COLD LAKE – The City of Cold Lake is continuing to offer a helping hand to residents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Council passed a motion during a special meeting on Jan. 18 to continue with several initiatives to assist residents and businesses affected.
“Our heart goes out to those people whose businesses and careers, their dreams and livelihoods, have been put on hold due to the pandemic and the restrictions in place,” Mayor Craig Copeland said in a press release. “Our council unanimously voted to assist the public with a range of initiatives we hope can provide not only a small measure of financial relief but also the knowledge that we’re here to support our residents and businesses in these unprecedented times.”
Grants will be available for businesses to assist in offsetting some of the costs that have been incurred to stay open under COVID-19 restrictions. The bylaw established by council is a fund of $50,000 and eligible applications will be received on a first-come, first-served basis until March 31 or until the money is depleted.
Storefront businesses can apply for a $500 grant, while home-based ones can apply for a $100 grant.
Eligible businesses must hold a valid 2021 business license, be located within the City of Cold Lake, and have incurred costs up to the grant threshold. Expenses include those related to the purchase of personal protective equipment, sanitization products, or modifying their spaces in accordance with the provincial and federal COVID-19 restrictions.
Expenditures under this grant program will be recoverable to the City of Cold Lake through the province’s Municipal Operating Support Transfer (MOST), a COVID-19-related provincial grant supporting municipalities.
Council also passed a motion that will suspend the 3.5 per cent penalty on overdue utility bills for the months of February, March, and April.
The municipality will continue to invoice residents and businesses during this time, but will not process penalties on balances from these three months and will not transfer accounts over 90-days in arrears to the property’s taxes during those months.
Payments for those who make monthly instalments under the Tax Instalment Payments Plan (TIPPS) can also be deferred for February, March, and April.
“It’s important to note that the deferral doesn’t constitute a waiver of the fees,” the city stressed in a press release. “The payments will be deferred for 90 days and then the amount of the deferral will be distributed over the remaining payments of 2021. Accounts and payments with them will be adjusted once the 2021 tax rate is set in May to ensure that the total tax bill is collected by Dec. 31.”
A similar deferral was in place for April, May, and June last year. A total of 40 properties took advantage of the program, with 57 per cent being residential and 43 per cent were non-residential.
The 1.5 penalties on general accounts receivable were also waived by council for February, March, and April. Monthly invoices will continue for those three months but any penalties for three months will not be assessed to the account.
Accounts that fall under this category include transfer station fees, the Meals on Wheels program, Cold Lake Fire-Rescue Calls, and the lease of city property.
For more information, residents can call city hall at 780-594-4494 or email [email protected].
