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Sooke council awaits direction from province, agendas limited by social distancing

Municipal hall closed its doors to the public March 16, limiting what council meetings can include
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Sooke Municipal Hall is closed to the public to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, but most municipal services are still running. (Kevin Laird - Sooke News Mirror)

Sooke council is waiting to hear from the province with hopes of lessened restrictions to its agendas.

On March 16, Sooke Municipal Hall closed to the public to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Currently, council meetings are held online to support social distancing measures.

Committees are not allowed to meet under the current restrictions, and public hearings are also not permitted, so council is limited on what it can include on the agenda each week.

Chief Administrative Officer Norm McInnis says the district expects to hear from the province this week about what to expect moving forward.

“Hopefully the order will give the ability to widen the agenda, and give direction on the process moving forward to convene public hearings again,” McInnis said, noting council will likely have to wait until social distancing measures are lifted to resume public hearings.

Lately the main focuses of council has been on financial planning and affairs to do with COVID-19.

RELATED: Sooke Municipal Hall closed to stem spread of coronavirus

Until municipal hall is able to reopen its doors, the district encourages residents to continue providing input to council by reaching out through email.

“The District of Sooke believes that public participation is a fundamental tenet of democracy and leads to better informed decision-making. Council wishes to hear from the public on issues that are important to them and encourages residents to comment on upcoming agenda items,” the District of Sooke states on its website.

Meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of every month at 7 p.m. To view agendas or watch council meetings visit sooke.ca. To share any questions or concerns with the district email info@sooke.ca.

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