MORE TIME
This year, the Municipality is spreading out the two tax bills as much as possible to provide relief for those who are out of work or facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

EXTENDED DUE DATES
The interim tax bill will be issued May 1, 2020 and payment will not be due until July 31, 2020
The next water bill will be issued in April 2020 and payment will not be due until July 31, 2020

NO INTEREST CHARGES
Effective immediately, the Municipality will not be charging interest on all tax and water accounts. Interest will resume for the month of July for those accounts not paid by July 31st, 2020.

QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about your property tax or water bills, Municipal staff can be reached through the general office at 902-678-6141 or 1-888-337-2999 or by emailing inquiry@countyofkings.ca.

With the rapidly rising use of sanitizing and disposable wipes amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Municipality of the County of Kings reminds residents and businesses of the importance of NOT flushing wipes of any sort- including those labelled “Flushable” or “Biodegradable”.

We are already seeing impacts on our municipal sewer system due to the increase in usage of these and other products. Pump Stations are being blocked and disabled and the only way to clear the obstruction is to physically handle the pump and remove the sewer debris by hand.

This unnecessary action puts you, your home and/or business at risk of a sewer backup. It is also an avoidable and unpleasant use of resources. The Municipality of the County of Kings thanks our staff for their continued efforts in keeping municipal services and infrastructure functioning. We ask the public to please do your part and keep wipes and products of all sorts out of the sewer system.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many buildings have been closed for an extended period of time which can result in stagnant water in waterlines. The Municipality of the County of Kings wishes to advise the public of the impact of stagnant water.

With little or no water running through building water pipes and fixtures for an extended period of time, bacteria such as Legionella is more likely to proliferate. Stagnant water conditions can result in discolored water, lower chlorine levels and higher concentrations of heavy metals like lead and copper.

Fresh water should be drawn into building water systems and stagnant water completely flushed out before they are reopened by running taps for a minimum of 15 minutes and flushing toilets. It’s important to note, however, that each building’s water systems are unique. Building owners and operators should be aware of information provided by Nova Scotia Environment and/or their water utility.

Moving forward, we will not be conducting on site inspections due to emergency measures in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Municipality is however, requesting that you please contact us for information regarding our new alternate inspection requirements.

Permit applications and applications for subdivision approval are still being accepted via email, mail, or the available drop off box located at the Municipal Office.

Permit and subdivision application forms are available here. If you have questions on what information should be included with your application, please feel free to contact us at:

Phone: 902-690-6152 - Building and Development Services voicemail. Please leave a detailed message, calls will be returned promptly during regular business hours.

Email: inspections@countyofkings.ca

All Fire Inspections have been postponed until further notice. If you want to report an immediate Life/Fire Safety matter please contact us.

Fire Line contact 902-690-6157

For any By-Law Enforcement matters please contact 902-690-6157

We appreciate your understanding and we will do our best to accommodate all customers on a case by case basis.

While Nova Scotia is under a declared state of emergency, the Municipality’s Water & Wastewater staff are not to enter homes while any other person(s) are inside (single unit or duplexes)

• Our staff are not healthcare experts so we don’t want to ask our team to try and determine who may or may not be sick or risk unnecessary exposure.

The planned work is to be discussed over the phone or email in advance, agree for residents to come out once staff arrive, and have our staff travel directly to the area of required work as agreed to with the resident.

Municipal staff shall discuss with the resident the need to maintain social distancing before arriving on site (via phone or email)

For Multi-unit (apartments), coordination is to be made with the landlord or superintendent to have an isolated travel path arranged for requiring entry into a building.

Our staff are not to travel together in the same vehicle to a site.

Staff members working together on site are deemed to be working as essential services and are expected to maintain social distancing when possible but not to deviate from Standard Operating Procedures to complete tasks safely together.

Increases in cleaning supplies (wipes, sanitizers, soaps) have been made available for pre and post work

After consultation with other Municipal units in the Kings Region, and the Province of Nova Scotia, the Municipality of the County of Kings wishes to advise the public all Municipally owned parks, playgrounds, beaches and trails in the Municipality of the County of Kings shall remain closed with the exception of the Harvest Moon Trail.

