Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) is conducting an internal investigation in the wake of a leaky roof which forced a mass resident relocation from Highland Wood Long-Term Care Home.

HHHS president and chief executive officer Carolyn Plummer said in a Feb. 20 email the investigation is currently underway. It comes after 28 residents had to relocate in early February due to water leaking into the facility from snow and ice buildup on the roof.

Plummer said the roof was examined by experts in 2017 as part of the HHHS capital program, with a recommendation to replace it in the 2018-2021 timeframe. The roof was scheduled to be replaced this spring.

“We are currently conducting an internal investigation to determine if staff had documented any earlier report of leaks or challenges with the roof,” Plummer said.

A preliminary report from the organization’s insurer’s roof inspector said the early failure of the roof was sudden.

“The early failure of the Highland Wood roof occurred suddenly without warning. He has found no ongoing signs of water infiltration or roof leaks, no signs of early failure or ongoing water seepage below the roof deck,” Plummer said.

HHHS also held an information session for family members Feb. 20. The meeting was closed to media.

Alen Bangay’s wife was transferred. He attended the meeting and though he did not feel it offered much new information, it was important to focus on getting residents back.

“What we should be doing is focus on how fast we can get the work that has to be done completed to get the residents back in their home,” Bangay said.

He said the experience has been hard on his wife. Since relocating, he said she’s spent days at another facility in Haliburton, been moved to Minden, then Lindsay, then finally back to Haliburton at her family’s request when an availability opened.

“Part of it is she can’t hold in her memory new information,” Bangay said. “I think it (moving) set her back some. Whether she will recover from this back to where she was … that’s just a crapshoot.”

According to a question and answer session, family members will also be asked if their loved one wants to return to the County of Haliburton before Highland Wood reopens. The document also said HHHS has arranged free transportation and counselling services for all families should they request it.

Plummer said staff are working to keep the roof clear of further ice buildup. No timeline has been provided as to when residents might be able to return to the facility.

“Our goal is to move forward to complete the work to reopen Highland Wood and bring the residents back home,” she said.

Highlands East is creating a new committee to liaise with its fire department following an ombudsman report on interpersonal issues in the department.

Council voted unanimously at its Feb. 12 meeting to make appointments to the fire committee. The creation of the committee was recommended in an ombudsman report from law firm Ewart O’Dyer submitted Oct. 12.

Acting fire chief Chris Baughman said in a staff report the new committee’s initial objective would be to review the fire department.

“Initially to review the effectiveness, efficiency and economics of the current Highlands East Fire Department and provide recommendations to council moving forward,” Baughman said.

In an email, Baughman said the review will help identify improvements that could be made in service delivery.

“We have five halls with duplicate equipment that respond in three response areas,” he said. “It will also aid in determining if there is any unnecessary duplication of equipment or services attending the same incidents and provide recommendations for improvements.” T

he committee will be comprised of Baughman, the municipality’s five district fire chiefs, Mayor Dave Burton and Coun. Cam McKenzie.

Deputy Mayor Cec Ryall asked about the rationale behind the possible inclusion of rank-and-file firefighters on the committee. Baughman responded the district chiefs were chosen for their experience.

“I wanted those opinions for each of those areas from someone who is been there long enough to understand what their specific needs are for that area,” Baughman said.

The committee follows a motion from council after a closed session at its Nov. 7 meeting to approve the recommendations from the Oct. 12 ombudsman report.

Besides a new committee, the report also recommended a harassment policy be developed by the department to “address interpersonal issues between employees or its representatives outside the workplace.” Baughman said the policy is still a work in progress.

The report also recommended a written warning to an unnamed officer/firefighter dated March 9, 2018 be revoked while a separate warning to an unnamed officer/firefighter dated Aug. 3, 2018 remain.

The final recommendation was for the firefighters involved to be provided a copy of the report with further warning any repeat of matters of subject in the inquiry could result in their termination.

Baughman said the department’s interpersonal issue has been resolved and firefighters are now aware of all current policies and procedures.

A large group of dogs, which appeared to be in poor condition, were taken from a county property following a viral Facebook post Feb. 22.

The incident was revealed to the public in a post by Jennifer Martin, who said she came across more than 20 dogs in a forested area near the County of Haliburton and Bancroft border. In a follow-up post, Martin said the dogs were surrendered and taken in by Siberian Husky Assistance and Rescue (SHARP), based in Peterborough.

