TIMMINS - A recent email urging a local services board to focus solely on its mandated duties ignited a contentious debate about the agency’s role in addressing broader community needs.
At the Oct. 17 Cochrane District Services Board (CDSB) meeting, members talked about the agency's role in providing services beyond its mandated responsibilities. The discussion was ignited by a curt email from an unnamed resident suggesting the board should “stick to housing.”
This sentiment reflects about the agency's focus, especially in light of the proposed Wellness Centre of Excellence (WCE), a proposed mental health and addictions treatment facility.
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CDSB CAO Brian Marks said the discussion was to allow the board to provide feedback on its direction.
“Based on the conversation that was had, administration will continue to deliver the services that we're currently delivering. So, the four mandated services,” he said.
The core mandated services of the CDSB are paramedic services, community housing, children's services and Ontario Works.
Marks posed a critical question to board members: should the CDSB consider expanding its services based on community needs, or should it strictly adhere to its core responsibilities?
Smooth Rock Falls Mayor Patrick Roberts stressed the urgent need for expanded services, particularly in light of healthcare access challenges in the region.
Conversely, Timmins Coun. Steve Black urged caution in expanding services, advocating for a balanced approach.
“I support what we’re doing currently, but if we're being asked tonight do we generally support sticking within our mandated services or going out beyond them, I would harbour caution to just give the directive that we want to continuously go beyond our mandated services,” he said.
“I think where it's appropriate, we have discussions at the board and decide if there's a right time.”
Black cited the example of conservation authorities, which have faced scrutiny for exceeding their mandated responsibilities.
“We need to strike a balance,” he said.
“There are issues we need to deal with as communities and leaders of those communities and there are right times where we may venture into the grey zone, but I would be hesitant to make a blanket statement that we should continuously go beyond our mandates.”
Timmins Coun. Andrew Marks reflected on the board's history and its adaptive approach to community challenges.
“If we're only to work in our mandate, then we work in our own silo, and that silo then has many ramifications in other aspects of our community, which we're all aware of,” Andrew said.
“By expanding our programs and services, by going outside of the mandate, we’re all better, we’re all stronger. I fully, fully support the initiatives that we've undertaken.”
The CDSB's 2024 approved budget was $88 million, which is covered by municipal, provincial and federal funding. The City of Timmins' portion of that was $11.9 million, a 6.56 per cent increase over 2023.
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At Thursday’s meeting, Marks emphasized the board's history of adapting its services to meet evolving community demands.
In the late ‘90s, district social service administration boards were created. Since then, Marks said the local board has been “progressive” in adding extra services.
Marks told TimminsToday there are a number of complimentary services, such as establishing a property development corporation through the local Housing Corporation.
“While we acknowledge the private sector can and should be one of the biggest contributors to developing stock, we can't wait if they're not. If private developers decide not to do business in Timmins or some of the smaller communities because they have better opportunities in other parts of the province, we can't wait for that,” he said.
“We need to be able to build housing in our communities and be able to offer affordable housing for people… So, that's one example of kind of going beyond the mandate of just caring for the housing portfolio that we inherited in 1999.”
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To ensure the best outcomes for those they serve, the board has emphasized the need for partnerships in various service areas over the past 15 years, Marks said.
“Like we're doing with the HART Hub, by getting involved in a partnership with mental health and addiction services, so that the people who are on Ontario Works who don't have access to primary care and don't get mental health supports or don't have addiction supports, can get them so that we can generate the outcomes that we need to so that they can exit social assistance, get employed, things like that,” he said.
“Or the seniors that live in our buildings who don't have access to primary care, we can support them now through community paramedic programs, make the appropriate referrals, so that they don't have to access a long-term care wait list or a facility out of district prematurely.”
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The CDSB has over $350 million in insured housing assets in infrastructure that it owns, such as ambulance bases, Marks said. If they cannot accommodate the senior population, those individuals may have to relocate for care, resulting in job losses in the community, said Marks.
“The board recognizes that especially in the smaller municipalities, it's more critical that we bridge the services between what the DSSAB offers and what health and education offer, so that we can make sure we have places for people to live and they can get the services that they can,” he said.
“One of the points that I made in the discussion was if we don't do these things, eventually we may just be the caretaker for a bunch of empty buildings and have to pay for those empty buildings. And I don't think anybody wants that.”
Marks added that multiple ambulance spaces have also been established in municipalities to handle call volumes. However, if populations decline, the demand for these services will decrease, leading to underutilized ambulance facilities.
“This may seem dramatic in my explanation, but this is the same explanation that was provided over 15 years ago when we got into the business of delivering complimentary services to our mandated services,” he said.
Marks said the discussion is continuous.
“One of the decision factors the board and administration always have to weigh is, is the cost of the services that we're proposing and quite often, by not getting into services beyond the mandated services, there are costs that occur in other sectors,” he said.
For example, insufficient partnerships with healthcare may strain emergency departments, while inadequate support can escalate police response needs.
Given that the CDSB budget relies on taxpayer funding, whether from provincial or municipal sources, cost considerations are always paramount during discussions about mandated versus non-mandated services, Marks said.
