ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT


                                                       Date:  March 1, 1996


     TO:       Vancouver City Council

     FROM:     General Manager of Community Services

     SUBJECT:  Metropolitan Board of Health



     RECOMMENDATION

          THAT  City  Council resolve  to  withdraw  from the  Metropolitan
          Health Board, effective December 31, 1996, and that  the Chairman
          of the  Metropolitan Health Board be  served with a copy  of this
          resolution.


     COUNCIL POLICY

     As a  result of the transfer of the Vancouver Health Department to the
     Vancouver  Health Board,  Council  no longer  plays  a major  role  in
     establishing  policy  for  public  health  services  in  the  City  of
     Vancouver.



     BACKGROUND

     The Metropolitan  Health Board is  composed of representatives  of the
     Councils  and School Boards of Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond, of the
     North Shore Union Board of Health, and of the Ministry of Health.  The
     Board  was  established   to  "exercise  coordinating,  advisory   and
     consultative functions  to the Vancouver, Burnaby,  Richmond and North
     Shore Health Departments  in the  metropolitan area."   The Board  may
     also  "exercise coordinating, supervising  and consultative functions,
     powers  and duties  as the  Minister of  Health may  prescribe in  the
     administration of health services."   The City's representative on the
     Board is Councillor Sullivan.

     The  City has  contributed to  the cost  of running  the Metro-politan
     Board  through the Vancouver Health Department budget.  The 1996 Board
     Assessment for Vancouver is $3,759.50.



     The City  became a member of  the Metropolitan Board of  Health via an
     agreement, dated July 2, 1965.  This agreement states:

          Any  party may by resolution passed  by its duly constituted
          governing  body withdraw from  this agreement at  the end of
          any calendar year provided a copy of the said resolution has
          been served upon  the chairman of the  Metropolitan Board at
          least  six  (6)  months before  the  end  of  that year  and
          therefore  the   withdrawing  party   shall  no  longer   be
          represented on said Metropolitan Board of Health.


     DISCUSSION

     As  the City transferred the Health Department to the Vancouver Health
     Board on January 1, 1996, Council no longer has responsibility for the
     provision of  public health  services.  Therefore,  membership on  the
     Metropolitan  Health Board is neither  required nor desirable, and the
     City should serve notice of withdrawl.

     Unfortunately, the notice provisions  in the Metropolitan Health Board
     agreement commit  the City to membership  through the end  of 1996 and
     commit the City to a  cost assessment.  This assessment can  no longer
     be covered  in the  Health Department  budget, as  the City  no longer
     controls  the Health Department and the  Vancouver Health Board cannot
     pay dues  for the City.   The 1996 assessment (which  is a contractual
     obligation,  not  a grant)  will,  therefore,  be  paid  from  General
     Government accounts.   If Council approves the  recommendation in this
     report, there will be no 1997 assessment.



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