Problem form to submit problems with garbage collection, wildlife, potholes, garbage dumping, streetlights, tree concerns, water/sewer issues, etc.

Parks and Recreation

Return to Play/Operation Safety Plan

As part of our Re-opening North Perth Facilities Plan, prior to booking a municipal facility, each organization or user group will complete and submit a COVID-19 Return to Play/Return to Operation Safety Plan and sign a COVID-19 waiver along with their rental contract. Please contact us for more information.

Amenities/Facilities - Opening Status and Updates

We encourage you to contact the Parks and Recreation Department if you have questions or are interested in using/renting the open amenities below. Staff will be happy to assist you in learning how to adhere to the guidelines in place.

Please review and adhere to the Amenities Assumption of Risk signage that is posted throughout our parks and outdoor recreation areas.

Amenities	Status	Notes for Use
Outdoor Public Washrooms	Open	Atwood Lion Park. Confederation Park (Monkton), Listowel Memorial Park and Listowel Kin Park Only 1 person is allowed in the washroom at a time (parents/caregivers are permitted to accompany children) Remember to wash your hands Staff are performing cleaning/disinfection procedures
Trails	Open	Maintain physical distance and avoid gathering in groups
Community Garden (Listowel)	Open	Group is following public health guidelines No guests permitted - registered gardeners only Contact the Listowel Community Garden Group for more details
Tennis/Pickleball/Basketball Courts	Open - Special Rules Apply	Maintain physical distance from those outside household Must bring and use own equipment - do not share with others not in your household Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if court is in use Adhere to posted Tennis/Pickleball and Basketball Guidelines for Use These amenities are not regularly disinfected/cleaned
Soccer Fields	Open - Special Rules Apply	Open for individual families (same household) for informal play/practice Must bring and use own equipment - do not share with others not in your household Maintain physical distance from those outside household Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if the area is in use Adhere to posted Guidelines and Assumption of Risk signage
Baseball Diamonds	Open - Special Rules Apply	Open for individual families (same household) for informal play/practice Must bring and use own equipment - do not share with others not in your household Maintain physical distance from those outside household Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if the area is in use Adhere to posted Guidelines and Assumption of Risk signage
Batting Cages	Open - Special Rules Apply	Permitted to open per Province Re-Opening Framework. Only open to baseball leagues - no public use
Skateboard Park	Open - Special Rules Apply	Maintain physical distance from those outside household Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if court is in use Adhere to posted Guidelines and Assumption of Risk signage
Bocce Ball Courts	Open - Special Rules Apply	Maintain physical distance from those outside household Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if court is in use Adhere to posted Guidelines and Assumption of Risk signage
Horse Shoe Pits	Open - Special Rules Apply	Must bring and use own equipment - do not share with others not in your household Maintain physical distance from those outside household Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if court is in use Adhere to posted Guidelines and Assumption of Risk signage
Playgrounds and Play Equipment	Open - Special Rules Apply	Maintain physical distance from those outside household Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if area is crowded Adhere to posted Playground Guidelines and Assumption of Risk signage Park amenities and playground equipment are not sanitized by staff Find playground locations on the Parks, Pavilions and Trails section of our website
Outdoor Pools	Closed	The Atwood Lions and Listowel Kinsmen Outdoor Pools will remain closed following a review of provincial restrictions, public health measures and re-opening safety guidelines. Please read the Mayor's Blog for more details on this decisions.
Splash Pad	Open - Special Rules Apply	Splash pad users are asked to review the Splash Pad Rules and Guidelines The Splash Pad hours effective August 10/20 are (subject to change): Monday to Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Greenspaces	Open	Maintain physical distance and avoid gathering in groups Adhere to posted Guidelines and Assumption of Risk signage Find park greenspace locations on the Parks, Pavilions and Trails section of our website
Picnic Tables and Benches	Open	Maintain physical distance from those outside household Avoid gathering in groups These amenities are not regularly disinfected/cleaned Adhere to posted Amenities and Assumption of Risk Signage
Pavilions, bandshell, amphitheatre	Open	Maintain physical distance from those outside your household Open for individual families (same household) to briefly take a rest, have a snack, etc. Avoid gathering in groups - come back later if areas are in use
Arenas	Open tentatively Fall 2020 - Special Rules Apply	Follow Return to Play guidelines Contact the Parks and Recreation Department by email or phone 519-292-2054 for booking details.
Community Centres/Halls	Open - Special Rules Apply	Contact the Parks and Recreation Department by email or phone 519-292-2054 for booking details.
Indoor Track	Open tentatively Fall 2020 - Special Rules Apply	The Indoor Walking Track at the Steve Kerr Memorial Complex will open on October 5th, 2020. The Walking Track will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00am-10:00am. Patrons will enter through the North Door labelled "Walking Track Entrance". Staff will be present for COVID-19 screening and tracking/tracing purposes. Please review the Walking Track Guidelines.

