NORTHEAST ALBERTA COMMUNITY BOARD
PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
PUBLIC MEETING
Saturday,
February 12th, 2005 8:30 am
to 3:30 pm
Conference
Room, Ernie O’s Restaurant
Whitecourt, Alberta
APPROVED MINUTES
Present:
Don Schultz, Chair, Donna Desjardins, Vice Chair, Dr. Doug Fleming, Ralph Gorrie,
Glenn Hennig, Carmela Levesque, Colleen Marks, Caren Mueller, Floyd Thompson
Administration: Dr. Alex Hillyard, CEO; Lucille Froese, Recording Secretary
Guests:
George VanderBurg, MLA, Whitecourt-St. Anne,
Betty Thompson, Chair, Provincial PDD Board, Garry Donald, CEO, Provincial PDD
Board, Jim Menzies, CFO, Provincial PDD Board, Warren Bruleigh, Board Chair,
Northern Gateway Regional Division #10, Dale Donnelly and Candy Sawyer,
Co-Chairs, Whitecourt Community Council, Talayna Despins, Cecile Blanchette,
Annette Butler, Effie McGinnis, and Mrs. McGinnis, parent, Whitecourt Community
Council, Mary-Jo Husby, Service Coordinator, PDD.
A.
Don Schultz, Chair,
called the meeting to order at 8:30 am, February 12, 2005.
#05-02-883 MOTION: Floyd Thompson moved the Board approve the agenda.
Carried unanimously.
C. Approval of Minutes
#05-02-884 MOTION: Colleen
Marks moved the Board approve the
minutes as presented. Carried unanimously.
·
George
VanderBurg, MLA, Whitecourt-St. Anne, thanked the Board for coming to
Whitecourt and gave the Board a short update on some of the activities of the
Legislative Assembly.
·
Mr. VanderBurg
was appointed to the Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Energy and
Sustainable Development Committee and will be bringing forward the budgets and
business plans for three ministries.
·
The Legislative
Assembly will be debating budgets next month for about six weeks.
·
Alberta is
seeing the most activity in twenty-five years, with that comes a lot of
challenges. There is lots of oilfield and forest activity and 50,000 people a
year are moving to Alberta.
·
Don Schultz
introduced Warren Bruleigh, Board Chair, Northern Gateway Regional Division
#10.
1.
Board Communications & Operations
1.1 Deferred from January 15,
2005 meeting, Item 2.1
Business Planning
Framework and Partnerships:
Rural
Alberta: Land of Opportunity
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and discussion
The Board is currently engaged in preparing their 2005-2008 Business plan.
The Board reviewed and discussed the document Rural Alberta: Land of Opportunity, developing a “partnership strategy” for use over the course of the 2005-2008 business plan, and new areas that might be considered for the strategy.
#05-02-885 MOTION: Doug
Fleming moved that the Board direct the administration
undertake a
project to review the current partnerships the Board has at this time and
establish a “partnership strategy” for use over the course of the 2005-2008
business plan.
Carried
unanimously.
1.2 Northeast Board 2005/06 Draft Business Plan
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and approval.
The Northeast Community Board initiated the consultation for the 2005 Business Plan in June 2004 through Joint Community Council sessions. The results from these forums were taken to the Provincial Board in August and helped frame the Provincial Board’s plan for 2005/2006 to 2007/2008.
On January 8th, 2005 the Board
held their Strategic Business Planning Session in Westlock with participants
from across the Northeast Region representing individuals, families, community
councils, Service Provider Boards and their administration, Mayors and Reeves,
along with Northeast Board members and their administration.
The Board discussed the information gathered from the community input sessions, changes and adjustments to the 2005/06 Business Plan, and presentation of the business plan to the Provincial Board on March 10, 2005.
#05-02-886 MOTION: Donna Desjardins moved the Board approve
the 2005/2006 to
2007/2008 Business Plan. Carried
unanimously.
1.3 Joint Meeting with Edmonton Community Board
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and discussion.
The Northeast Alberta Community Board and the Edmonton Community Board will be holding a joint meeting on March 20, 2005 in Edmonton.
The topic for discussion will be the draft Persons with Developmental Disabilities Provincial Board: Governance Accountability Framework.
#05-02-887 MOTION: Glenn Hennig moved the Board accept the report for
information. Carried unanimously.
1.4 North Central Alberta Governance Body: February 1st
Planning Session
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and discussion.
On February 1, 2005 representatives from the participating Boards and authorities within the Northeast Alberta Governance Agreement met in Westlock. A total of forty-four people attended with representation from all partners with the exception of one school jurisdiction. Metis Child and Family Services, originally not in the agreement, has been invited to participate and was in attendance.
In addition to a presentation by Russell Carr on Community Governance, the group went through a planning session, priorizing and giving direction to the administrators. Results of the session are being summarized and will be distributed to participants by the end of March.
