City Hall to temporarily close to reduce risk of Covid-19 community spread

To help slow the spread of COVID-19, the City of Brantford has taken additional health and safety measures resulting in the following service delivery modifications:

Brantford City Hall

As the health and safety of our employees and residents continues to guide our decision-making processes during our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Corporation of the City of Brantford has made the difficult but appropriate decision to close City Hall to the public following this evening’s Brantford City Council meeting, March 24, 2020, until at least April 5, 2020. 

As the situation continues to evolve, this temporary shutdown is an opportunity for the City to lead by example and do our part to control the spread of COVID-19 in our community. 

While the doors of City Hall will be closed to the public, City staff are still working very hard; not only responding to the pandemic and preparing for the potential of community spread but also to continue delivering City programs and services, several of which are considered essential. 

During the temporary closure of City Hall, the public can alternatively access the following in person services as follows:

 Brantford Transit Service - Rear Door Access Only (March 25 to April 13th, 2020)

Transit will be implementing rear door access only for all buses beginning Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in order to support social distancing and reduce the risk to the transit operators. During this period, riders will not be expected to pay fares, however, transit operators will be enforcing a maximum of 15 passengers per bus and only allow people with accessible needs to continue to load from the front door. Staff continues to encourage riders to only use transit when necessary and to practice social distancing when on board. This process will remain in effect until further notice.

Building, Development Engineering and Planning Department Services

During the closure of City Hall, applications and correspondence relating to the activities of the Building Department, Planning Department and the Development Engineering Division of the Engineering Services Department can be submitted to the City of Brantford using the following methods:

Email

o   Building Permits and Site Alteration Permits

For small and less complex applications relating to structures such as a pool, deck or shed, please email building@brantford.ca and sitealt@brantford.ca for an initial review and follow up from City Staff on how to finalize the permit process. Please note that these drawings are limited to a maximum size of 11” X 17”.

o   Planning applications can be emailed directly to jmuto@brantford.ca. The maximum file size for emailed submissions cannot exceed 20 MB. Upon receipt, staff will review and confirm the required fee so that the application process can commence.

City Hall Drop Box

o   The City has a drop box that is located at the front door of City Hall. Please note, the capacity for this drop box is limited and in general, it can only accommodate packages with a maximum size of 8.5" X 11" and approximately 1 inch thick.

Canada Post

o   Mail to: The Corporation of the City of Brantford, 100 Wellington Square, N3T 2M2 PO Box 818

Courier

o   Please check with your chosen courier company to verify that they will drop off materials at City Hall. Not all companies are delivering to the destination.

While the Building Department has suspended interior inspections of occupied residences at this time, permit holders requiring inspections should continue to contact Building Department staff so that inspections can be completed using Face Time live video, recorded video, photos or through a Professional Engineer’s report. The permit holder will also be advised that the Building Inspector will confirm the specifics of what will be required for approval as each project is unique.

Operational Services Permits

The City will continue to accept the following Operational Services Permit applications:

• Road Occupancy Permit (ROP)

Please submit applications by email to roadclosures@brantford.ca, or by mail to The Corporation of the City of Brantford, 100 Wellington Square, N3T 2M2 PO Box 818, or by using the mail drop box at City Hall, also located at 100 Wellington Square. All payments must be delivered through mail/courier or drop box by cheque. All applications and permit requirements can be found on the City's Website.

• Street Excavation (Utility Cut)

Please submit applications by email to, streetcutpermitapplication@brantford.ca, or by mail to The Corporation of the City of Brantford, 100 Wellington Square, N3T 2M2 PO Box 818, or by using the mail drop box at City Hall, also located at 100 Wellington Square. Any required security deposits or payments must be delivered through mail/courier or drop box by cheque. All applications and permit requirements can be found on the City's Website.

• Driveway Permit

Please submit applications by email to pwadmin@brantfrord.ca, or by mail to The Corporation of the City of Brantford, 100 Wellington Square, N3T 2M2 PO Box 818, or by using the mail drop box at City Hall, also located at 100 Wellington Square. Any required security deposits or payments must be delivered through mail/courier or drop box by cheque All applications and permit requirements can be found at the City's Website.

Please be aware, that although applications continue to be accepted, applicants are advised that there will be delays in standard processing times.  We thank you for your patience during these unprecedented times.

Market Centre Parkade (59 Icomm Drive) 

The City of Brantford will be offering free parking at the Market Centre Parkade starting Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Security services and maintenance of the facility will continue unchanged. Additional cleaning measures have been put in place in response to the COVID-19 crisis.  All gates will be kept open and we continue to ask patrons to be mindful of Provincial guidelines for their health and safety during the pandemic. This process will remain in effect until further notice.

Brantford Mohawk Street Landfill Site

Effective Wednesday, March 25, 2020, cash will not be accepted at the Brantford Mohawk Street Landfill Site. Visitors will still be permitted to pay through debit, VISA, MasterCard and landfill accounts (American Express is not accepted). Access to the Public Drop Off Area at the Landfill Site will be limited to 15 vehicles at a time to ensure social distancing requirements can be practiced. Users are to expect some possible delays in service. This process will remain in effect until further notice.

Garbage and Recycling Curbside Collection

While garbage and recycling collection are continuing as normal, we ask residents to keep two metres (six feet) of social distancing from collectors. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Customer Contact Center at 519-759-4150. 

Swim Registration

The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre Spring Swim Registration scheduled for April 1, 2020 will be postponed. The Centre will provide a new registration date once non-essential services resume to the City. 

Social Distancing 

In order to decrease transmission of COVID-19, all residents are reminded to practice social distancing. This involves taking steps to minimize close contact with others, including:

• Avoiding crowded places and non-essential gatherings
• Avoiding common greetings, such as handshakes
• Limiting contact with people at higher risk (e.g. older adults and those in poor health)
• Keeping a distance of at least two arms lengths (approximately two metres or six feet) from others, as much as possible

Please be mindful of the members of our community who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Social distancing is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of illness during an outbreak.

Additional Information

In order to maintain access to essential services, there is potential for additional service modifications as the situation evolves. The City will communicate any additional service modifications in order to best address the needs of the Brantford community.

For additional updates regarding City programs and services, and the continuity of essential services visit the City’s Facebook and Twitter pages and brantford.ca/Covid-19.