The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health and the City of Guelph are close to settling at least one of their disputes.
Guelph has voted to start attending meetings again after walking away from the board last year over a dispute on who controls the right to set funding for board activities.
The board met last week and reviewed Guelph council’s resolution to re-appoint councillors to the board.
The chairman of the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health also received a letter from Minister of Health Deb Matthews regarding the board’s operations.
In that letter, Matthews noted she had received a request from Guelph to appoint an assessor to review the city’s concerns regarding the board. She said she has been monitoring the situation and reviewing the governance, operational and programming aspects of Public Health.
Her letter stated, “There is no evidence the board is functioning inadequately, nor any evidence there is a risk to health. As a result, I have decided that I am not appointing an assessor to conduct an assessment of the board at this time.”
Public Health operates a number of programs including providing vaccination programs for preventable diseases, supporting family and child health and ensuring food and water safety for community members.
“Public Health is essential to protecting those who live in our neighbourhoods. That is why I appreciate receiving this supportive letter,” said board chairman Amanda Rayburn.
“We can continue the important work we are doing and I look forward to having the City of Guelph appoint members to our board.”
Guelph councillors left the board last year after being angered the board proceeded with its plans to build new offices in Guelph and Orangeville. The city argued the board had no right to commit city council to spend money. The city asked the Ministry of Health to intervene in the issue but Matthews refused. She also reminded Guelph city council it has a statutory duty to be a part of the Public Health board.
“It will be good to have councillors from the City of Guelph back at the table,” said Rayburn. “The [board] as a whole agreed that we are working, and have always worked, in an equitable, harmonious, and effective way. It’s time to move forward. Civic officials from all of our communities, as well as provincial appointees, sit on the board to ensure public health objectives are being met. It is important to have the Guelph councillors on board and I look forward to working with them.”
The board considered a number of requests regarding the pending appointments and reiterated its commitment to discuss any concerns once the appointments are made.
Rayburn added, “We operate under legislated guidelines from the province and we meet all the requirements we are required to meet.”
The city stated in a press release it will seek the board’s support to appoint an independent mediator to help with its return to the board and improve relationships.
If the board accepts that request, the mediator could assist the board and its member municipalities in reviewing organizational standards for boards of health – which are set by the Ontario Ministry of Health – and consider ways to strengthen accountability, transparency, governance and administration, the press release stated.
It added, “These may include the conduct and reporting of meetings, a dispute resolution mechanism and consideration of creating a chief administrative officer position for the board.”
Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge said in the press release, “Our hope is that the Board of Health will work with the city’s three representatives and support our request to normalize the environment at the board with help from a mediator. An effective and well-functioning board is the foundation for providing excellent public health services to the residents of Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph.”