Provincial Return to Play Resources

The Province of Ontario has identified and compiled safety guidelines and protocols that have been independently established by leaders in the sport and recreation sector to ensure that Ontarians can safely return to play.

These resources are available to the public and to stakeholders in the sport and recreation sector, and will help Ontarians better understand how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while training, practicing and competing in sport and recreation activities.

Find more information on Ontario's Return to Play webpage.

Recreation Programs

Visit the Virtual Programming Hub page for recreation, leisure and library program/activity ideas that you can do at home.

For program inquiries, please email Kelly Broughton or call 519-292-2055. Please follow the North Perth Facebook and Twitter accounts for program and facility updates.

Library

As of Monday, June 8th, the North Perth Public Library is offering Curbside Library Services at the Atwood, Listowel and Monkton branches. Learn more about the curbside library services on the Library's section of the website.

If you have a questions, please email Library Staff or call 519-291-4621.

North Perth Public Library cardholders can also access free downloadable eBooks and Audiobooks from home via the DownLoad Library. Log in through the North Perth Public Library with your Library Cad Number and PIN. Try the App, use an eReader, or go right to the website to read on your computer. Visit the Audio and eBooks page for directions on how to get started.

Support Resources

Eat, shop and do business locally

We have been working on the below initiatives to help you support local during the pandemic and re-opening phases:

The Open for Business Directory is a general guide of what is open, closed, or operating differently during the pandemic and/or re-opening stages. Please contact the business directly for specific information. Please contact Kim Kowch if you would like to update or add your business information.
Check out our North Perth Eats Restaurant Listing. The listing is user-submitted and is intended as a general guide. Listed hours and details may not be current due to recent Provincial announcements. Please contact the business for specific or up-to-date information. To submit your restaurant or food service, please contact Kim Kowch.
Don't forget to visit our new e-commerce marketplace, ShopLocalNorthPerth.ca.

Business Owner/Operator supports

Business owners and those in the Agriculture sector are encouraged to visit the Business Support page for a listing of resources and supports, as well as online training opportunities.

Community members and organizations supports

Visit the Community Support page for listings of resources we have compiled for residents in need. If your business or organization is offering these services and you are not included on either list, please contact us at 519-291-2950 or email us.

Health related supports

Please visit the Huron Perth Public Health website for all health-related information and questions. Residents can also call the HPPH Health Line at 1-888-221-2133 ext. 3267.

Testing in Perth and Huron Counties

Are you concerned you may have been exposed to COVID-19? Or think that you may have COVID-19? If you are a resident in Huron or Perth counties, get tested by following these steps:

Step 1: Take a self-assessment available online at covid-19.ontario.ca for recommendations on what to do next, or call your doctor. If you don't have a doctor, call Huron Perth Public Health at 1-888-221-2133 ext 3267

Step 2: Your doctor, or HPPH, will set up an appointment for you at your nearest testing site.

Step 3: Go to the testing site at your appointed time.

Step 4: Return home. Self-isolate following provided instructions while you wait for results.

Step 5: Turnaround for results vary. Get your results online at: covid-19.ontario.ca. If your results do not appear online within a week, contact Huron Perth Public Health.

Step 6: If you are positive, HPPH will phone you with further directions. If you are negative but feeling sick, self-isolate until 24 hours symptom free.

Learn more on the Huron Perth Public Health website.