Huron Expositor, 2015-04-22, Page 3Huron County committee
opts for more expensive beds
Marco Vigliotti
Huron Expositor
An influential Huron County
council committee has voted to pay
a premium to purchase new elec-
tric beds from a different supplier
after staff raised concerns with the
record of an unidentified compet-
ing firm offering a lower price.
The committee of the whole
on Wednesday endorsed the
purchase 93 hospital -styled
beds for its Huronlea and
Huronview long-term care
homes from Cardinal Health
Canada at a combined cost of
about $194,000, following
through on a recommendation
from management of the
facilities.
Council at its next meeting,
though, must still ratify the
contract.
However, the endorsement car-
ries heavy weight, with all council
members sitting on the
committee.
The business manager for the
care homes said she had recom-
mended the tender put forward by
Cardinal because of issues with the
beds purchased by the county from
the competing firm two years ago,
which once again put forward the
lowest bid.
Becky Jervis said the county
would most likely have to pay an
additional $2,000 in the next few
weeks to make alterations to the
beds after they were slapped with
non -compliancy orders by inspec-
tors over concerns that patients
could become dangerously
entrapped.
Since the purchase, she
said nursing homes have "spent
nothing but money and heartache
trying in remedial action" to get the
beds up to code.
With these secondary costs
factored in, the agreement with
Cardinal offers "much better
value for the service," Jervis
said.
She also warns that purchasing
additional units from the other
firm might lead to further safety
standard woes that could
threaten the reputations of the
Huronlea and Huronview homes,
located in Brussels and Clinton
respectively.
"If we go with our lowest tender
knowing that the bed is going to
cause us problems, it's a loss of
reputation because those sight-
ings when we have non-compli-
ance issues are posted on the pub-
lic website," Jervis told the
committee.
"So then we have a reputation
for not caring for our residents'
safety."
When asked whether the beds
were ever compliant or the issues
were prompted by alterations to
federal safety standards, she said
the guidelines had only changed
"superficially" during that time,
with inspectors now testing for
seven so-called zones of entrap-
ment in the bed rails as opposed to
four.
County maintenance staff is
working with the manufacturer on
HURON
COUNTY
adjustments to the current stock of
beds.
The warranty on them, how-
ever, has almost expired, mean-
ing the county will most likely
have to pay for any further
repairs, Jervis said.
The Huronlea nursing home
first opened in 1993, the same
year a newly renovated Huron -
view once again welcomed
patients.
The original Huronview build-
ing was opened in 1895 and was
the first long-term care home in
Huron County.
Safe a tree!
P,'ealt wok yo it paper9
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Wednesday, April 22, 2015 • Huron Expositor 3
Ringette team wins gold!
The Seaforth/Exeter U19A
ringette team won the gold medal
at the Eastern Canadian champi-
onships in New Brunswick this
past weekend.
The determined local squad
had a spectacular run to the title,
where they represented all of
Ontario.
Watch for photos and more
information in next week's edi-
tion of the Expositor.
Habitat for Humanity
postpones Seaforth build
The Board of Directors of Habi-
tat for Humanity for Huron
County has decided to postpone
the building of a house in Sea -
forth this year.
This decision was made for
several reasons. The Exeter
build, which was started in Sep-
tember, will not be finished until
the end of June. The Board has
not been able to recruit the key
personnel needed in the Sea -
forth area to begin the project
and so there is not sufficient lead
time for fund raising, getting the
required permits and for build
planning. The Board has decided
that it may be more appropriate
to schedule a build in Seaforth
after the 2017 Plowing Match,
which will require many volun-
teers and considerable
sponsorship.
In the intervening time, Habitat
for Humanity will continue to
complete the Exeter house, the
tenth house build, to commemo-
rate ten years of house building
with a celebration in the Varna
complex on Sunday May 31, to
operate two very successful
ReStores, and to complete a home
renovation project in Wingham.
We thank those who have
shown an interest in a Seaforth
Habitat house- build and will
continue to work toward making
that happen in the future.
HURON
C 0 kr r T '1'
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
CONCERNING PROPOSED
OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 4
TO THE HURON COUNTY OFFICIAL PLAN
TAKE NOTICE that the Corporation of the County of Huron will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2015
at 9:00 a.m. in the Court House Council Chambers (1 Court House Square, Goderich) to consider a
proposed official plan amendment affecting all lands in the County of Huron under Sections 17 & 21 of the Planning Act,
R.S.0., 1990, as amended.
ANY PERSON may attend the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation either in support of or in
opposition to the proposed official plan amendment.
IF you wish to be notified of the adoption of the proposed official plan amendment, or of the refusal to adopt the official
plan amendment, you must make a written request to Susan Cronin, Clerk, County of Huron.
IF a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the
County of Huron before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to
appeal the decision of the County of Huron to the Ontario Municipal Board.
IF a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the
County of Huron before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added
as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Municipal Board unless, in the opinion of the Board, there are
reasonable grounds to add the person or public body.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION and a copy of the proposed amendment is available for inspection during regular office
hours at the County of Huron Planning and Development Department, 57 Napier St., Goderich, (519) 524-8394 Ext. 3 and
on the Huron County website at www.huroncounty.ca/officialplan.
PURPOSE AND EFFECT
The purpose of this County initiated amendment is to amend the County of Huron Official Plan to ensure consistency with
the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement. The following is a list of key changes made to the Plan:
• The Agriculture section has been amended with the addition of updated policies for on-farm diversified uses
and agriculture -related uses, and by deleting the Minimum Distance Separation formula requirements for the
severance of existing residences surplus to a farming operation where bams exist on separately titled lots.
• The Extractive Resource section has been amended to include policy to permit accessory aggregate recycling
facilities, in accordance with the requirements of the Aggregate Resources Act.
• The Settlement Patterns section has been amended to eliminate the reference to a 5 lot limit for development on
private water and septic services, and to require developments on private services to demonstrate no negative
impacts.
• The Natural Environment section has been updated to reference the requirement for development in areas
of habitat of endangered species and threatened species to be in accordance with provincial and federal
requirements.
• The Community Services section has been strengthened to support active transportation.
DATED AT THE COUNTY OF HURON THIS
16th DAY OF APRIL, 2015.
Susan Cronin, Clerk, County of Huron
1 Court House Square
Goderich, ON N7A 1 M2
519-524-8394