County Council Highlights for Oct. 20, 2021

Region Must Focus on Economic Future Amid Challenges, Warden Says

Essex County and its regional partners are working hard to build a strong economic future, Warden Gary McNamara said at the opening of Wednesday’s county council meeting.

Commitments by Stellantis and Premier Doug Ford to a $1.5-billion investment in the automaker’s Windsor Assembly Plant are heartening in the wake of news the second shift may be eliminated next spring, McNamara said.

Stellantis announced Oct. 15 that it will reduce the workforce at the Windsor Assembly Plant to one shift next spring due to economic headwinds that include the semiconductor shortage and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the company stated it remains committed to making a $1.5-billion investment in the plant, as it promised during 2020 bargaining with Unifor.

McNamara noted the premier has expressed confidence the Windsor Assembly Plant will return to a three-shift operation in the future and wants a battery manufacturing factory in the region.

“We are grateful for the Ontario government’s support and are doing our part,” the warden said.

McNamara also thanked the premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott for coming to Windsor-Essex on Monday to confirm the province’s $9.8-million commitment to cover the cost of ongoing planning for a new regional hospital system.

“We will be ready when it’s time to put a shovel in the ground,” the warden said.

Council Updated on Floodplain Prioritization Project

Turkey Creek, Little River, Pike Creek, Belle River and Big Creek are the watershed areas where flooding risks and potential consequences are the greatest in the region, according to recently completed floodplain mapping.

Council received an update on the Essex County Floodplain Prioritization Project from James Bryant, Essex Region Conservation Authority’s director of watershed management services.

The detailed floodplain maps that have been created will help municipalities take flooding risks into account when updating official plans and development policies. They are also required to qualify for certain government funding aimed at flooding prevention and mitigation.

The study confirms the need for further development of shoreline management plans in municipalities that border Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, as well as modelling of flood risks along the tributaries of Turkey Creek and Little River.

County Commits to Considering Regional System for Food and Organics Waste

County council will decide by Dec. 31 whether to support a countywide approach to diverting food and organic waste from the regional landfill in Essex.

Council approved the recommendation from the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) board presented by general manager Michelle Bishop, who also provided a detailed report about the process followed so far.

A provincial policy statement sets population and population density-based targets for municipalities to reduce food and organic waste going to landfills by 2025. Windsor’s target is a 70-per-cent reduction, while for Amherstburg, LaSalle, Leamington and Tecumseh it’s 50 per cent in their urban areas.

Essex, Kingsville and Lakeshore aren’t required to meet a target, but Ontario’s Environment Plan is proposing a ban on sending food waste to landfills, notes Bishop’s report.

As well, a “regional solution from the onset would ensure consistent public education for all residents,” says the report.

The EWSWA board, which has representatives from Windsor and the county, has been grappling with the issue since late 2020. In June this year, it received a final report from GHD Limited, the consultant engaged to research the best alternatives for processing food and organic waste, and, possibly, biosolids from the Windsor processing plant. The board decided to hire a second consultant, Tetra Tech Canada Inc., to review GHD’s work.

Tetra Tech concluded GHD’s report was sound, though it may have underestimated the capital costs. It also found that an anaerobic digestion system, which creates renewable energy, would be the best solution for processing organic waste and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.

At its Oct. 5 meeting, the EWSWA board voted to hire GHD to prepare a request for qualifications and then a request for proposals. It also decided to schedule presentations about the project in each of the county municipalities and city as soon as possible.

Province Urged to Reach a Deal with Optometrists

County council is supporting a resolution by Kingsville council that urges the provincial government to enter into “legally-binding” negotiations with Ontario optometrists.

Since Sept. 1, almost all optometrists in the province have been refusing to provide services covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) because of a pay dispute. The Ontario Association of Optometrists says OHIP pays the lowest rates in the country and wants a negotiated increase.

Feds and Province Urged to Improve Support for Long-term Care

The Province of Ontario needs to act on recommendations to improve long-term care and the federal government must increase funding for it to the provinces and territories, says a resolution endorsed by county council.

The resolution, adopted earlier this month by Leamington council, is being sent to all Ontario municipalities for endorsement.

Meeting Schedule for 2022 Approved

The Essex County council meeting schedule for 2022 includes a final meeting on Oct. 19 for the current council. The 2022 municipal election is on Oct. 24, with an inaugural meeting of the new county council and warden’s election scheduled for Nov. 2.

Council approved the schedule, which also includes a new start time of 6 p.m. commencing Dec. 21, 2022.

Better Communication with Agricultural Sector Initiated

County municipalities are being encouraged to consult with the Essex County Federation of Agriculture on all matters that could affect farm operations.

Federation representatives met with Warden Gary McNamara and Mary Birch, director of council and community services/clerk, in September to discuss concerns and challenges faced by the agricultural community because of municipal decisions. Examples include construction of roads and bridges that won’t accommodate large farm machinery, and long-term planning decisions that allow urban sprawl.

At the start of Wednesday’s meeting, McNamara thanked the federation for reminding municipal leaders about the importance of agriculture to the region. He also urged all road users to slow down and drive safely near farm machinery on the roads during the harvest season.

EMS Response Time Targets Unchanged Despite Pandemic Difficulties

The response time targets for Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will remain the same, even though they have been harder to attain during the pandemic and because of systemic issues like offload delays at hospitals.

Council approved the recommendation contained in a report by EMS Chief Bruce Krauter, which shows response times failed to meet the targets more often in 2020 and 2021 than in the previous three years.

Those response times are expected to improve as the pandemic wanes, says the report.

As well, it outlines steps Essex-Windsor EMS has taken and plans it is working on to improve response times. These include diverting the least urgent cases to Erie Shores HealthCare in Leamington when resources are limited and enrolling vulnerable patients in programs like the Community Paramedic Remote Patient Monitoring project, which provides appropriate care without requiring an ambulance trip to a hospital emergency department.

Councillors praised Essex-Windsor EMS for maintaining the response time targets despite systemic challenges like offload delays, which are affecting ambulance services across the province.