CORPORATE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SERVICES GÉNÉRAUX
SECRETARIAT SERVICES
SERVICES DU
SECRÉTARIAT
1. STANDING COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE - REVIEW
- HEALTH, RECREATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE / EXAMEN DU MANDAT DU COMITÉ
PERMANENT - COMITÉ DE LA SANTÉ, DES LOISIRS ET DES SERVICES SOCIAUX
This item was withdrawn at the request of
city staff.
WITHDRAWN
ADVISORY COMMITTEES
COMITÉS CONSULTATIFS
2. OTTAWA YOUTH CABINET - TERMS OF
REFERENCE / MANDAT DU CABINET DES JEUNES D’OTTAWA
That the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee recommend and Council approve the Ottawa Youth Cabinet’s
Terms of Reference as outlined in Document 1.
CARRIED
3. THE
RIGHT TO SHELTER: THE OTTAWA YOUTH
CABINET YOUTH AND HOUSING SUB-COMMITTEE REPORT / LE DROIT À L’ABRI: RAPPORT DU CABINET DES JEUNES D’OTTAWA ET DU
SOUS-COMITÉ DU LOGEMENT
The Committee heard from Mr. Nathan
Hauch, a former member of the Ottawa Youth Cabinet and the principal author of
the report. Mr. Hauch provided
additional information on the recommendations, noting in particular that the
OYC does not endorse Public-Private Partnerships (P3) as they relate to
housing. Although the Youth Cabinet
feel progress has been made, it still believes the minimum wage needs to be
raised to eight dollars per hour, and that the Province needs to re-instate
rent control on vacant and occupied apartments.
Subsequent to Mr. Hauch’s
presentation, the following Motion was put forward:
Moved by J. Stavinga
That the report and recommendations be
referred to the Housing Branch for review, action when appropriate and a follow-up
report on those matters requiring further clarifications or resources.
CARRIED
as amended
4. POVERTY ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE -
TERMS OF REFERENCE / MANDAT DU COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS LIÉES À LA
PAUVRETÉ
This item was withdrawn at the request of
the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee.
WITHDRAWN
5. POVERTY ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE -
IDENTIFYING GAPS: A PRELIMINARY REVIEW
OF THE DENTAL SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN OTTAWA / COMITÉ
CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS LIÉES À LA PAUVRETÉ - DÉTERMINER LES FAILLES - EXAMEN PRÉLIMINAIRE
DES SERVICES DENTAIRES OFFERTS AUX FAMILLES À FAIBLE REVENU
Linda Lalonde, Chair of the Poverty
Issues Advisory Committee, began by saying this report is the result of a fair
amount of research on the part of the PIAC.
She noted that, while some dentists offer discounts to seniors and to
families, no discounts are available to individual, low-income earners. Ms. Lalonde also emphasized that poor dental
health is a known contributor to low self-esteem and thus an impediment to
success for many people.
Councillor J. Stavinga commented
that the staff liaison person should have been able to answer many of the
questions from the advisory committee.
The General Manager, People Services Department, Jocelyne St Jean,
responded by saying that the staff resource person is not necessarily the
content expert, and that this is an area where improvements could be made.
The following delegations were
heard, in support of the PIAC's recommendations:
Mr. Cliff Gazee, PIAC Member a member of the Sub-committee on
Dental Issues, emphasized that the World Health Organization identifies oral
health as essential and states that a number of "trickle down"
ailments can be avoided through proper dental health. He felt the thrust of this initiative should focus on lobbying
the senior levels of government, the principal funders of health care.
Mr. Jack McCarthy, on behalf of the
Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres, said 40% of Ontarians don't have access to
dental care and many end up in emergency room situations, which are more costly
to the public purse. He pointed out
that many dentists do not take people who are recipients of the Ontario
Disability Support Program (ODSP) and he averred that dental care for all citizens should top the
list.
At this point,
Councillor R. Chiarelli called for Recommendations 2 and 3 to be deferred,
pending the outcome of the research alluded to in Recommendation 1. The Councillor
felt it was important to have the information requested in Recommendation 1, to
inform the debate. He posited that this
matter has very little relationship to the property tax base, and that City
Council needs to stop adding to that base.
