Minutes
of the February 24, 2022
MANITOULIN-SUDBURY DSB BOARD MEETING
Present: Arthur Hayden, David Santi, Maureen Van Alstine, Bruce Killah, Richard Malette, Paul Schoppmann, Richard Stephens, Kevin Burke, Jim Rook, David Ham and Ted Lovelace
Regrets: Michael Levesque and Jill Beer
Staff: Fern Dominelli, Donna Stewart, Melody Ouellette, Ehren Baldauf
1.0 CALL TO ORDER
Bruce Killah, called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.
2.0 DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
There were no declarations of conflict of interest.
3.0 Closed Session
Resolution 22-13
Moved by: Kevin Burke
Seconded by: Vern Gorham
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board move into closed session at 9:30 a.m.
Carried
Resolution 22-14
Moved by: Jim Rook
Seconded by: Paul Schoppmann
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board adjourn this closed session at 10:05 a.m. and move to the regular Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB Board meeting.
Carried
Draft Minutes
of the February 24, 2022
MANITOULIN-SUDBURY DSB BOARD MEETING
Present: Arthur Hayden, David Santi, Maureen Van Alstine, Bruce Killah, Richard Malette, Paul Schoppmann, Richard Stephens, Kevin Burke, Jim Rook and Ted Lovelace and David Ham
Regrets: Michael Levesque and Jill Beer
Staff: Fern Dominelli, Donna Stewart, Connie Morphet, Melody Ouellette, Paul Myre, Lori Clark.
Media: Michael Erskine, The Manitoulin Expositor
1.0 Chair, Bruce Killah, called the meeting to order at 10:07 a.m.
2.0 Business Arising from Closed Session
Discussed Property and Human Resources issues.
3.0 Adoption of Agenda
Resolution No. 22-15
Moved by: Edgar Lovelace
Seconded by: Jim Rook
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Agenda be adopted.
Carried
4.0 Declarations of Conflict of Interest
There were no declarations of conflict of interest.
5.0 Adoption of Minutes
Resolution No. 22-16
Moved by: David Santi
Seconded by: David Ham
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Minutes of the January 27, 2022 meeting be approved.
Carried
6.0 Committee Meetings
6.1 Program Planning
The Program Planning Committee met February 23, 2022. Kevin Burke was elected as Chair of the Committee.
Kevin Burke gave the Board a brief update on what was discussed at the meeting.
6.1.1 Integrated Social Services
Donna Stewart, Associate CAO, walked the Board through the Restructure – Issue Report.
The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB has provided integrated social services (ISS) for many years mostly at the front-line level and at the Director/CAO level. Over the years staff have identified there is still work to be done to ensure seamless integration at the supervisor level.
The province is moving to the desired end state of a fully integrated human services system that supports person-centred, outcome focused and coordinated services to streamline efforts, improve client outcomes and the health and vibrancy of communities.
We currently have three of the four Program Supervisors in temporary positions which allows the Management Team to support a new model in alignment with the province’s desired state of full human services integration.
Currently all Supervisors manage their programs individually, in silo, for the full district. We are recommending that the existing system be replaced with an Integrated Human Services Managers (IHSM) model with a higher level of responsibility for more than one aspect of human services and a more fulsome approach to Human Services Integration. As a result:
- The Director of Integrated Social Services would be renamed Director of Integrated Human Services.
- The current Ontario Works and Children’s Programs Supervisors would be responsible for all aspects of both programs and would split up the work based on a specific geographic area.
- The two Community Housing Supervisors would be responsible for all aspects of Community Housing and would split up the work based on a specific geographic area.
- The IHSM would become very familiar with the community they are working in which will support better outcomes for clients, tenants, and community providers.
- Our end state is to have all Supervisors integrated which will provide coordinated services for staff, community providers, tenants/clients.
While the capital piece of the Infrastructure and Asset Management portfolio will stay with Housing Services Corporation (HSC) via contract, the remainder of Asset and Infrastructure portfolio and the tenant portfolio will be integrated.
In addition to the review of the ISS supervisor model we have reviewed the reporting structure of the Information Technology (IT) Manager. The IT Manager currently reports to the CAO.
