IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
LTR_COVID Contingency Planning and OnWARN_20220107
Free webinar: Management System Changes Anticipated Resulting from COVID-19
Management System Changes Anticipated Resulting from COVID-19
You are invited to attend a free webinar workshop, hosted by the Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA).
WHEN: Thursday, May 21, 2020 – 11:00 A.M.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This free webinar workshop is intended for management system representatives, compliance coordinators, members of top management, leadership team members, utility operators, and technical staff.
Continue reading “Free webinar: Management System Changes Anticipated Resulting from COVID-19”
Webinar: Navigating Through the Financial Impact of Covid-19
You are invited to attend a free webinar, hosted by the Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA):
Navigating Through the Financial Impact of Covid-19
WHEN: Friday, May 8, 2020 – 11:00 A.M.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS FREE WEBINAR: This webinar will be of significant interest to council members, CAOs, treasurers and senior water and wastewater managers of municipalities/utilities who have seen a significant drop in their water and wastewater revenues and have concerns about the financial challenges associated with the COVID -19 emergency. This is an opportunity to listen to and ask questions of the Managing Partner of one of Canada’s leading economic consulting firms.
Please register in advance for this webinar via the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rKaVL50GRoavaD0bBx8p1A
Once you have registered you will receive a confirmation email within 12 hours containing instructions on how to join the webinar.
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COVID -19 and its associated control measures are having a significant impact on Ontario’s people, businesses, and institutions. Municipalities are no exception. All orders of government are being asked to demonstrate leadership and provide relief and stability to citizens while continuing to provide vital services. Many municipalities are looking at options to provide ratepayers with financial relief through billing deferrals, suspension of interest and penalties on overdue receivables, delays or reductions of development charge payments, etc. All of these actions, come with potential future financial implications and decisions.
The OMWA is hosting this informative webinar to provide helpful guidance on some options for expenditure and revenue management along with a discussion of the short/medium term impacts that these options may have on the water/wastewater utility.
Topic areas include:
- expenditure policy options
- rethinking your reserve funds
- short-term/long-term debt considerations
- rate reductions
- financial implications, and more.
Gary Scandlan is the Managing Partner and Director of Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. Gary has over 40 years of experience with capital and operating budgeting, water/wastewater/stormwater rate setting, development charges, and long-range financial planning. Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. Is one of Canada’s leading economic consulting firms. Established in 1982, they offer a comprehensive range of financial planning and policy services to clients in government throughout Ontario and other provinces of Canada.
Once again, participation in this webinar is free, but space is limited. Register as soon as possible. If you have questions, feel free to ask and provide those in writing to us prior to Wednesday, May 6, at 4:00 p.m.
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Webinar Host – Michael Mortimer (President, OMWA)
Webinar Speaker – Gary Scandlan, Managing Partner and Director, Watson & Associates Economists Ltd.
Emergencies declared by Ontario municipalities
Municipalities with states of emergency
The Province of Ontario enacted a state of emergency March 17 and updated it on March 28 with new restrictions. On March 30 the period was extended for 14 days and then on April 14 for an additional 28 days. On April 23, the province announced all emergency orders put in place under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act will remain in effect until at least May 6, including the closure of all non-essential businesses and services. Updates here.
As of April 24, 2020, the following Ontario communities or municipalities have also declared local states of emergency or enacted emergency measures due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic:
Amherstburg
Arran-Elderslie
Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation (borders closed)
Atikokan
Barrie
Bayham
Billings Twp, Manitoulin Is.
Bonfield
Bradford West Gwillimbury
Brampton
Brant Cty
Brantford
Brock Twp
Brockton
Bruce Cty
Burlington
Cambridge
Carlow/Mayo Twp
Central Elgin
Central Frontenac
Centre Wellington
Chatham-Kent
Clarington
Cobourg
Cornwall
Continue reading “Emergencies declared by Ontario municipalities”
Online discussion: Successful Continuity of Water & Wastewater Services During the COVID-19 Emergency
The Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA) and the Water & Wastewater Regulatory Compliance Group (WWRCG) are once again collaborating to deliver a free fully-interactive event to discuss: “Positioning Your Organization for Successful Continuity of Water & Wastewater Services During the COVID-19 Emergency.”
This one-hour, online event is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 9, 2020.
The event will feature a fully interactive “discussion room” format and the number of participants will be limited and limited to one registration per municipalities/utilities.
The OMWA and WWRCG have developed an online questionnaire consisting of several questions on various COVID-19 water & wastewater related operational issues that each association has identified based on input from our respective members.
After you register, you will receive a registration confirmation email within 8 hours and a link to the online questionnaire that will be the foundation for the event discussions. We would suggest that each municipality/utility coordinate their registration and their response. Participants will be expected to complete the Poll questionnaire by 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 8th. The data from the completed questionnaire will then be compiled and presented on Thursday at 11:00 by our moderators, OMWA President Mike Mortimer, Justyna Burkiewicz from WWRCG and Laura Smit, OMWA Board Director.
Our registrants will then be welcome to discuss results, ask follow-up questions, provide further clarification or to voice their thoughts and opinions during the event to the benefit of all participants.
Once again, participation in this free fully interactive “discussion room” is limited, so register as soon as possible. Please register as a municipality/utility and be sure to submit your answers and feel free to ask any other specific questions you may have before Wednesday, April 8 at 4:00 p.m.
To register in advance for this webinar, click here.
Webinar Moderators:
Michael Mortimer (President, OMWA)
Justyna Burkiewicz (Member of WWRCG), (Manager, Water & Wastewater Regulatory Compliance, Peel Region)
Laura Smit, (Board Member, OMWA), (Board Member, WCWC), ( Superintendent of Water Treatment and Supply, City of Orillia)
This one-hour event will feature a fully interactive “discussion room” format and the number of participants will be limited and limited to one registration per municipality/utility.
Disclaimer: Registrants acknowledge that this webinar may be recorded and may be shared online with participants and non-participants. Participant comments or questions my be included in the recording.
Webinar cancelled
The OMWA and The Water & Wastewater Regulatory Compliance Group regret to inform you that late yesterday afternoon we were advised by a representative of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) that they were unable to present today at the scheduled 11:00 a.m. webinar.
We will continue collaborating with MECP and we remain hopeful that we will be able to reschedule and provide all Ontario’s water & wastewater professionals a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory processes during the COVID-19 emergency.
COVID-19 Webinar files uploaded
The OMWA has uploaded the video and slide show from Friday’s webinar on COVID-19 and Its Impact on Water/Wastewater utilities. You can download the video here (your browser may also allow you to view it online):
And download or view the slide presentation from Stantec here:
UPDATE: A PDF of the questions and answers from the webinar has also been uploaded. Click here to get a copy.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this event. The OMWA plans to host other educational webinars and events to address this and related issues in the future.