Board Meeting - Minutes - February 25, 2021

Minutes of the February 25, 2021

MANITOULIN-SUDBURY DSB BOARD MEETING

Present: Arthur Hayden, David Santi, Maureen Van Alstine, Bruce Killah, Richard Malette, Michael Levesque, Ted Lovelace, Richard Stephens, Kevin Burke, Ned Whynott and Jill Beer 

Regrets: David Ham, Paul Schoppmann 

Staff: Fern Dominelli, Donna Stewart, Connie Morphet, Melody Ouellette, Paul Myre, Ehren Baldauf
 

CALL TO ORDER 

Chair, Bruce Killah, called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.
 

DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of conflict of interest.
 

3.0 Closed Session 

Resolution 21-17

Moved by: Kevin Burke 
Seconded by: Jill Beer 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board move into closed session at 9:31 a.m.

Carried 


Minutes of the February 25, 2021

MANITOULIN-SUDBURY DSB BOARD MEETING 

Present: Arthur Hayden, David Santi, Maureen Van Alstine, Bruce Killah, Richard Malette, Michael Levesque, Ted Lovelace and Richard Stephens, Kevin Burke and Jill Beer 

Regrets: David Ham, Paul Schoppmann 

Staff: Fern Dominelli, Donna Stewart, Connie Morphet, Melody Ouellette, Paul Myre 

Media: Alicia McCutcheon, The Manitoulin Expositor
Tom Sasvari, The Manitoulin Recorder
 

1.0  Chair, Bruce Killah, called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m. 

2.0  Business Arising from Closed Session

Resolution No. 21-19

Moved by: Ned Whynott 
Seconded by: David Santi

WHEREAS the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA) has approached the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB to consider a secondment of the DSB CAO to NOSDA as its Executive Director on a half time basis beginning April 1, 2021, subject to the terms of a secondment agreement.  

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board approve the secondment of Fern Dominelli on a half time basis to the NOSDA Executive Director position effective April 1, 2021 subject to the terms of the secondment agreement, with the understanding that Fern Dominelli will continue to serve in the capacity of CAO for the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB on a half time basis; and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT Donna Stewart be appointed Associate Chief Administrative Officer with the authorities of the Chief Administrative Officer as delegated in writing by Fern Dominelli, CAO.

Carried 
 

3.0 Adoption of Agenda

Resolution No. 21-20

Moved by: Arthur Hayden
Seconded by: Edgar Lovelace 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Agenda be adopted.

Carried
 

4.0 Declarations of Conflict of Interest  
 

5.0 Adoption of Minutes 

Resolution No. 21-21

Moved by: Michael Levesque
Seconded by: Richard Stephens

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Minutes of the January 28, 2021 meeting be approved.

Carried 
 

6.0 New Business

6.1 CAO 2020 Fourth Quarter Activity Report 

Fern Dominelli, CAO, walked the board through the CAO Quarterly Report. This report will be shared with member municipalities who are encouraged to add it to Council agenda packages. 

Resolution No. 21-22

Moved by: Maureen Van Alstine
Seconded by: Richard Malette 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 2020 CAO Fourth Quarter Activity Report be approved as presented.

Carried
 

6.2 2020 Fourth Quarter Unaudited Financial Report 

Connie Morphet, Director of Finance & Administration, walked the Board through the 2020 Fourth Quarter Unaudited Financial Report, which is forecasting a year-end surplus of $342,293. 

Resolution No. 21-23

Moved by: Edgar Lovelace
Seconded by: Jill Beer 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 2020 Fourth Quarter Unaudited Financial Report be approved as presented.

Carried 
 

6.3 Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services 

Donna Stewart, Director of Integrated Social Services, walked the Board through the Social Assistance Vision – Issue Report. 

On February 11, 2021, Minister Smith announced Ontario’s new vision for social assistance. Ontario is at a critical juncture, as the Province continues to struggle through the impacts of COVID-19, hundreds of thousands of Ontarians are still unable to return to the labour market and many may have to turn to social assistance and other community supports and services, depending on the federal

government decisions regarding the future of enhanced federal income benefits. As such, Ontario’s social assistance system must be ready to support increased numbers of people back towards employment, independence, and stability.

