In response to financial challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the District of Summerland has made the difficult decision to reduce both management exempt and union staffing levels across the organization this week. In order to assist with supporting key areas of our community in the short and long term, the District has also reorganized its structure to better prepare for the remainder of 2020 and aid in supporting its residents, businesses and development community through 2021 and beyond. “We have an incredibly talented and dedicated team at the District and while these decisions are extremely difficult to make, our revised organization structure focuses on a financially sustainable future,” stated the District’s Chief Administrative Officer, Anthony Haddad.   The following organization changes have been made, impacting both management exempt and union positions across all departments: The District has: • permanently released three (3) full-time Management employees. • temporarily laid off released eleven (11) permanent part-time Aquatic Centre employees. • issued temporary lay-off notice to a total of twelve (12) full-time employees across District departments. • decided not to fill two (2) new positions approved through the 2020 Budget at this time. • undertaken a number of other organizations changes and restructuring. 
 
A total of twenty-eight (28) existing permanent full time and part time positions were impacted by these changes. The majority of changes being are for a short-term basis, with the hope that they will return to work once business can return to normal. “Like any business, the District of Summerland’s operations and organizational structure rely on revenues from our customers—business licences, development fees, utility payments, property taxes, user fees and much more,” stated the District’s Mayor Toni Boot. “The global COVID-19 crisis will have a significant impact on the District’s operations and our community, resulting in the need to reduce costs to meet revised revenue projections. In addition to the organizational changes, senior management has identified reductions in capital projects. Council plans to use the resulting surplus to reduce the financial burden being experienced by Summerland residents and businesses.”