Harvest Moon Trail users are reminded of the following:

• Practice social distancing – use the Harvest Moon Trail alone or with members of your household.
• Access should be very localized. Trail users should walk, cycle, wheelchair, etc. to the trail. Parking at trail heads is prohibited until further notice.
• The Harvest Moon Trail runs through 4 municipalities in the Kings Region: The Municipality of the County of Kings and the Towns of Wolfville, Kentville, and Berwick. Trail users are encouraged to check the status of the trail with their local municipality before accessing the Harvest Moon Trail.
• All Nova Scotians have a moral and legal obligation to fully adhere to the advice of the Chief Medical Officer.

The Municipality urges residents and businesses to practice principles of self-isolation as much as possible and social-distancing always. The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic is a severe public health event and appropriate precautions must be taken seriously by everyone to ensure continued health and safety of our communities.

Please note: Silver Lake is closed to the public until further notice and will not be stocked for the time being.

Grants (https://www.countyofkings.ca/grants)
Council has decided to extend the application deadline for programs closing April 1 to now close on June 1st, 2020.

Program Name	2020/21 Application Deadline
Park, Playground, and Trail Maintenance and Development (PPT M&D)	Apr-01 *EXTENDED TO JUNE 1, 2020
Youth Travel Assistance Program (YTAP)	Apr 01 *EXTENDED TO JUNE 1, 2020, July 01, Oct 01, & Jan 01
Community Recreation Programming Assistance (CRPA)	Feb-01 *EXTENDED TO Feb 14, 2020
Community Festivals and Special Events (CFSE)	Feb-01 *EXTENDED TO Feb 14, 2020
Councillor Grants to Organizations (CGTO)	Jun-01
Community Hall Assistance Program (CHAP)	Apr-01 *EXTENDED TO JUNE 1, 2020
Kings Vision Grant (VISION GRANTS)	Apr-01 *EXTENDED TO JUNE 1, 2020

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Amie Johnstone at your convenience at grants@countyofkings.ca

Provincial Support for Nova Scotians

https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/#support

Support for individuals and families

The province has made the following announcements to help vulnerable Nova Scotians:

Worker Emergency Bridge Fund
This fund supports people who are self-employed or laid-off who don’t qualify for Employment Insurance. Read more in the “Support for businesses” section on this page.

Income assistance
Every individual and family member on income assistance will receive an additional $50 starting Friday, 20 March. People do not need to apply.

We’re also extending the hours of our toll-free line for income assistance supports, including weekends. If you have questions about eligibility for income assistance, call:

Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm - 1-877-424-1177

Monday to Friday 4:30pm to 7pm - 1-833-722-1417
Saturday 8:30am to 4:30pm
Sunday 10am to 2pm

Feed Nova Scotia and community food banks
We're giving $1 million to help Feed Nova Scotia purchase food and hire more staff, and $55,000 to support 12 smaller community food banks.

Cell phones for the most vulnerable
Government is partnering with Telus to provide 100 phones and calling plans to the most vulnerable Department of Community Services clients who have no other means of communication, and who may be self-isolated and alone.

Transition houses
We’re giving $200,000 to support transition houses and other organizations that serve vulnerable women and children.

Suspending student loan payments
Nova Scotia Student Loan payments are suspended until 30 September 2020. You don't need to make any payments, and your loans won't accrue interest. The suspension is automatic – you don't need to apply.

Support for seniors

Community Links and Seniors’ Safety Programs are programs that respond to the needs of vulnerable older adults across the province. Government is investing $230,000 in these programs to expand their capacity to provide more supports and services like:

• volunteers for delivering groceries
• technological options for keeping people connected by phone
• responding to other social issues as they emerge

If you need non-emergency, non-medical help, call 211 or visit ns.211.ca. 211 is a toll free helpline that connects you to community and social services in your area. This toll free helpline is available 24/7 in over 140 languages.

If you are accepting help from someone you don’t know, please remember to protect your own privacy and safety and follow these tips.

Keeping long-term care residents connected
We’re distributing 800 iPads to long-term care homes across the province so residents can connect with family and friends.

Support for businesses

Government has made these announcements to support businesses:

Commercial rent deferral
To support small and medium-sized businesses, landlords are encouraged to defer rent payments from their commercial tenants for 3 months, spreading the deferred rent amount over the rest of the lease term.

