By Cecilia Nasmith

A notice of motion is typically put on the floor at council without discussion, simply as a notification – though a rare departure happened at Monday's Cobourg council meeting, when they voted for a suspension of rules to allow immediate discussion of the matter.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty's motion was the result of news that has come out over the past few days of an unsanctioned Overdose Prevention Site that is run by volunteers in a tent that moves from location to location, ostensibly out of concern for individuals seeking to access their harm-reduction services.

The motion states that the town had no previous knowledge of the operation and does not endorse it. It further calls on the proponents of this effort to follow the legal process to operate a supervised consumption site as approved and licensed by Health Canada, which calls for an application process that includes consultations with a broad range of community members,

The motion to deal with the matter immediately was made by Mayor Lucas Cleveland – he was scheduled to meet with the Cobourg Police Service Board the following day, and he wished to bring the motion with him to show that (should it pass in a vote, which it did) it had the support of council.

Chief Administrative Officer Tracey Vaughan was disturbed by allegations that the operation is being carried on with the knowledge of town staff.

In fact, Vaughan said, “that group has consulted with staff in the past in terms of discussing the potential of a consumption site in the abstract. Not with a permanent location, not with the time frame or any specificity. So any remarks or feedback staff have given back to the group has been around sustainable measures to be able to look to implement sanctioned consumption sites through community engagement, an application process.”

“I tend not to speak on things I don't know about or have the expertise on,” Director of Legislative Services Brett Larmer commented, adding that enforcement measures are in place to ensure any such project “will operate within the confines of those policies and bylaws that are in place.”

Cleveland offered remarks on going through the proper channels.

“When it comes to this type of initiatives, they are long, they are arduous, they are financially difficult. But that does not negate the need to follow the proper procedures,” the mayor said.

“I believe the majority of this community wants to see harm reduced to individuals,” he added, but they also care how the harm is reduced.

“I invite any individual working in harm reduction to fight the good fight by following the policies and procedures that have been laid out before them.”

The debate came at the end of a council meeting that had opened with a presentation by Peterborough AIDS Resource Network Executive Director Dane Record, who also discussed harm reduction in informing councillors of the work his organization does.

Established in 1987 for the support and education of people living with HIV and AIDS-related infections like Hepatitis C, they typically work with 60 families annually in Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and the Counties of Haliburton and Northumberland.

And they have harm-reduction programming, working alongside a number of existing organizations like Green Wood Coalition to prevent infection, exposure and new diagnoses. Along with the distribution of condoms and lubricant, this also means provision of tools and resources for those who will be shooting or inhaling illicit drugs.

Record said their work is guided by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

“It continues to be known and recognized that we are one of the leaders in Northumberland County in preventing new HIV diagnoses, new Hep-C diagnoses, transmissions and exposures. Our Hep-C program is second to none in the area,” Record said.

Though they cannot afford a permanent location, they cultivate professional relationships that will put them in touch with neighbourhoods where their work is needed. With one full-time staff and a number of part-timers and volunteers, they work their outreach.

They also work their outreach with a mobile service they hope to bring to Northumberland at some time in the near future.