The Councillor added that the Province is responsible for the provision
of health care and that the City's priority should be to do what it is
responsible to do first.
Councillor D. Deans said
she could not support deferral, her preference being to signal that all should
have access to dental care, to identify this as a budget pressure and to
carefully examine the fiscal realities.
Councillor J. Stavinga
spoke in support of deferral, noting the need for the federal and provincial
governments to recognize they have a role to play. She felt the report should be referred back to the PIAC for
further input, prior to coming back to the HRSS Committee. Councillor Stavinga proposed an amendment to
Recommendation 2, calling for City staff to "explore more adequate programs
and subsidies" in light of the current fiscal realities. She pointed out that the Committee does not
have differing opinions about the ultimate goals, but needs further data to
make an informed decision.
Councillor P. Feltmate
proposed that the course of action described in Recommendation 3, partnering
with other organizations, begin immediately.
The Director, Parks and Recreation, Dr. Aaron Burry, said there are a
number of existing relationships, including one with the Children's Hospital of
Eastern Ontario (CHEO), and that other partnerships would be detailed in a
future presentation to committee.
Councillor G. Bedard
said he could support all the recommendations being implemented. He felt the report has both a lack of
information and contrary information, and that, while there needs to be proper
dental care for all, he doubted the City could develop such a program.
Moved by R. Chiarelli
BE IT RESOLVED that (report) Recommendations 2
and 3 be deferred pending the result of Recommendation 1.
LOST
Moved by A. Cullen
That the research alluded to in
Recommendation 1 include the basis for existing services, waiting lists,
partnerships and what is covered now.
CARRIED
Moved by J. Stavinga
That Recommendation 2 be amended to say that the City explore
more adequate programs and subsidies that meet the dental health needs of
low-income families, focus on prevention.
CARRIED
That the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee recommend that Council approved the following:
1. That staff investigate and conduct research to identify the
negative outcomes of poor dental health on low-income populations in Ottawa
with the following questions in mind;
i) What is the dental-health needs of low-income families?
ii) How many low-income families are unable to meet their needs
with existing services?
1(a) That the research alluded to in
Recommendation 1 include the basis for existing services, waiting lists,
partnerships and what is covered now.
2. That the City explore more adequate programs and subsidies
that meet the dental health needs of low-income families, focus on prevention.
3.
That the city
partner with Dental Health Associations to create a centralized, public
pro-bono program similar to that of the former Dental Wives’ Association.
4. Lobby the provincial government to have
dental health services covered under OHIP
CARRIED
as amended
6. POVERTY
ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE - BASIC NEEDS / COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS
LIÉES À LA PAUVRETÉ -
BESOINS ESSENTIELS
The Committee agreed with a
suggestion from Councillor J. Stavinga that she meet off-line with the Chair of
the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee to clarify the recommendations. Subsequently, the following amended recommendations
were brought forward:
Moved by J.
Stavinga
That the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee recommend Council direct staff to work with the Poverty
Issues Advisory Committee to:
a) Identify gaps in program delivery to
respond to basic needs;
b) Identify the levels of government
responsible for services specific to meeting basic needs;
c) Develop a strategy to advance action
plans to deliver these services.
CARRIED
as amended
7. ARTS,
HERITAGE AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE / MANDAT DU LE
COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES ARTS, LE PATRIMOINE ET LA CULTURE
Moved by A.
Cullen
That this item be withdrawn, pursuant to a
request from the Advisory Committee Chair.
WITHDRAWN
8. HEALTH
AND SOCIAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE - COMMUNITY
FORUM ON PROPOSED CITY OF OTTAWA PROGRAM SPENDING CUTS / COMITÉ DE LA SANTÉ, DES LOISIRS ET DES
SERVICES SOCIAUX RÉUNION COMMUNAUTAIRE SUR LES COMPRESSIONS DES DÉPENSES DE
PROGRAMMES PROPOSÉES DE LA VILLE D’OTTAWA
Mr. Mike Bulthuis, a member of the Health and Social
Services Advisory Committee introduced the item. He referred to the Motion contained in the body of the report and
to some additional documentation that has been sent to Members of Council,
putting forward the H&SSAC’s position on the 2004 budget. Mr. Bulthuis summarized the thrust of the
advisory committee’s position as calling upon the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee needing to support the call to maintain Ottawa’s quality of
life by maintaining existing service levels, even if this means that a 9.7% tax
increase is necessary.