If you’re deferring rent because your tenant’s business is closed due to the Health Protection Act order, you could be eligible for coverage (up to a maximum of $50,000 per landlord and $15,000 per tenant) if you can’t recover the deferred rent.

To be eligible for the COVID-19 Small Business Rental Deferral Guarantee Program, landlords must register with the Department of Business by 3 April by emailing NSRentDeferral@novascotia.ca:

• landlord’s legal name
• for each deferral agreement:
  • business’s legal name
  • business’s address
  • total dollar amount of rent being deferred for the period of 1 April to 30 June 2020

The rent deferral agreement must be in place by 1 April.

For more information read the COVID-19 Rent Deferral Support Program guidelines (PDF 188 kB).

You can use one of these forms to document the deferral agreement with your tenant.

• Rent Deferral Agreement – Gross Lease (PDF 206 kB)
• Rent Deferral Agreement – Net Lease (PDF 206 kB)

Worker Emergency Bridge Fund
We’re contributing $20 million to help self-employed people and laid-off workers who don’t qualify for Employment Insurance. Government will provide a one-time payment of $1,000 to bridge the gap between layoffs and closures and the federal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit

Small Business Impact Grant
Through this new $20-million program, eligible small businesses and social enterprises will receive a grant of 15 per cent of their revenue from sales, either from April 2019 or February 2020, up to a maximum of $5,000. This flexible, one-time, upfront grant can be used for any purpose necessary

Funding for both programs will come from a new $50 million fund administered by Dalhousie University.

Changes to payments

• Government will defer payments until June 30 for all government loans, including those under the Farm Loan Board, Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board, Jobs Fund, Nova Scotia Business Fund, Municipal Finance Corp. and Housing Nova Scotia.
• Government will defer payments until June 30 for small business renewal fees, including business registration renewal fees and workers compensation premiums (a list of fees will be posted online early next week).
• Changes to the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, administered through credit unions, include deferring principal and interest payments until June 30, enhancing the program to make it easier for businesses to access credit up to $500,000, and for those who might not qualify for a loan, government will guarantee the first $100,000.
• Small businesses which do business with the government will be paid within five days instead of the standard 30 days.

Measures for restaurants Starting 30 March, restaurants can include alcohol purchases with take-out and delivery orders, as long as the alcohol cost is no more than 3 times the value of food ordered.

Funding for high-speed internet We’re providing providing $15 million as an incentive to providers to speed up projects under the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative and complete them as soon as possible.

COVID-19 employer assessment tool Some businesses must close under the Health Protection Act order. Others can remain open if they meet certain requirements. Use the COVID-19 employer assessment tool to see what your business needs to do.

Government of Canada

Support for individuals and families

• Increasing the Canada Child Benefit - an extra $300 per child through the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for 2019-20. This will mean approximately $550 more for the average family. This benefit will be delivered as part of the scheduled CCB payment in May.
  Apply for the Canada Child Benefit

• Special Goods and Services Tax credit payment - a one-time special payment starting April 9 through the Goods and Services Tax credit for low- and modest-income families. The average additional benefit will be close to $400 for single individuals and close to $600 for couples. There is no need to apply for this payment. If you are eligible, you will get it automatically.

• Extra time to file income tax returns - deferring the filing due date for the 2019 tax returns of individuals. For individuals (other than trusts), the return filing due date will be deferred until June 1, 2020. We will also allow any new income tax balances due, or instalments, to be deferred until after August 31, 2020 without incurring interest or penalties.
  Learn more

  Note: If you expect to receive benefits under the Goods and Services Tax credit or the Canada Child Benefit, we encourage you to not delay your 2019 return filing to ensure that your entitlements are properly determined.

• Mortgage support - Canadian banks have committed to work with their customers on a case-by-case basis to find solutions to help them manage hardships caused by COVID-19. Canadians who are impacted by COVID-19 and experiencing financial hardship as a result should contact their financial institution regarding flexibility for a mortgage deferral.
  Learn more

Support for people facing unemployment

• The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) - a taxable benefit of $2,000 a month for up to 4 months to eligible workers who have lost their income due to COVID-19.
  Learn more

• Apply for Employment Insurance - If you have lost your job through no fault of your own and qualify for Employment Insurance benefits, you can submit your request today.
  Apply for Employment Insurance benefits

Support for people who are sick, quarantined, or in directed self-isolation

• The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) – see above.

