THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF NIAGARA

PUBLIC HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE

MINUTES

PHSSC 6-2024

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

1:00 P.m. - 2:00 P.m.

Council Chamber - In Person and Electronic Meeting

Niagara Region Headquarters, Campbell West

1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON

Committee:

• Bateman, 
• Bradley (Regional Chair), 
• Chiocchio (Committee Co-Chair), 
• Craitor, 
• Diodati, 
• Easton, 
• Foster, 
• Insinna, 
• Ip, 
• Jordan, 
• Morocco (Committee Co-Chair), 
• Rigby, 
• Seaborn, 
• Siscoe, 
• Whalen, 
• and Witteveen 

Absent/Regrets:

• Kaiser 
• and Sorrento 

Staff:

• C. Banach, Director, Housing Services, 
• A. Basic, Legislative Assistant, 
• D. Carnegie, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, 
• C. Cousins, Director, Homelessness and Community Engagement, 
• A. Jugley, Commissioner, Community Services, 
• Dr. A. Kasmani, Medical Officer of Health, 
• S. Klair, Director, Children's Services, 
• H. Koning, Director, Senior Services, 
• K. Lotimer, Legislative Coordinator, 
• M. Sergi, Commissioner, Growth Strategy & Economic Development, 
• and L. Watson, Director, Social Assistance and Employment Opportunities 

Others Present:

• D. D'Amboise, Manager, Program Financial Support, R. Hill, Legislative Assistant

   

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

Committee Co-Chair Chiocchio called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.

2.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT

Councillor Witteveen read the Land Acknowledgement Statement.

3.

DISCLOSURES OF PECUNIARY INTEREST

There were no disclosures of pecuniary interest.

4.

PRESENTATIONS

4.1

Public Health Inspects Disclosure

Anthony Habjan, Director, Environmental Health, provided information respecting Public Health Inspects Disclosure. Topics of the presentation included:

• Environmental Health Programs
• Completed Inspections - 2023
• Facility Breakdown - 2023
• Complaints & Investigations - 2023
• EH Inspection Process
• Ontario Public Health Standards: Disclosure
• What's Disclosed Now
• What Changes are Coming
• Who Knows About PH Inspects
• Promoting PH Inspects
• Public Health Promotion Reels
• Comparing Niagara to Other PHUs
• PH Inspects - Webpage Metrics
• PH Inspects - Top 50 Webpages

5.

DELEGATIONS

5.1

Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy - Social Assistance Rates (COM 18-2024 (Agenda Item 6.1))

5.1.1

Jennifer Gauthier, Chair, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Jennifer Gauthier, Chair, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network, appeared before Committee in support of the motion respecting Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy - Social Assistance Rates. Ms. Gauthier addressed the need for an increase to the income support rates for the Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program by highlighting issues within the community that are a result of the basic financial assistance rates being too low.

5.1.2

Aidan Johnson, Niagara Community Legal Clinic

Aidan Johnson, Niagara Community Legal Clinic, appeared before Committee in support of Niagara Region lobbying the province to raise Social Assistance rates.

6.

ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION

6.1

COM 18-2024

Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy - Social Assistance Rates

• Moved by Councillor Bateman
  Seconded by Councillor Ip

  That Report COM 18-2024, dated June 11, 2024, respecting Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy – Social Assistance Rates, BE RECEIVED and the following recommendations BE APPROVED:

  1. That the Regional Chair BE DIRECTED to send correspondence to the Provincial Government requesting that action be taken to increase the Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) basic financial assistance rates and establish a policy to index rates to inflation for OW similar to ODSP, to mitigate further hardship that has resulted from frozen rates; and
  2. That the Regional Chair BE DIRECTED to circulate a copy of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy and associated correspondence to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO), the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA), local area MPs and MPPs and local area municipalities for consideration of further actions required to address poverty.
  
  
  
  Carried

6.2

COM 20-2024

Group Purchasing Services for Homelessness Services

• Moved by Councillor Witteveen
  Seconded by Councillor Bateman

  That Report COM 20-2024, dated June 11, 2024, respecting Group Purchasing Services for Homelessness Services, BE RECEIVED and the following recommendation BE APPROVED:

  1. That Homelessness Services, direct operations, BE APPROVED to have sites added to the Complete Purchasing Services Inc. (CPSI) agreement previously approved for the Region’s Long Term Care (LTC) homes as the provider and purchasing agent for group purchasing services for food and supplies.
  
  
  
  Carried

6.3

PHD 3-2024

Approval of Public Health and Emergency Services Program Audits

• Moved by Councillor Insinna
  Seconded by Councillor Seaborn

  That Report PHD 3-2024, dated June 11, 2024, respecting Approval of Public Health and Emergency Services Program Audits, BE RECEIVED and the following recommendations BE APPROVED:

  1. That the draft audited schedule of revenue and expenses and the annual reconciliation return for the Public Health General Programs for the year ended December 31, 2023 (Appendix 1 and 2 to Report PHD 3-2024), BE APPROVED;
  2. That the draft audited schedule of revenue and expenses and the annual reconciliation return for the Community Mental Health Program for the year ended March 31, 2024 (Appendix 3 and 4 to Report PHD 3-2024), BE APPROVED;
  3. That the draft audited schedules of revenue and expenses for the following programs for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, BE APPROVED:

  • Ambulance Communication Services (Appendix 5 to Report PHD 3-2024)
  • Infant and Child Development Services (ICDS) (Appendix 6 to Report PHD 3-2024)
  • Healthy Babies, Healthy Children (HBHC) (Appendix 7 to Report PHD 3-2024);

      4. That staff BE DIRECTED to co-ordinate with the auditor to finalize the statements as presented; and

      5.That Report PHD 3-2024 BE FORWARDED to the Region’s Audit Committee for information.

  
  
  
  Carried

7.

CONSENT ITEMS FOR INFORMATION

• Moved by Councillor Ip
  Seconded by Councillor Craitor

  That the following items BE RECEIVED for information:

  COM 17-2024

  Seniors Services Quality Improvement Report: January – March 2024

  COM 19-2024

  Considerations for New Homeless Shelter Site Selection

  
  
  
  Carried

8.

OTHER BUSINESS

There were no items of other business.

9.

NEXT MEETING

​The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, at 1:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Regional Headquarters.

10.

ADJOURNMENT

​There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:34 p.m.