The Committee Vice-Chair, A. Cullen
thanked the advisory committee for holding the Forum, and he acknowledged the
work of the Seniors’ Advisory Committee and the Poverty Issues Advisory
Committee on this issue. Their work
also forms part of the public comments on the budget. The Councillor drew committee’s attention to the H&SSAC’s
Motion, which flags important elements that need support, and calls for
improvements to existing tax relief programs.
Councillor G. Brooks stressed the
importance of staff being able to provide a list of the leverage generated by
each program, in the same manner as is done by several economic development
agencies across the City.
Councillor J. Stavinga pointed out
that economic development agencies are more easily able to provide the kind of
information Councillor Brooks suggested, whereas this may be more difficult for
“soft services”, the impacts of which may not be quantifiable. The Councillor said she felt that the
Universal Program Review process of inventorying all city programs had proven
to be a useful exercise.
That the Health,
Recreation and Social Services Committee receive this report and the
recommendation contained herein as the position of the Health and Social
Services Advisory Committee on the 2004 Budget and that this report rise to
Council for information on 24 March 2004.
CARRIED
COUNCILLORS’ ITEMS
ARTICLES DES CONSEILLERS
Councillor / Conseiller Cullen
9. 2004 FEED THE KIDS AND PAY THE RENT
CAMPAIGN /
CAMPAGNE DE 2004 “NOURRIR SA FAMILLE ET PAYER LE LOYER”
Mr. Bob Busby, Somerset West Action
Network (SWAN) began
by saying that SWAN is a group of people living in poverty, and friends and
allies working for economic justice. He
presented a short video in support of its Feed the Kids and Pay the Rent
Campaign, and he asked that Ottawa City Council reaffirm its commitment for the
2004 campaign. Mr. Busby said council
should call on the Ontario government to raise Basic Needs levels to reflect
the Cost of Living, and raise the Shelter Allowance to reflect Canada Mortgage
and Housing’s average rents for housing in Ontario.
The Committee heard from the
following delegations in support of the campaign:
q
Maxine
Field, Coordinator of the Anti Poverty Newsletter, who spoke about the need of poor people to be
involved in a society that she said is trying to keep them out.
q
Jennifer
Ramsay, representing the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario and the Tenant Duty Counsel
Program, who pointed out that, despite the change in the provincial government,
the government appears to be less encouraging on the prospect of raising
assistance rates.
q
Richard
Shillington, an
economist, who provided information on basic needs funding available for people
on social assistance after rent who do not live in rent geared to income
housing. Mr. Shillington also suggested ways need to
be found for people on assistance to be able to save money for education and
other enrichments without being penalized.
q
Augusto
Paez, representing
the Colombian community who stated that many refugees are at a disadvantage
because of their ignorance of Canadian labour laws. He spoke in support of SWAN’s initiative which he said was also
about quality of life for all communities.
q
Jorge
Londono, a
Columbian refugee, who highlighted the enormous difficulties facing
professionals trained in other countries who want to work in their chosen field
in Canada. Mr. Londono also described
the situation of families whose children witness the suicide of their parents.
q
Linda
Lalonde, Chair, Poverty Issues Advisory Committee, who pointed out that SWAN had won the 2003
Dorothy O’Connell Award, which is awarded for anti-poverty initiatives. Ms. Lalonde also suggested that the letter
to the Premier of Ontario, alluded to in the report, should come from the Mayor
of Ottawa.
The Committee Vice-Chair, A. Cullen,
along with Councillor C. Doucet, called for the preparation of an annual
Poverty Report or Poverty Report Card.
The report would contain information on benefits received, describe the
gaps being experienced and thus inform the Committee’s debate and bring forward
recommendations as local decision-makers.
