In an effort to get a grip on escalating costs, the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board is considering numerous ways to save money including leaving the North Bay City Hall building.
The chair of the Nipissing DSSAB, Mark King, says right now the agency occupies the third and fourth floors at City Hall.
Including parking, it pays the municipality $700,000 a year.
King says an accommodation review has been underway and he expects it should be completed by mid to late February.
King says the review includes the cost to operate DSSAB and he stresses the board has an obligation to all its member communities to operate “as best it can”.
“We look at the internal operations every year to ensure we’re operating in a very tight manner,” King said.
“And we have to ensure we’re not overcharging any of the member municipalities.”
King says the review will consider the possible buildings DSSAB could move into and he suggested a former school is one possibility.
King says DSSAB has been a fixture at City Hall for many years and still has more than 10 years left on its long-term lease.
He says facing a three percent increase each year hasn’t helped DSSAB to keep costs down at its present location.
King admits as both a North Bay city councillor and chair of DSSAB, it places him in an awkward position.
While he’s mindful of the impact DSSAB leaving City Hall would have on revenue collected by the corporation, he also has a responsibility to all the municipalities that contribute to DSSAB including North Bay.
King says North Bay’s share to DSSAB is 63 percent and the remaining 37 percent is funded by the outlying communities.
King says if the majority of the DSSAB members vote to leave the present site, he has no doubts the board would be hit with termination penalties by City Hall.
“I’m sure that would be something that would be factored into the possibility of moving,” he said.
The board has 12 members, six of which represent North Bay and then there is one member each from West Nipissing, Mattawa, Temagami, South Algonquin, East Ferris and Red Bridge to represent the unorganized region.
If the DSSAB was to move, My North Bay Now.com asked King who could fill the vacancy.
In response, King mentions the police department because the North Bay Police Services Board has been talking about a new building.
“Is there an opportunity to move the North Bay police directly into the third and fourth floors of City Hall,” King asked.
“This is hypothetical and it’s a question that would have to be addressed if something like that did take place.”
King has no doubt the issue to move will become divisive at both the DSSAB and council levels.