Hawkesbury council has asked administration for recommendations to revise an old planning bylaw to include specific mandatory operation guidelines for an emergency shelter. (Photo Pixabay)
Interlude wants one of Hawkesbury’s bylaws revised to include specific guidelines that deal with a women’s shelter operation.
Muriel Lalonde, director general for Interlude, the regional non-profit social service agency that operates women’s shelters in Prescott-Russell, met with Hawkesbury council April 13 to ask for a revision to municipal bylaw 2-98. Lalonde told council that the bylaw in its present form demands that a women’s shelter operation follow the regional health unit’s operation guideline protocols for a long-term care facility.
“Interlude has to invest time and money in developing and following these policies, procedures and protocols,” said Lalonde, adding that it wastes resources that Interlude could better devote to the actual operation policies needed for the women and children who need a women’s shelter.
Lalonde cited examples of some of the health unit protocols applicable to a long-term care facility that the women’s shelter is forced to follow under the guidelines of Bylaw 2-98. They include: protocols for administering insulin, for dispensing other medicines, having a manual for dealing with infection, and policies and procedures for dealing with infectious diseases.
Bylaw 2-98, which dates from 1998, provides guidelines to regulate the operations of lodging houses or hostels in Hawkesbury. Those regulations also include regional health unit protocols for maintaining public health in general and for residential care facilities in particular.
Interlude wants the bylaw revised to include policy guidelines that are specific for “an emergency shelter” operation like a women’s shelter. Those guidelines would include protocols appropriate for an emergency shelter operation for dealing with public health concerns and safety.
Council members expressed sympathy for Interlude’s concern and directed administration to meet with the planning department to review the matter and provide a report for next month’s session of council with recommendations on how to revise the bylaw.