That Health, Recreation and Social Services
Committee and City Council approve the following:
Whereas in 1995 the Provincial Government
reduced social assistance payments in Ontario by 21.6%;
Whereas the actual welfare rates have not
been raised for more then 10 years;
Whereas the shelter allowance portion of
social assistance is not sufficient to cover the cost of shelter in the City,
and that the basic needs allowance is being used to cover housing;
Whereas a single mother with one child
received a total benefit of $953. a month with $511 being the amount she
receives for shelter and the average rent in the City of Ottawa for a two
bedroom apartment is $932.00 with the
result that in many cases the whole benefit cheque is not sufficient to cover
the cost of housing, leading to increasing levels of homelessness and hunger in
our community;
Whereas social assistance benefits have
never been based on any objective measure of living costs;
Whereas the City of Ottawa made a
deputation to the provincial government in February of 2002 asking that the
shelter portion of both Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Plan
be tied to CMHC average rents and that
the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement be stopped with no
response from the provincial government;
Therefore be it resolved that the City of
Ottawa reaffirm its commitment and endorsement of the Somerset West Action
Network campaign 'Feed the Kids AND Pay the Rent" and;
Send a letter from Mayor Chiarelli to Premier McGuinty, to the
Minister of Community and Social Services, the Minister of Children’s
Services, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, area Members of
Parliament and area Members of the Provincial Parliament, asking that the
following be done immediately to address growing levels of hunger and
homelessness across Ontario: announce a plan to phase out the clawback of the
National Child Benefit Supplement from Ontario’s poorest families who rely on
Social Assistance for part of or all of their income; remove the lifetime
welfare ban; reinstate the full STEP program; set up a small task force (much
like the Golden task force) to report in the fall of 2004 with a mandate to
review the intention of welfare benefits and the way in which rates are set.
CARRIED
as amended
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
SERVICES D’AMÉNAGEMENT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE
POLICY
POLITIQUES
D’URBANISME, D’ENVIRONNEMENT ET D’INFRASTRUCTURE
10. CITY OF OTTAWA PESTICIDE REDUCTION
STRATEGY FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY - 2003 YEAR-END REPORT AND 2004 WORK PROGRAM /
STRATEGIE DE REDUCTION DES PESTICIDES DE LA VILLE D’OTTAWA CONCERNANT LA
PROPRIETE PRIVEE - RAPPORT DE FIN D’ANNEE DE 2003 ET PROGRAMME DE TRAVAIL DE
2004
Cynthia Levesque, Program Manager
Environmental Development, Planning and Environment Department, gave a
presentation highlighting the activities undertaken in 2003 to implement City
Council’s directives respecting the use of pesticides on private property and
describing proposed activities for 2004.
Responding to questions from Vice
Chair A. Cullen, Ms. Levesque indicated that the level of pesticide usage has
remained more or less the same since the last survey in the fall. She added that the Surface Water Monitoring
Program would be done on a regular basis if the resources are available and
that staff would consider the idea of an award program, since this would fit in
well in promoting and demonstrating that alternatives to pesticides work well.
The Committee then heard from a
number of speakers, whose comments may be summarized as follows:
Dr. K. Jean Cottam, Steering
Committee, Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa spoke about residential condominiums and the
fact that the majority have failed to comply with the City's pesticide
reduction guidelines. She felt the
least expensive way of dealing with non-compliance is to have a pesticide
by-law with deferred inspection and fines.
The complete text of this presentation is on file with the City Clerk.
Dr. Meg Sears, Head, Steering
Committee, Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa, described the composition of the Coalition
and indicated it supports a by-law as the only approach to achieve the desired
results. She spoke of pesticide run-off
into the environment, noting that pesticides have been found in 63% of samples
tested. Dr. Sears pointed out that, in
2002, city staff anticipated a 16% reduction by the end of 2003 but this target
is not on track. She asked that the
City continue its education campaign, request staff to draft a pesticide by-law
and ask the Province of Ontario to pass a Pesticide Code similar to that in
Quebec, to restrict sales and outdoor use of toxic chemicals. A written submission from Dr. Sears is on
file with the City Clerk.
Councillor G. Brooks asked Dr. Sears
if she thought a pesticide by-law should be extended to agricultural
areas. She responded by saying that the
greatest use of pesticides occurs in golf courses and the second largest in
agricultural areas, and a by-law would focus on eliminating the use of
pesticides for cosmetic purposes.
