COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Access to previous editions of Council Highlights: www.toronto.ca/council_highlights
Formal documentation of Council’s decisions: http://www.toronto.ca/council
Questions about Council business: clerk@toronto.ca or phone 416-392-8016
Questions about the summarries should be directed to: stratcom@toronto.ca

 

Transit, Revenue Tools & Bridge-building
At the Special Council session on transit ion March, Councillor McMahon put forward a motion that passed in a 42-1 vote. It addressed our pressing need to examine what revenue tools could be used to finance continuous rapid transit expansion. Everyone agrees that transit expansion is critical for our city to get more people moving faster, quicker - the biggest challenge is paying for them.  To that end, Councillor McMahon felt it important to get a closer look at what revenue tools are available, with an eye to creating a sustainable funding strategy for the full range of transit modes - LRT, busses, subways and streetcars. Councillor McMahon is particularly keen on getting a funding strategy in place so we can examine the viability of the Downtown Relief Line that is urgently needed to address crowding and congestion in our ward.

"Remarkably, given the bitterness tainting so much of Toronto’s transit debate, the measure passed in a 42-1 vote (with two councillors absent and only Norm Kelly opposed)," wrote the Toronto Star. "Council’s right and left wings finally came together. Even Mayor Rob Ford and his brother Councillor Doug Ford were on board.

The report is to be prepared by staff and is due back to Council in the fall. The full Toronto Star article is here: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/1151310--toronto-is-studying-road-tolls-and-other-fees-to-pay-for-public-transit

 

April 10 and 11, 2012

Toronto's part-time recreation workers        
Council approved a memorandum of agreement between the City of Toronto and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 79 to establish a new, four-year collective agreement (January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015) for the recreation workers' part-time unit. Members of that unit voted in favour of ratifying the agreement April 3 after City representatives and the Local 79 bargaining committee discussed outstanding matters involving the unit and agreed on terms of the new memorandum. Information about other collective agreements: http://www.toronto.ca/bargaining.

Municipal sports fields     
Council decided to waive the fees earlier introduced for the use of municipal sports fields this year, and will discuss the subject of fees in general after receiving more input from local sports teams and leagues. Fees for sports fields may be introduced in 2013. Meanwhile, the City needs to address a shortfall of $1.5 million in Parks, Forestry and Recreation's 2012 operating budget resulting from the waiving of sports field fees that were built into the division's 2012 budget as an anticipated revenue.

Potential sites for new playing fields  
Council directed staff to identify properties under the control of the Toronto Water division that may be suitable for sports and recreational purposes. Many of Toronto Water's properties have green spaces that may have good potential for use as playing fields. Staff have been asked to report back by July.

Cleaning contracts and lower wage jobs    
Council discussed the matter of external contracts for cleaning City of Toronto facilities and adopted a motion requiring bids for any future cleaning contracts to be considered by the Government Management Committee for recommendation to Council. Previously, a staff committee handled those approvals. Council also made various referrals, directing specific committees and staff to address questions about lower wage jobs in Toronto. Staff and the Economic Development Committee, for example, have been asked to look into finding ways to bolster links between workforce development and local job opportunities.

Toronto's street furniture    
Council adopted a series of recommendations from the Auditor General designed to more effectively manage the City's contract with Astral Media for the installation and maintenance of street furniture across Toronto. The street furniture consists of benches, transit shelters, litter/recycling containers, tourist information pillars, public notice structures, bicycle parking stands, publication boxes and automated public washrooms.

Union-Pearson public transit     
Council agreed to ask the Premier of Ontario to direct Metrolinx to alter its current plans for the Union-Pearson Air Rail Link by adding at least nine stops to those already planned by Metrolinx. One of the stops requested, at Eglinton Avenue West, would integrate with the Eglinton LRT line. The other stops proposed by the City are Liberty Village, the Junction, Carleton Village, Jane Street, Etobicoke North, Woodbine, Humber and St. Clair Avenue West.

