Council Highlights

Designating Toronto’s public transit an essential service

 Council decided to formally request that the Ontario government designate public transit in Toronto an essential service. If the government passes that legislation, labour strikes will no longer be legal for Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) workers. Council also agreed to ask the provincial government to review the designation of the Toronto Transit Commission as an essential service after five years of operating as an essential service. 

 Elimination of Personal Vehicle Tax  

 Council approved the termination of the City’s Personal Vehicle Tax (PVT) effective January 1, 2011. Holders of vehicle plate validations who live in Toronto and have scheduled renewal dates (coinciding with their birthdays) on or after January 1, 2011 will not have to pay the PVT. Those with scheduled renewal dates before January 1, 2011 are still required to pay the PVT. Vehicle owners who purchased a two-year renewal in 2010 will receive a refund for the 2011 portion of their plate renewal.   

 Reduction of councillor office budgets

 Council decided to reduce the annual councillor office expenses budget from $50,445 to $30,000 for each of the City’s 44 councillors effective January 1, 2011. That reduction will reduce the 2011 operating budget for City Council by a total of $899,580. Council also requested a review of the Councillor Expense Policy in consultation with Members of Council for recommendations. 

 2011 budget schedule 

 Council approved an accelerated budget process and schedule designed to allow Council to adopt the City’s 2011 operating and capital budgets by the end of February.  

Residential driveway parking

 Council directed that a statutory public meeting be held to consider an amendment to the new Zoning Bylaw as it applies to residential parking. The amendment clarifies that vehicles may be parked anywhere on the private portion of a driveway associated with a single detached or semi-detached house, a duplex or an individual townhouse. The statutory meeting is scheduled to be held as part of the Planning and Growth Management Committee meeting on January 27. 

 Apology requested from Maclean’s Magazine

Council supported a motion calling for Toronto City Council to disassociate itself from the views expressed by Maclean’s Magazine in its article entitled “Too Asian?” and to request that Maclean’s “apologize unreservedly” for the negative stereotyping of the Asian-Canadian community. Council directed the City Clerk to advise Maclean’s Magazine of this decision in writing. 

Proposed Highway of Heroes coin

Council voted to endorse and support the Municipality of Trent Hills in its efforts to have the Royal Canadian Mint produce a coin designed to honour Canada’s fallen soldiers.  

Future of Hearn Generating Station property  

 Council agreed to reaffirm the City’s interest in preserving the Hearn Generating Station building on Unwin Avenue. The City wants to be consulted as part of the review process for addressing the conservation of provincial heritage properties. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is considering demolishing the former electrical power station on Toronto’s Port Lands.

Reduced fee for business licences

 Council supported making a municipal code amendment reducing the City’s fee for a new business licence application by $25. The reduction comes in response to the Municipal Licensing and Standards division now requiring clients to provide their own documentation of police clearance instead of the City undertaking the police check at an administrative cost of about $25. The City’s fee reduction, which takes effect immediately, is retroactive to January 1, 2011.

 Salary freeze for Mayor and Councillors

 Council decided to cancel a Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase to salaries that was scheduled for the Mayor and Councillors for 2011. The rationale for the decision is to set a good example in helping the City address its current financial challenges. The CPI increase would have totalled about $110,000 for the year. A motion asking that the $110,000 be allocated to the City’s student nutrition program was referred to the Budget Committee for consideration.

 Improving the City’s responsiveness

 Council adopted the City Ombudsman’s annual report for 2010 and directed the City Manager to implement six recommendations for the Toronto Public Service. The recommendations include, for example, ensuring that any City divisions without complaint systems in place complete them immediately and post them on their divisional websites no later than March 1, 2011. Another requirement is that the Toronto Public Service set standards for record-keeping in every area of its operations by this fall. 

Preparing to host the Pan Am Games

Council took steps to continue the City’s efforts preparing for the Pan American Games and Parapan American Games that Toronto and surrounding municipalities will host in 2015. Among actions taken, Council approved using the City-operated track at York University for the games as well as creating a bicycle motocross/BMX course in Etobicoke Centennial Park – the latter requiring local community consultation. Council granted authority for the City to move ahead with partner the University of Toronto (subject to conditions) to build an aquatic centre in Scarborough that will serve the games and leave a beneficial legacy for the community. 

 Extension of stimulus projects

Council authorized the extension of work on City stimulus projects that have experienced delays, and gave City officials authority to amend intergovernmental agreements to take advantage of an extension of deadlines for federal and provincial funding of local stimulus projects. The flow of funds was originally going to end March 31 but the funding will now remain available for qualified projects until October 31, 2011. 