C. Molyneaux read a copy of a submission from Dr.
Libuse Gilka, a member of Physicians and Scientists for a Healthy World,
detailing the impact of pesticides on human health, especially on the physical,
emotional and mental development of children.
The complete text is on file with the City Clerk.
Barbara Stein shared with the Committee the story
of her child damaged by pesticides. She
stressed the need for a health infrastructure and averred that pesticides are
not needed.
John Sankey, Chair of the Health
Dangers of the Urban Use of Pesticides (HDDUP), an advisory group to the Health Department,
commended the efforts of Planning and Health staff and he stressed the need to
maintain the expert team assembled. Dr.
Sankey suggested that the slogan "This is a beautiful lawn" can be
changed, to more accurately reflect that pesticides are dangerous. He spoke about the fact that virtually all
the companies listed in the "Lawn Care Providers in Ottawa" brochure
are from outside the area. Dr. Sankey
said he hoped taxpayer dollars would be used to pass a by-law by the end of
2004, noting that 66 municipalities across Canada and the Province of Quebec
have already taken this course.
M. Woolcott said that municipal government is as
transparent as a government can be. She
stated that the no-smoking by-law has greatly improved the quality of life in
Ottawa and she commended Council for its leadership in this regard. She said that, since measuring the actual
use of pesticides was difficult, she could see no point to it, and imposing a
by-law would facilitate meeting reduction goals.
Angela Rickman, representing the
Sierra Club,
expressed the view that a by-law is the best way to educate the public. She noted that monitoring is only one part
of the picture because pesticides are being found in water, and in the air, in
the soil. Ms. Rickman said the research
on 2-4D is one-sided, since no one is examining whether pesticides are harmful.
Shirley Brown, representing the
Ottawa Council of Women (CWO), said the CWO urges the City to continue with the pesticide reduction
program to ensure a safe, healthy and vital life for the citizens of, and
visitors to, Ottawa. CWO will continue
to inform their affiliates and other Councils across Canada will be spreading a
similar message. The complete text of
this submission is on file with the City Clerk.
Thom Bourne, President, NutriLawn, submitted a package of information
which he said illustrates that the industry is working with the City to achieve
reduced usage of pesticides. This
documentation is on file with the City Clerk.
Mr. Bourne refuted earlier comments about diazanon being the
"product of choice" of the lawn care industry. He said many cities leave it to homeowners
to decide whether or not they will apply pesticides.
Eric Thomas, a resident of Ottawa, expressed the view that the most
cost-effective solution to significantly reducing pesticides is through
legislation supported with education.
He felt it was obvious, from the staff report, that education alone is
not working. Mr. Thomas stated that
enforcement costs versus education costs, the ineffectiveness of the Integrated
Pest Management approach and the fact that 35% of Canadians (11 million based
on the 2001 Census) are protected from unwanted exposure to synthetic lawn and
garden pesticides, all support the development of regulations and by-laws.
Chris Urquardt, from Green Unlimited, felt that consumers should trust
the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency and Health Canada to make decisions
about the products the industry could use.
He questionned the findings of the telephone survey that concluded there
was increased use of pesticides, as he believed this method could not determine
the quantity and the frequency of usage.
Mr. Urquardt did not believe the City was leading by example, citing the
condition of many sportsfields throughout the area. He also said that the cost of replacing a lawn was not in the
budget of most taxpayers.
Francois Savard, a resident of
Ottawa, spoke in
favour of additional restrictions on the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes. He described his professional background as
a biologist, his career as manager of the environmental protection program at
Ottawa International Airport; he spoke about the threats that pesticides
represent to the neurological development of children. Mr. Savard said he did not trust the
standards that are in place; both the PMRA and Health Canada are lagging behind
in their research. He stated there are
clear links between chemical exposure and death in some members of his family
and he proclaimed his trust in doctors and scientists.
Vice Chair A. Cullen indicated that,
while ten of the twelve speakers endorsed the continuation of the program and
the introduction of a by-law, he did not believe the timing was
appropriate. He signalled his intent to
bring the matter up later in the year and he expressed the hope that City
Council would address it at that time.
