If council wants to keep Collingwood’s crossing guard program, they will have to spend more money on it, according to a staff report being presented on Monday.
Members of the development and operations committee are due to discuss a report from the town’s bylaw enforcement staff outlining the costs and challenges of the current crossing guard program and suggesting the program needs up to 70 per cent more funding or it needs to be cut.
“The development of a school crossing guard program is not a statutory requirement,” states the staff report included on the July 13 committee meeting agenda. “Such programs are also administratively complex and can be challenging to run.”
The report lists challenges such as retention of crossing guards, additional town staff time from multiple departments, and suggests the town may also be overserved in the number of current crossing guard locations.
The 2019 budget for the crossing guard program was $118,000, but only about $10,000 of that is salaries.
According to the staff report, the average crossing guard in Collingwood is paid for 1.5 hours of work, which is about $24 to $30 per day.
Bylaw enforcement officers dedicated 307 hours on crossing guard duties and functions and another 170 on administration for the program in the 2018/2019 school year. That’s eight per cent of the total hours available for Collingwood’s four full-time bylaw enforcement staff contingent.
“It is assumed that the program is costing the bylaw enforcement division approximately $30,000 per year as a result of lost enforcement time and staff hours being spent on this program,” states the staff report.
Bylaw staff, and indeed town staff of all levels and pay grades, have been called upon to fill in as crossing guards when a crossing guard does not complete or attend their shift, or if a crossing guard position is not filled.
Thought the town is not required to have a crossing guard program, once one is established, the town must ensure crossing guards are in place where the program locations exist. The staff report notes a crossing guard that does not attend their shift creates “potential liability for the town.”
In 2015, in a municipality that was not Collingwood, a child was struck by a car while passing through a crossing-guard controlled intersection but the guard was not present for their shift. Ontario court ruled the town was liable for failing to have a crossing guard on duty when they were scheduled to be there.
The staff report estimates the cost in wages for staff who are not crossing guards but fill in as guards for the 2019/2020 school year, which was cut short by COVID-19, is about $10,000.
“Continued reliance on bylaw services to staff the crossing guard program is neither sustainable nor advisable,” states the report. “Council needs to consider other options, including ending the program entirely.”
The staff report presents three options for council to consider, two of which involve ending the program.
The first option is to cancel the program and spend $40,000 to $60,000 per year to work with schools on student education and awareness training for safe street crossing.
Another option also suggests cancelling the program and, instead, enhance safety infrastructure at crossings. It was not calculated in the staff report how much such infrastructure would cost due to unknown variables.
The one option suggesting the program remain, also recommends increasing crossing guard pay and bonuses and increasing funding for the program by 18 to 70 per cent for a total budget of $140,000 to $200,000 for the program.
This is the option preferred by staff, according to the report. It would change the pay structure so guards get a minimum of three hours per day and casual guards would get $10 to $15 per day for being on call. The recommendation also includes reimbursing guards for the cost of a police record check, and purchasing and providing clothing for crossing guards including raincoats and pants, winter parkas, baseball caps, ice cleats, winter toques, and other clothing as required (about $600 to $750 per guard).
“Although it would be the most expensive option, this selection may result in a self-sustaining program by removing the need for bylaw enforcement officers and other town staff to staff crossings, reduce the staff administrative time and costs, and address the associated liability of running such a program,” states the staff report. “The status quo is unsustainable and may eventually result in program failure and/or potential liability if not supported and funded properly.”
The town currently has nine school crossing locations served by a guard. Those intersections have various other traffic controls ranging from minor street stops to traffic control signals. The program currently requires nine part-time crossing guards and two-to-four casual guards. It serves six elementary schools.
The town’s bylaw enforcement division has been responsible for the program since 2006.
The staff report includes a survey of other Simcoe County municipalities and concludes about half the municipalities in the county have a crossing guard program including Bradford West-Gwillimbury (nine locations), Clearview (eight locations), New Tecumseth (24 locations), Midland (one location), and Springwater (one location).
The report is available in full on the town’s website.
During the development and operations committee meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday, July 13, members of the public are allowed to speak to an agenda item without prior notice. Though there are no in-person meetings, you can join the Zoom call by phone or computer and participate during public discussion.
While the committee will be voting on the staff report, the final decision will rest with council at a future full council meeting.
To participate, email the clerk ([email protected]), use this Zoom link or dial in by telephone to one of these two numbers: 647-374-4685 or 647-558-0588.
