County Council Highlights for March 6, 2024

Warden Praises and Wishes Clerk Mary Birch a Happy Retirement

Mary Birch, Essex County Clerk and Director, Legislative and Community Services, has been an exceptional public servant and will be greatly missed when she retires at the end of March, Warden Hilda MacDonald said at the start of Wednesday’s meeting.

Birch, who became clerk in 1999 after a year as deputy clerk, has been at the heart of every significant initiative undertaken by the County of Essex over the last 26 years.

“Over her 36 years working for local municipalities and the county, Mary has always acted in her belief that it is important, above all, to do the right thing for the right reasons,” the warden said. “From the beginning, she has been the voice of integrity and the steady hand that helped navigate through stormy waters.”

Over her career with the County of Essex, Birch spearheaded improved service delivery and public access through the adoption of a long list of digital tools that are now integral to County of Essex operations. She has also been a champion for accessibility, building up the Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee to be a pro-active and community-driven voice.

“She has inspired and encouraged those she works with to be the best they can be and to never shrink from a challenge,” MacDonald said. “She has consistently gone above and beyond – often working long hours – to ensure the County of Essex always puts its best foot forward.”

The warden thanked Birch for her “outstanding service” and wished her well in her retirement.

Councillors gave a standing ovation following the warden’s remarks.

Preparations Underway for the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8

Preparations are being made for the possibility of traffic tie-ups and large crowds gathering in Essex County to view the total solar eclipse on April 8.

Council was briefed on plans to promote public awareness and handle increased traffic by representatives of Emergency Management Ontario.

The 110-kilometre wide strip of Southern Ontario from which viewers can see the moon’s shadow completely cover the sun for about three minutes on April 8 includes the municipalities of Leamington, Kingsville and Essex. The entire event will last two and a half hours. It is strongly recommended that eclipse watchers use solar filters that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard to avoid eye damage.

The last total solar eclipse in Southern Ontario was in 1925 and the next one will be in 2099.

Council Supports Township of Perry’s Request for Blue Box Regulation Change

Council voted to send a letter to the provincial government and area MPPs in support of a resolution by the Township of Perry calling for amendments to a regulation change governing the Blue Box recycling program.

The change would see producers assume responsibility for Blue Box collection only from “eligible sources,” leaving municipalities to collect from a patchwork of “ineligible sources,” including municipal facilities, not-for-profit organizations, places of worship and industrial, commercial and industrial properties.

County officials, including Warden Hilda MacDonald, advocated on this same issue at the recent Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference, arguing “the regulation will perpetuate inefficient collection practices, loss of economies of scale to support financially efficient contracts and likely result in the disposal of recyclables into municipal landfills.”

Declaration of Compliance Executed for Sun Parlor Home

Sun Parlor Home fulfilled its obligations in 2023 under its long-term care service accountability agreement with Ontario Health, says a declaration of compliance authorized by council.

Essex County Council must annually authorize the execution of a declaration of compliance for the municipally-operated long-term care home.

Early Approval Given to Purchase EMS Vehicles for 2025

Essex-Windsor EMS will order eight ambulances, two emergency response vehicles and two pickup trucks converted for use by district chiefs for delivery in 2025.

Council gave pre-budget approval so the new vehicles can be delivered when they are needed in 2025. The timeline for ordering the components and building the ambulances is 12 to 18 months, with similar wait times for the other vehicles.

The eight ambulances, including three that will use existing boxes to reduce the price, will cost $1.9 million plus HST. The estimated cost of the two emergency response vehicles is $249,642 plus HST, and the two converted pickup trucks are expected to cost $318,000 plus HST. The money will come from a reserve fund used to replace EMS vehicles on an annual basis.

Council Updated on Initiatives to Reduce Ambulance Offload Delays

Essex-Windsor EMS is taking multiple measures with health care partners to continue tackling delays offloading patients at local hospitals, says a report to council by Chief Justin Lammers.

Periods when the ambulance service is in “code red” or “code black” crept up at the end of 2023 and in January. As of Sept. 25, 2023, Essex Windsor EMS adjusted its definition of code red upward by one to mean there are one to three ambulances available to respond to calls. Code black happens when no ambulances are available.

Measures taken to reduce code reds and code blacks include:

• The hiring of four paramedics and the addition of one ambulance for 12 hours during the day as of Nov. 23, 2023.
• A proposal to double the number of offload nurses at each hospital in 2024-25.
• The placement of an EMS supervisor in the ambulance communications centre to assist with directing the flow of patients across the region.
• Huddles twice a day with hospital leadership to discuss operational demands and strategies, as well as sharing the EMS operational dashboard.
• Notifications to all parties about EMS code status changes.
• Revisions to the criteria and procedures for offloading patients from an ambulance to a hospital waiting room.
• Mobilizing community paramedic resources to the front line in periods of code red and code black.
• Ongoing recruitment of part-time paramedics.
• Essex County Council approval to hire 16 full-time paramedics in 2024.
• Recruitment of paramedic aides to prepare ambulances at hospitals after patients are unloaded to speed up the turnaround.

Land Required for County Road 43 Expansion is being Expropriated

Council has approved a by-law allowing the County of Essex to expropriate land required for the expansion of County Road 43 in Tecumseh.

The expansion of County Road 43 (Banwell Road) and its re-alignment with Concession 11 at the County Road 42 intersection is part of an ongoing major road construction project to accommodate growth and economic development in the area. Under the Expropriation Act, the county is required to compensate affected property owners for the value of their land and reimburse them for reasonable legal and professional expenses.