2020-04-07 9:08:53 AM

Since our last update to you, AMCTO has continued to work on identifying and implementing actions that take into account the health and well-being of the Association, AMCTO Staff and our many members and customers. In making our decisions we have maintained a positive outlook while also continuing to be mindful of the most recent recommendations and direction from federal and provincial public health authorities. Today, we want to update you on some decisions made and actions being implemented that will impact our planned activities over the next couple of months.
 
AMCTO Annual Conference 2020
 
Acknowledging that proceeding with the 2020 conference in mid-June would not be possible, we have examined the alternatives available and have now made the difficult decision to cancel our annual conference for 2020.
 
A separate communication is being sent to all those individuals who have already registered.
 
While the Association is saddened that Conference 2020 will not be proceeding, we look forward to planning and delivering our 2021 Conference in Niagara Falls.
 
AMCTO Education & Learning Events – May & June 2020
 
Any AMCTO in-person education and learning events for the month of May and June which have not already been postponed are now postponed and will be rescheduled to a later date and/or delivered in an alternate format.
 
We will be communicating directly with the individuals affected by these postponements to discuss the options available to them.
 
AMCTO Education & Learning Events Previously Postponed
 
The Association is currently working on rescheduling various events from March and April that were previously postponed. This includes the following:

• The 2020 Municipal Clerks Forum now being offered as a livestreamed event on September 25^th 2020
• The 2020 Municipal Leaders Forum now being offered as a livestreamed event on October 9^th 2020

In addition, we have begun to offer some previously scheduled in-person Education courses and Professional Development workshops in a web-based format. While our initial focus has been on individuals who had previously registered for these courses and workshops, we will be exploring the opportunity to offer more of these web-based events in the months ahead.
 
COVID-19 Oriented Resources for AMCTO Members
 
Recognizing that the access to timely and relevant information is useful to our members during this current situation but also being mindful of not wanting to flood email in-boxes with duplicative information, AMCTO has taken the following actions to-date:

• Provided regular posts through our AMCTO Policy Blog to update members on new government directives, legislation and regulations regarding COVID-19. Subscribers to the Blog receive e-mail notifications about these posts which can also be found on the AMCTO homepage.
• Launched a COVID-19 Resource page on the AMCTO website which provides links to relevant and useful information from the federal and provincial government, other municipally-oriented organizations, etc.
• Announced a free webinar on April 8^th regarding Electronic Council Meetings to provide for information sharing on approaches, best practices and lessons learned.

If there are other resources or information that you think would be helpful to you, please don’t hesitate to contact the Association.
 
Looking Ahead
 
Although the AMCTO office continues to be closed, AMCTO Staff are accessible via e-mail and voicemail to respond to your inquiries.
 
At this time, all other AMCTO events not specifically mentioned above remain scheduled as planned. Registrations for all of these events will continue to be received and processed. However, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and will notify you of any other changes to our schedule of events should they become necessary.
 
Thank you for your patience and understanding and for all the work that you are doing to help your municipality deliver the services that your residents continue to need during this unprecedented time for all of us.