Councillor G. Bedard agreed this was
not the time to bring forward a by-law.
He did believe that public education initiatives should continue.
Councillor D. Deans felt that the
public acceptance and support required to implement a by-law were not present
at this time. There is also the matter of how many by-law enforcement officers
a by-law would require. She requested
that, prior to this item rising to City Council, the report be corrected to
more appropriately reflect the original approval of the pesticide reduction
strategy by City Council in December 2002.
Moved by A. Cullen
That the Health, Recreation and
Social Services Committee recommend Council receive this report for
information.
RECEIVED
PEOPLE SERVICES
SERVICES AUX CITOYENS
COMMUNITY SERVICES
SERVICES COMMUNAUTAIRES
11. ACQUISITION
OF PART OF FORMER ECOLE PRESEAULT FOR COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND
PARKLAND / ACQUISITION D’UNE PARTIE DE L’ANCIENNE ÉCOLE PRÉSEAULT POUR DES
INSTALLATIONS RÉCRÉATIVES COMMUNAUTAIRES ET DES PARCS
That the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee recommend to Council that staff enter into negotiations with
the Conseil des écoles catholiques de langue francaise du Centre-Est to acquire
the portion of the Préseault School site in Orléans (1080 St. Pierre Street)
shown as Parcel B of PIN 04425-0287 on Annex "A" attached.
CARRIED
12. HOME
CHILD CARE TASK FORCE FEASIBILITY REPORT / RAPPORT DE
FAISABILITÉ SUR LES SERVICES DE GARDE D'ENFANTS À DOMICILE
That Health, Recreation and Social Services
Committee recommend that Council approve:
1. That
City staff work with the Home Child Care Community to adopt and/or implement
the recommendations of the Home Child Care Task Force Report outlined in
Appendix A;
2.
That the allocation
of $60,000 be considered during the development of the 2004 City budget for the
establishment and ongoing delivery of appropriate training for providers in
Neighborhood Networks.
3.
That City staff work with the Home Child Care Community to
implement a voluntary registration program for home childcare providers.
4. That
a systematic increase in rates paid to home child care providers be considered
during the development of the City’s annual budget according to the proposed
schedule and dependant on provincial funding.
CARRIED
13. SPORTSFIELDS
STRATEGY / STRATÉGIE POUR LES TERRAINS DE SPORT
That this report be referred to the Parks and Recreation Advisory
Committee for comment and be brought back to the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee at the first regular meeting following budget.
CARRIED
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS
INNOVATION, DÉVELOPPEMENT ET PARTENARIATS
14. COMMUNITY
INFRASTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK
CADRE D'INFRASTRUCTURE COMMUNAUTAIRE
That this report be referred to the Parks and Recreation Advisory
Committee for comment and be brought back to the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee at the first regular meeting following budget.
CARRIED
as amended
15. WEST
NILE VIRUS - PREPAREDNESS AND PREVENTION PLAN 2004 /
VIRUS DU NIL OCCIDENTAL - PLAN DE MESURES ET DE PRÉVENTION 2004
That the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee recommend to the Corporate Services and Economic Development
Committee that Council approve funding in the amount of $800,000 to be cost
shared with the Province for the continuation of the existing West Nile Virus
preparedness and prevention plan for 2004, including:
1. Public education, particularly with
respect to personal protective measures against mosquitoes and source reduction
of mosquito breeding sites.
2. Mosquito, crow and human surveillance.
3. Source reduction of mosquito breeding sites on City-owned
property.
4. Mosquito control using a biological larvicide (Bti) on
surface waters (i.e. ditches, storm water management ponds) and a chemical
larvicide (methoprene) in non-surface waters (i.e. catch basins of roadside
storm sewers) and in sewage lagoons.
5. Mosquito control using adulticide (Malathion) would be used
only in circumstances deemed absolutely necessary. Evidence of intense
transmission in birds, and/or particular mosquito species as well as human
disease would be used to take this decision.
The decision to adulticide rests with the Medical Officer of Health and would
depend on updated risk assessments examining:
a) the
level of risk to the public health from the mosquito-borne virus and
b) the risk to human health of exposure to
the adulticide.
