Tougher measures to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in Fort Chipewyan may be coming.

Wood Buffalo council meets on Tuesday where they’ll discuss whether to approve the Fort Chipewyan Social Distancing Enforcement Bylaw.

The municipality says people of all ages in the community continue to gather in public spaces and aren’t physically distancing from each other.

If the bylaw is approved, officers will get more authority to make sure all measures are being followed. This includes lowering the gathering size in the community from 15 to 5 and giving out additional fines.

Also up for discussion, potential tax incentives for businesses in the rural service area.

Property Taxes

Council will also decide whether to defer property tax collection.

The motion looks to push back payment that would have been collected between June 30 to September 30. Penalty payments would also be deferred during this three-month stretch.

If approved, the RMWB would draw from cash reserves to make up for the lost revenue from taxes.

Support For the YMM Airport

The Fort McMurray Airport Authority is asking for help in their effort to receive financial relief.

They are asking that Mayor Don Scott send a letter to the federal and provincial governments advocating for support for airports during the pandemic.

Only a select few are currently taking in international flights while domestic travel has dwindled over the past few weeks.

The YMM Airport currently remains open.

Remote Access

The public is once again being encouraged to tune into the meeting online.

Anyone interested in speaking about a certain item on the agenda can email [email protected] their information to join a teleconference.

All registrants will receive an email with details about the call before the meeting begins.

The meeting gets underway on Tuesday at 4 p.m.