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Highlights of the Toronto City Council
meeting of February 1- 3, 2005 |
This is not intended to serve as an official record of the meeting.
The Council meeting of February 1-3 was dominated by
the debates on the strategy to assist homeless people,
on ending Toronto's membership in the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario and on a major development
application near Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke (which was
refused). The following are highlights of what was
accomplished. Plus, I include a request for your
feedback on an upcoming issue at the end.
 STRATEGY
TO ASSIST HOMELESS PEOPLE
Council approved a strategy to provide street
outreach services that will help homeless people find
and keep permanent housing. Council agreed to hire more
outreach workers and to create 1,000 new units of
affordable housing annually. The strategy also
establishes a protocol for Nathan Phillips Square. Once
outreach work has run its full course, and only when
viable housing, shelter and support options are
available, the City has the right to ask people to no
longer sleep on the square. Toronto is also asking the
provincial and federal governments to live up to their
responsibilities in addressing Toronto's housing crisis.
ACTION PLAN
FOR SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
Council supported a proposal for staff to prepare a comprehensive plan to
improve support for the large number of Toronto residents living in poverty. A
variety of circumstances and trends has resulted in low-income people having
fewer options and supports. Among the City's goals is to assist vulnerable
Toronto residents, notably single parents, to obtain jobs that will move them
out of poverty.
CITY'S
CONTRIBUTION TO TSUNAMI RELIEF
Council agreed to offer City
resources, including staff expertise and financial
assistance, to help tsunami-ravaged communities rebuild.
More than 400 members of the Toronto Public Service with
relevant skills have formally expressed interest in
going overseas to help. The City is ready to respond
when the United Nations and international agencies
advise on how cities such as Toronto can best assist
with medium and long-term rebuilding efforts. Council
also wants the City to consider twinning with a city or
town directly affected by the tsunami. Earlier this
year, shortly after the tsunami that killed more than
160,000 people in countries bordering the Indian Ocean,
the City of Toronto helped to collect financial
donations for humanitarian aid and sent water treatment
supplies to the region. Councillor Walker's motion to
send immediate financial relief, which I supported, was
not passed.
TORONTO AND AMO
The City of Toronto will continue to pursue direct government-to-government
relationships with Queen's Park and with Ottawa. Council decided to not to renew
the City's membership in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) for
2005.
SUPPORT FOR
AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Council endorsed a financial incentive package to encourage Bombardier to use
its de Havilland site in Downsview (north Toronto) for the assembly of its new
C-Series jets. Bringing the jet-assembly program to Toronto would create about
2,500 new jobs a year in addition to 7,500 jobs at the supplier level across the
Greater Toronto Area. The incentives will not affect the City's current tax
revenue or have negative budget implications for 2005.
REDEVELOPMENT
OF REGENT PARK
Council adopted planning approvals for the redevelopment of the Regent Park
housing project in east downtown Toronto. Regent Park, built for low-income
residents in the 1950s and 1960s, consists of more than 2,000
rent-geared-to-income apartments in blocks of buildings and has no public
streets. The ambitious plan will replace the current buildings and create a
mixed-income community in housing built on a traditional street grid.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
SERVING YORK UNIVERSITY
Council approved recommendations for the construction of bus rapid transit
from the Downsview Subway Station to York University as an interim improvement
in advance of a subway extension in that area. The plan calls for express buses
to operate in bus-only lanes on Allen Road and Dufferin Street, on a new
bus-only roadway in the hydro corridor north of Finch Avenue, and on a new
bus-only roadway on the York University lands west of Keele Street. The bus-only
lanes/roads will provide faster and more reliable bus service than at present.
Council reaffirmed that the extension of the Spadina-University subway north to
Steeles Avenue is the City's top priority for subway expansion.
CULTURAL
ATTRACTION ON THE WATERFRONT
Council decided the City will go ahead with planning
for a "Humanitas" cultural attraction on the waterfront
that provides a forum for dialogue and story telling
about the past, present and future of Toronto -- as well
as about the urban experience in general. The decision
follows a feasibility study that found there is strong
public support for such an attraction on the Toronto
waterfront. Next steps will include looking into
opportunities for fundraising and obtaining more public
input. Council also wants to assess whether Humanitas is
the best name for the attraction.
CONTROLLED
BURNS IN PARKS
Council approved plans for prescribed burns in three parks this spring. Staff
of Parks-Forestry and Toronto Fire Services will conduct burns in High Park,
South Humber Park and Lambton Park in order to stimulate the growth of black oak
savannah and woodland vegetation that have been in decline. Controlled burns
mimic the naturally occurring fires that over the centuries enabled the
prairie-like vegetation to survive and prosper in competition with invasive
plant species. Previous controlled burns in the three parks in recent years have
proven highly successful in stimulating desired growth.
BUDGET 2005
The City of Toronto budget was not considered at
this meeting, but will be at our meeting at the end of
February. It is currently being proposed that the City
partially meet its requirements for budgetary funds with
a 3% tax increase on residential properties and a 1.5%
tax increase on commercial properties. This compares
with a "cost of living" increase of 1.7% which is
generally accepted by the City. I am interested in your
feedback. Would you endorse the proposed tax increases
or would you recommend other rates?
Cliff Jenkins
Councillor, Ward 25
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