New waterfront islands under consideration  
Council authorized the Toronto Water division to undertake a study to assess the possible creation of islands in Humber Bay to improve water quality at Sunnyside Beach and help protect the shore from erosion. The islands would be the visible part of a landform extending from the mouth of the Humber River about a kilometre into Lake Ontario. The study, which may be undertaken jointly with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, will also look into possibly establishing a similar landform in Ashbridges Bay on the eastern side of Toronto. These waterfront projects would, coincidentally and beneficially, provide relatively nearby locations for dumping fill (gravel, clay, rocks) excavated from city construction sites.

Funding the fight against bed bugs    
Council agreed to urge the Ontario government to continue funding municipal programs to combat bed bug infestations. Current funding of $5 million a year for Toronto is at risk of being lost in the current provincial budget process. The City's bed bug team has used the funding to inspect thousands of residences, many of them in apartment buildings, to identify and fight bed bug infestations. There is a concern that progress will be undone and the bed bug problem will get worse if the supportive funding is discontinued.

Toronto to celebrate hockey history      
Council supported a motion calling on the City of Toronto to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the famous 1972 hockey series between Canada and the Soviet Union. Details for the celebration still need to be determined. Toronto hosted one of the eight games in the 1972 series and provided some of the players who contributed to the Canadian team's winning result.

March 5 & 6, 2012

Change to Toronto Transit Commission         
Council approved a new governance structure for the Toronto Transit Commission. A commission of seven Council members replaces the previous nine-member transit commission. Councillors Maria Augimeri, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Peter Milczyn, John Parker and Karen Stintz were chosen as the seven commissioners, with Councillor Stintz the TTC Chair. The composition of the transit commission will increase at the end of October with the addition of four citizen members, who will be appointed by Council at that time.

Sale of Toronto Community Housing properties          
Council approved the Toronto Community Housing Corporation's proposed sale of 56 of its vacant houses containing 64 housing units. The sale is part of TCHC's strategy to address state-of-good-repair needs in its portfolio. Proceeds from the sales will fund capital repairs to TCHC's stock of multi-residential buildings.

Permit fees for sports fields      
Council supported a motion calling for staff to report at Council's next meeting (April 10) on a way of offering relief to sports groups that are having financial difficulty paying the fees for sports field permits. The City will work with individual permit holders to set up flexible payment plans for this year's fees so they can continue their regular season play. Until this year, the fees were only charged to players 18 years and older. Sports field fees now also apply to players under 18.

Fund for community development projects     
Council authorized the creation of a Community Development Reserve Fund to receive cash contributions for joint ventures in support of community development projects. The first project is community development work in the Weston-Mount Dennis neighbourhood.  The City has received two contributions - up to $500,000 from Toronto Community Foundation for the Mount Dennis project, and $1.1 million from Metrolinx.  

Support for neighbourhoods    
Council adopted the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020, designed to guide the City's neighbourhood-focused work. The strategy is intended to ensure that every Toronto neighbourhood has the public, private and community infrastructure required for equitable resident opportunities. In addition, the strategy emphasizes that a neighbourhood perspective should routinely inform municipal, regional, provincial and national policies, programs and funding priorities.

Pedestrian crossovers     
Council agreed to make the stopping prohibitions uniform at all pedestrian crossovers (crosswalks) on Toronto streets. The prohibition makes it illegal to stop a vehicle within 15 metres of a crossover on the approach side even if there are no signs stating the prohibition. Vehicles parked near a pedestrian crossover can create a safety hazard by reducing the sight lines of drivers approaching the crossover and of pedestrians preparing to use it to cross the street.

Request for exemption from trade agreement   
Council decided to ask the Province of Ontario to exempt Toronto from a comprehensive economic and trade agreement that is now under negotiation by Canada and the European Union. Toronto joins many other municipalities in seeking the exemption. Council also voted to ask the Canadian government to protect Toronto from any restrictions the trade agreement might otherwise impose on the City's ability to create local jobs, protect the environment and provide programs/services as it sees fit.