The new vision for social assistance aims to create an efficient, effective, and streamlined social services system that focuses on people by connecting them with a range of local services and supports that respond to their unique needs and address barriers. The Province’s goal is that once life stabilization is achieved, more people will also succeed in employment.

For the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB staff, we envision that this work will be seamless as we have already established an integrated approach to the work that we do daily. Staff are well versed in all programs and this ensures that the client only tells their story once while receiving wrap around services.

The Province’s new Vision for Social Assistance will be a work in progress, and we will ensure that we participate in the design and implementation plan. We look forward to working together to engage broadly and drive forward this plan to create a better system for Ontarians. 

Resolution No. 21-24

Moved by: Kevin Burke
Seconded by: Richard Malette  

WHEREAS the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB has reviewed the Social Assistance Vision – Issue Report.   

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB approves the Social Assistance Vision – Issue Report and authorizes staff to action the recommendations contained within the report.

Carried
 

6.4 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Donna Stewart, Integrated Program Assistant, walked the Board through the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative Food Banks – Issue Report.

Originally implemented in January 2013, the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) is a 100 per cent provincially funded outcomes-based program that aims to prevent and end homelessness by improving access to adequate, suitable, and affordable housing and homelessness services for people experiencing homelessness and for people at-risk of homelessness.

CHPI has various program objectives which are consistent with the provincial context to support the province’s goal to end chronic homelessness and reduce reliance on emergency shelters only to name a few.

In the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB catchment area, the food bank usage has increased by 15% since last year. Staff reached out to the Chapleau Pentecostal Church in May of 2019 as the need for a food bank was evident in the community of Foleyet. Since the Chapleau Pentecostal Church food bank opened in June 2019, they have now doubled in size. 

Most recently, as a result of COVID-19, two new Food Banks were established in the municipalities of French River and St. Charles. In the Sudbury East area alone, there has been in increase of 151% due to the new food banks being established in those areas.

Staff are recommending that funding be used to support Food Banks for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The DSB will need to re-assess this once the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing provides funding allocations for 2022-23 and beyond.  

Resolution No. 21-25

Moved by: Vern Gorham
Seconded by: Ned Whynott 

WHEREAS the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB has reviewed the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative Food Banks – Issue Report.   

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB approves the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative Food Banks – Issue Report and authorizes staff to action the recommendations contained within the report.

Carried
 

6.5 Ministry of Education 

Donna Stewart, Director of Integrated Social Services walked the Board through the Provincial Child Care and Early Years Funding Re-Investment January to March 2021.

In the fall of 2020, staff worked with the Ministry of Education (MEDU) to determine the provincial funding required during the childcare and EarlyON closure and summer re-opening periods.  

Staff received a memo from MEDU on February 2, 2021 providing an update on the provincial underspending determined by the reconciliation process, resulting in a reinvestment being provided to CMSM’s and DSSAB’s.  The underspending is a result of MEDU requirements to use federal supports in advance of provincial supports.

The reinvestment will be made available between the period of January and March 2021 in the amount of $66 million, our underspending is estimated at $ 2,173,931, our share of the reinvestment is $ 335,788. The DSB has the flexibility to determine how best to use the funding to help the sector adapt.
 

6.6 Ministry of Long-Term Care 

Paul Myre, Chief of Paramedic Services, walked the Board through the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Update – Issue Report.

As presented to the board in January, Paramedic Services had submitted a proposed budget and draft implementation plan to the Ministry of Long-Term Care as part of our efforts to secure available funding for our Community Paramedicine Program. The DSB was one of 29 Paramedic Service delivery agents that were invited to submit a proposal for funding consideration.  