“Some dogs were too weak/sick to stand,” Martin said in an email. “There was no food, water or bedding anywhere to be found. There was no evidence anyone had been there since the last big snowfall we had over a week ago.”

SHARP board member Sally Kirkby said the dogs were retrieved from one private property at the request of OPP. She said SHARP had been involved in assisting with the dogs a little while before the Facebook
post was made.

“The dogs are now all under SHARP’s care and are all doing well and getting vet inspections,” Kirkby said.

Kirkby would not disclose how many dogs were taken from the scene.

The original Facebook post, which has since been deleted, included video of the scene in a forested area as well as a photo of one of the dogs. The post said people were gathering food and water to help the dogs.

“I decided to post the picture because I am an animal welfare advocate,” Martin said. “The most important thing was helping those dogs as quickly as possible.”

Kirkby said the dogs were not abandoned and were not chained to trees, as the Facebook post originally asserted. She said they actually had dog houses which were not visible due to the snow.

Volunteers quickly came to the dogs’ aid, Martin said. But she said the post also attracted threats, which started when she referred to them as sled dogs.

“It has brought out the very best and the very worst kinds of people who can be described as passionate about their opinions. Unfortunately, as a result of my involvement I have been threatened with physical violence,” Martin said.

In a February 26 Facebook post, Winterdance Dogsled Tours said the dogs’ owner had requested SHARP’s help before Martin’s post went up.

Ontario SPCA associate director of communications Melissa Kosowan said the organization is following up to ensure the “husky-type” dogs located are receiving care.

“To maintain the integrity of our investigation, we do not have any additional information we can share at this time,” she said in an email.

Martin said the dogs have been confirmed to be sled dogs, but Kosowan would not disclose that to The Highlander.

Martin said the experience has left her feeling unsettled.

“The experience was unique and deeply troubling,” Martin said. “I don’t support the idea of vigilante justice but I do believe in acting quickly to save lives of animals who have no voice of their own to be heard.”

Kirkby said those looking to help the SHARP organization can donate to its general GoFundMe through its website at sharprescue.ca or directly at gofundme.com/ u9v8x82k.
Volunteers

The Haliburton Highlands CARP chapter is moving forward under new direction as its only-ever president Bob Stinson steps down from his position.

After six-and-a-half years at the helm, the 85-year old is stepping down into a community liaison role. No one person is set to take over as head of the chapter. Instead, his position will be filled by committee, with other members of the chapter’s board working together to manage his former duties.

“Things are catching up to me,” Stinson said. “I just don’t feel capable of doing the job that should be done … I’m disappointed that I didn’t create a situation where somebody was ready to step in and take my place.”

Running Haliburton’s CARP chapter has gone well over the past few years, Stinson said. He noted the success of its launch in 2012, with over 200 people attending, and how the chapter became the country’s fastest growing.

Today, it stands with approximately 700 members. Under his leadership, Stinson said the chapter ran workshops and advocated for senior’s issues in the county. Senior housing was foremost amongst them, especially given the county’s rising senior population.

“We simply need to concentrate on building more for the seniors that are here,” Stinson said. “We’re approaching 65 per cent of the population is seniors, that’s huge. Lots of them have to move away or they can’t live on their own because there’s nobody here for them. That’s sad because this is where they want to be.”

Stinson, who also serves on the Aging Well committee, said he had laments as president. He said he would have liked to have been able to better work with the whole County of Haliburton, instead of a focus around Haliburton village. He also commented on the struggles of grooming a successor, after the passing of vice president Peter Minaki in 2015.

CARP Haliburton acting president Elaine Schmid said it has been a struggle to find lasting board members for the group and Stinson will be sorely missed.

“To think that any one person can step in and take over for him is kind of unrealistic because he probably knows more about what CARP is about than anybody,” Schmid said. “That was his baby.”

Schmid said she proposed running the chapter without a regular president, instead taking turns running meetings. She added the idea has gotten support from CARP head office.

She said with non-profit advocacy groups being mostly run by older people, this kind of measure could prove more necessary, due to reluctance for individuals to take on a leadership position.

“They’re going to have to share responsibility in order to keep these groups alive,” Schmid said.

Stinson said he appreciated CARP’s board taking this measure, as he does not see any alternative.

“Got a lot of faith. If there’s any way to make it work, they’ll make it work,” he said.

Dysart et al Mayor Andrea Roberts made a call to order amidst “tension” at the council table over cuts proposed by Coun. John Smith Feb. 14.

The call came during a discussion over the Haliburton Village town dock at a special budget meeting, with the budget including $30,000 to replace it.

