Hamilton politicians seek plan to include members of public in semi-autonomous board of health

Hamilton will be looking to add members of the public to the city’s board of health after councillors voted unanimously to overhaul their current system in which politicians make all the decisions.

The change intends to give votes to local health experts, medical professionals and community members via a seat at the table through a yet-to-be-determined selection process.

Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch’s Monday amendment proposed a “semi-autonomous board,” requiring provincial approval, through changes to a pair of related acts, ultimately forming a board similar to those in Toronto and Ottawa – the latter made up of six councillors and five members of the public.

The idea comes in two parts, with the second creating an interim public health subcommittee of six councillors, six members of the public and one education representative that will make recommendations to the existing councillor-controlled board.

The board currently has 16 members — all 15 councillors plus the mayor.

Ward 2 Coun. Nrinder Nann insisted the change that’s been demanded for years by advocates will better reflect Hamilton’s diversity.

“(And) respond very clearly to the comments that we’ve heard from subject matter experts, not only in our own community, but from across the province over the course of a number of years in the form of delegations that have been here,” Nann said.

Medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said next steps include the development of a selection process and consultation with other advisory committees.

“Then we come forward with some criteria for selection and likely some questions that could be used as well,” she elaborated.

City clerk Janet Pilon said the timeline for implementation will be dependent on how many applicants there are and the number of interviews conducted.

“So we’re probably looking at the end of April or early May,” Pilon said.