CARRIED
COUNCILLORS’ ITEMS
ARTICLES DES CONSEILLERS
Councillor / Conseiller Cullen
16. CHANGES TO OTTAWA COMMUNITY CARE ACCESS
CENTRE SERVICES / MODIFICATIONS AUX SERVICES DU CENTRE D’ACCÈS AUX SOINS
COMMUNAUTAIRES D’OTTAWA
By way of introductory comment, Vice
Chair A. Cullen said the changes proposed by the Community Care Access Centre
(CCAC) services would have an impact on the City’s home support services. Community agencies are already telling
councillors they can’t meet existing needs and this situation will worsen in
light of the growing seniors’ population.
Barbara Rackow, Ontario Public
Service Employees’ Union (OPSEU), spoke about the CCAC’s proposed cuts to Occupational and
Physiotherapy services and related staff.
She felt the Request for Proposals (RFP) would have a negative impact,
contributing to a lessening in the quality of care provided and a loss of
expertise. Ms.Rackow pointed out that
services provided by OT and social workers help keep people out of hospitals
and thus contribute to lower health care costs.
Dave Calvert, Ontario Public Service
Employees’ Union (OPSEU), bargaining agent for the affected workers, posited that the CCAC
feels it does not have to listen to concerns.
He expressed the view there had not been fair competition and he thought
a legal challenge might ensue. Mr.
Calvert said there have been no directives from the Ministry of Health. Case managers are administrative personnel
and the CCAC is spending 33% of its budget on administration. He felt it made no sense from a business
perspective to divide services between two providers, and
furthermore, two new agencies will not benefit clients.
Sue Clark, social activist and a
representative of the Coalition to Stop Homecare Cuts, said she had to make a public plea
for assistance and now benefits from three hours per week of housekeeping
services from the CCAC. She was
appalled at the proposed reductions to OT and related therapy services, and she
asked the CCAC to halt service reductions to help people maintain their health
and dignity.
The Committee then heard from Graham
Bird, Chair of the Board, and Sandra Golding, Executive Director, CCAC.
Mr. Bird described a number of
changes that were made to service provision in the last few years, all with the
aim of ensuring the majority of the $88 million per annum funding goes directly
to care. Speaking to the Request for
Proposals, Mr. Bird called it an open process, with the only anomaly being
Occupational and related therapy services.
Seventy-five to eighty percent of the proposal was based on quality of
service. The CCAC is trying to set up
partnerships, including one with the City, and to this end, a Memorandum of
Understand will soon be ready for signing.
Sandra Golding responded to
questions from Vice Chair Cullen about the CCAC not providing Assistive Devices
by saying this aspect is covered by a separate part of the Ministry of Health
and Long Term Care, and the CCAC cannot fulfill the requirement at this
time. Ms. Golding was unable to say how
many clients would be affected but she undertook to provide the information to
committee.
Councillor G. Bédard asked for a
comment from the delegation regarding the Motion before committee. Mr. Bird expressed the view it could do more
harm than good to halt the proposed reductions and he reiterated that the CCAC
is trying to meet demand through partnerships.
Councillor J. Stavinga noted that
decisions regarding cuts to homemaking services have had a $1 million
impact on the City: she wanted to know what would be the reverberations of cuts
to Occupational and related services.
Mr. Bird could not answer this question, as he felt this required the
assessment ability at the city that the CCAC does not have. Ms. Golding added that therapy represents
less than 6% of all programs and thus the impact on the city could be
relatively small.
In response to comments from
Councillor Stavinga about the need for more thorough discussions between the
City and the CCAC, the General Manager, People Services Department, Jocelyne St
Jean said staff were willing and able to work in partnership but have felt some
reluctance on the part of the agency, as well as being placed in a reactive
mode. The Director, Innovation,
Development and Partnerships Division, Colleen Hendrick, indicated there have
been discussions about enhanced relationships and about mutual policy changes
but, to date, the Memorandum of Understanding alluded to by Mr. Bird has not
been signed.
Responding to a question from
Councillor C. Doucet, Mr. Bird confirmed that the new contracts would be union
contracts.
