Cobourg council tackles unfinished business Nov. 12
Photo by Dan Jones, Northumberland 89.7 FM News, LJI
By: Cecilia Nasmith
Following an exceptionally early adjournment of its regular Oct. 29 meeting, Cobourg council has scheduled a Nov. 12 special meeting at 4 p.m. to address the remainder of the agenda – including a bylaw to amend its Emergency Care Establishment Bylaw to allow for a temporary license to cover the warming room Northumberland County wants to set up this winter at its building at 555 Courthouse Rd.
The item on that council agenda had specified such a license depended on following the Region of Durham Winter Warming Program Guidelines and would only be good Dec. 1 through March 31 – though county council had wanted the warming room to run Nov. 1 through April 30.
The Region of Durham Winter Warming Program Guidelines is a 12-page document that applies Dec. 1 through March 31, issued in September 2025. Its provisions include an admission process of checking in and out during designated hours of operation and the possibility that ID may be requested, as well as expectations for conduct resolution and complaints “directly with staff on-site” - which may explain Mayor Lucas Cleveland's insistence that county staff be present as opposed to just their contracted security providers.
It sets out behaviours that are not permitted – violence or threats, possession or use of controlled or illegal substances, disruptive actions and noises, property damage, and discriminatory, racist or hateful language. It also sets out a protocol for managing disruptions, again referring to “staff.”
Staff training requirements include CPR, emergency first-aid and Naloxone training, as well as emergency-management and de-escalation training.
As noted at Northumberland County council's Social Services Committee meeting Wednesday, it does not address whether sleeping is permitted, as that is a fire code matter.
Associate Director of Housing and Homelessness Rebecca Carman said at that time that the Durham program does use cots, though in Northumberland, lounger chairs have been removed in favour of the kind of chairs one sees at county council meetings.
Among other business that remained on the agenda after the unusually early adjournment were four notices of motion.
Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty had a notice of motion regarding the safety and well-being of residents and visitors using public playgrounds.
Councillor Adam Bureau had a notice of motion to create a task force for the Cobourg Police Service facility-needs assessment and accommodation options.
And Mayor Lucas Cleveland had two – the development of an internal whistleblower policy and a direction to staff to draft a bylaw prohibiting council members from assuming the role of chair or vice-chair on boards to which they are appointed.
