Windsor City Council is asking the County of Essex for support in operating the COVID-19 Isolation and Recovery Centre.
The 125 room site is designed to accommodate temporary foreign workers in Windsor-Essex who are unable to safely self-isolate at their usual place of residence, many of whom are in the area working in the agricultural sector.
Kieran McKenzie, Ward 9 Windsor City Councillor, says the IRC has been a challenge to administer.
"What we're asking is that the County come to provide some resources as well in order for us to be able to deliver this service," he says. "It certianly impacts the region as a whole, it might even be fair to argue the county more than the city."
Employees of the city's Social Services Department have been responsible for administration of the centre, along with handling all of their previous duties.
McKenzie says it's been an incredible and tremendous strain the city's own administration on top of all of the other work they were doing previously under a non-global pandemic situation.
"The City of Windsor is the consolidated services manager when it comes to the social services and the delivery of social services in the region, the County is a partner in all of that as well. We're certianly the lead but what we're asking is that the County help to provide some resources in order for us to be able to deliver the service as we move forward," he says.
Funding for the IRC is due to expire March 31, 2022, but a request has been made for additional funding from the federal government so the centre can continue to operate beyond that point.