Considering the functions, roles and responsibilities associated with the IT Manager, it is recommended that the IT Manager report directly to the Director of Finance and Administration.
The IT Manager would be aligned in the same classification category as the Integrated Human Services Managers, all reporting directly to the Director of their department.
The recommended changes will support our goal of human service integration and will ultimately better support clients, community partners and staff.
Staff will present a more detailed restructuring plan for Board approval at the March 2022 meeting.
Resolution No. 22-17
Moved by: Kevin Burke
Seconded by: Richard Stephens
WHEREAS the Program Planning Committee has reviewed the Restructure - Issue Report and is recommending approval to the Board;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board accept the Program Planning Committees recommendation and approve the Restructure - Issue Report and direct staff to action the recommendations in the report.
Carried
6.1.2 Paramedic Services
Paul Myre, Chief of Paramedic Services walked the Board through the Station Location Project – Issue Report and the Call Volume Updated Report.
As indicated in the September 2021 Issue Report to the board, some of our Paramedic Stations are approaching end of their operational life and will soon require significant renovations or perhaps even replacement within the next 10 years.
At that time, staff presented the board with a heat mapping report of 911 calls over 4 years throughout our entire district to provide a high-level briefing on our current state. The September 2021 report provided a focused analysis on all urgent and emergent 911 calls in relation to our current station locations.
This follow-up report does a deeper dive and explores recommendations that come solely from a data analysis perspective on optimal station locations based on those same 911 calls. It is important to note that this report has not undergone strategic or tactical scrutiny from staff.
As noted in the report, the Innovation Centre dissected the data to produce recommendations that would address two important questions.
- Are our current Paramedic Services stations in the right location based on our call volumes, and;
- Based on this data, where would stations optimally be located if, by using this data set, they could be positioned in locations that would provide the overall best emergency coverage.
The analysis utilizes “driving distance in minutes” to every urgent and emergent 911 call from each of the 12 Paramedic Services stations as one data point using a 30-minute driving distance (driving at posted speed limits) to provide a geographical context. The report also explores overall responses to emergency calls based on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) and the legislated Response Time Standards (RTS). The CTAS is a tool to help define a patient’s need for care.
There are recommendations within the report that will need some more reflection and staff are seeking approval to take this information back and provide a final report after scrutinizing the data under an operational/tactical and strategic lens.
Resolution No. 22-18
Moved by: Vern Gorham
Seconded by: Richard Malette
WHEREAS the Program Planning Committee has reviewed the Station Location Project – Issue Report and the Call Volume Updated Report and;
WHEREAS the Program Planning Committee is recommending acceptance of the Call Volume Updated Report and:
WHEREAS the Program Planning Committee is recommending approval of the Station Location Project – Issue Report to the Board.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board accept the Program Planning Committees recommendation and accept the Call Volume Updated Report and approve the Station Location Project - Issue Report and direct staff to action the recommendations in the report.
Carried
6.1.3 Ontario Works
Lori Clark, Acting Director Integrated Social Services, walked the Board through the revisions to Ontario Works Policies and Procedures.
Over the last several weeks staff have completed a comprehensive review of Ontario Works policies. Several updates have been made to reflect changes to legislation, current practice, and language.
Staff are requesting that the board approve the changes to these policies effective March 1, 2022.
Resolution No. 22-19
Moved by:Kevin Burke
Seconded by:Richard Malette
WHEREAS the Program Planning Committee has reviewed the Ontario Works Policy Revisions and is recommending approval to the Board.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board accept the Program Planning Committees recommendation and approve the Ontario Works Policy Revisions contained within the Ontario Works Policy Manual effective March 1, 2022.
Carried
7.0 New Business
7.1 CAO 2021 Fourth Quarter Activity Report
Donna Stewart, Associate CAO reminded the Board that staff prepare the CAO quarterly report that the DSB will be sending to member municipalities and posting on the public website. We would appreciate it if this report can be put on your council meeting agendas to share widely.
Resolution No. 22-20
Moved by: Edgar Lovelace
Seconded by: Jim Rook
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 2021 CAO Fourth Quarter Activity Report be approved as presented.
