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Times Advocate, 1999-07-14, Page 44Exeter Thrsee-Advocate In the News • Wednesday. July 14, 1999 HADC's future threatened by whopping county bill By Craig Bradford TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF CLINTON — A. huge rent increase by Huron County has the Huron Adult Day Centre (HADC) on the ropes. In the spring, the HADC received notice from the Ministry of Health it had received a $65,000 bill from Huron County for '98/99 costs incurred by the HADC located just south of Clinton on Hwy. 4 in the former Huronview Home for the Aged. The county added a second bill would be issued for '99/2000. Since its creation 22 years ago, the HADC has provided seniors with a place to stay during the day where they can par- ticipate in social and physical activities. The HADC also provides care for seniors suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia. The HADC has been paying the county $1,400 per month ',or about $17,000 a year for operation and mainte- nance costs of the build- ing farthings like hydro, repairs and snow. removal. That figure was agreed upon by the HADC and the county in March '93: But a reassessment of county properties was made in '97 which re- evaluated the HADC building at $8.50 per square foot which trans- lates to over $80,000 in occupancy costs a year. The bill was retroactive to Jan. 1, 1998. The county told the HADC of the rent change in November '97 but con- tinued to charge the HADC the $1,400 month- ly amount. HADC executive direc- tor Rosemary Armstrong fears the huge increase from the county will either force reduction in services or pave the way for large increases in user fees which many seniors who use the HADC cannot afford. She added the rent increase may force the closure of the HADC's Exeter and Grand Bend programs. The HADC may also have to find another building. "The increased amount now demanded by the county will mean that the HADC will have to drastically reduce pro- grams at a time when the demand for their services continues to increase, or move from their present location to more affordable premis- es, incurring all the additional expenses such a move would entail," she said in a letter addressed "To all friends and supporters of the Huron Adult Day Centre." "Adding another $65,000 to the Huron Adult Day Centre budget would mean that other services such as Town and Country Support Services, the Community Care Access Centre, Supportive Housing and services for younger people with physical and developmental chal- lenges would have to suffer and lose funding," she said, adding the Ministry of Health is unable to increase fund- ing to the HADC. "It's very disturbing for our clients and- volun- teers not knowing what's going to happen," she said in an interview with the Times -Advocate. Armstrong believes county administration is trying to pave the way for the Huron OPP to set 'up a new central detach- ment at the former Huronview when it takes over county -wide polic- ing. The big bill may also be the county's way of trying to get more money out of the province, she said. Huron County Warden Carol Mitchell of Clinton disagreed with Armstrong, but admitted t h e Huronview complex is a possible loca- tion for a new OPP detachment. She added there is enough room at Huronview for both the OPP and HADC. "We have looked at the buildings," Mitchell said. "(The potential OPP digs) are all separate from where (the HADC) are." Armstrong said the.. HADC is the first and only independent day program in the province for seniors. It has proven to be so successful' that it has been expanded to Exeter and Grand Bend. She said a second day has been added to the Exeter program out of the Christian Reformed Church to serve south Huron and a program was started in Grand Bend at St. John's Anglican Church last month to serve north Lambton and southwest Huron clients. "We believe nothing the administration tells us...I,really do believe they want us out of the building." -- HADC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROSEMARY ARMSTRONG She added the HADC has been negotiating with South Huron Hospital and Anago Resources Inc. to move the Exeter programs into a wing of the hospital. Armstrong explained the HADC is a non-profit organization that receives most of its fund- ing from the Ministry of Health and the rest from the community. "The Huron Adult Day Centre is an indepen- dent, incorporated chari- table organization which is not responsible to le Ministry of its . operation or gover- n ance," Armstrong said. Armstrong said the county's rent increase has never been rati- fied by the HADC board and the county had counted