The Board of Health for Southeast Public Health has approved a motion that will put a pause to the closure of eight satellite offices in its region.
On Friday, the health unit put out a release stating that it was relinquishing leases for offices within a 50km or less proximity to offices owned in Belleville, Kingston, Brockville, and Smiths Falls as of March 1, 2026.
Offices impacted in the Quinte region include Napanee, Picton and Trenton.
Medical Officer of Health and CEO for Southeast Public Health Dr. Piotr Oglaza said in the release that the reason for the closures “was aimed at optimizing operations while continuing to serve the community’s needs.”
At the board of health’s meeting in Kingston on Wednesday, many members of the board expressed that they were surprised and concerned about the decision to close the offices, citing no previous communication into the decision before the press release was sent out to the public.
“My concern is a press release that is issued on a Friday afternoon is, in political communications, it always means it’s something that you were trying to bury. I don’t think that that sends a good message to anyone involved,” Melanie Paradis, the provincial representative for the City of Belleville said to the board on Wednesday.
Councillor Sean Kelly echoed those sentiments.
“I just think maybe the way it was rolled out, and going on a Friday, and that’s no disrespect to the team here, just like, let’s get this out, and Friday’s the worst day to, or the best day to release a media release with significant consequences, as opposed to during the week. That’s all I gotta say,” Kelly told the board.
Many members expressed that in order for decisions like the one to close the offices to be made, there would need to be more information, justification, and stakeholder input to the board.
A motion was introduced to call for a pause to the plan, a motion that was ultimately approved.
As part of the decision, the board asked staff to bring back a report in December that includes defined evaluation criteria for closure, analysis of financial and community impact, and a clearer plan for stakeholder engagement and transparency.
A decision on the sale of the Cloyne property was also deferred in a later motion.