Toronto workforce strategy   
Council endorsed Working as One: A Workforce Development Strategy for Toronto. The strategy sets out a framework for planning and managing employment services, and for delivering them to employers and unemployed or underemployed residents. Working as One provides a basis for integrating employment services in Toronto. The strategy is designed to work closely with the City of Toronto's economic development strategy to support people, connect businesses and strengthen communities across the city.

Protection of groundwater purity 
Council agreed to direct staff to review existing mechanisms for testing soil that is leaving Toronto-area development sites, and to make recommendations for greater consistency in soil-quality testing, especially at brownfield (formerly industrial) sites. Some soil from Toronto development sites is reportedly being dumped onto Oak Ridges Moraine land - which is a major source of Toronto's water - without being remediated to remove chemical contaminants.

Canadian National Exhibition        
Council approved terms and conditions for making the Canadian National Exhibition Association independent from the board of governors of the City's Exhibition Place. Council's action will permit the Exhibition Place board to execute a master agreement with the CNE to make the CNE fully independent in 2013. The annual CNE is the largest exhibition in Canada and one of Toronto’s premier summer events.

 

Special Council Session on Labour Agreement - Feb 15

 

The collective bargaining agreement reached between the City and Toronto Civic Employees’ Union Local 416 (CUPE), representing 6,000 outdoor workers and paramedics, has been ratified. Union members voted to ratify the agreement on Monday, February 13 and today, City Council approved the agreement at a special Council meeting.

 

Highlights of the agreement include:

·         Wage increases in the second, third and fourth year of the four-year deal:

o   January 2013 - 0.5 per cent base increase + 1.5 per cent lump sum payment

o   January 2014 - 1.75 per cent base increase

o   January 2015 – 2.25 per cent base increase

·         New or revised shift schedules that meet operational needs to improve productivity no longer require union approval

·         Running lunch continues only where it is operationally efficient

·         Employment security protection provisions regarding contracting out now applies to employees with 15 years of seniority or more

·         New streamlined redeployment processes which will reduce the time to place an employee in a new position by 75 per cent

·         Streamlined bumping process for layoff and recall

·         Minor changes to the employee benefit plan

·         Interest arbitration for paramedics starting with the next round of collective bargaining.

 

Details of the agreement are available at http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2012.CC18.1

 

Special Session on Transit - February 9, 2012

Councillor McMahon was one of the 24 signatories on Councillor Stintz's petition to have a special council session devoted to transit issues.  She is strongly in favour of revisiting the current transit plan that prioritizes subways. She would like to see our transit dollars spent in such a way that they benefit the greatest number of Torontonians and gets the city moving faster, sooner while relieving congestion in both the core and suburbs. Please follow events in the media and on our website for further updates.

Toronto City Council affirmed its support for a light rail transit (LRT) priority plan for Toronto, consistent with the Metrolinx plan of 2010. Immediate priorities are construction of the Finch West LRT from the Spadina Subway extension to Humber College; the Eglinton Crosstown LRT from Jane Street to Kennedy Station; and the Scarborough Rapid Transit conversion to LRT from Kennedy Station to Sheppard Avenue - with an extension to the Malvern Town Centre as funds become available. Council directed the City Manager to establish an expert advisory panel regarding transit on Sheppard Avenue. The panel will consider questions raised by Council and report back by March 21. In addition, Council authorized the Toronto Transit Commission to enter into discussions with Metrolinx to study the future feasibility of five other transit projects.

 

City Council meetings of February 6 and 7, 2012 

Toronto and the Ontario Municipal Board         
Council voted to request the provincial government to remove Toronto from the jurisdiction of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). The board, a quasi-judicial body, has the final say on appealed zoning decisions and sometimes rules in favour of developers - against decisions City Council has made in support of local neighbourhoods and with the advice of the City's professional planning staff.