Smith questioned the need for the dock, noting how much the township spends on the village compared to other parts of the municipality. He then raised issue with the amount the municipality spends on the Haliburton Highlands Museum, which is projected to have a net cost of approximately $149,348 in 2019. Smith has repeatedly proposed cuts to the museum budget, a call that has not received support from the rest of council.

“Cottagers, we tell them we can’t afford to fix the roads, that’s the discouraging part of it,” Smith said. “The museum in recent years has consumed $1 million.”

“I am going to call you out of order,” Roberts interjected. “Not speaking to it again. I want some decorum again. John, you’re creating a lot of tension in the room … your opinions are valuable, you are duly elected, but let’s try to have a little bit more respect here.”

“I haven’t been disrespectful to one person in this room,” Smith replied. “If you can’t disagree with people, then what’s the sense of being here?”

The discussion moved past the disagreement. But Smith again found himself at odds with the rest of council when he suggested cutting into the $50,000 operating grant the municipality provides for the Rails End Gallery.

“Past councils have taken the approach, we have a whole bunch of little things,” Smith said. “What would make Halliburton an attractive place to be? Nobody talks about the Rails End Gallery, nobody talks to the museum.”

“They do talk about it,” Coun. Larry Clarke responded. “We got one of the largest artist communities in the country.”

“Recreation, culture, vibrancy in our community is highly regarded here,” Roberts said. “Without the $50,000 operating grant, they (the gallery) wouldn’t survive and I think they’re a very valued, historic asset.”

No other councillor raised their hand to support the idea of cutting the art gallery grant.

Smith said the municipality spends too much on things that are not needed and said there needs to be metrics for return-on-investment of tax dollars.

“We’re spending $16 million this year in terms of money for our community and a lot of it, from my point of view obviously, too much goes into things, ‘it’s nice to have,’” Smith said.

Highlands East is preparing a short-term rental questionnaire in an effort to understand the community’s feelings on the topic.

Council voted to proceed with a two-month public review for the draft questionnaire during its Feb. 12 meeting. The questionnaire seeks to gather public input on the issue of short-term rentals and is modelled after one completed in Minden Hills last fall.

Chief administrative officer and treasurer Shannon Hunter said this is a way to get an idea of how the public feels about short-term rentals.

“This is fulfilling what council stated that they wanted to do was reach out to the public to receive public input from all Highlands East residents on how they feel, or maybe impacts that they have, positive or negative impacts they have, on short-term rentals,” Hunter said.

The draft questionnaire includes questions such as whether a person has personally experienced short-term rentals being associated with unwanted behaviours and whether they see short-term rentals as being positive for economic development.

Another portion of the questionnaire also asks about whether the municipality should regulate short-term rentals and requests opinions on possible regulatory options, such as limiting the number of days a short-term rental can be rented in a year.

However, the questionnaire received a lengthy response from Ryan Bailey, an area cottager who spoke out against the municipality’s work on the short-term rental file at its Jan. 16 council meeting. In a mass email to council members, Bailey questioned the winter timing of the public review period for the survey, given the number of seasonal residents impacted by the matter.

Bailey also questioned whether more research and data collection should be conducted before a survey, such as a cost estimate on the implementation and enforcement of short-term accommodation regulations and a study on other provincial municipalities addressing short-term rentals.

“How can residents possibly make informed submissions through a survey without first understanding the facts and data of the matter?” Bailey said.

Hunter commented on council receiving a “communication from ratepayers” prior to the meeting.

“Some of the concerns had to do with the questionnaire being put out, the cart before the horse,” Hunter said. “However, council stated they wanted to seek input from all residents. Their input on their feelings not on any particular bylaw or scenario.”

“We’re solely seeking input on a draft document,” Hunter later added.

Deputy mayor Cec Ryall said the municipality is facing serious challenges in dealing with short-term rentals.

“We’re getting bogged down before we can get out of the starting blocks,” Ryall said.

The draft questionnaire on short-term rentals will be posted on the municipal website, according to a staff report. The public input period will go until April 30.

Dysart et al council worked to pare down a preliminary 2019 budget featuring a 7.35 per cent tax levy increase through an all-day budget session Feb. 14.

Council pored through the budget line-by-line over the course of the day, outlining where the municipality would spend over the next year and searching for ways to find savings.

A new percentage is set to be calculated for the municipality’s next budget meeting March 14, factoring in the various adjustments council made to the budget.

But Mayor Andrea Roberts said a low budget would not necessarily be correct for the municipality.