Carried
7.2 2021 Fourth Quarter Unaudited Financial Report
Connie Morphet, Director of Finance and Administration walked the Board through the 2021 Fourth Quarter Unaudited Financial Report.
This report is presented as unaudited, the auditors will be completing the audit next week. The projected fourth quarter report shows an unaudited overall surplus of $848,241.
Resolution No. 22-21
Moved by: David Santi
Seconded by: Richard Stephens
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 2021 Fourth Quarter Unaudited Financial Report be approved as presented.
Carried
7.3 Proposed Apportionment Formula
Fern Dominelli, CAO, walked the Board through the proposed apportionment formula.
At the January board meeting, the Board approved Resolution 22-10 to determine whether a majority of the member municipalities representing a majority of the electors of those member municipalities (and TWOMOS) would consider changing the current apportionment formula.
After the board meeting in January, the Associate CAO sent an email with a copy of the DSB’s resolution and the Municipal Tax Equity Consultants Inc. report to all CAO’s of the municipalities and TWOMO members to ask by resolution or signed consent if they support the Current Formula to the Proposed Formula shown in Table 3 of the report.
As of the date of the Board meeting, there were 17 responses received out of 21. Of the 17 responses received, 15 were opposed to the new formula as presented and these 15 represented 27,730 or 73% of the 38,236 electors.
Based on the above no further action was required
7.4 Paramedic Services
7.4.1 Central Ambulance Communication Centre
Paul Myre, Chief of Paramedic Services, walked the Board through the Central Ambulance Communication Centre Migration.
Our service is one of the very few Paramedic Services in Ontario that operate in conjunction with 3 separate Central Ambulance Communication Centre (CACC). Sudbury, SSM and Timmins.
CACC, commonly referred to as “ambulance dispatch centres”, are mission-critical and provide essential support to the Paramedic system as the first point of contact by a person dialing 911 for emergency medical assistance. There are 22 CACCs in Ontario and are operated 24/7 365 under a hybrid model:
- 11 are operated directly by the Ministry Of Health – Emergency Health Services
- 6 are operated by hospitals
- 4 operated by municipalities
- 1 privately operated = Ornge Communications Centre (OCC)
The CACC has the overall responsibility of 911 call taking and then dispatching the closest most appropriate Paramedic ambulance once the 911 call is “committed” or entered in the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
In November of 2016, then Chief of Paramedic Services Michael MacIsaac brought this very issue to the board seeking a resolution to request the MOH (then MOHLTC) to migrate Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB with one single CACC. The concern then, as it continues to be today, was that Paramedic Services leadership did not have adequate operational situational awareness meaning we had no suitable access to real time information on the types of calls being serviced by our Northern fleet.
The Ministry of Health has approved this request and work has already commenced on migrating our entire service under the auspices of the Central Ambulance Communications Centre in Sudbury. Both Deputy Chiefs have been assigned to the working group that will see this project come to fruition. A tentative and ambitious “go-live” date has been set for the end of June 2022.
7.4.2 Governor General’s Medal
Paul Myre, Chief of Paramedic Services, shared the news of eight of Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB’s Paramedic Services staff receiving the Governor General’s Exemplary Service Medal.
The Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal, created on July 7, 1994, recognizes professionals in the provision of pre-hospital emergency medical services to the public, who have performed their duties in an exemplary manner, characterized by good conduct, industry, and efficiency.
Recipients must have been employed with emergency medical services on or after October 31, 1991, and have completed 20 years of exemplary service, including at least 10 years in the performance of duties involving potential risk.
As Chief of Paramedic Services, I am proud to share with the board that the following eight Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board Paramedics have been selected as 2022 recipients of this prestigious award.
Primary Care Paramedic Darren Assiniwe
Primary Care Paramedic Guy Roy
Primary Care Paramedic Jeanette Fox
Deputy Chief Jennifer Tasse
Primary Care Paramedic Keith Crockford
Community Paramedic Sherri Chopra
Primary Care Paramedic Theresa Peltier
Primary Care Paramedic Walter Blair Peltier
7.5 Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
Lori Clark, Acting Director of Integrated Social Services, informed the Board of funding received for Employment Ontario and Youth Job Connections.