Support for City job fairs

Council directed City staff to continue to build connections between employers and job seekers by hosting, participating in and supporting job fairs across Toronto. Job fairs bring together a large number of employers and job seekers. Council directed the Employment & Social Services and Human Resources divisions, along with other divisional and community partners, to plan and host a Toronto job fair later this year.  

Green roofs for industrial buildings

Council authorized extending the City’s exemption period for industrial buildings for meeting green roof requirements that were set to take effect January 31, 2011. The extension to April 30, 2012, made by amending the Toronto Green Roof Bylaw, will allow for further consultation with stakeholders on the issue of green roofs on industrial buildings. 

Bikes on sidewalks, cars in bike lanes

Council wants Toronto’s police to crack down on prohibited cycling on local sidewalks. Council decided to ask the police chief (through the police board) to create a strategy to enforce City bylaws covering cycling on sidewalks and to review ticketing procedures for infractions. The police chief will also be asked to look into options to step up enforcement efforts that will help to discourage drivers from blocking cyclists by stopping or parking motor vehicles in bike lanes.

   Volume 14   Issue 1

Toronto Community Housing Corporation

Council adopted a series of resolutions involving a City agency, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), at a Special Council Meeting on March 9. The resolutions included removal of the remaining members (and designated alternates) of TCHC’s board of directors and the immediate appointmentof former City councillor Case Ootes as managing director of the TCHC. His term will end when Council appoints a replacement board of directors.Council directed that a new board of directors is to be in place by the time Council meets in mid-June of this year. Council also adopted resolutions to bolster the accountability of TCHC and its board of directors.

Prevention of fraud at the City of Toronto

At its regular business meeting March 8 and 9, Council directed the City Manager to take steps to ensure that City staff are aware of the whistleblower protection provisions in the City’s fraud prevention policy. Council also asked the City Manager to ensure that the City’s ethics training for staff includes guidance on what constitutes retribution and emphasizes the importance of protecting employees who report allegations of wrongdoing. 

 Review of environmental grants

Council requested a review of the City’s environmental grant programs to ensure they are suitably structured and well managed. Council wants to see a more effective grant monitoring system – one that includes appropriate action where monitoring by the City finds that the use of a grant is not fully consistent with the conditions of the grant. A related Council decision will result in periodic inspection of green roof projects funded through the City’s Eco-Roof Incentive Program and will require repayment of the grant if a green roof has not been satisfactorily maintained.

Management of the City’s computer software

Council adopted a series of actions with the intention of improving the acquisition and management of computer software in all City divisions and agencies. Council directed the City’s Chief Information Officer to prepare a software asset management plan that includes policies, procedures and practices for managing the City’s software. In addition, the Chief Information Officer is to undertake periodic risk assessments of the City’s software and take steps to address identified risks.

Administration of parks concessions

Acting on recommendations of the Auditor General, Council adopted a series of steps designed to improve the collection of concession revenues and improve administrative processes for concessions – specifically food services, bicycle rental and theme parks administered by the City’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation division. Steps to be taken include, for example, the preparation of formal procedural guidelines for staff’s follow-up on past due accounts.

 Council asked the City’s Auditor General, in consultation with the City Manager, to review the current protocols for Auditor General reports and recommend any changes that would reduce the possibility of reports being made public before their consideration by the Audit Committee. 

Volume 14   Issue 2

Review of City services and user fees 

In connection with the City’s current review of its core services, Council directed the City Manager to review user fees and establish a policy that will ensure consistency in the City’s user fee program. In addition, Council authorized the inclusion of the City’s agencies in the core service and user fee reviews, and instructed the agencies to participate in the reviews. Following the reviews this summer, the Executive Committee is scheduled to consider standing committees’ recommendations in September.

Changes to Council and committee schedules

Council approved changes to the schedule of Council and committee meetings for the remainder of 2011, based on the recommended timelines for the Service Review Program and the approval process for the 2012 capital and operating budgets. Details:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/news/2011-04-13-news-schedule-changes.htm

Governance of City agencies

Council directed the City Manager to continue reviewing the governance structures of City agencies with the intention of achieving specified goals. The goals that Council agreed upon include, for example, ensuring that agencies eliminate overlaps with City programs and services, and, for revenue-generating boards, take steps to be self-sustainable. Council also directed the City Manager to establish a policy framework for ensuring that City principles, policies and accountabilities are applied to each agency while respecting an appropriate degree of independence for each agency.