Relieving rush-hour congestion        
Council authorized an increase in the applicable fine to $150 from the current $60 for vehicles violating stopping, standing or parking prohibitions during the rush-hour periods of 6 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday (except holidays). A fine for the same amount can be imposed for stopping a vehicle other than a bicycle in a Toronto bike lane at any time. The fines will need confirmation from the Ontario Court of Justice in order to take effect.

Traffic control at film shoots     
Council endorsed the use of traffic control persons (TCPs) instead of paid-duty police officers in certain circumstances as an authorized option for traffic control at film and television production locations. Decisions on traffic control are to be made by the Toronto Film and Television Office. Traffic control costs have an effect on overall production budgets. The use of TCPs, with on-street notice and traffic separation, is often the most cost-effective approach.

Streets and sidewalks     
Council voted to amend the section of the City of Toronto Municipal Code that covers the use of streets and sidewalks. The changes, which were made with the help of public input, apply city-wide and are intended to encourage compliance with municipal regulations and reduce the need for active enforcement.

Improving 311 Toronto service         
Council directed management of 311 Toronto to take steps to reduce call wait times and to pursue other ways of improving public service and efficiency. Among the steps to be considered is the possible introduction of telephone self-serve technology in the 311 operation where appropriate. The City launched 311 Toronto in 2009 to provide the public with one easy-to-remember phone number to obtain non-emergency City services and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to answering general inquiries by phone and email, 311 Toronto electronically creates service requests for some of the City's divisions.

Allocation of funding for affordable housing     
Council approved $103 million in allocations under the federal/provincial Investment in Affordable Housing program in Toronto and authorized staff to submit a plan to the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for consideration. The program allocates federal and provincial funds for housing allowances, new construction, home renovations and affordable home ownership. Council voted to inform the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing that the City will not fund any affordable housing programs under this program after the expected expiry of federal-provincial funding  - in 2017 for housing allowances and 2015 for other components.

Information pillars on sidewalks    
Council directed that until new guidelines are in place, no further information pillars ("Info Pillars") are to be installed on sidewalks without the approval of the specific location by the General Manager of Transportation Services in consultation with the local councillor. The installation of 120 pillars is underway and questions have been raised about their positioning.

Large watermains     
Council approved the use of alternative pipe materials for large watermains, such as pre-stressed concrete, steel and polyethylene in addition to the mortar-lined steel pipes that have been the standard in Toronto since the 1950s. Various types of large-diameter pipes have been found to meet performance specifications. Council directed staff to establish a design standard for situations/locations where additional protection is needed to ensure pipes cannot be damaged.

 

Letter from Councillor McMahon, January 19 2012

Fabulous News about the 2012 Budget, Ward 32 Neighbours!

It was a whirlwind at council but the 2012 budget finally passed! I am proud to say that we're on our way to fiscal responsibility while saving the programs and services that matter most to Torontonians.  The vote was very close, 23-21, but in the end, we put back 0.2 per cent of the operating budget and ensured that you got the city you've been asking for in thousands of emails, phone calls, letters and meetings.

This is a budget that is the result of you raising your voice when it mattered most. Ward 32 residents were unstoppable - cranking out the creative ideas, passion and support around the clock. We even had one resident, a strong swimming advocate, sit through hours of Executive Committee in a wet suit!

The motion that carried the day, moved by Councillor Josh Colle, took weeks for us to put together. My colleagues in the 'mighty middle' were running from meeting to meeting, madly crunching numbers, drafting motions, asking questions of city staff. It was organized chaos, with staff working long hours and constituents providing a steady stream of ideas and inspiration. In the end, a coalition that spanned the political spectrum agreed to protect childcare, transit, pools and ice rinks, environmental programs and shelters.