Members of the Board who attended the meeting gave reports on their participation at the session. The day flowed well, was very well organized and productive. There was lots of commitment and everyone was eager to work together. In addition to people who had attended before there were a number of school board members who came for the first time.
Vegreville and Fort McMurray are not included in the agreement because they fall under different health authorities and school divisions. The Board has included a strategy in the business plan that covers working with organizations that adjoin the boundaries of the area covered by the Northeast Alberta Governance Agreement.
#05-02-888 MOTION: Ralph Gorrie moved the Board accept the report for
information. Carried unanimously.
1.5
Northeast Board
Audit Committee: Terms of Reference
Recommendation: That the Board approve the Terms of Reference for the
Northeast Alberta Community Board Audit Committee as they appear in Appendix I of the Board Report Agenda Item 1.5, dated February 12, 2005.
Purpose of Report: Board discussion and approval.
The Board reviewed a revised version of the Northeast Board Audit Committee Terms of Reference with highlighted changes.
After discussion, the Board tabled the report to the next Board meeting in March, and asked the Audit Committee to do a risk assessment on letting the Board know or not know of any investigations undertaken by the Audit Committee.
#05-02-889 MOTION: Donna Desjardins moved the Terms of Reference be approved
as presented.
#05-02-890 MOTION Glenn Hennig moved that the Board table Agenda Item
1.5 to the next Board meeting in March and ask the Audit Committee to conduct a risk assessment on letting the Board know or not know when they are conducting an investigation.
Carried unanimously.
1.6 Provincial Board Presentation
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and discussion.
The Chair of the Provincial Board and the administration are meeting with each of the six community boards. Betty Thompson, Board Chair, Garry Donald, CEO, and Jim Menzies, CFO, were in attendance at this Board meeting. The purpose of their attendance was to provide a presentation to the Board, discuss the following topics, and obtain input on these topics from the Northeast Board
1) Governance Relationships
2) Overview of Historical Comparisons for budget allocations and number of individuals served.
3) 2005/06 Resource Allocation Approach: Input from Community Boards
· Requested feedback from the Northeast Board on the Provincial Accountability Framework. This is a major shift in direction. May take it to the Provincial Board for approval in April but this is not firm.
· Relative to the funding allocation, PDD has been treated very well. Need to keep looking at ways we can better use the resources that we have.
· There is a need to pay attention to the population shift although it does not necessarily affect the growth of persons with developmental disabilities in a particular community.
· Reports indicate a higher than expected uptake in the Northeast Region.
· Betty Thompson asked the Board for a sense of what is causing this and how it is likely play out over the next two or three years.
· Board members are out in the community a lot and are well known.
· Known as an organization that is here to help, not just another government department.
· Economic growth in three areas – economic growth in some areas, growth in other areas because of long established service areas.
· Barrhead’s education system – acceptance system for persons with developmental disabilities.
· Aging population
· Short term services that turn to long term as family base thins.
· Economic situation – large transient population.
· Close working relationship with Child and Family Services Authority
· Want to focus on what makes communities different.
· Need to use our allocation model in many different ways.
2.
Administration
2.1 Labour Market Initiative with AHRE, Aspen Health and
Northeast Alberta Community Board
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information.
The Provincial government has set aside 2.8 million dollars each year for the next two years, for demonstration projects across the Province that will address the Labour Market needs of Albertans with disabilities.
Under this program, an essential requirement
for any funded project is a joint submission and commitment through a regional
partnership with AHRE (Alberta Human Resources and Employment), Mental Health (Regional
Health Authorities) and Persons with Developmental Disabilities (Community
Boards). There is also a requirement for a letter of support from a local
educational institution.
The Director of HR&E Northeast Region, the CEO for the Northeast Alberta Community Board, and the Vice President of Health Services, Aspen Regional Health Authority, established a working group and submitted a joint proposal on February 7, 2005.
The Board reviewed and discussed the proposal, which is designed to address the employment and job preparation needs of individuals who traditionally have not been successful with the existing community services.
#05-02-891 MOTION: Glenn
Hennig moved the Board accept the the report as
information.
Carried unanimously.
2.2 Resource Allocation Models: Discussion
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and discussion.
The Provincial Board annually approves the allocation of resources for the Community Boards. A model or formula with underlying requirements and assumptions is used to create allocation of resources for each Board.
The Provincial Board and their administration is seeking input from the Community Boards on what model or approach should be used in designing the 2005 allocation of resources for the community Boards.
The Board reviewed and discussed the allocation factors that have been inherent in the allocation process in the past 7 years, additional guiding principles and regional factors, including building community capacity, and the design of an allocation model for the Northeast Region.
#05-02-892 MOTION: Colleen
Marks moved the Board accept the report for
information. Carried unanimously.
2.3 Northeast Alberta 7th Annual Regional Conference
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report
for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and direction to the
administration.
