Regional Councillor Report

Submitted by: Colleen Jordan, Regional Councillor Wards 3 & 4

Date: September 24, 2007

Court Security Costs

A motion from Owen Sound was endorsed by Council requesting that the Provincial Government fulfill its responsibility and pay 100% of court security costs. Consolidated court costs place significant demands on local host municipal police services resources which burdens the municipal taxpayer. Ontario is the only province in Canada not paying for court security cost.

Energy from Waste Facility - Health Effects

Dr. Lesbia Smith, who was commissioned by the Medical Officer of Health to comment on the Durham/York Generic Human Health Assessment and review the health related chapters of the Halton EFW Business Case, presented her findings. Her conclusions were that a review of the epidemiologic literature is inconclusive and does not demonstrate one way or another that modern incinerators have associated health effects on people living around them. On the whole, incinerator generated contaminant load, as measured in blood of residents living near by, is similar to the same contaminant load in other populations. Risk assessment is the only procedure that can produce quantitative estimates of predicted health effects. She concluded that the Durham/York GHHRA was properly carried out and the methods are clearly explained and can be reproduced. As expected, it erred on the side of health protection. She recommended that any future site specific risk assessment should apply upset conditions if relevant. She advised that ultrafine particulate and nanoparticle exposure were not considered as there currently are no risk assessment methods to do so nor measurement technology in place to monitor.

YWCA

The motion from joint committee for the YWCA to repay the funding allocation of $105,000.00, which was advanced for the purpose of reopening the Emergency Hostel Adelaide House, was referred back to staff in order to continue dialogue with the Y. Issues were raised by Councillors as to the suitability of utilizing the National Child Tax Benefit funding source and also that the Y had made the decision not to reopen the hostel. The hostel was closed due to unfunded pay equity issues and the inadequacy of the per diem which had resulted in severe funding challenges. These issues had been the subject of numerous reports over the last number of years. Peterborough had provided funding to their local hostel to cover pay equity costs in order that the hostel remain open while other regions have increased the municipal funding to hostels in order to continue to provide service. Peel and Toronto also provide direct hostel service for their residents. The Y is in discussions with the Province to convert Adelaide House into second stage housing for women leaving abusive situations. This type of housing receives a higher level of Provincial funding. It remains unclear as to how women in Durham who require emergency housing as a result of issues other than abuse will be served. In 2006, 351 single women and 40 women with children (73 children in total) were served by the Y.