·         $5 million to the TTC to help prevent service cuts

·         $3.9 million to prevent proposed cuts to libraries

·         $2.8 million to restore funding to the Community Partnerships Investment Program  which support seniors, newcomers and youth

·         $1.97 million to restore funding for three shelters

·         $1.68 million for the school-based childcare rent subsidy

·         $1.3 million to restore youth programs at Priority Centres

·         $680,000 for pools

·         $670,000 to restore child care centre programming

·         $323,000 for climate change and sustainability programs

·         $325,000 for Live Green animators

·         $260,000 for ice rink programming

This team effort of working across political stripes will hopefully carry over into other City Council affairs. Municipal politics seem to work best when we focus tightly on figuring out what is best for the city, suggesting constructive alternatives, thinking of revenue generation as well as prudent approaches to operations.  We have some major challenges ahead to keep our great city running, but at least for today, we have show that we can work together and build a better city.

Go Ward 32 Go!  -  Mary-Margaret

 

Councillor McMahon and Councillor Colle

 

Council Highlights of November 29 and 30  

Council Highlights summarizes a selection of decisions made by Toronto City Council.
The City Clerk's Office provides the authoritative documentation of all Council business matters and decisions at http://www.toronto.ca/council.
       
2012 Solid Waste and Water budgets      
Council approved the 2012 operating and capital budgets for Solid Waste Management Services, covering the delivery of waste collection and disposal, and for Toronto Water, covering water and wastewater treatment and delivery. The budgets provide for continued investment in infrastructure renewal and solid waste management diversion while supporting fiscal responsibility and customer service. These budgets are funded by rates that correspond with usage. The 2012 Solid Waste budget consists of an operating budget of $345.8 million and a capital budget of $103 million. The 2012 Toronto Water Budget includes an operating budget of $381 million and a capital budget of $607 million.

Sponsorships and naming rights   
Council approved policies for the sponsorship of City of Toronto programs and events, and for naming rights involving City-owned properties. The intention of the policies is to enhance revenue the City receives from sponsorships and naming rights, and to establish a fair, transparent and consistent review process for proposals. Council also adopted an honourific and street naming policy. Proposals for naming rights are subject to Council's approval. Certain properties and assets such as City Hall and community council locations are not available for naming rights.

Toronto's child-care system  
Council discussed the impact of Ontario's full-day early learning kindergarten program on Toronto's child care system when fully implemented in 2014, and decided to communicate to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Education about the urgent need for a child-care stabilization and transition plan that ensures the availability of a sustainable child-care system. Analysis by the City's Children's Services shows that without the necessary provincial resources, the supply of licensed child-care spaces in Toronto will decrease.

Traffic control at construction sites  
Council approved a new memorandum of understanding with guidelines for traffic control at City of Toronto construction sites and street events, replacing the previous memorandum. The new memorandum eliminates the earlier requirement for hiring paid duty police officers, though police may still be hired in certain circumstances. It is estimated that removing paid duty officer requirements for traffic control could save the City about $1.3 million in 2012.

Sale of City assets     
Council voted in favour of directing the board of Enwave Energy Corporation to take steps to solicit proposals for the sale of Enwave through a competitive auction on behalf of the City and the other owner, BPC Penco. The City owns a considerable number of marketable assets, including real estate and government business enterprises. Sale/monetization of assets has the potential to offset some of the spending and debt pressures in the City's capital budget.

Side guards on trucks       
Council requested the preparation of a report on the feasibility of the City of Toronto installing safety side guards on the City of Toronto's fleet of large trucks to help protect cyclists and pedestrians. The report will also address whether or not it is feasible to establish a policy that favours the City doing business with companies whose large trucks are equipped with side guards.

Voluntary financial contributions   
Council supported establishing a voluntary contribution option to be offered on property tax bills. Toronto residents will be able to make donations to a specific City of Toronto service or direct a donation to general revenues. The voluntary contribution option on property tax bills will augment donation opportunities already available to residents. Last year, the City received 10,400 donations with a total value of $1.2 million benefitting about 40 programs.

