GUELPH/WELLINGTON – Updates on ambulance services could now be included during the County of Wellington's Social Services committee meetings.
According to a new report coming to the administration, finance and human resources committee meeting this afternoon, both the City of Guelph and the County of Wellington are proposing updates on the city's ambulance services be included during the county's monthly social services committee meetings.
The result of a motion from city council last October that requested the mayor, warden, and both CAOs conduct a review of the committee's current governance model, the decision was inspired after lengthy debates about ambulance station upgrades that occurred during the county's budget discussions.
Currently, the County of Wellington manages social services- which involves housing, child care and Ontario Works while the city of Guelph is the delivery agent for ambulance services. This means updates on ambulance services are not provided during committee meetings at the moment unless otherwise planned.
To be renamed the Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee, the proposed integration is intended to address the county's interest in ambulance services while establishing clarity and accountability regarding the city and county's role in the committee's priorities and spending.
Going forward, this restructuring means the county is now expected to bring forward policy matters, operation reporting and proposed budget impacts for the three areas of Social Services to the committee for consideration and recommendation to county council and the city will bring forward the same, but related to its ambulance services.
Any recommendations will then go to the county council and the decision will be reported back to the committee at its next meeting.
This proposal accompanies a recent announcement from the city and county that the Social Services Committee will be restructured to include four city councillors and four county councillors.
The committee is currently made up of five county representatives, including the warden and Guelph’s mayor but requires no representation from city council to become official.
If approved, the new committee structure will be implemented on April 1.
The full report is available here.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program