Public appointments

Council made changes to the City’s public appointments policy. The amendments include the addition of a clause stating that board members and staff of boards may encourage qualified candidates to apply but may not provide references for candidates, nor endorse or recommend through the recruitment process candidates for consideration by the Civic Appointments Committee. The current nomination-by-invitation method of recruitment is to be replaced by an open, advertised recruitment process.

Community consultation on recreation services

Council approved a strategy for conducting public and stakeholder consultations this spring

to help the City create a Recreation Service Plan. The strategy includes outreach to groups such as newcomers who may not have participated in previous consultation by the Parks, Forestry and Recreation division.

A strategic plan for Toronto’s seniors

Council directed staff to prepare a strategic plan for seniors, including broad consultation during preparation of the plan – which is to be comprehensive, adequately funded and financially feasible. Council specified that the strategic plan is to include measures to help seniors remain in their own homes longer. Toronto is anticipating a significant increase in seniors as a component of its overall population in the coming years.

David Pecaut Square

Council approved the renaming of Metro Square to David Pecaut Square to commemorate community leader David Pecaut, who devoted his life to civic entrepreneurship and volunteering. He died in 2009 at age 54. Metro Square was selected as the location for honouring David Pecaut because of its high-profile location in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district. Canada’s Walk of Fame is on the periphery of the square.

Strategy to manage ash tree infestations

Council authorized the City’s implementation of a plan to manage the Emerald Ash Borer insect in Toronto. The plan for this year includes monitoring infestations, applying pesticides, removing and replacing City-owned dead ash trees and planting new trees in areas heavily populated by ash species. The plan also includes efforts to inform the public and help residents identify the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer on private property.

Rail link connecting downtown with Pearson Airport    

Council directed staff to negotiate a construction protocol that will clarify how Metrolinx, the provincial transportation authority, intends to protect, relocate and reconstruct Toronto infrastructure and utilities while minimizing disruption to City services during construction of the Georgetown South Air-Rail Link project. That project is a rail line that will connect Union Station and Pearson International Airport.

Responsibility for G20 costs in Toronto

Council agreed to ask the Government of Canada to clarify the rules for compensation and to advocate for an appeal process that will help Toronto businesses obtain fair compensation for their revenue losses and property damages associated with the G20 Summit that the federal government hosted in downtown Toronto last June 26 and 27.

Volume 14   Issue 3

Council supported proceeding with initiatives that may lead to the contracting out of some of the garbage and recycling collection services now provided by City of Toronto employees. As a result, the City will invite bids on contracts for daytime residential curbside collection west of Yonge Street to the Etobicoke border, litter and recycling collection in City parks, and litter vacuuming services. Several related motions were adopted, such as one specifying that Council as a whole will oversee the bid process, one to ensure that the City’s waste diversion standards/targets are upheld, and a motion concerning City staff who may be affected by the contracted services.  

Council advisory committees     

Council voted to dissolve all but four of its advisory committees – those being the Aboriginal Affairs Committee; the Film, Television and Commercial Production Industry Committee (formerly the Toronto Film Board); the Disability Issues Committee; and the Community Partnership and Investment Program Appeals Committee. Several motions by members of Council regarding the establishment of new committees or the re-establishment of former committees were referred to the Mayor for further consideration and for a report back to Council in June. City Councils establish advisory bodies and working committees to support decision-making. They are dissolved at the end of each term, apart from those required by legislation.   

Support for Toronto’s cultural sector   

The recommendations presented in the “Creative Capital Gains: An Action Plan for Toronto” report received Council’s endorsement. The report – produced by a Creative Capital Initiative that involved input from Toronto’s cultural and business leaders, and extensive outreach – identifies areas for City investment and specifies actions to pursue. The next step is the preparation of an implementation plan supporting cultural activity as a catalyst for economic growth.

City-wide zoning bylaw  

Council repealed the city-wide zoning bylaw that was put in place last year to replace the numerous and complex zoning regulations the City inherited from the municipalities that amalgamated in 1997. Council wants the harmonized bylaw – a document of several thousand pages – revised to address some content that has prompted complaints and appeals.   

