MINUTES OF A BOARD MEETING OF THE DISTRICT OF COCHRANE SOCIAL
SERVICES ADMINISTRATION BOARD
HELD ON THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2003
IN THE CDSSAB BOARD ROOM
AT 7:00 P.M.
PRESENT
ABSENT
Mayor J. C. Caron, Chair
Councillor Rick Bisson, Vice-Chair
Mayor Jamie Lim
Mayor Rejeanne Demeules
Deputy Mayor Jacques Lecours
Councillor Tom Laughren
Councillor Emilien Charlebois
Gerry Poulin
Matt Rukavina
Kathryn Miller
Mayor Don Génier
Councillor Bill Gvozdanovic
Councillor Joe Harwood
GUESTS
Patricia Toffolo
Steve Trinier, Director EMS
1.
Approval of Agenda
RESOLUTION NO. 03-43
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Matt Rukavina
Gerry Poulin
THAT the agenda for the February 13, 2003 CDSSAB Board meeting be
approved with the following addition:
Other Matters –
o Information Session to be scheduled in April with Senior Financial
Consultant with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Mr. James Scollard
o Withdrawal as Service Provider MIC’s Ambulance Group
-Statistics/Budget MIC’s Group
CARRIED
2.
Approval of Board Member Absences
RESOLUTION NO. 03-44
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Rejeanne Demeules
Emilien Charlebois
THAT the following Board member(s) be excused from the March 20, 2003
CDSSAB Board meeting due to prior commitments:
-
Joe Harwood
Bill Gvozdanovic
Don Génier
CARRIED
3.
Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest
No disclosures were made.
4.
Approval of Minutes
RESOLUTION NO. 03-45
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Matt Rukavina
Jacques Lecours
THAT the minutes of the Board meeting February 13, 2003 be approved as
amended.
CARRIED
5.
Business Arising from Minutes
No business arising from minutes.
6.
Appointment of Ontario Works Administrator
RESOLUTION NO. 03-46
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Rick Bisson
Jamie Lim
THAT the Chief Administrative Officer, Kathryn Miller, be appointed as
Administrator for the purposes of the Ontario Works Act and Regulations.
CARRIED
7.
Withdrawal as Service Provider MIC’s Ambulance Group
The Board reviewed the letters and Administrative Report. Steve Trinier
Director, EMS provided the Board with information on MIC’s Group budget
and discussed the issues surrounding the Land Ambulance Service and the
MIC’s Group. As per the agreement MIC’s Group is required to give 6
months notice to terminate service delivery and after discussion the Board
stipulated that they will require MIC’s group to honor the contract. The Board
directed the CAO to arrange a meeting with MIC’s Group, to include the
following participants to discuss the situation, address the issues, attempt to
find solutions.
CDSSAB Board Chair
Representatives from: Town of Cochrane
Town of Iroquois Falls
Town of Matheson
Board of Directors – MIC’s Group
CDSSAB CAO
MIC’s CAO
CDSSAB Director of EMS
The Board will defer any decision on this matter until after the meeting.
Discussion was held regarding increasing costs for Land Ambulance
Services and the Board’s initial position on assumption of services that
services would be maintained at status quo. It was noted that changes in
regulations for paramedics at time of download had created extra costs. It
was also noted that the facility issue in Cochrane pre-dated the download.
There were suggestions that the Board re-visit the apportionment of Land
Ambulance costs to reflect the current standard of service/cost and that
should communities wish to have improvements in service hours or facilities
that the cost should be borne by that community. The Board requested the
CAO to investigate the legality of this position.
The CAO also advised the Board that she is preparing several spreadsheets
to show distribution of services and costs to Municipalities and net-cost
(service costs minus CRF) on Municipalities from downloaded services.
This spreadsheet will also indicate cost comparison 1997 (pre-download) to
2001, net cost per capita and DSSAB net cost as % of tax levy.
8.
Information
The Board was provided with the following information
Staffing Report
Caseload Statistical
Administrative Report on Deputation at ROMA/OGRA Conference
Housing Services
9.
