COVID-19 updates & information

The City of Vernon has installed a number of 10-minute loading zones for curbside pick-up throughout the Downtown. These will be in place until May 31, 2021.

Curbside pick-up zones are intended for customers of nearby restaurants, retailers, and other businesses that are utilizing curbside pick-up. If you need to stay longer than 10 minutes, please park elsewhere. 

Requests for additional curbside pick-up locations on other streets in the Downtown Business Improvement Area should be emailed to eng@vernon.ca.

Curbside pick-up zones are marked by signs and their parking metres have been bagged. The exact locations can be found on the City’s interactive map.

MAP OF LOCATIONS

2020 Property Taxes: Council amended the 2020 property tax structure to provide assistance for residential property owners. The changes are as follows:

• 2020 City of Vernon property taxes are due July 2, 2020, with a 10% penalty applied to unpaid taxes as of October 1, 2020;
• An automatic, one-time municipal tax grant was established for residential property owners, equivalent to 3.2% of the municipal portion of the 2020 Property Tax Notice; and
• There will be no change in the proportion of tax revenue between property classes from 2019 to 2020.

2020 First quarter utility bills: Council waived all interest charges for the first quarterly utility billing period (which runs January to March 2020).  Utility bills for this period were mailed in April. Normally, the due date for the first quarter bill would be mid-May, after which any unpaid balances would be subject to interest charges. However, the waiving of interest charges for this period provided more time for customers to pay their bill if they needed it.  

Metered and two-hour parking: Council suspended bylaw enforcement of on-street metered and two-hour parking zones until July 1, 2020, with the exception of enforcement related to safety issues. The temporary change was intended to encourage people to use the Downtown and access businesses that remained open.

In accordance with the order of the Provincial Health Officer, members of the public are required to wear a non-medical mask to cover their mouth and nose while inside all City-operated facilities.

City Hall, the Community Services Building, Bylaw Compliance Office, Community Safety Office, and City Operations are open to the public. Apparatus has been installed in all City facilities to maintain proper physical distancing between staff and members of the public, as well as between staff members. Hand washing stations, plexiglass dividers, marked positions for queuing, and increased cleaning protocols have been put in place.

Signage has also been installed at all City facilities to provide information on COVID-19, how to practice physical distancing and reminders about how we can keep each other safe. 

Members of the public are asked to call or email instead of visiting a City facility, if possible. 

If you are sick, have been around someone who is sick, or have travelled outside the country within the last 14 days, please do not enter a City facility.

On December 7, 2020, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer (PHO) extended a health order which prohibits in-person events and community-based gatherings across the province, with the intention of helping to significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19.

As part of the PHO order, members of the public (including the media) are prohibited from attending City Council meetings and public hearings.

In accordance with this province-wide directive, the City of Vernon is reminding the public about opportunities to view Council meetings electronically and how individuals may continue to participate in upcoming public hearings, through written submissions.

The City of Vernon video records all open Council meetings and public hearings and makes them available on the City’s website. The Regular Council meeting and public hearing scheduled for December 14, 2020, will be available by Noon on December 15.

During the December 14 public hearing, City staff will make presentations on the applications before Council. All written submissions received by the Corporate Officer by 3:00 p.m. that day will be read into the record and posted on the City’s website at www.vernon.ca/publichearings. Council will then recess the meeting until January 11, 2021.

In response to the health order, the City has temporarily extended the public hearing process to provide an opportunity for individuals to view the meeting online, view the written submissions regarding the applications, and provide additional written comment prior to the January 11 meeting. Written comments must be received by the Corporate Officer by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 7, 2021. Written submissions can be emailed to phearings@vernon.ca.

The City will continue this process until the Provincial Health Officer rescinds or amends the order to allow in-person attendance at public hearings again.

On March 26, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General announced that under section 9 (1) of the Emergency Program Act, Bylaw enforcement officers are to provide assistance “as may be required for the purposes of enforcing public health orders.”

According to the Order, the assistance provided by Bylaw officers may include:

• Monitoring facilities and areas closed to the public by a public health order;
• Providing warnings, information and advice to businesses and members of the public in respect of public health orders, including warnings to businesses and members of the public who may be acting in contravention of a public health order;
• Providing health officers with information in respect of potential contraventions of a public health order.

Under the Order, Bylaw officers are not authorized to:

• Detain an individual as a result of a contravention or suspected contravention of a public health order, or
• Issue a fine or penalty, including an administrative penalty, under the Public Health Act.

If Bylaw officers observe a possible contravention of a public health order (such as a large gathering of people), they may provide members of the public with education and verbal warnings, but then must report the possible contravention to the Provincial Health Authority for any further action.

Further details on Ministerial Order No. M082 are available here: http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/mo/mo/2020_m082.

In-person, City sponsored public engagement events have been cancelled until further notice. 

We encourage you to visit our online public engagement hub, www.engagevernon.ca, to learn about current engagement opportunities and upcoming projects. 

In recognition of current provincial COVID-19 guidelines for physical distancing, Council has approved temporary measures for businesses to expand commercial uses into adjacent public spaces.

Until October 31, 2021, businesses located within the downtown Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) are able to expand their business operations onto sidewalks. Between March 1 - October 31, 2021, businesses located in the BIAs are also able to use a single on-street parking stall to create pop-up patios or for retail use. 

Further, businesses throughout the city that have adjacent private parking lots are allowed to expand their commercial uses in up to 25% of their required parking spaces until October 31, 2021.

Businesses are required to enter into a Use Agreement with the City and follow a set of guidelines, but will not need to get a permit or pay a fee.

Use of public parking spaces and sidewalks 

Process for using public parking space or sidewalks:

1. Download and review guidelines
2. Complete Licence of Occupation, including site plan (not table layout just an outline of space to be used)
3. Submit Licence of Occupation, site plan and proof of insurance by email to buildingcounter@vernon.ca or in person at the Community Services Building 

• Guidelines
• Licence of Occupation

Use of private parking lots

Process for use of private parking lots:

1. Download and review guidelines
2. Complete Use Agreement, including site plan (not table layout just an outline of space to be used)
3. Submit use Agreement and site plan by email to buildingcounter@vernon.ca or in person at the Community Services Building 

• Guidelines
• Use Agreement

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce is helping local businesses find resources and build connections to navigate the impacts of COVID-19. The Chamber is part of the #NOKTogether hub and Vision North Okanagan, and is a partner in programs such as RELAUNCH Vernon and #OKwegotthis.