“A lot of the increase in our budget is related to climate change and to roads and to maintaining those roads,” Roberts said at the start of the meeting. “While it’s always nice to come in and propose a really low budget that will make everyone happy, we need to do what’s best for Dysart.”

Transportation services, the largest portion of the budget, is being increased by 10 per cent this year. Council opted at its Jan. 10 meeting to proceed with the largest road work package brought forward by staff, which includes over $1 million in roads construction.

Council also approved an approximately $1.26 million tender for 2019 road resurfacing during the Feb. 14 meeting.

Environmental Services fee upped

Council went forward with a four per cent increase to its environmental service fee, though indicated they would keep the rate the same for the rest of the term. The percentage ups the user fee from $613 to $638 per energy recovery unit.

Without any increase, the budget projected a $20,000 deficit in environmental services. Roberts noted the previous council had raised the fee by five per cent in 2015 but there’d been no increase in the intervening years.

Coun. Walt McKechnie said a two per cent increase would cover increased operating expenses, while another two per cent would allow for savings for future capital projects.

New condenser gets funding

Council unanimously passed a resolution to spend $84,000 for a new condenser at A.J. LaRue Arena in 2019.

In a staff report, manager of parks and recreation Andrew Wilbee said the current condenser is undersized for summer operation and requested a larger one be installed.

“Replacement of the condenser will reduce the wear on our equipment, reduce energy consumption and stress on the compressors, thus extending their life,” Wilbee said. “It has now become imminent to upgrade this portion of the system as the summer months have become warmer over the last few years.”

Arena improvement plan

After some debate, council supported earmarking $30,000 for development of a plan to improve the upstairs community room of A.J. LaRue Arena.

Recreation program co-ordinator Andrea Mueller said the space is in need of improvements.

“We’ve had to turn people away because it’s not accessible,” she said during the meeting. “The kitchen needs a major overhaul.”

Coun. Walt McKechnie said it would be difficult to find the money to fix the room even after a plan is developed.

“I’m all for trying to make it better for our community but we’ve got some big things on our plate and we don’t have any money right now,” he said.

But council opted in favour of keeping the money in the budget.

“This building has been in there a long time,” Coun. Nancy Wood-Roberts said. “But to truly make it a community centre, it has to be accessible.”

Dysart et al is introducing a new software system to help it identify which roads take priority for repairs and improvements.

The municipality’s new infrastructure committee discussed Decision Optimization Technology (DOT) during its inaugural meeting Feb. 7. The software will be used to evaluate the municipality’s roads, with engineers driving every road during the summer, according to director of public works Rob Camelon.

“It will give us a real good overview of where our network stands,” he said. “From there, we have to tell it where we want to be.”

The software is also meant to eventually replace the municipality’s roads needs study, which has been used to guide roads work since 2014. The six-year study is set to expire in 2020, Camelon said.

However, committee member and Coun. John Smith said the municipality has not kept pace with the recommended capital funding level set out in the 2014 road needs study. He said over the duration of the study, there has been a cumulative funding gap of about $1 million and the municipality needed to do more to communicate its intentions for roads.

“We either need to be candid with our property owners, our residents and say ‘sorry, we’re not going to get that done,’” Smith said. “Or we need to recognize there’s a backlog of work to be performed and we got to get the funding in to catch up.”

Committee chair Patrick Kennedy said not providing more funding to capital projects was a conscious decision to try to keep taxes down. But he added council would need to be transparent if the DOT software study recommends more funding than council is willing to provide.

“If the study comes up and says we need $1 million a year and council says ‘you know what, we can only afford $600,000 a year,’ we should be transparent about that,” Kennedy said.

Committee considers reserve funding

The infrastructure committee also considered putting money into the municipal budget for infrastructure and equipment reserves.

Camelon proposed $100,000 for an equipment reserve and $50,000 for an infrastructure reserve annually as a rough baseline for the discussion.

He said the reserves would be good to prepare for larger projects and will help the municipality have money on hand to push for grant applications.

“If we have something in an account, an infrastructure account, if we knew there was money coming down for shovel-ready projects, we can do up an RFP (request for proposal),” Camelon said. “Have it shovel ready in six months.”

Mayor Andrea Roberts said it would be a wise idea to start building up reserves, with parameters.

“The purpose of having an infrastructure committee is for that future planning,” Roberts said. “We need a safety net.”

Kennedy said the committee can make decisions on its reserve funding as it gets a better understanding of its current funding