You may notice it’s taking a lot longer these days for crews to cut grass around the city.
That’s because of workforce reductions and adjustments to operational services related to COVID-19.
Outgoing City Manager Jodi Meli says public operations has had to prioritize things differently and change they way they do their work.
That means Lethbridge residents may notice things like grass cutting is taking longer, fewer potholes are being filled, and longer wait times for other services.
Due to the pandemic, close to 300 temporary city workers have been laid off.
“By making these changes to some of our non-essential services, we can be fiscally responsible and still ensure the safety of our staff and the community we serve,” says Meli. “I know these changes may inconvenience some of our residents but we are constantly evaluating the level of services we can safely provide.”
Meli is asking people to be patient as the city keeps resources focused on critical and essential services right now.