March 2022 Board of Health Meeting - Minutes

1. Call to Order

   Board Chair, Gary McNamara, called the Regular meeting to order at 4:05 pm.

2. Agenda Approval
   Motion: That the agenda be approved.
   CARRIED
3. Announcement of Conflict of interest – None
4. Update (Dr. S. Nesathurai)
   1. COVID-19 Update

      Dr. Nesathurai noted that the pandemic is not over, but we currently seem to be in a quiescent phase of the pandemic.  As we move toward normalization, we need to think about restarting public health programs and services and what our priorities are going forward.

      Today, March 24, 2022, happens to be Worldwide TB day.  Tuberculosis is a burden in our region and there have been individuals locally who have recently passed away from TB.   We work to identify those who may be at risk from TB and our core message would be that TB remains a challenge globally, and raising attention to this disease is important.  The WECHU will be lighting up its building today in Red, in recognition of Worldwide TB day.

      Vaccination statistics show that only half of our community is protected with 3 doses of the COVID vaccine, and those with only 2 doses likely have waning effectiveness.  We have approximately 76,000 individuals unvaccinated in our region, 56,000 of them being adults and approximately 20,000 being children under 5 years.  This is concerning, as the unvaccinated are four times more likely to become severely ill or hospitalized from COVID-19. 

      With masking mandates and physical distancing, we have been relatively unaffected by Influenza but this week we reported our first case in the region.  With the relaxation of restrictions this could signal more cases, and it is reasonable to assume that we will see more respiratory disease.  This remains a concern going forward and we still encourage that individuals get the flu vaccine.

      Motion: That the information be received.
      CARRIED

5. Approval of Minutes

   1. Regular Board Meeting: February 17, 2022

      Motion: That the minutes be approved.
      CARRIED

6. Business Arising
   1. Annual Service Plan (L. Gregg/N. Dupuis)
      N. Dupuis noted that the Annual Service Plan is also included under Section 7.2 Recommendation Reports.  The Board of Health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has approved the 2022 Budget and 2022 Budget Amendment which included budget information for Mandatory programs funded by the MOH and the Obligated Municipalities on a cost shared basis, as well as preliminary information on one-time business cases funded at a rate of 100% by the MOH.

       

      The WECHU submitted its Annual Service Plan and Budget Submission to the MOH on March 1, 2022, inclusive of the aforementioned budget approvals as well as additional requests for one-time 100% funded business cases from the MOH.

      The WECHU is looking to the Windsor-Essex County Board of Health to approve the following one-time business cases to be funded at a rate of 100% by the MOH:

      COVID-19 Vaccine Program Extraordinary Costs	$ 5,348,120
      Recovery	2,671,524
      Capital	955,987
      CTS Operating Costs	655,197
      Vector-Borne Disease	128,596
      Public Health Inspector Practicum Program	40,000
      $10,825,734

      Motion:  That the Windsor-Essex County Board of Health approve the one-time business cases noted to be funded at a rate of 100% by the MOH
              CARRIED

   2. alPHa Winter Symposium Conference Update (N. Dupuis)
      N. Dupuis provided a brief update on the Winter Symposium which included presentations from Dr. Tam and Dr. Moore.  

      Motion: That the information be received.
      CARRIED

7. Consent Agenda

   1. INFORMATION REPORTS

      1. 2021 Summary – Infectious Disease Prevention
         The Report is attached and presented to the Board for information. 

      2. Student Immunization Catch-up Plan
         The Report is attached and presented to the Board for information.

      3. Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Disease Report
         The Report is attached and presented to the Board for information.

      4. Ontario Active Transportation Grant
         R. Bortolin asked if any information could be shared with the various municipalities. E. Nadalin noted the walk-ability and bike-ability assessments targeted six pilot schools, and the Active School Travel (AST) Regional Committee identified Champions at each school to liaise with project staff on the implementation.  He will bring R. Bortolin’s request back to the AST Regional Committee on how to best share the information with the City and the County. G. McNamara said that the county is looking to entrench public health priorities into its official plan as they move forward.

      5. COVID-19 Surveillance and Epidemiology (N. Dupuis)
         The Report is attached and presented to the Board for information. 

      6. Communication Update (January 15 – February 15, 2022)
         The Report is attached and presented to the Board for information.

         Motion:  That the information be received.   
         CARRIED

   2. RESOLUTIONS/RECOMMENDATION REPORTS

      1. 2022 Annual Service Plan (L. Gregg/N. Dupuis)
         Discussed in Section 6.1 Annual Service Plan. 

         Motion: That the Windsor-Essex County Board of Health approved the one-time business cases noted above in Section 6.1 Annual Service Plan to be funded at a rate of 100% by the MOH
         CARRIED

8. New Business

   1. Board of Health – Paperless Meetings N. Dupuis)

      N. Dupuis advised that the WECHU is moving toward holding paperless Board of Health meetings by way of secure iPads.  Board members will each be assigned an iPad, where board meeting packages and other relative information will be downloaded safely and securely.  Brief training and instructions for use will be provided and we will pilot with the Board Executive before rolling out to the entire Board of Health.  Once we resume in-person meetings, board members would need to bring these iPads to meetings, and there will no longer be the need to email Board of Health packages or print off any documentation.

      Motion: That the information be received.
      CARRIED

   2. Board By-Laws – Review and Revision (N. Dupuis)

      N. Dupuis noted we are in the process of reviewing and revising our Board By-laws which, at this time, is one large document approximately 170 pages in length.  This is something we need to review every couple of years, and there have been changes in legislation which need to be updated.  We will break By-laws into sections, i.e. Governance, Finance, Human Resources, to make it simpler to read and easier to list on our website.  There currently is no clear delineation of what should be a By-law and what should be a written policy or procedure.  We will bring forward various sections for Board of Health review beginning in April through to June. Once completed our By-laws will be downloaded to the iPads assigned to the Board and they will be available on our website for easy access to the public.

      Motion: That the information be received.
      CARRIED

9. Correspondence

   1. AOPHBA – Letter to CMOH, Dr. Kieran Moore – Work Deployment Measures for Board of Health - for support

      Motion: That the WECHU Board of Health support the letter from the AOPHBA to the CMOH, Dr. Kieran Moore, requesting that Work Deployment Measures for Boards of Heath be extended for the duration of public health units’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
      CARRIED

   2. Sudbury & Districts Public Health – Letter to alPHa President, Dr. Paul Roumeliotis – Health and Racial Equity: Denouncing Acts and Symbols of Hate – for support

      Motion: That the WECHU Board of Health support the letter from Sudbury & Districts Public Health to Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, President, Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa), endorsing the January 31, 2022 statement of the Ontario Public Health Association Denouncing Acts and Symbols of Hate

10. Committee of the Whole (CLOSED SESSION, in accordance with Section 239 of the Municipal Act)
    The Board commenced with the Committee of the Whole session at the opening of the board meeting. 
    The Board moved into Committee of the Whole at 4:39 pm
    The Board moved out of Committee of the Whole at 4:55 pm

11. Next Meeting: At the Call of the Chair, or April 21, 2022 – Via Video

12. Adjournment
    Motion: That the meeting be adjourned.
    CARRIED
    The meeting adjourned at 4:56 pm.​​​​​​​

RECORDING SECRETARY: L. Damphouse