• Improved access to Employment Insurance sickness benefits - If you are sick, quarantined or have been directed to self-isolate, the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits will be waived.
  Apply for Employment Insurance sickness benefits

Support for people who are unable to work

• The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) – see above.

Support for people who need it most

• A new Indigenous Community Support Fund - provides $305 million for a new distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities.
  Learn more

• Enhancing the Reaching Home initiative - a support for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $157.5 million to the Reaching Home initiative.
  Learn more about the Reaching Home initiative

• Support for women’s shelters and sexual assault centres - supports women and children fleeing violence, by providing up to $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities.

Support for seniors

• Reduced minimum withdrawals for Registered Retirement Income Funds – reduced the required minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) by 25% for 2020.
  Learn more about Registered Retirement Income Funds

• Practical services: delivery of items and personal outreach – a contribution of $9 million through United Way Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors.
  Contact your local organization.

Support for students and recent graduates

• A moratorium on the repayment of Canada Student Loans - Effective March 30, there is a six-month interest-free moratorium on the repayment of Canada Student Loans for all student loan borrowers. No payment will be required and interest will not accrue during this time.
  Learn more about the moratorium on the repayment

Support for youth

• Mental health support - $7.5 million in funding to Kids Help Phone to provide young people with the mental health support they need during this difficult time.
  Get the support you need

Support for businesses

Avoiding layoffs

• Extending the Work-Sharing program - extending the maximum duration of the Work-Sharing program from 38 weeks to 76 weeks. The Work-Sharing program is offered to workers who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of their employers.
  Apply to the Work-Sharing program

• The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy - the new Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy that could cover 75 per cent of salaries for qualifying businesses, for up to 3 months, retroactive to March 15, 2020. Employers of all sizes and across all sectors of the economy would be eligible with the exception of public sector entities.

  This program is designed to help employers hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic to keep and retain workers.

  Organizations that do not qualify for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy may qualify for the previously announced wage subsidy of 10 per cent of remuneration paid from March 18 to before June 20, 2020.

  Eligible employers would be able to access the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy by applying through a Canada Revenue Agency online portal. More details on how to apply will follow soon.

  More information about this measure

• Establishing a Business Credit Availability Program - established a Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) to provide $65 billion of additional support through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC).

  These programs will roll out in the three weeks after March 27, and interested businesses should work with their current financial institutions.
  Learn more about the Business Credit Availability Program

• Canada Emergency Business Account - The new Canada Emergency Business Account will provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits, to help cover their operating costs during a period where their revenues have been temporarily reduced. To qualify, these organizations will need to demonstrate they paid between $50,000 to $1 million in total payroll in 2019.

  This program will roll out in the three weeks after March 27, and interested businesses should work with their current financial institutions.

Supporting financial stability

• Launching an Insured Mortgage Purchase Program - launched an Insured Mortgage Purchase Program, which will purchase up to $150 billion of insured mortgage pools through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
  Learn more

• Bank of Canada actions - The Bank of Canada is acting in several ways to support the economy and financial system and stands ready to take any and all actions that it can to protect the well-being of Canadians during this difficult time. The Bank has responded by lowering interest rates, intervening to support key financial markets and providing liquidity support for financial institutions.
  Learn more

• Lowering the Domestic Stability Buffer - The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions announced it is lowering the Domestic Stability Buffer by 1.25% of risk-weighted assets. This action will allow Canada’s large banks to inject $300 billion of additional lending in to the economy.

More flexibility

• More time to pay income taxes - allowing all businesses to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after March 18 and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due, as well as instalments, under Part I of the Income Tax Act.
  Learn more

• Deferral of Sales Tax Remittance and Customs Duty Payments - allows businesses, including self-employed individuals, to defer until June 30, 2020 payments of the Goods and Services Tax / Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST), as well as customs duties owing on their imports.

Support for industries

Support for farmers

• Increasing credit available - supporting Farm Credit Canada by allowing an additional $5 billion in lending capacity to producers, agribusinesses, and food processors. This will offer increased flexibility to farmers who face cashflow issues and to processors who are impacted by lost sales, helping them remain financially strong during this difficult time.
  Learn more

Support for the air transportation sector

• Waiving ground lease rents