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Highlights of the Toronto City Council
meeting of July 19-21 and 26, 2005 |
This is not intended to serve as an official record of the meeting.
 NEW
MAPS IN OFFICIAL PLAN
Council approved newly revised land use planning
maps for the Official Plan. The previous maps were
"blob" maps which made it very difficult to determine
the borders between lands with differing land use
designations. For example, the boundary between the
"Mixed Use" properties fronting on Yonge Street and the
"Neighbourhoods" properties on adjacent residential
streets was indeterminate and subject to interpretation
by planning staff - this could have resulted in creeping
infiltration by high-rise and medium-rise uses into our
stable residential neighbourhoods. The new maps, which
must still be approved by the Ontario Municipal Board,
contain all residential streets and a bar scale to
eliminate or minimize the previous problems.
LABOUR
SETTLEMENT WITH LOCAL 416
Council approved a four-year collective agreement with the Canadian Union of
Public Employees Local 416, averting a possible strike including garbage
collection. Terms of the contract, which covers about 6,000 outside workers
including paramedics, garbage collectors, parks workers and transportation
employees, provides pay increases of 2.75% effective January 1, 2005; 3%
effective January 1,2006; 3.25% effective January 1, 2007; and 3.25% effective
April 1, 2008. The agreement contains two significant provisions - the first
committing the union to work with the City to identify and implement
productivity improvements and the second allowing for possible "in-sourcing" of
work when outside contracts expire. The latter sparked a vigorous debate at
Council.
RECYCLING IN
APARTMENT AND CONDOMINIUM BUILDINGS
Multi-unit residential
buildings in Toronto will be required to establish
effective recycling programs for their waste or they
will soon face a financial levy for excess garbage.
Council approved the strategy, which is based on the
proven effectiveness of financial incentives to increase
waste diversion. The City, which intends to begin
applying the levy in 2006, will help building owners or
managers set up the required recycling programs in their
apartment, condominium and co-op buildings.
3-1-1 CALL CENTRE
The operations centre for the City’s new 3-1-1 service will be located in the
council chamber at Metro Hall. Council approved plans to retrofit the council
chamber as a telephone call centre, scheduled to be operational by 2007. The
3-1-1 strategy is designed to improve public access to City services and improve
the overall service experience on the telephone and the Web.
REPORT ON
DEVELOPMENT CHARGES
In response to my earlier motion, the City's Chief
Financial Officer reported on the amount of Development
Charges which the City has foregone annually. While we
collect less than $50 million per year, we forego
approximately $20 million per year by failing to levy
the maximum charges permissible under the Planning Act.
Our CFO also estimated that, if the provincial
government were willing to change the Act to allow for
other common infrastructure to be funded, then we might
achieve a further $20 million annually. In my view, much
more is needed to keep up with our growing need for new
infrastructure.
ACCESS
TO PROPERTY
Council referred a proposed by-law, on Access to Property, to Community
Council for public consultation. The by-law would permit a property owner access
to his/her neighbour's property, upon reasonable notice, in order to carry out
repairs to his/her own property. A similar by-law applied to all of the former
municipalities, except North York. I welcome your views on this proposal and
invite you to attend North York Community Council on September 19 if you wish to
depute.
ACTION IN
SUPPORT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Council agreed to establish a new committee to speed up the approvals process
for affordable housing projects in Toronto. The committee, which will consist of
seven members of City Council, will streamline the review and approvals process
for new affordable housing developments. Planning issues will still be
considered by the relevant community council as well as by the Planning and
Transportation Committee. The City will staff a new Affordable Housing Office
responsible for research, advocacy and co-ordination.
HOLISTIC
HEALTH AND BODY RUBS
In an effort to crack down on facilities which
masquerade as licensed holistic health centres while
actually providing illegal sexual services, Council
passed several bylaw amendments. These require holistic
clinics to be members of a health association that
enforces professional standards and ethics.
STRATEGY FOR
SPECIAL EVENTS
Council adopted a strategy for the City to support and sustain the festivals
and event industry, primarily through the work of the City’s Toronto Special
Events unit. The City will also help to establish a network of special event
organizers and streamline the City’s process for issuing permits to event
organizers.
FREE PARKING
FOR WAR VETERANS
Council unanimously approved a motion that will
offer free municipal parking in Toronto for the rest of
this year to war veterans who drive a vehicle with a
veterans’ licence plate. The gesture coincides with the
federal Year of the Veteran, commemorating the 60th
anniversary of the end of the Second World War - Victory
in Europe (VE) Day - on May 8, 1945. The parking
arrangement covers on-street parking meters and
City-operated parking lots.
STREET FURNITURE PROGRAM
Council supported the establishment of a co-ordinated street furniture
program to help support the Clean and Beautiful City initiative. Street
furniture includes items such as roadside benches, newspaper vending boxes,
litter/recycling bins and transit shelters. The goal is a range of street
furniture designed appropriately for different locations in the city.
EXPANSION OF DEFIBRILLATION PROGRAM
Council approved measures intended to expand the City’s Public Access
Defibrillation program for the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest at City
workplaces and public facilities. All City divisions will be encouraged to
include funding for defibrillators and related employee training in their
proposed 2006 operating budgets. Toronto EMS will assist with phasing in public
access defibrillation across City divisions as part of the Cardiac Safe City
program.
IDENTIFICATION OF ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES
Council approved criteria and procedures to screen properties for
archeological resources before new development proceeds on the properties. The
screening mechanism is an interim measure to prevent the possible loss of
archeological sites between now and 2007, when Toronto’s archeological master
plan is expected to be completed. About 75 per cent of the city’s area has
potential for archeological sites, some of them dating back more than 10,000
years.
ASSISTING HOMEOWNERS WITH TERMITE PROBLEMS
The City plans to establish a program to educate people about termite
infestation and treatment for eradication. Council approved the proposal,
subject to the provision of funding in the City’s 2006 operating budget. Earlier
municipal programs assisting Toronto homeowners with termite infestations ended
a few years ago.
NON-COUNCIL ISSUES
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The Ontario Municipal Board
(OMB) recently released a decision which puts at
risk Council's neighbourhood protection amendments
to the Official Plan. These amendments (some being
election promises of Mayor Miller and myself) were
passed by Council at various times in 2004.
Appellants, representing several development
companies, did not object to them prior to an
OMB-imposed deadline. When they subsequently did
object, the OMB permitted the objection to stand and
will hear arguments on the merits of the amendments
in the fall. This is a travesty, in my view, and
increases the need for the provincial government to
meaningfully reform the OMB.
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OMB Reform: a group of eight
Councillors (Walker, Filion, Pitfield, Stintz,
Grimes, Saundercook, Cowbourne and myself) is
engaging in meetings with MPP Kathleen Wynne and her
colleagues in the Toronto provincial Liberal caucus
to advocate strongly for reform of the Ontario
Municipal Board. This body of appointed members
continues to overturn decisions and frustrate the
will of an elected City Council. We have received
assurances from the provincial government that
substantial reform is planned - but we have received
no assurances with respect to timing or substance of
the reform.
Cliff Jenkins
Councillor, Ward 25
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