By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Essex County Council supported expanding the scope of work for Sun Parlor Home’s Comprehensive Analysis and Feasibility Study, and added a Service Delivery Review during the May 7 meeting.
In order to do so, County Council had to approve funding up to $140,000 from the Rate Stabilization Reserve, if necessary.
Bessant Pelech Associates Inc. will expand the Comprehensive Analysis and Feasibility Study, and further complete the Service Delivery Review.
County Council is the Committee of Management for this long-term care home in Leamington that has 206 beds.
County CAO Sandra Zwiers explained that last year, County Council approved moving ahead with the Comprehensive Analysis and Feasibility Study for Sun Parlour Home. When the County completed its Asset Management Plan update, condition ratings of all County-owned facilities and corporate assets were completed, including Sun Parlour Home.
According to Essex Free Press files, in July of 2024, County Council was presented three options on what to do with Sun Parlour Home:
• Redeveloping the building would include modifications like widening doorways, replacing windows, and upgrading lighting systems and competing retrofits necessary to address inadequate square footage for a total estimated cost of $2.7 million.
• Building a brand-new home is estimated to cost around $500,000 per bed and does not include land acquisition.
•Maintaining the status quo and completing renovations and upgrades as needed would avoid immediate capital expenditure, but poses long-term financial and operational risks, due to increasing maintenance and compliance costs.
Upgrades, County Council was warned, must meet current standards set in 2015, often requiring mores pace.
Even if County Council decided to maintain the status quo, not enough money is being set aside for the capital projects that will be needed going forward, Jayne Brooks-Keller, Administrator for Sun Parlour Home, warned last year.
At that time, Council for the County of Essex authorized Administration to continue exploring options to redevelop Sun Parlor Home by engaging a consultant. It also received a Building Condition Assessment for information.
A report to County Council at the time noted there was $252,262 in reserve for Sun Parlour Home at the end of 2023, utilized for capital asset requirements. The targeted investment rate is 2.19%, while the County is investing only 0.17%.
“We know we need to take a deeper dive on the facility itself, in terms of what is the future life and vision for Sun Parlour Home as a facility.” Zwiers said at the May 7 meeting, adding it is currently not operating under current provincial standards for long-term care.
It is compliant currently, but under older building standards. Any renovations trigger new standards, “which is problematic, concerning the size and scale of our home and some certain limitations,” Zwiers said.
“We need to look forward to what does a new home look like. Are we redeveloping the current site, are we building at a new site?” Zwiers asked. All questions required the expertise of an external consultant.
Doing so was included in the 2025 Budget, but estimated at $50,000.
The County competitively tendered the work and received no bids, she told Council. Zwiers noted that in speaking with the market the County did not have a high enough budget for the scope of work.
Bessant Pelech Associates Inc. estimated the work to be around $107,000, plus taxes and incidentals.
“We do feel the need to move forward with this valuable work,” Zwiers said. The cost of a new long care bed home – with the number of beds the County is envisioning – is upwards of a $100M investment.
That number was much smaller pre-pandemic. Like with all construction estimates, it ballooned.
Though the cost of the report was significant, Zwiers believes it is worth it in determining whether to redevelop or build new.
Tied in with that, Zwiers spoke of the importance of conducting a Service Delivery Review, as well. A previous report conducted in 2018 did not provide specifics on the roles and responsibilities of all job functions at the home.
Administrators, leadership, and frontline staff from the home want clarity on their roles, Zwiers said.
Bessant Pelech Associates Inc. also has expertise in that field, and Zwiers recommended a sole source assignment due to the integration of work it will do on the feasibility Study. The Service Delivery Review is expected to cost $60,000, plus taxes.
With the $50,000 set aside in the budget, the overage of the two reports of up to $140,000 will come from the Rate Stabilization Reserve in 2025, so the projects could commence as soon as possible.
Ideally, the County will be able to use surpluses before drawing from the Rate Stabilization Reserve.
In addition, Essex County Council received a report detailing Sun Parlor Home’s Declaration of Compliance for 2024 as information.
Information on the matter notes the Long-Term Care Service Accountability Agreement between Ontario Health West and the Corporation of the County of Essex requires an annual Declaration of Compliance indicating that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, Sun Parlor Home has fulfilled its obligation under the Service Accountability Agreement.
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