The Ministry of Long Term-Care set the notional funding allocation of up to $250,000 quarterly or up to $1,000,000 annually, based on the 2019 long-term care waitlist for the Manitoulin and Sudbury census divisions of 65 individuals. This waitlist along with the anticipated wave of seniors requiring long term care in the coming years was the thrust behind this funding becoming available. An additional factor is the ongoing issue of the ever-growing number of alternate levels of care (ALC) patients occupying acute care medical beds in hospitals causing decreased capacity.  Many of these ALC patients do not require hospitalization but with the scarce availability of LTC beds and the shortage of resources to properly care for them, there has been no other option available.

The DSB has received a funding letter from Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care approving a one-time funding amount of up to $3,250,000 for a four-year transfer payment agreement. The 2020 allocation will be for a sum of up to $250,000 and the DSB will then receive up to $250,000 for every fiscal quarter to a maximum of $1,000,000 per year until 2024. Work has commenced to bring the draft implementation plan to life and staff will be meeting shortly to finalize modelling and staffing profiles. 

Resolution No. 21-26

Moved by: Richard Stephens
Seconded by: Jill Beer 

WHEREAS the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB has reviewed the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Update – Issue Report. 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB approves the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Update – Issue Report and authorizes staff to action the recommendations contained within the report.

Carried 
 

6.7 Community Housing

Fern Dominelli, CAO gave the Board an update on the proposed community housing build in Little Current. 

The intent of this project is to construct a new complex consisting of a single or a series of row houses or other similarly configured structures at a location in Little Current, Ontario.

The new facility is intended to serve seniors in the community, their needs, and physical limitations (accessibility considerations) are to be considered when developing the conceptual designs. It is anticipated that 10 to 16 units will be located at this site; the final number of units will be dependent on the available funding and order of magnitude cost estimates for the proposed designs.

The project will be broken into two phases. Phase one being the feasibility study and phase two being tender for construction. Phase Two will only proceed if it is determined that desired building(s) can be constructed on the proposed site and sufficient budget is available for the construction of the facility including permit fees, design costs and other required soft costs.
 

6.8 Homelessness Enumeration 

Donna Stewart, Director of Integrated Social Services walked the Board through the Implementation of By-Name Lists and Enumeration.

On February 18, 2021, staff received a letter from the Assistant Deputy Minister, Joshua Paul advising DSSAB/CMSMs of next steps for the implementation of By-Name Lists and enumeration by DSSAB/CMSMs in 2021.

In March 2020, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) communicated to DSSAB/CMSMs and sector organizations its intention to introduce By-Name Lists across Ontario in 2021. A By-Name List is an ongoing real-time list of people experiencing homelessness in a community. A By-Name List can be used to connect people to a range of housing options and supports. MMAH will require DSSAB/CMSMs to begin developing a By-Name List in April 2021.

Due to gaps and limitations in the 2018 enumeration data, MMAH paused the requirement for DSSAB/CMSMs to conduct local homeless enumeration for 2020 to review the Province’s enumeration requirements. To provide greater consistency in the data collected, MMAH will require DSSAB/CMSMs to enumerate in 2021, using a Point-in-Time Count method.

A Point-in-Time Count captures numbers and basic demographics of people experiencing homelessness at a single point in time. Conducting a Point-in-Time Count also provides an opportunity to connect with people experiencing homelessness in the community to ask if they would like to be included on the By-Name List to receive help from DSSAB/CMSMs to find housing and supports.

MMAH will be engaging with DSSAB/CMSMs in the coming weeks to obtain input and feedback on the proposed approach and requirements for By-Name Lists and Point-in-Time Counts.

MMAH will be updating requirements for DSSAB/CMSMs on By-Name Lists and Point-in-Time Counts with an updated Minister’s Directive and revised guidelines. MMAH will be seeking to maximize alignment with federal Point-in-Time Count requirements for Ontario communities funded under the federal government’s Reaching Home program, while recognizing provincial priorities. 
 

7.0 Next Meeting – March 25, 2021 

8.0  Adjournment 

Resolution 21-27

Moved by: Maureen Van Alstine
Seconded by: Kevin Burke 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT we do now adjourn at 10:58 a.m. until the next regular meeting to be held on March 25, 2021.                                                                                             

Carried

 

Original signed by Bruce Killah - Chair

Original signed by Fern Dominelli - CAO (Secretary-Treasurer