Council / Committee Meetings – Thursday, January 14, 2021

By-laws

Bruce County Council:

• authorized the Director of Transportation and Environmental Services the approval authority to waive permit fees.
• established a Children's Activity Assistance Program Reserve.
• authorized the execution of an Emergency Response Agreement between Bruce County and the Canadian Red Cross Society.
• authorized the execution of a cost-sharing agreement between the Bruce County and the Town of Saugeen Shores to facilitate the respective. Responsibilities, and subsequent costs for Phase 3 of the Bruce Road 25 road reconstruction and infrastructure improvements.

Closed Meeting Investigator’s Report

Bruce County Council received the Closed Meeting Investigator’s Report dated December 31, 2020 and directed staff to report back to the Executive Committee on the outlined recommendations, as well as review and report back on closed meetings held over the past five years. A complaint was filed with Bruce County’s Clerk on August 25, 2020, alleging that the Bruce County Executive Committee contravened the Municipal Act and Procedure By-law for closed meetings held on September 8, 2016, March 2, 2016, April 6, 2017, May 4, 2017, September 7, 2017, and November 2, 2017. The complaint alleges that these meetings were improperly closed, that the Chair failed to report on the closed portions in open session, that the closed meeting minutes were improperly circulated to Committee Members, and that an improper vote may have occurred during one of the closed meetings. Bruce County took action and brought in Aird & Berlis LLP to independently investigate the matter, in accordance with the Municipal Act. Bruce County fully cooperated with investigators. The December 31, 2020 Closed Meeting Investigation Report by Aird & Berlis LLP concluded that the Bruce County Executive Committee contravened the Municipal Act, the Procedure By-law, and the Closed Meeting Procedure with respect to the conduct of the meetings set out in the complaint. The Report further concluded, however, that the closed meeting minutes were not improperly circulated to Committee Members. Bruce County has made changes in its policies, practices, and procedures and has taken other steps to enhance accountability and transparency with respect to closed meetings in response to previous findings and recommendations. A training session for members of Council and County staff entitled “Closed Session Best Practices” was held at the February 13, 2020 Executive Committee meeting. Bruce County Council acknowledges their highest responsibility is to provide good government for all stakeholders in an accountable and transparent manner.

Capital Reallocation

The Bruce County Housing Corporation approved the reallocation of $31,021.89 of 2020 surplus capital funding toward the fire separations upgrade project at 83 2nd Street, Chesley and that authority be granted to award the tender to the low compliant bidder, Allen Hastings Ltd., in the amount of $131,971. On July 2, 2020, the Board approved a revised capital budget in response to COVID-19 impacts, particularly regarding the challenges of performing interior renovations in occupied units during this time. An expenditure of $146,000 was approved to replace common area flooring at 50 Park St., Ripley as part of the capital budget revision. The project was tendered in 2020 and with the completion of the work a surplus of $31,937.44 was realized. In communication with general contractors and building material suppliers staff have received information indicating that the cost of building materials has increased anywhere from 25% to 35% since March, 2020. Staff are monitoring this situation closely as there could be an impact on costing of tenders budgeted in the approved 2021 capital budget. To mitigate the impact, projects may have to be scaled back or deferred.

Kincardine Housing Build Project Update

The Kincardine Housing Build is a major initiative in the 2020 Human Services Business Plan. The project will provide additional units of community housing in a new purpose-built development. The project will include 35 community housing units (25 one-bed units, 6 two-bed units, and 4 three-bed units) and an office ‘hub’ for Human Services. Construction is well underway, however, due to delays in receiving utility electricity to the site, there will be a delay in occupying both the office space and apartment units. It is anticipated occupancy of the office will occur by mid-February 2021 and occupancy of the apartment units will occur by mid-April 2021. The development of new affordable housing aligns with Bruce County’s Long-Term Housing Strategy (2013-2023) target of the development of 445 new affordable units in Bruce County.

2021 Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund

The Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure announced in December 2020 that the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) would be continued for the 2021 fiscal year. Bruce County will receive an amount of $660,950. The Province created the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund to provide stable funding to help small communities address critical core infrastructure needs in relation to roads, bridges, water and wastewater, further strengthen municipal asset management practices within small communities, and help small communities use a broad range of financial tools to address critical infrastructure challenges and provide long-term financial support for the rehabilitation and repair of core infrastructure for those in most need.

