Council actions COVID-19 recovery task force work plans

Today, Council approved three task force work plans that will guide Strathcona County’s short, medium and long-term COVID-19 recovery efforts. The workforce plans go into effect immediately and completion is targeted for March 31, 2021.

“These three task forces will be collectively harnessing our community’s most valuable asset: knowledge. Over the next nine months, the task forces will invite conversations from subject matter experts on a variety of topics including citizen and community support, economic resilience and diversification as well as overall governance approaches to lessen the burden of COVID-19 on the people who live and work in Strathcona County,” says Mayor Rod Frank. “This informed, action-focused approach will position our community as a leader in COVID-19 recovery and resiliency.”

The Citizen and Community Support Task Force’s work focuses on four areas to assist the County in advancing the well-being, safety and resilience of all community members during COVID-19: listening and learning (data collection and needs identification), advocacy and awareness (ambassadors to increase awareness and need for social supports), policy and legislative frameworks (eliminate access barriers) and communication and coordination (keep community informed of progress).

The Economic Resilience and Vision Task Force’s work focuses on five areas to assist the County in supporting business, industry and the local economy through COVID-19: stabilization (engaging stakeholders to understand businesses’ pressure points and levers to support stabilization), advocacy (amplifying businesses and industry needs to the provincial and federal governments), policy and legislative frameworks (explore policy options that support economic diversification and business investment), communication and awareness (champion business and industry adaptation to COVID-19 impacts), general task force business (subject matter experts, stakeholder engagement).

The Recovery Governance Task Force’s work focuses on four areas to assist the County in working with other orders of government to recover from COVID-19: research and learning (best practices review including emergency response efforts, public health and safety practices and political advocacy), regional cooperation (knowledge sharing, co-operative opportunities, governance in “new normal”), advocacy (explore in-person and digital public engagement opportunities).

On May 6, 2020, Council approved three new bylaws supporting the creation of task forces to guide the community’s short, medium and long-term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. These task forces, established at the direction of Council to engage the community in helping the county develop an overall strategy, will focus on three areas of recovery: governance, economic resilience, and citizen and community support. Each task force is allocated $50,000 to complete its work.

For more information about the task forces call 780-464-8123.

Set in the centre of Alberta’s energy and agricultural heartland, Strathcona County is a thriving, successful and vibrant community of over 98,000 residents. Strathcona County is made up of the urban area of Sherwood Park and a large adjacent rural area of farms, acreages and smaller hamlets. It is home to 75 per cent of hydrocarbon processing in Western Canada. Strathcona County is a leader in environmental conservation, and 55 per cent of its land is within the UNESCO Beaver Hills Biosphere. With a focus on economic, governance, social, cultural and environmental sustainability, Strathcona County is committed to balancing the unique needs of its diverse community.

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Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595