Termination of Addiction Services Initiative
The
County of Simcoe Ontario Works Department is one of thirteen
Consolidated Service Managers and four First Nations sites that
has been delivering the provincially funded Addiction Services
Initiative (ASI). The County of Simcoe implemented the ASI program back
in 2010, through a formal service agreement with the Canadian Mental
Health Association (CMHA) Simcoe County Branch, whereby contracted
services have been in place in each of the five Ontario Works offices on
a full-time basis.
Councillors received an update on the
termination of the Addiction Services Initiative following the
April 12 announcement by the Ministry of Children, Community
and Social Services that they were ceasing the delivery of the ASI
program. According to Ministry staff, the four First Nations sites
will continue to deliver ASI until appropriate consultation has
occurred. Formal notification was provided to the Executive
Director of CMHA on April 18, that the current contract for the
delivery of ASI between the County of Simcoe and CMHA will be terminated
effective July 31, 2019. Staff will continue to work together to ensure
that all clients in the ASI program are provided with appropriate
transitional supports.
County of Simcoe Paramedic Services Deployment and Response Time Performance Plan Update – 2019
The
provision of Paramedic Services mandates the strategic use of Paramedic
response resources based on geography and historical call data to
effectively match resources to workload. Paramedic Services regularly
evaluates data compiled through review of internal reporting systems,
response times and feedback from field Paramedics, Supervisors and the
Georgian Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC). Through the
on-going evaluation of this data, Paramedic Services has identified an
increased pressure on resources to maintain current performance. Council
approved a new deployment plan, developed by County staff, that
outlines the direction of the CSPS. Based on a review of the previous
deployment plan and with the goal of improving the efficiency and
effectiveness, CSPS made several changes for the 2019 Deployment Plan,
including deployment changes and the introduction of additional
resources.
2018 Simcoe County Living Wage
In October 2015,
the County developed and implemented a community consultation, designed
to foster solutions-based thinking around poverty reduction in Simcoe
County. As part of the consultation, the Poverty Reduction Task Group, a
sub-committee of the Simcoe County Children, Youth and Family
Coalition, requested that calculation of a ‘Living Wage’ for the region
be undertaken. Council received the 2018 Living Wage Recalculation for
Simcoe County report that indicates the living wage in Simcoe County has
increased to $18.01 per hour from $17.74 per hour, as established in
the first Living Wage Calculation for Simcoe County conducted in 2017.
At the May 28 Council meeting, it was recommended that the report be
circulated to all Simcoe County member municipalities.
Simcoe County Collects App
County
staff have been working with ReCollect developers who created the
current Solid Waste Management website widget to create a customizable
waste management mobile app. The mobile app, called Simcoe County
Collects, provides a convenient way to receive information on a variety
of subjects and services and is available through the App Store and
Google Play as a free download. Councillors were updated on the
functionality of Simcoe County Collects, which provides users with
service alerts when collection impacts are anticipated, access to the
Waste Wizard, reminders of waste collection days via text, messaging
through the app itself, email, or phone calls, education on various
waste related subjects and information on the closest waste management
facility to the user, including GPS directions.
Potential
logistical and financial impacts relating to the suggestion of the Town
of Bradford West Gwillimbury becoming a Separated City
On April
23, 2019, Count Council passed a resolution directing that staff
undertake high level conceptual analyses to more accurately depict what
the logistical and financial impacts would be if the Town of Bradford
West Gwillimbury (BWG) became a Separated City. The County report, which
was based on the original analysis by the Town of Bradford West
Gwillimbury, was presented to Councillors. The report showed no net
benefit in Bradford West Gwillimbury gaining separated city status and
reaffirmed the value of County services and capital investments.
