by Sylene Argent
EWSWA presents 2019 budget to County Council with a 4.1% increase
Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority’s (EWSWA) General Manager, Eli Maodus, and Manager of Finance and Administration, Michelle Bishop, presented the 2019 EWSWA Budget to County Council, last week.
The Authority’s 2019 budget includes a 4.1 percent increase. In 2017, there was no increase. In 2018, there was 2 percent increase.
The report also notes the 4.1 increase represents $213,000 for County of Essex municipalities, which is in addition to the $5,200,000 that was budgeted to be assessed to those municipalities for 2018. The increase also represents $249,000 for the City of Windsor, which is in addition to the $6,000,000 that was budgeted to be assessed to Windsor for 2018.
Maodus explained the purpose of attending County Council with the budget is that the approval process includes having the City of Windsor, the County of Essex, and the EWSWA Board of Directors approve the documents each year. Bishop noted the EWSWA Board approved this budget on April 11.
As part of the annual budget preparation process, a 15-year forecast was prepared. The report notes that in order to have a balanced budget by 2027, the amount assessed annually by the City of Windsor and the seven County municipalities will need to increase 4.1 percent for each year, beginning in 2019. This would have to be approved each year.
Included with the full 2019 budget recommendations, which was approved by the EWSWA Board, was to also increase the Total Waste Management Fee by $1 per tonne to $37.44, to increase the fixed cost assessment to Windsor and the seven County municipalities, to increase to the tipping fee for vines to $33/tonne from $32/tonnes, and an increase the tipping fee for contaminated soil to be landfilled to $35/tonne from $30/tonne, effective July 1, 2019.
The report notes any resultant surplus from 2018 operations will be contributed to the Rate Stabilization Reserve.
The recommendation was moved that Council of the County of Essex approve the 2019 Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority budget and a 4.1 percent increase to the 2018 total municipal assessment of $11,250,070, based on a fixed cost allocation calculated on population and a Total Waste Management Fee of $37.44 per tonne fee for refuse delivered for disposal. The total assessment to County of Essex municipalities and to the City of Windsor is to also include the increase in municipal tonnage from 2018 to 2019 being an additional 2,900 tonnes representing $108,000.
Typically, he added, the budget is presented in November. As there was an election last fall, however, the presentation got pushed back as new members to the board were decided after the election.
Bishop noted the increase was due to issues like fuel costs and equipment, and maintenance repair.
EWEMS to replace automated CPR devices
Bruce Krauter, Chief of the Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EWEMS), sought approval from County Council to replace 33 Lucas 2 Automated CPR devices.
Krauter noted the benefit attributed to automated CPR is increased safety for paramedics, who are working to deliver the lifesaving duty while in a moving ambulance.
EWEMS, he claimed, has experienced a substantial decrease of back, shoulder, and neck injuries to paramedics performing CPR and save rates have increased.
EWEMS’s current devices are at the end of their life, he noted. The only device-provider found that has compatible equipment with the local agency’s current technology was the LUCAS 3.1, which is manufactured by Physio Control (Stryker Canada ULC).
Krauter asked that 39 Lucas 3.1 devices be purchases. The increase, he noted, will accommodate the historical enhancements of its fleet and will allow every in-service ambulance and ERV to be equipment with an automated CPR device.
It is estimated the cost for the 39 devices, after the former devices are traded in, is $462,072.45, plus HST. This was within the 2019 EWEMS budgeted amount, Krauter said.
As only one entity was found selling the device, County Council approved Essex-Windsor EMS single-sourcing the procurement of the 39 Lucas 3.1 automated CPR devices from Stryker, for the purchased amount of $577,572.45, plus HST. Essex-Windsor EMS was also approved to proceed with the trade of its current thirty-three Lucas 2 automated CPR devices with EMS Surplus Canada for a total amount of $136,500, plus HST.
EWEMS notes offload delays are trending downwards
Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter provided Essex County Council with background and information on ambulance call response experience and activity across the Essex-Windsor region for the first quarter of 2019.
In review of the call volume data, the report notes the 2019 first-quarter-of-the-year total transport call volumes have decreased 5.5 percent when compared to 2018, and decreased 2.8 percent when compared to 2015.
In the report, it also notes the emergent patient transports in the first-quarter-of the-year have increased a combined 21percent over the same four-year period. It adds that, in the first-quarter-of-the-year, non-urgent patient transports have decreased by 15 percent from 2015 to 2019 and decrease 16.5 percent from 2018 to 2019.
Response times continue to meet response time plans for life threatening situations and remain consistent with 2018 results and experience. Offload delays are trending downward and EWEMS is committed to lowering offload times in collaboration with the hospitals, the report notes.