By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Purchased just about a year ago, the county-owned building at 310 Division Street, Cobourg, could be ready to open its ground floor as early as Friday night in time for use as a warming room this season – provided that the town issues an entry permit under its Emergency Care Establishment bylaw.
At the October Northumberland County council meeting, Associate Director of Housing and Homelessness Rebecca Carman and Manager of Homelessness Bill Smith expressed their hope that the upper floors (with their shelter and transitional-housing beds) could open by year’s end, but they also set out the barriers that stand in the way of this happening.
Furniture for the drop-in centre should arrive by Friday, and staffing for the warming room is in place.
Transition House and the county have filed a memorandum of understanding governing operations, and the occupancy license agreement is signed, with a service agreement ready to go.
The province helped with construction costs, he said, and the county reduced costs as well by using in-house expertise with their own electricians, locksmiths and project managers.
Recalling the extensive community engagements that ensued after the purchase of the former retirement home, Smith commended staff on these consultations and also on their efforts to build relationships with the neighbours of the new facility. The Community Liaison Committee that will oversee the first months of operation is being selected, and should have its first meeting in November.
Getting the upper floors going has not been as smooth, Carman reported, mainly due to the requirements of Cobourg’s Emergency Care Establishment bylaw that its council passed in March.
At that time, Cobourg had been party to negotiations to govern the new shelter. After the town changed its mind, the county applied for 24 exemptions to the bylaw on Aug. 16. The town said it would not review this application and offered a refund of the fee.
The county returned October 1 to apply for four exemptions.
“We worked as hard as we could to find ways we could meet Cobourg in the middle,” Carman said, examining the four exemptions sought and the issues that surround them – many of which have to do with the bylaw’s 500-metre radius (as has been pointed out previously, this would involve an area from the lakeshore to Spencer Street).
Mobile security required to address circumstances involving shelter residents within 500 metres – Carman said the county has committed to round-the-clock on-site security, but they have no legal authority to respond to issues off the property.
Responsibility for waste, debris and litter within 500 metres that results from activities of users of the facility – The county cannot be responsible for waste in this large an area, Carman said, unless it is known to be related to such activities. They asked town staff if they might consider reducing that 500-metre to a “within sightlines” kind of parameter, but she thinks this is unlikely to happen.
Indemnifying the town against all liability related to the operation of the facility – The problem with this is that such an indemnification would be required, even in a case where the town bears sole responsibility.
Personal liability of directors and officers of the corporation – This liability could be construed to apply to everyone connected with the county, up to and including the councillors. “How do employees and councillors navigate with the threat of personal liability under the bylaw?” she pointed out.
Referring to the first two applications, Carman raised the question of how to determine whether a littering or security concern might be the result of someone from the facility. She put the question to the town representative, who said they would call the facility and ask. This wouldn’t work, she told the representative, because they safeguard the confidentiality of all whom they are helping.
Given these considerations, Carman suggested discussions must be undertaken on how to move forward under these conditions.
“We have heard the concerns,” Warden Brian Ostrander said.
“We know there will be watchful eyes. I trust we will be as good neighbours as we can be.”
Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Moore was not as optimistic.
“I think really the hope, when we reach out to Cobourg, is to get some understanding of some of the areas where we want to be collaborative and provide support – but also understanding of what kind of situations are out of our scope,” Moore said.
“That is what we can’t get an understanding of from the town. We have asked for those conversations, and have not been granted them. It’s an all-or-nothing requirement, black-and-white.”