Street food pilot project  

Council decided to discontinue the Toronto A La Cart Street Food Pilot Project immediately, before what would have been the third season of the pilot project. Established A La Cart vendors have the option of continuing to operate at their current locations. A staff working group will be formed to review Toronto’s street food vending, with the objective of permitting licensed food vendors to offer a wider range of food items. Background on the project: http://www.toronto.ca/alacart

Bike lanes    

Council adopted a plan to begin creating a network of separated bike lanes and voted to remove the existing bike lanes that are painted on Jarvis Street, Pharmacy Avenue and Birchmount Road. The first project for bike lanes that are physically separated from vehicle lanes will take place on the Bloor viaduct, and design work will begin for separated lanes on Sherbourne, Wellesley, Harbord and Beverley Streets. The Jarvis Street bike lanes will remain in place for about a year until bike lanes are established on a resurfaced Sherbourne Street as an alternative north-south route for bicycle traffic in the east downtown area. Council also adopted changes affecting the planned installation of bike lanes on certain sections of Bloor Street West. 

Managing graffiti 

Council adopted a graffiti management plan that aims to eliminate graffiti vandalism while supporting graffiti art and other street art that adds vibrancy to Toronto’s streets. The plan includes efforts to work with stakeholders including youth, agencies and corporations such as Canada Post on ways to reduce graffiti vandalism. Council also requested a report on a strategy for removing, and recovering cleanup costs for, corporate graffiti/advertising marked on sidewalks.

Pedestrian tunnel to the island airport

Council authorized the City of Toronto to enter into an agreement with the Toronto Port Authority for the construction of a pedestrian tunnel between the Toronto mainland and the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. A watermain and sanitary sewer lines serving Toronto Islands residents and businesses are expected to be incorporated into the tunnel project at a much lower cost than installing the water and sewer lines on their own apart from the tunnel.

Management of Lakeshore Lions Arena 

Council decided to take over the operation of Lakeshore Lions Arena by setting up a new Lakeshore Arena Corporation to run the four-pad arena at 400 Kipling Ave. The Lakeshore Lions Club, which opened the arena in 2009 to replace a single-pad arena, faced difficulties paying off a loan that the City had guaranteed. Council’s plan calls for the arena’s financial affairs to be put in order, then the City will seek a private operator to take over.

City services benefit card     

Council gave its support in principle to a project to introduce a City services benefit card for public business transactions with the City. The first phase of the project will focus on the Employment and Social Services division’s issuance of Ontario Works payments to residents.

Taxi fare payment by debit/credit card                         

Council agreed to amend the code governing taxi cab owners and drivers by adding the requirement that cabs equipped for payment by debit or credit card must display a sign on the passenger doors informing riders of any service charge applied to payment by debit or credit card. 

Redevelopment of Lawrence Heights

Council adopted a plan for the redevelopment of the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood. The plan, which originally proposed 4,800 new market rent/condominium units, has been trimmed to 4,100 units in addition to about 1,200 replacement social-housing units. Council wants construction to proceed at a manageable pace, ensuring that financing is in place for the infrastructure needed to support the growing community.

Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Council expressed its support in principle for the recommendations contained in the Toronto Prosperity Initiative: Establishing the Path the Growth report. The report was produced by an advisory committee of City officials, business leaders and labour leaders, with additional recommendations from the Economic Development Committee. Council gave several directives for follow-up, including a report on the financial implications of implementation. Toronto Prosperity Initiative report: http://www.toronto.ca/business_publications/pdf/path_for_growth.pdf

Consultation for parks plan       

Council approved a consultation plan to help in the preparation of a five-year Parks Plan to guide decision-making about parkland in Toronto. The consultations this fall will seek public input with the intention of producing a final report early in the new year. 

Local food procurement  

Council adopted a policy supporting the purchase of locally-grown food. Under the policy, staff will try to increase the proportion of locally-grown food in purchases of food for City of Toronto operations when cost, quality and availability make it feasible. The City will take steps to support local economic activity in the food sector. 

Financing the TTC

Council adopted a member’s motion for the City to urge Ontario’s political parties to make public commitments to reinstate the “fair share” funding arrangement for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). From the 1970s until the late 1990s, Ontario funded 50 per cent of the TTC’s operating costs and 75 per cent of its capital expenditures – known as the “fair share” formula. At present, the TTC faces capital and operating budget shortfalls as well as unpredictable future funding.

Appointment of two senior managers

Council appointed Brenda Patterson and John Livey deputy city managers to fill vacancies in the Toronto Public Service’s senior management. Brenda Patterson is currently Toronto’s general manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation. John Livey will join the City of Toronto from the Town of Markham, where he is chief administrative officer. There are three deputy city manager positions in the Toronto Public Service. Each oversees a cluster of municipal services.