Motorcycle parking     
Council directed staff to prepare a report on options for the implementation and enforcement of parking charges and fees for motorcycles and motor scooters - which currently have free municipal parking. The report will include the financial impact of the changes that are recommended.

Backyard hens  
A councillor's motion on the viability of allowing Toronto residents to keep a limited number of hens in their backyards to produce eggs for personal consumption was not discussed by Council. Instead, the motion was referred to the Licensing and Standards Committee for its consideration. 

Vapour lounges   
Council directed staff to review the legality of Toronto businesses operating as "vapour lounges" that permit clients to use water pipes and vapourizers to smoke/inhale substances such as marijuana and herbal mixtures.

Outdoor ovens in parks   
Council approved a policy that will guide the City's handling of requests to install or use outdoor ovens in City of Toronto parks. The policy, which includes safety requirements, was developed by the Parks, Forestry and Recreation division in consultation with community operators of bake and tandoor ovens that are already established in several parks.

Council Highlights of October 17 & 18

This is a summary of decisions made by Toronto City Council compiled by the City Clerk's Office. A full, authoritative documentation of all Council business matters and decisions is available at http://www.toronto.ca/council.

Daytime curbside collection west of Yonge Street               
Council approved the selection of GFL Environmental East Corporation - which responded to the City's Request For Quotations with the lowest bid - to handle daytime curbside waste collection for the 165,000 households in District 2 west of Yonge Street. The contract covers seven years starting August 7, 2012, with the potential of two one-year extensions. The $186-million contract is expected to save the City $11.9 million in the first year and then $11.1 million annually. Council approved several related motions, such as directing staff to report back on a monitoring plan with performance targets, and to track and report on customer satisfaction with collection services.

Ban on shark-fin products in Toronto           
Council voted in favour of a new City of Toronto bylaw that will make the possession, sale and consumption of shark fin and shark fin food products illegal in Toronto effective September 2012. A ban on bringing new supplies of shark fin and shark fin food products into Toronto takes effect immediately, but existing supplies may be used until September 1, 2012. Staff will encourage voluntary compliance with Toronto's bylaw by working with restaurant and food services associations, local Business Improvement Areas and business owners.

Keeping traffic moving on arterial roads                  
Council directed staff to report to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on ways to alleviate traffic congestion on arterial roads during rush-hour periods that is caused by drivers stopping/parking on the roads and in bicycle lanes. One approach to be considered is the deterrent of increasing fines for blocking traffic. In addition, Council asked the City Manager to work with the Toronto Police Service to increase enforcement of existing bylaws that prohibit blocking traffic on arterial roads, including bike lanes.

Use of expressways for events                  
Council endorsed a guideline designed to minimize and manage the closure of sections of the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway for privately sponsored events. In a related decision, Council approved a request to use the eastbound lanes of the Gardiner Expressway and the northbound lanes of the Don Valley Parkway on a Sunday morning next July for the bicycle leg of an international Ironman triathlon competition.

Licensing household movers               
Council directed the City Manager to ask the Province of Ontario to give Toronto the authority to license and regulate household movers. Recent police investigations have found that some companies and individuals claiming to be household movers have been using unfair and fraudulent business practices in Toronto. The licensing of moving companies in Toronto will help to protect consumers by setting out standards of practice and a framework for dealing with complaints.
 
Downspout disconnection and drain grants      
Council approved the elimination of the Voluntary Downspout Disconnection Program and the Drain Grant Program effective January 1, 2012. Moratoriums were placed on the two programs earlier this year. Work performed on drains after February 28, 2011 is not eligible for consideration under the Drain Grant Program.

Council's 2012 meeting schedule      
Council adopted a schedule for next year's City Council and standing committee meetings. The schedule includes a special meeting of Council on January 17, 18 and 19 devoted to the 2012 capital and operating budgets.