The City of Rigaud has responded to comply with public health standards with regard to Covid-19. However, it also had to go into action mode with the coming of spring and the possibility of flooding in its territory.
The mayor of Rigaud, Hans Gruenwald, was aware from day one of the Covid-19 crisis that he might have to deal with flooding in addition to the virus. According to the mayor, the city was not in a vacuum to intervene either. A response plan was drawn up following the floods of 2017 and 2019.
“Flood management is less dramatic than in previous years, says Gruenwald. More than a hundred houses were destroyed because they were flooded too often. These are less citizens and infrastructure in a flood zone.”
The City of Rigaud remains on the lookout for the level of the Ottawa River for this year and confirms that its plan is in place to respond to possible flooding.
Management of the pandemic
The mayor believes that the City of Rigaud has risen to the challenge by helping the population as best it can and by listening to the provincial and federal governments. Mr. Gruenwald emphasizes that he was not very vocal in the management of the pandemic in the city, because he wanted to make way for Prime Minister Legault.
“The golden rule since March 2020 has been to listen to François Legault, said the mayor of Rigaud. There are so many changes to the rules all the time that I didn’t want to mix my voice with this brouhaha. The citizens are already confused and if they call to the city, they will be supported and guided without a problem. I just believe that as mayor I didn’t have to position myself on all the rules in place.”
He goes on to congratulate Mr. Legault for his management of the pandemic. Hans Gruenwald having already dealt with the flood crisis in 2017 and 2019, can just imagine the magnitude of the task that the Prime Minister has had to accomplish for a year now.
Mayor Gruenwald is also proud of his track record in managing public finances. He congratulates the city’s permanent employees who have masterfully maneuvered the finances in these troubled times.
“For residential, people have received a freeze or a slight increase of up to 1.2% depending on the sectors of the city, explains the chief magistrate of Rigaud. This is a small price to pay compared to previous years, as we were able to pay the expenses due to the 2019 floods and keep the public finances in good shape. I would like to point out that 80% of our budget is irreducible and leaves very little room for maneuver.”
