STAFF REPORT
December 29, 1999
To: Community Services Committee
From: Shirley Hoy, Commissioner, Community & Neighbourhood
Dr. Sheela V. Basrur, Medical Officer of Health
Subject: Interim Appropriation for Retirement and Lodging Homes Hotline and Inspection
Purpose:
This report requests pre-approval of up to $149,317 in the year 2000 Operating Budget for Public Health inspections of
retirement and lodging homes and to operate the Retirement and Lodging Homes complaints hotline.
Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
The amount of up to $149,347 will be required to continue to operate the retirement and lodging homes hotline and
inspections from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2000. The Commissioner of Community Services, in consultation with the
Medical Officer of Health and the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development, will report through the 2000 budget
process on any additional resources required to continue this service in compliance with Council directives.
The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and concurs with the financial impact statement.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1) the amount of up to $149,347 be pre-approved and added to the Public Health operating budget for the year 2000, to
enable the division to continue to operate the Retirement and Lodging Homes hotline and inspections from January 1, 2000
to March 31, 2000;
(2) this report be forwarded to Policy and Finance Committee for their consideration, and to the Budget Advisory
Committee administrator for the budget process pending file, in accordance with the Financial Control Protocols adopted
by Council;
(3) this report be forwarded to the Board of Health for information; and
(4) the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.
Background:
At its meeting on September 28 and 29, 1999 City Council directed that an amount of $527,500.00 be allocated for
operating the Retirement and Lodging Homes hotline and inspections as a short term solution, with $250,000 to be
reallocated from 1999 under expenditures and the remainder to be considered for pre-approval in the year 2000 Operating
Budget subject to a further report from the Interdepartmental Working Group.
This report requests that up to $149,317 be pre-approved for the 2000 Operating Budget for Public Health to cover the
costs of operating the Retirement and Lodging Homes hotline and inspections from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2000, to
ensure continuity of service until a final determination is made by City Council as to whether or not this service should
continue.
Comments:
The Retirement and Lodging Homes Advisory Committee at its December 17, 1999 meeting recommended continuation of
the Retirement and Lodging Homes Action Team and hotline as effective tools for enforcement in those facilities most in
need of regulatory oversight. (See report "Standards of Care in Retirement and Lodging Homes" tabled at this meeting.)
This recommendation was previously developed and endorsed by the interdepartmental working group, and supported by
members of the community who participated in the consultation. The Commissioner of Community Services, in
consultation with the Medical Officer of Health and the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development, will report
through the 2000 budget process on any additional resources required to continue this service and implement Council's
recommendations regarding unregulated retirement and lodging homes.
The total budget for this service for three months from October 1999 to December 1999 was $172,354. In accordance with
Council's directive this was absorbed in Public Health's approved 1999 operating budget. This includes eight inspectors;
staffing the hotline and inspections on a rotating basis; an administration clerk; plus one manager; staff travel and basic
overhead expenses. There are no additional rental costs for this service. (The Retirement Homes Action Team staff are
housed in a for-sale city-owned building; should the premises be sold, rent will become an additional cost.) Since there was
considerable media coverage on this issue during that time, there were no promotion or advertising costs. It is
recommended, however, that there be paid advertising to promote this service in January 2000 at a cost of $10,325 to
ensure that adequate public awareness of this service continues. In addition, now that the system has been established and
the number of calls to the hotline has dropped off, this service can be operated from January 1 to March 31, 2000 with six
inspectors (rotating between operating the hotline and facility inspection), one administrative clerk and a manager. This
means that a total of up to $149,317 will be required to continue this service for the first quarter of 2000.
Conclusions:
The Retirement and Lodging Homes Advisory Committee has recommended the continuation of the Retirement and
Lodging Homes hotline and follow-up inspections as an effective tool for enforcement in those facilities most in need of
regulatory oversight. In order to ensure continuity of service from January through March 2000, an interim appropriation of
up to $149,317 is required for the Public Health year 2000 operating budget.
Contact:
Dr. Monir Taha
Director, Healthy Environments
and AMOH
Toronto Public Health
Tel: (416) 392-1356
Fax: (416) 392-0713
Dr. Sheela V. Basrur Shirley Hoy
Medical Officer of Health Commissioner, Community & Neighbourhood Services
