The City of Swift Current this afternoon announced that, in an effort to further protect citizens and City staff from unnecessary contact during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it will be closing City Hall and the Swift Current Service Centre to public access, effective and including Friday, March 20, and until further notice.
Despite these closures, the City will continue to conduct business and deliver services to residents in a modified format, placing an emphasis on social distancing through the use of telephone and online communication with the public.
“Residents will still be able to conduct business with City Hall, but we will be relying on technology to interact with the public for the time being.” said Swift Current CAO Tim Marcus.
With a large majority of City Hall visitors attending to make payments for utility bills and property taxes, as well as to connect or disconnect utility services, the following information outlines how residents can continue to conduct such business during this closure.
UTILITY ACCOUNT AND PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS
Online Banking: Online payments made through financial institutions will continue to flow to the City and will be applied, as usual, to customer accounts.
Pre-authorized Payments: Pre-Authorized Payments will continue to be withdrawn from customer accounts, as scheduled, for those already enrolled in the program.
For customers who wish to enroll in our Pre-Authorized Payment Program, the application form is available at www.swiftcurrent.ca/closure. Please submit a copy of a void cheque with your completed form…
Via email at customerservice@swiftcurrent.ca (a scanned image or photo will be accepted),
Via fax at 306.778.2194, or
By leaving it in the secure Night Depository on the west side of City Hall.
Payments by Cheque: For customers who wish to make payments by cheque, cheques can be left in our secure Night Depository on the west side of City Hall.
Credit Card Payments: Customers can pay by credit card over the phone by calling 306.778.2731.
LATE PAYMENTS & SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS
Suspension of Late Payment Fees and Service Interruptions: During this pandemic, to provide relief to customers who may be impacted by COVID-19, the City will be waiving all late payment charges and will not proceed with service interruptions for non-payment, until further notice. Customers with non-paid accounts will still be required to pay their outstanding balances.
UTILITY CONNECTIONS & DISCONNECTIONS
If you wish to connect to or disconnect from Swift Current Utilities:
Download and print the Utility Request Form found at www.swiftcurrent.ca/closure.
Complete the form and sign it.
Scan or take a photo of your Driver’s License.
Submit the completed form and copy of your Driver’s License…
Via email at customerservice@swiftcurrent.ca
Via fax at 306.778.2194
Drop them in our secure Night Depository on the west side of City Hall
If you are connecting services, we will contact you to collect a deposit once your information is received. If you are disconnecting services, a final bill/deposit refund will be mailed to the forwarding address you provide, or processed through your bank account, if you are registered for Pre-Authorized Payment.
WE’RE HERE TO SERVE YOU
Despite the closures of City hall and the Service Centre to members of the general public, we are committed to delivering service to the community, albeit in a different manner than we’ve become used to. If you need to get in touch with us, the following contact information can help direct you to our staff, who are available from 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
For General inquiries, please contact City Hall at 306.778.2777 or admin@swiftcurrent.ca.
For Recreation/Leisure inquiries, please contact Community Services at 306.778.2787 or communityservices@swiftcurrent.ca.
For Taxation inquiries, please contact 306.778.2704 or taxation@swiftcurrent.ca.
For Utility Billing inquiries, please contact 306.778.2731 or customerservice@swiftcurrent.ca.
For Planning inquiries, including Bylaw, Business Development and Building Services, please contact 306.778.2714 or plng@swiftcurrent.ca.
For Infrastructure & Operations inquiries, including Engineering, Environmental Services and Public Works, please contact 306.778.2748 or eng@swiftcurrent.ca.
For Light & Power inquiries, please contact 306.778.2770 or lightandpower@swiftcurrent.ca.
As the City will continue to rely on services such as Canada Post and deliveries, arrangements will be made to provide limited access to these service providers. If you fall under this category, please contact 306.778.2777 to make arrangements.
