It鈥檚 time for Fraser Health to speak directly to Chilliwack about what is being done to counter out-of-control addiction issues in the streets, say city councillors.

The topic boiled over at the last city council meeting, as they discussed a staff recommendation to invite Fraser Health brass to a meeting in Chilliwack with council to address 鈥済aps in service鈥� with suggestions for improvements.

Coun. Jason Lum said he felt compelled to express very strong feelings on the matter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been truly frustrating,鈥� he told The Progress this week. 鈥淭he community is beyond frustrated. As council, we have been taking the brunt of the anger and frustration brewing out there.鈥�

There has been a lot of talk, but the response has been 鈥渢otally inadequate鈥� in relation to the enormity of the problem Chilliwack is facing.

So Lum won鈥檛 attend any future sitdowns with Fraser Health officials, and thinks they need to hear the voices of citizens.

鈥淚 have zero interest in any more closed-door meetings with Fraser Health at city hall,鈥� said Coun. Lum, who said he tried that route already, and it has not netted results.

鈥淚t鈥檚 time for Fraser Health to come directly to the community to speak about the initiatives they have underway, what is planned, and how they will start alleviating public concerns,鈥� argued Lum.

Council ended up passing a unanimous motion to that effect on July 18, inviting Fraser Health to Chilliwack to host a public meeting, answering the public鈥檚 questions on matters of addictions and detox.

Coun. Ken Popove said that he would be surprised if Fraser Health officials showed up for a public meeting to speak to citizens as they seem to prefer the closed-door approach.

鈥淟ast meeting was teleconferenced and we were talking about ,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that fell .鈥�

But maybe the way to go is similar to the 鈥淪hame the johns鈥� efforts, Coun. Popove said, maybe they should try a 鈥淪hame Fraser Health鈥� approach.

Mayor Sharon Gaetz noted that 鈥渇or whatever reason Chilliwack has fallen off the radar鈥� of Fraser Health, and the stats show Chilliwack is not treated the same as other communities throughout the Lower Mainland in fighting the scourge of , drug rehab, and homelessness.

鈥淭here is a definite inequity,鈥� Gaetz said, whether it鈥檚 annual subsidies, or the number of outreach workers.

Coun. Chuck Stam, who is also chair of the Fraser Valley Regional Hospital District Board, said he 100 per cent supported the idea for a public meeting. He called efforts by Fraser Health to date 鈥渇utile鈥� and called for a better plan.

鈥淔raser Health needs to stop hiding in Surrey,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need to own this issue.鈥�

The report said Chilliwack is projected to have 21 deaths from in 2017, up from nine in 2016. Suspected overdoses are up as well.

Since medically supervised detox beds were closed in Chilliwack in 2009, only 鈥渄aytox鈥� has been available. So medical detox is 鈥渟orely lacking鈥� in Chilliwack, Gaetz said.

Part of the problem is that the city has been consistently blamed for everything by the public.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the lion鈥檚 share of responsibility for this, and yet we鈥檝e had to divert city resources from areas where they should be concentrated like on roads, public works, and parks,鈥� Lum said after the meeting. 鈥淲e are stuck responding to an issue that only seems to be getting worse.鈥�

City employees have really stepped up.

鈥淏ut they鈥檝e been sworn at, and spit on while picking up garbage, feces, and needles. That鈥檚 not the job they signed up for.鈥�

What Chilliwack needs is a fully funded ICM team, which stands for Intensive Case Management. An ICM team takes the multi-disciplinary approach to tackling addiction and housing needs. Each team would have five full-time clinical support workers, one peer support worker, administrative support, after-hours on-call support, a psychiatrist, a specialized addictions specialist and a physician.

Maple Ridge and 91原创 have an ICM team, and it鈥檚 coming to Abbotsford, but Chilliwack is not on the list for one.

鈥淥ther communities, even those with fewer homeless/addict numbers, are getting these ICM teams funded,鈥� Coun. Lum said.

If Fraser Health declines the invitation to hold a public meeting for Chilliwack, they should at least agree to sit down with staff and council, said Mayor Gaetz.

鈥淥ur community has been held hostage, and it鈥檚 unfair,鈥� said Coun. Chris Kloot, who said Fraser Health should be billed for the costs associated with picking up used needles.

Coun. Sam Waddington said a 鈥渃ompassionate, human approach鈥� is required from Fraser Health, and 鈥渢hey need to step up and do their job.鈥