Safe Restart Phase 2 Grant Funding

Bruce County has received $500,000 in funding as part of the Safe Restart Phase 2. This funding is considered one-time funding and it is recommended that spending priorities focus on one-time expenditures rather than ongoing expenditures. Initially, the Phase 2 funding was application-based and municipalities had to demonstrate that the Phase 1 funds were insufficient to assist with COVID-19 related expenses for 2020. The Province ultimately released additional allocation-based funds for COVID-19 related expenses for 2021. Lower-tier municipalities in Bruce County also received funding.

Municipal Property Assessment Corporation – 2021 Fees

The County has received details related to the Ontario Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s (MPAC) 2021 funding requirements. The overall province-wide levy increase for MPAC’s service is split amongst municipalities based on the growth of their assessment base and the size of their assessment base proportionate to the whole province. As other municipal tax bases are increasing in value faster than Bruce County, the portion charged to Bruce County is lower than the overall provincial levy increase. The 2021 charge for the County will be approximately $1,614,556.24 which is a 0.51% decrease over the 2020 amount of $1,622,904.43. The 2021 budget was adopted prior to receiving the 2021 funding requirement and the MPAC levy is below the budgeted amount of $1,671,008.

Summary of Awarded Tenders – Q4 2020

According to the requirements of the Bruce County Purchasing and Procurement Policy a “Request for Tender” is issued for goods and services estimated to exceed $75,000. Tenders with no bids received will be re-tendered, sometimes with a scope change if required. The following list summarizes the Tenders awarded between October 1 and December 31, 2020 by all Departments.

• Micro-surfacing West Road - Bids received were over budget, re-tender in 2021
• Snow Removal (Saugeen Shores) - Faust Construction – Price: Varies
• Parking Lot, Sidewalk, & Grading Upgrades (Kincardine) - Multiple Enterprises – Price: $257,217
• Common Area Flooring (621 Mary St., Wiarton) - J.P. Commercial - Price: $347,947
• Common Area Flooring (50 Park St., Ripley) - Grey Bruce Interiors - Price: $114,662
• Parking Lot, Sidewalk, & Grading Upgrades (Kincardine Town Homes) - No bids received, re-tender in 2021
• Snow Removal (Kincardine) - Wylds K&M Services – Price: Various
• Kinloss Tract, South Kinloss Avenue (Forestry Sale) - Bacon Crest Farms & Elevators – Price: $1,250.00
• Common Area Flooring (5 Railway St., Teeswater) - Dave Scholten Flooring – Price: $124,995

Annual Borrowing By-law

Bruce County regularly approves an annual temporary borrowing by-law. This permits the County to obtain and utilize an overdraft facility from their bank. The amount in the 2020 By-law was originally $7,500,000. Later in 2020 it was increased to $20,000,000 to facilitate the 90-day extensions to the due dates for the lower-tier municipalities to pay the second, third, and fourth quarter installments. There are no plans for extensions in 2021. If extensions are to be put in place, then an increase can be contemplated at that time.

Optional Small Business Property Tax Class

The Province introduced the ability for municipalities to create a small business property subclass to give municipalities the option to have a lower tax rate for certain properties assessed as commercial or industrial. At their meeting on December 3, 2020, the Corporate Services Committee asked for a report discussing this initiative for review for implementation in 2021. A meeting of the Treasurers and Tax Collectors for the County and the lower-tier municipalities in Bruce County was held on December 14, 2020. Recommendation to the Corporate Services Committee was to wait for full regulation information before proceeding, to determine how program eligibility will be determined and if it will assist the small businesses that are desired to be assisted, to consider uniformity with neighbouring Counties, to determine the impact of shifting property taxes from business properties (commercial and industrial) to residential and farm properties, to determine the financial cost to municipalities for 2021 as any changes to the tax roll for 2021 will result in an increase in tax write-off expenses, and future years, and to determine the potential resources required by each lower-tier municipality to implement this and to perform annual eligibility reviews and appeals. To move forward with the initiative for the 2022 taxation year, the Corporate Services Committee may address recommendations before September 2021.