The Board has selected Fort McMurray as the site for the 7th annual regional conference. On January 19th, 2005 the administration, along with Board member Glenn Hennig, met with the local conference organizing committee. The committee is chaired by Geoff Wright with representation from the Fort McMurray Community Council, City of Fort McMurray, and Service Providers (START, FMACL).
Glenn Hennig gave the Board an overview of discussions at the meeting. The facility for the conference is very large and there should be room for more concurrent sessions, which would allow some sessions to be repeated. This year the conference will be three days. The conference activities will start on Friday and end on Sunday.
The Board discussed and approved the theme for the 2005 conference “Building Community Capacity: Together We Can” and a request from the committee to have a keynote motivational speaker for the conference, as long as the speaker is someone who speaks plain language so everyone can understand.
#05-02-893 MOTION: Carmela Levesque moved the Board accept the report for
information. Carried unanimously.
2.4 Family Managed Services: Resource Development
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information and discussion.
The provincial PDD Individual Funding policy provides families with the choice of managing services on behalf of a family member.
The Northeast Alberta Community Board for Persons With Developmental Disabilities recently developed a guide “Understanding Your Funding Options” which further explores the option of families hiring their own staff by means of direct funding.
The Board discussed the development of a multi-media resource guide, which will be modeled after and will build upon the current “Understanding Your Funding Options” guide. The areas to be addressed by this project and included in the resource materials are as follows:
· Employer Responsibilities
· Program Delivery
· Support and Networking
· Monitoring and Assurance
Publication of the resource document is expected to be completed by October 2005.
#05-02-894 MOTION: Doug Fleming moved the Board accept the
report for
information.
Carried unanimously.
2.5 Bereavement: Lila Reid
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
Purpose of Report: Information
It was with sadness that the administration informed the Board of the passing of an individual from the Northeast Region who was receiving funded supports. Lila Reid passed away on January 19, 2005 at the Keir Care Centre after suffering two strokes.
A memorial service for Lila is planned for February 28, 2005. Lila’s legal guardian (Office of the Public Guardian – Tim MacDonald, Public Guardian Representative) will be making arrangements in conjunction with Lila’s family. The Board Chair, Don Schultz, will attend the memorial service on behalf of the Board.
·
Provincial Board
meeting, February 10, 2005
·
Reviewed the
budget to readjust allocations for regions facing a deficit.
·
Sent back to
legal, the definition of disability – for clarification
·
Asked Central
Region to give an estimate on the costs related to relocating individuals from
the north side of Michener Centre. Also asked other regions how they can help
Central handle people moving back to their own communities.
·
Provincial
budget will be balanced.
· Responded to letters from:
· Autism Society
· Geoff Wright
· Had the pleasure of being at a farewell for Michelle Fuernkranz, who is going on maternity leave. Welcomed Jodi Young, who will be filling in for Michelle.
· All Board members should have an opportunity to participate on the Audit Committee for at least one year. Have asked Glenn Hennig to participate as a member of the Audit Committee starting now. Floyd Thompson will be stepping down after the entrance meeting with the Auditor General
· Request from Community Councils: Follow-up with Audrey McFarlane
· Looking at a meeting with the Board in May or June. They would like an opportunity to clarify their roles and responsibilities around some of the things they would like to do around their framework.
· A Community Orientation Session took place in Barrhead, February 4, 2005
· There will be a Business Planning Session February 18th, 2005 – how to build Service Provider business plans.
· A Human Resource Forum will be held March 30th and 31st, 2005 – on employers of choice, characteristics of employers of choice. Graham Lowe will be the keynote speaker.
· Entrance Interview with Auditor General will take place on March 4, 2005
· AACL Conference March 18th and 19th, 2005 – the Person Centered Planning Manual and CD Rom may be showcased at the AACL Conference.
· Joint Meeting of Staff From Child and Family Services Authority
Region 7 (FSCD) and Northeast Alberta Community Board
February 15, 2005
· Now partnering with FCSS and Children’s Services in Westlock. Assisting in the development of children with disabilities or families that have children with disabilities.
I. In-Camera
Session (Review organizational issues)
#05-02-895 MOTION: Doug Fleming moved the Board go In-Camera
at 8:30 am to
discuss organizational issues. Carried
unanimously.
#05-02-896 MOTION: Colleen Marks moved the Board come out of Camera at
9:45 am. Carried unanimously.
· March 20, 2005 Edmonton
· April 16, 2005 St. Paul
· May 28, 2005 Bonnyville
· June 18, 2005 Fort McMurray
· July 16, 2005 At the call of the Chair
· August 20, 2005 Vegreville
· September 17, 2005 Barrhead
· October 15, 2005 Westlock
· November 6, 2005 Fort McMurray
· December 17, 2005 Lac La Biche
#05-02-897 MOTION: Doug Fleming moved the Board adjourn the meeting at
3:30 pm. Carried unanimously.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Don Schultz, Chair Dr. Alex Hillyard, CEO