Essex County Council notes for April 4

by Adam Gault  

Smart Cities Challenge Update

Essex County Council received a report from the Manager of Corporate Communications and Accessibility, Renee Trombley, regarding an update to the County’s response to the Infrastructure Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge.

The Smart Cities Challenge is a federal program open to all communities across Canada. The program will challenge communities to address local issues through a ‘smart cities’ approach, through the use of data and technology. Finalists in the competition will receive $250,000 towards developing their Smart Cities proposal, with winners receiving $10 million towards their design. The County has entered the competition in a joint venture with Windsor, as Windsor-Essex.

“We’ve reviewed regional data and have narrowed down the challenge statement to three high impact areas of focus,” Tremblay explained. “(Which include) poverty, health, and unemployment.”

The public launch of the project took place on March 23, and is now in the public engagement phase, where residents are encouraged to provide feedback as to what areas of focus they want the project to explore.

“(Residents) can submit a Smart City idea, or Smart Solution, and ask us a question, and stay informed,” Trombley said of the initiative. “We’ll bring back a report for Council once a challenge statement has been formulized.”

Residents of Windsor-Essex can offer their ideas at smartwindsoressex.ca from now until the April 24 deadline.

Essex Windsor EMS Defibrillator Replacement

Essex County Council is looking to replace its inventory of around 60 defibrillators after receiving a report during last Wednesday’s meeting.

In a report from Bruce Krauter, Chief of Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services, it was outlined that the region’s current inventory of defibrillators are now reaching the end of their lifespan, and the purchase of new defibrillators will be needed to replace the current ones that were first put into service in 2012.

The report highlighted several potential options for their replacement, with a recommendation that the purchase of 60 new units be awarded to Physio Control, a division of Stryker Medical, for the total tender amount of nearly $2.3 million.

This would also include the disposal of the current inventory of 55 Lifepak 15 defibrillators/monitors to EMS Surplus Canada at a revenue of $440,000, plus HST.

Financing for the purchase was included in the annual county budget, which also took into account the purchase of the new ambulances.

The motion carried.