2021 Budget Amended for Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund

The Corporate Services Committee approved amendments to the 2021 budget to reduce the levy requirement in the Transportation and Environmental Services capital budget by $330,475 and increase transfers to Roads reserves by $330,475. The 2021 Budget was approved on October 22, 2020 prior to the 2021 funding announcement for the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF). The Corporate Services Committee requested to consider the 2021 budget options once the OCIF funding for 2021 was known. The Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure announced in December 2020 that the OCIF would be continued for the 2021 fiscal year in the amount of $660,950.

Fees and Charges By-law Annual Review

The Executive Committee reviewed the Fees and Charges By-law and approved the recommended changes for 2021. Fee changes will be seen in Museum programming and facility rental, ambulance call reports and incident reports, Library room rentals, home and community support services, human resources services and administration support, IT and infrastructure supports, restaurant service encroachment permits, and the planning fee structure.

Long Term Care Services Proposed Oversight Plan

The Homes Committee approved the proposed Long Term Care Services Oversight Plan. Under the Long Term Care Homes Act (LTCHA), the County must take such measures to ensure compliant provision of service to long term care residents including ensuring sufficient staffing and oversight, implementing all relevant policies and procedures to ensure legislative and regulatory compliance, and ensuring the safety and well-being of residents. The County’s LTC leadership and staff teams have concurrently responded to all COVID-19 challenges, proactively implementing essential activities to reduce spread and keep residents, families, and staff safe. To effectively address these priorities and ensure a comprehensive approach to long term care service delivery, the Homes Committee has approved the creation of a Director position for long term care. This position would oversee all LTC service delivery, supervise both recently hired Administrators, and in partnership with them, ensure adherence to all legislative and program compliance requirements.

Long Term Care Homes In Full Compliance

Brucelea Haven (Walkerton) and Gateway Haven (Wiarton) Long Term Care Homes are in full compliance with the Long Term Care Homes Act and all associated regulations. The homes continue to conduct ongoing audits and Primacare consultants continue to monitor status. The focus for the homes continues to ensure robust pandemic response, infection prevention and control education, and daily auditing of Personal Protective Equipment use and hand hygiene for compliance. Visits by Essential Caregivers in the homes were temporarily paused for a two-week period at the beginning of Ontario’s province-wide shutdown and the the Essential Caregiver Program returned effective January 8, 2021. Essential Caregivers visiting the Long Term Care Homes must demonstrate that they have received a negative COVID-19 test at 7 day intervals. Essential Caregivers can be tested weekly at the Homes for convenience. The recreation teams in both Homes have done a phenomenal job in keeping residents connected with their families through virtual visits and phone calls. Both Homes are awaiting information on resident, staff, and Essential Caregiver vaccination programs for COVID-19. Both Homes will be ready to administer the vaccines when received. Face scan thermometers donated by Bruce Power are now being used for temperature taking at the front entrance screening desks. Gentle Persuasive Approach training continues. Primacare will continue to support both Homes until March 31, 2021. Cathy Stewart has begun as the Administrator at Brucelea Haven on December 7. Megan Garland has begun as the Administrator at Gateway Haven on December 29.

Social Service Relief Fund Hold Back

The Human Services Committee authorized the Warden and Clerk to execute the Social Service Relief Fund Holdback Allocation sign back letter, approved the hold back Investment Plan submission to the Province, and approved amendments to the 2021 County operating budget to include the revenue and expenditure as required. During summer 2020, the Provincial government announced $362 million in new funding under a second phase of the Social Service Relief Fund (SSRF) to help vulnerable people through the pandemic. To ensure SSRF Phase 2 funding was targeted to where it is needed most, the Provincial Government communicated that a portion of the total SSRF Phase 2 funds would be held back to help communities that are disproportionately impacted by the effect of COVID-19. The province has now confirmed that Bruce County is eligible for $167,600 in funding for 2020-2021. Like the SSRF Phase 1 funding, this new allocation will flow as per the agreement for the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI).