Vice Chair Cullen said that steps
are being taken to further create gaps and that seniors and other users of the
CCAC’s programs don’t want to see service reductions. He pointed out, in response to Ms. Golding’s statement, that 6%
of $88 million represents $4.8 million.
The Councillor said he looked forward to the partnership with the CCAC,
expressing the hope this would help turn the reduction trend around.
Moved by J. Stavinga
Therefore be it resolved that the Health,
Recreation and Social Services Committee recommend that Council request the
Ontario Minister of Health to conduct a review of home care needs of seniors
and the disabled in Ottawa and of the ability of the Ottawa Community Care
Access Centre (CCAC) to meet them, and;
That the imminent reduction in services
being provided by the CCAC be referred to staff for a report back, as soon as
possible, identifying the ramifications to our programs and services, including
the impact to partnering community organizations.
CARRIED
Moved by A. Cullen
Whereas in 2001 the City of Ottawa
expressed concerns to the Ontario Minister of Health regarding the inadequate
amount of funding being made available to the Ottawa Community Care Access
Centre in order to meet the growing needs of Ottawa seniors and the disabled;
Whereas in 2002 the City of Ottawa
expressed concerns to both the Ottawa Community Care Access Centre and the
Ontario Ministry of Health regarding the CCAC's decision to stop providing
homemaking services to its clients, and the resulting increase in the City's
Home Help program for those seniors and disabled who qualified, at additional cost
to the City;
Whereas in 2004 the CCAC has decided to
reduce its home care visits from 55,000 in 2003 to 40,000 in 2004, despite a
growing population of seniors and the disabled in Ottawa;
Whereas in 2004 the CCAC has decided to end
its Assisted Devices Program assessment services to its clients, this requiring
clients to access these services through other means at additional cost, which
will increase applications for assistance at the City's Essential Health and
Social Services program;
Whereas in 2004 the CCAC has revised its
Request for Proposal process for therapy services to require smaller delivery
units, thus breaking up occupational and physiotherapy services and related
staff, and reducing levels of service, despite a growing population of seniors
and the disabled in Ottawa;
Therefore be it resolved that the Health,
Recreation and Social Services Committee recommend that Council request the
Ontario Minister of Health to conduct a review of home care needs of seniors
and the disabled in Ottawa and of the ability of the Ottawa Community Care
Access Centre (CCAC) to meet them, and;
That the imminent reduction in services
being provided by the CCAC be referred to staff for a report back, as soon as
possible, identifying the ramifications to our programs and services, including
the impact to partnering community organizations, and;
That this request be circulated to area
M.P.P.s, the Ottawa CCAC, and the Champlain District Health Council.
CARRIED,
as amended
INFORMATION PREVIOUSLY DISTRIBUTED
INFORMATION DISTRIBUÉE
ANTÉRIEUREMENT
1. SEASONAL PROGRAMS POST SEASON REPORT ON
SUMMER CAMPS WADING POOLS AND BEACHES 2003
RECEIVED
2. ADVISORY COMMITTEE RESERVE APPOINTMENT
- YOUTH CABINET / NOMINATION DE MEMBRE SUPPLÉANT AUX COMITÉS CONSULTATIFS
RECEIVED
3. ADVISORY COMMITTEE RESERVE APPOINTMENT
- PARKS AND RECREATION / NOMINATION DE MEMBRE SUPPLÉANT AUX COMITÉS
CONSULTATIFS -
RECEIVED
4. MAKING
THE ENVIRONMENT HEALTHIER FOR OUR KIDS /
ASSAINIR L’ENVIRONNEMENT POUR NOS ENFANTS
RECEIVED
OTHER BUSINESS
AUTRES QUESTIONS
Moved by C. Doucet
That the Rules of Procedure be waived to allow
the Committee to consider an additional item.
CARRIED
CHANGE IN BRANCH NAME
That the Health, Recreation and
Social Services Committee recommend Council approve that the Branch name “Arts,
Culture and Community Funding” be changed to “Cultural Services and Community
Funding” (formerly Innovation, Development and Partnership Branch).
CARRIED
ADJOURNMENT
LEVÉE DE LA SÉANCE
The meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m.
A/Committee Coordinator Chair
