Minutes - September 5, 2019 Finance & Facilities Committee Meeting

Members Present:

Ms. Maureen Cassidy
Ms. Trish Fulton
Ms. Tino Kasi
Mr. Matt Reid (Chair)

Regrets:

Ms. Kelly Elliott

Others Present:

Mr. Ian Peer, Board of Health
Dr. Christopher Mackie, Secretary-Treasurer
Ms. Lynn Guy, Executive Assistant to the Medical Officer of Health (Recorder)
Ms. Laura Di Cesare, Director, Corporate Services
Mr. Brian Glasspoole, Manager Finance
Ms. Nicole Gauthier, Manager Risk and Governance

At 9:05 a.m., Chair Reid called the meeting to order.

Disclosure of Conflict(s) of Interest

Chair Reid inquired if there were any disclosures of conflicts of interest. None were declared.

Approval of Agenda

It was moved by Ms. Fulton, seconded by Ms. Kasi, that the AGENDA for the September 5, 2019 Finance & Facilities Committee meeting be approved.

Carried

Approval of Minutes

It was moved by Ms. Kasi, seconded by Ms. Fulton, that the MINUTES of the July 4, 2019 Finance & Facilities Committee meeting be approved.

Carried

New Business

4.1 MLHU Draft Financial Statements – March 31, 2019 (Report No. 028-19FFC)

Mr. Glasspoole presented the Health Unit’s audited Consolidated Financial Statements for programs in the operating year April 1, 2018–March 31, 2019. He noted that once the Blind Low-Vision, Preschool Speech and Language, and Infant Hearing Screening programs are transferred to the Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC), the relevant funds will flow directly from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to TVCC.

It was moved by Ms. Cassidy, seconded by Ms. Fulton, that the Finance & Facilities Committee recommend that the Board of Health approve the audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the Middlesex-London Health Unit, March 31, 2019, as appended to Report No. 028-19FFC.

Carried

4.2 Q2 Financial Update and Factual Certificate (Report No. 029-19FFC)

Mr. Glasspoole provided context for this report. He explained that the Health Unit is expected to generate enough savings to offset the current deficit of $61,000. It was noted that much of the gapping funds were found by limiting hiring and restricting travel.

It was moved by Ms. Kasi, seconded by Ms. Cassidy, that the Finance & Facilities Committee recommend that the Board of Health:

1. Receive Report No. 029-19FFC re: “Q2 Financial Update and Factual Certificate” for information; and
2. Approve the allocation of variance funds, above those required to offset the agency gapping budget, to relocation-related expenses to a maximum of $1 million in 2019.

Carried

4.3 2019 Budget – MOHLTC Approved Grants (Report No. 030-19FFC)

Mr. Glasspoole advised the Committee that in addition to the funds expected from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Health Unit will receive $1,861,400 for a new Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program and $10,000, via a one-time funding grant, for a Public Health Inspector Practicum Program.

Mr. Glasspoole also noted that the Senior Leadership Team has asked that the hiring and travel restrictions be removed.

Discussion ensued on the following items:

• Municipal funding for upcoming years, and the uncertainty as to how much additional funding the municipalities will be asked to provide.
• That a waiver process for Public Health Standards could help keep programs running with fewer funds.
• The public health merger and modernization: that there has been no further information from the Ministry on amalgamations.

Ms. Di Cesare noted that her Human Resources team has been monitoring the hiring freeze on a weekly basis to determine what work has been put on hold and where hiring for a vacant position is needed. With the Board’s approval, hiring practices will continue as they did before the restrictions were put in place.

Staff provided further information on the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP), noting that a more robust report will be sent to the Board of Health. It was noted that the funding for this program is annualized. Space for the program has been dedicated at the City Plaza location, and staff are looking at a mobile bus, a Strathroy location, and partnering with the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) as well as with a retired dentist who is interested in working with seniors. Committee members were advised that the OSDCP restricts whom the Health Unit can partner with and does not permit the Health Unit to pay private dentists to perform work. Health Unit staff plan to work with Social Services at the City to ensure that residents who require service are directed to the clinic.

It was moved by Ms. Fulton, seconded by Ms. Cassidy, that the Finance & Facilities Committee recommend that the Board of Health:

1. Receive Report No. 030-19FFC re: “2019 Budget – MOHLTC – Approved Grants” for information; and
2. Approve removing the deficit mitigation step with respect to recruitment as outlined in the April Board of Health Report No. 031-19 re: “Impact of 2019 Provincial Budget.”

Carried

4.4 Bylaw and Policy Review (Report No. 031-19FFC)

Ms. Gauthier presented the report and noted that changes had been made to reflect current practices.

Policy G-330 Gifts and Honoraria was updated to provide guidance on what types of honoraria the Health Unit can pay. Ms. Gauthier added that this policy had been compared with City and County policies.

Policy G-240 Tangible Capital Assets received substantial revisions to align it with the accounting policies.

Chair Reid requested that “track changes” be used when policies are brought to the Finance & Facilities Committee for review, so that the proposed changes are highlighted and may be compared.

It was moved by Ms. Kasi, seconded by Ms. Cassidy, that the Finance & Facilities Committee:

1. Receive Report No. 031-19FFC re: “Bylaw and Policy Review” for information; and
2. Approve the governance by-laws and policies outlined within this report, which relate to the financial operations of the Middlesex-London Health Unit to go to Governance Committee for final review.

Carried

Other Business

Next meeting: October 3, 2019.

In Chair Reid’s absence, Ms. Cassidy will present the Committee’s summary at the Board of Health meeting on September 19.

Confidential

It was moved by Ms. Fulton, seconded by Ms. Kasi, that the Finance & Facilities Committee approve confidential minutes of the July 4, 2019 Finance & Facilities Committee meeting.

Carried

Adjournment

At 9:45 a.m., it was moved by Ms. Fulton, seconded by Ms. Kasi, that the meeting be adjourned.

Carried

At 9:46 a.m., Chair Reid adjourned the meeting.

MATT REID
Committee Chair

CHRISTOPHER MACKIE
Secretary-Treasurer