Social Service Relief Fund Assistance

The Human Services Committee approved a Service Agreement between Bruce County and the Salvation Army, Wiarton Corps & Family Services to acquire a Caseworker for the Pathway to Hope program. This program will support clients with poverty reduction, housing, employment, education, mental health treatment, and addiction management. The Committee also approved $8,000 from the Social Service Relief Fund for four 211 – Community Connections staff to be setup with laptops to provide work-from-home virtual services during the pandemic. 211 – Community Connections will be required to execute a Memorandum of Understanding.

Strategic Community Initiatives Fund – 2021 Call for Proposals

The County of Bruce Strategic Community Initiatives Fund (SCIF) granting process contributes to the advancement of human services goals and priorities. Investments are targeted to community-based initiatives and services that complement the core services of the Human Services Department. Bruce County recognizes that by investing in community-based initiatives it will advance both economic and social factors in the County. Additionally, the investment shows the County’s commitment to strengthening the community’s capacity to be responsive to changing needs and services to leverage additional funding sources. Interested organizations seeking funding for 2021 are requested to submit a proposal by February 12, 2021.

Community Paramedicine Program

The Paramedic Services Committee has approved that a Community Paramedicine Program be implemented with funding coming from Ontario Health (West) LHIN. The program will focus on palliative patients with an identified advanced care plan, as well as community crisis patients waiting for Long Term Care, having significant medical needs, and/or having strained caregiver supports. This program, with its associated funding of $123,241.67, is a significant opportunity for Bruce County and community health care partners and is hoped to be the basis from which the County can expand a Community Paramedicine Program in the future. It is intended that support for residents most in need is essential so that they can remain in their own homes longer.

Port Elgin Ambulance Station

The Paramedic Services Committee has authorized a 2-year extension of the lease agreement for the Saugeen Shores Ambulance Station located at 671 Green Street, Port Elgin. This lease extension should give sufficient time to have the new paramedic station in Port Elgin built.

Museum & Cultural Centre Update

• The Museum Committee has approved the revised Collections Management Policy and Collections Management & Archive Tax Receipt Procedure.
• The Committee has also approved the de-accessioning of identified archival items. De-accessioning is an important part of healthy collections management. It allows for analysis and honing of the Collection and ensures ongoing compliance with the collecting mandate and collecting plans.
• Online Collections and Website Collections continued to make access to the collection through digitization a priority through 2020. In all, just over 300 items were added to the online collection throughout the year. Over 7,370 Bruce County-connected soldiers and military personnel are recognized on bruceremembers.org, which features over 5,000 images and over 750 newspaper clippings. The Museum had 400 newly donated items and continues to collect a record of COVID-19 impacts in our communities, as a resource for future exhibition or display, and for researchers and those interested in learning about the past for many years to come.
• Continuing with the County’s mandate to secure art for the County, the Museum has made the following art selections for 2020: Paul Mondoux (Saugeen Shores, Southampton) “I see Blue Sky”, Heather Lynne Travis (Arran-Elderslie, Tara) “Beach County Beach Views”, and Sharon Barfoot (South Bruce Peninsula, Sauble Beach) “Taking Flight”.
• Despite pandemic closures, the Museum successfully retained more than 75% of its membership and 78% of its sponsorship revenue in 2020.
• Museum Donations in 2020 were $10,994, including $4,950 raised via the Have a Seat Campaign.
• Upcoming Programs and Events: “Adventure Talks” on February 10, 24, and March 10, “Family Carnival Day” on February 15, “Museum Munchkins” on the second Thursday of each month starting in February, “Trailblazers” launches in January with an exhibit and virtual workshops for local schools with guest instructors from the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD).
• On January 4, the new Education Centre launched, allowing teachers a more streamlined navigation of our available programs as well as many new online resources. The County will continue to add these as new programs are developed and older ones taken out of circulation.
• Discover more from the Museum on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and the Museum Website and Bruce Remembers Website.

This publication identifies highlights from recent Bruce County Council and Committee meetings. Bruce County’s Office of the CAO maintains complete agendas and minutes from all Council and Committee meetings, which can be reviewed at www.brucecounty.on.ca/government/agendas-and-minutes