We received confirmation, via memos sent to all Employment Ontario Delivery Partners, that given the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and current public health measures, that service provider allocations and targets would remain status quo for 2022-23.
This applies to Employment Service, Youth Job Connection and Youth Job Connection Summer, these programs are delivered in our Chapleau office.
This is welcome news and will help us ensure service continuity and allow us to continue to remain focused on supporting clients.
Employment Ontario is 100% provincially funded, our allocation is:
- $191,124 for Employment Ontario
- $176, 900 for Youth Job Connections
7.6 Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
Lori Clark, Director of Integrated Social Services, walked the Board through the fourth issue of the Social Assistance Renewal Highlights Newsletter.
The ministry will be replacing the term “life stabilization” with “stability supports”. This term better reflects the types of services that clients may be accessing without presuming the impact on someone’s circumstances. The underlying goals and objectives of Social Assistance Renewal remain unchanged.
As such, the name of the transformation initiative is being shortened from “Social Assistance Recovery and Renewal” to “Social Assistance Renewal” to signify that the shift is a long-term endeavour to transform the system and is not tied to shifting economic circumstances.
In January, the ministry released the “What We Heard Report” which outlined the main themes that have been heard through client and staff engagement throughout 2021.
The feedback obtained is being used to inform the design of the new service delivery model. Staff feedback stressed the importance of having services and supports that are adaptable to individual circumstances and ongoing support and resources for clients.
Provincial and municipal offices will be participating in another round of client engagements that will focus on groups that were underrepresented in the August 2021 engagement.
A partnership between the Ontario Digital Service and the Ministry of Health has resulted in the development of a digitized Disability Determination Package (DDP).
The (Electronic Document Management) EDM team has been collaborating with Ontario Works delivery agents since May 2020 to implement digital mailrooms. By the end of April 2022, 75% of municipalities will have gone live with full EDM, features include digital file transfers, secure transfer of documents within SAMS and centralized processing of benefits.
On November 22, 2021, the government announced the expansion of the Second Career Program. By Spring 2022, the Second Career Program will begin supporting unemployed individuals with little to no work experience, those who are self employed, and those who are in the gig economy. The new expansion will also offer more opportunities for those with employment barriers.
7.7 Ministry of Education
Lori Clark, Director of Integrated Social Services, walked the Board through the updates to COVID-19 reporting in licensed childcare received from the Ministry February 14, 2022.
The Ministry of Health has made changes to the provincial case, contact and outbreak management approach which resulted in an end to notification of confirmed cases to families in schools and childcare settings. In addition, the Ministry of Education has suspended public reporting of COVID-19 cases in childcare.
We previously shared Child Care Licensees will continue to submit serious occurrences when a child, staff, student, home childcare provider has a confirmed case of COVID-19. Licensees were also required to report program closures related to COVID-19.
7.8 2022 Municipal Apportionment
Connie Morphet, Director of Finance and Administration walked the Board through the 2022 Municipal Apportionment.
The apportionment presented is the same formula and process as 2021 apportionment.
In 2004, the Board obtained double majority vote to include Power Dam revenues in the apportionment formula.
The power dam apportionment began in 2005 with a Board Resolution carried at the October 28, 2004, Board meeting.
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB Power Dam apportionment allocation is based on the apportionment that would have been paid in 2001 if the Power Dam had not been removed from taxable assessment. When the Power Dam grant, received by a municipality, increases, the apportionment allocation increases proportionally.
The Power Dam apportionment in prior years was broken up by department, but the total amount is the correct amount to be apportioned.
The 2022 Apportionment will show the Power Dam separate from the rest of the Apportionment calculation and it will not be broken up by department.
8.0 Other Business
9.0 Next Meeting – March 24, 2022
10.0 Adjournment
Resolution No. 22-22
Moved by: Vern Gorham
Seconded by: Arthur Hayden
BE IT RESOLVED THAT we do now adjourn at 10:53 a.m. until the next regular meeting to be held on March 24, 2022.
Carried
Original signed by Bruce Killah, Chair
Original signed by Fern Dominelli, CAO
Original signed by Donna Stewart, Associate CAO