on and is "encroaching" on county property not for use by the HADC. She said the new rental agreement in debate reflects actual space used by the HADC. Armstrong said many county councillors don't know what is going on, even after many HADC supporters have sent let- ters to Huron County newspapers and peti- tions have been start- ed. Several Huron municipal - including Exeter, have sent letters to the county a n d Huron -Bruce MPP Helen Johns outlining their concerns about the future of the HADC with the rent increase. "It's as if they have no ears and no eyes," Armstrong said of county council. She admitted the. HADC has much more space than a simi- lar services in Wingham and else- where, but explained the prior county administra- tion encour- aged them t� use as much space at Huronview as they want- ed. - Armstrong said a lawyer is involved in the current crisis. "We're not going to let this go without a fight," she said. The issue was dis- " 1 feel the real problem is the Ministry of Health isn't funding (the HADC) properly for the services that they provide." — HURON COUNTY WARDEN CAROL MITCHELL no formal lease or agreement has ever been signed between the HADC and the county which acknowledges any changes in occupancy charges. She added there is Some confusion as to why the rent bill was sent to the Ministry rather than the HADC. Mitchell disagrees with Armstrong. She,,believes the HADC was await a of the change in how rent was being charged and had agreed to the change. Armstrong feels county administration is not communicating as well as it could. "We believe nothing the administration tells us," she said. "Nothing they have promised has been done. I really do think they want us out of the building." Mitchell said the HADC is using more space than cussed briefly at the July 8 county council meet- ing. The county will try to set up a meeting with Johns, the Health Minister and the HADC to find a solution. In a reply to Armstrong, Mitchell deflected blame for the rent increase and hinted the county believes the Ministry is responsible for the situation: "As you can see, both the Huron Adult Day Centre and the county have been severely impacted by the Ministry of Health funding deci- sions...I suggest that • rAther than having dis- putes between the coun- ty and the Day Centre, that. we join forces to work on the real prob- lem, which is arbitrary decisions by the Ministry of Health, which affect both the county and the HADC in their goal of delivering needed ser- vices to the seniors of Huron County." Mitchell further explained her viewpoint in a later interviewwith the'Times-Advocate. She said a similar sitU- ation exists in Perth with the V O N. , adding the key lies in the Ministry's funding formula. "I feel the real problem is the Ministry of Health isn't funding (the HADC) properly for the services that they. provide," she said. Johns said Ministry budgets for '99/2000 have already been set, adding money would "From our standpoint it is an outrageous . expenditure.The HADC is in a horrible predicament" — HELEN JOHNS HURON -BRUCE MPP have to be taken from other programs to offset the HADC rent increase. "The county just expects the Ministry of Health to pay for it," Johns said. The provinc' n't likely pay up sit' « f a has a policy to not subsidize programs where 25 per cent of the gross budget goes to rent. "From our standpoint it is an outrageous expenditure," Johns said. "(The HADC) is in a horrible predicament." Johns has talked to several Huron County reeves about the situa- tion and has asked them "to think about the seniors of the communi- ty." The HADC has a long history with the county and the Ministry. In '91 county council agreed to give the Summerhill wing of the Huronview building to the HADC for $1; then the Ministry granted $450,000 to the HADC, $300,000 for ren- ovations. The Ministry also agreed .the-.HADC would pay its share of heat and utilities and pay a maintenance fee. The HADC budget for the Clinton site in '98/99 was about $340,000 with $260,000 coming from the province for programs. About $222,000 of the total budget was for wages and benefits for 12` employees; $75,000 for supplies, volunteer appreciation and train- ing, meals/food, equip- ment maintenance, jani- torial services, insur- , ances and audit; $26,000 for client transportation and $16,919 for utilities 'and other occupancy costs paid to the county. Seniors of Exeter members Norm Eveland, Ieft,Vera Armstrong and Roy Hodgson sit on the bench beside the Exeter post office their group donated in the name of the International Year of Older Persons.The Seniors of Exeter spent $400 r 'he project and provided their own elbow grease.