-
Reports Information
-
Cheque Registry
-
Tenders
-
Quality Q
Housing Services
RESOLUTION NO. 03-48
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Jamie Lim
Rick Bisson
Resolution respecting Transfer of Pension Assets for Employees Divested
from the Former Timmins Housing Authority, North Cochrane District
Housing Authority and the South Cochrane District Housing Authority.
WHEREAS the pension plans held by employees who were transferred
from the former Timmins Housing Authority, North Cochrane District
Housing Authority and the South Cochrane District Housing Authority to
the Cochrane District Housing Authority and subsequently transferred to
the Cochrane District Local Housing Corporation and the District of
Cochrane Social Services Administration Board-Housing Services, were
vested in the Ontario Pension Board and the OPSEU Pension Trust and;
WHEREAS these employees were required to become new members of
the OMERS Pension Plan effective January 1, 2001; and
WHEREAS many of the former employees of the Timmins Housing
Authority, North Cochrane District Housing Authority and the South
Cochrane District Housing Authority (the District of Cochrane Social
Services Administration Board – Housing Services) will suffer adverse
effects to their pension benefits on retirement as a result of the vesting of
their earlier pension entitlements; and
WHEREAS both employer and pension plan stakeholders have
recognized that the problems arising for pension plan participants from
the transfer of their employment from provincial to local authorities need
to be resolved; and
WHEREAS affected pension plan managers and stakeholders have
recognized that the only method of resolution for those adversely
effected employees is a change to the pension transfer provisions of the
Pension Benefits Act; and
WHEREAS the Provincial Government made a commitment to reform
the Pension Benefits Act in the last provincial Budget to resolve this
issue; and
WHEREAS the Provincial Government excluded such amendments from
its most recent budget bill to allow for further consultation with affected
stakeholders; and
WHEREAS the District of Cochrane Social Services Administration
Board supports the introduction of amendments to the Pension Benefits
Act required to resolve the adverse affect on transferred employees.
THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the District of Cochrane Social
Services Administration Board urges the Provincial Government, in the
spring session of the Legislature, to pass legislation to amend section
80 (5) of the Pension Benefits Act (sales & divestments) so that the
commuted value of the assets held in trust for the transferred employees
are transferred to their OMERS pension plans, if the employee so
requests.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOVED THAT we forward a copy of this
Resolution to other Local Housing Corporations and Service Managers in
Northern Ontario together with a request for support of this position to
the Northern Service Managers Housing Group and the Northern Ontario
Service Deliverers Association and that this resolution be forwarded to
the Premier, Minister of Finance and Minister of Municipal Affairs and
Housing.
CARRIED
10.
Correspondence
Letter from FONOM to Honourable Tony Clement
The Board was provided with a copy of the letter from Richard Adams,
President of FONOM that the Federation of Northern Ontario
Municipalities passed a resolution supporting the NOSDA Resolution to
petition the Ministry of Long Term Care to change the funding template
to accurately reflect the legislation and provide adjusted TWOMO
funding for 2001 and 2002 as per the DSSAB TWOMO levies.
11.
Next meeting date
The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday April 17, 2003 at 7:00 p.m.
12.
Board Education and Planning Session
The Board Education and Planning Session which was scheduled for March
29 has been changed to Thursday April 17, 2003 at 5 p.m. which will be
followed by the regular CDSSAB Board meeting. Another session will be
planned for the May 15, 2003 CDSSAB Board meeting.
13.
Resolution to rise to the In-Camera portion of the meeting
RESOLUTION NO. 03-49
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Tom Laughren
Rick Bisson
THAT the CDSSAB Board hereby rise for the In-Camera portion of the
meeting.
CARRIED
14.
Adjournment
RESOLUTION NO. 03-53
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Tom Laughren
Jacques Lecours
That the March 20, 2003 Board meeting be adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
CARRIED
J.C. Caron, Chair
Kathryn Miller, CAO