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Council Highlights
Archive
January 2006 |
Councillor Pay Increase
Rolled Back
Council adopted my
motion to rescind the pay increase for Councillors that
previously had been surreptitiously added to a routine
item on pay increases for non-union staff. With the
help of media scrutiny, many Councillors finally came to
the conclusion that voting themselves a retroactive pay
increase without any public notice or consultation and
without any supportive report from independent
authorities simply does not meet a standard of ethical
behaviour that the citizens of Toronto expect from their
representatives.
1000
Mt. Pleasant Road – Redevelopment Application Refused
Council refused the
application by an apartment developer to build a
15-storey building at the southeast corner of Mt.
Pleasant and Keewatin.
Implementing
Union Station master plan
Council approved a
strategy to implement initiatives of the Union Station
Master Plan that was adopted in December 2004. The
strategy sets out actions in support of the plan’s three
core initiatives -- to maintain Union Station as a
transportation hub, restore the building’s heritage
features, and revitalize the station to ensure its
financial stability. Negotiations continue on details to
formally close the 99-year transaction by the City’s
deadline of May 31, 2006.
Design
competition for Nathan Phillips Square
Council adopted plans
for a design competition to update Nathan Phillips
Square, City Hall’s public square. Terms of reference
for a public advisory group were adopted, and Council
supported a recommendation by the Roundtable on a
Beautiful City calling for the re-opening of City Hall’s
rooftop observatory overlooking Nathan Phillips Square
as a component of this civic project.
Advancing
waterfront renewal
Council approved a
memorandum of understanding with the Toronto Economic
Development Corporation (TEDCO) and the Toronto
Waterfront Revitalization Corporation that sets out the
three parties’ roles and responsibilities in
revitalizing East Bayfront and the Port Lands. The
memorandum is the final piece in a comprehensive
implementation framework for creating a dynamic,
accessible waterfront.
Support
for green roofs
City Council approved a
Green Roofs strategy promoting the use of city rooftops
to grow gardens and other vegetation. The strategy
includes a commitment to install green roofs on new and
existing buildings owned by the City wherever practical.
Council also endorsed initiatives to provide financial
incentives for the creation of green roofs. Research
has shown that green roofs provide numerous benefits for
the urban environment -- such as moderating summer heat.
More information is available at
www.toronto.ca/greenroofs.
Push
for new rental housing
Council adopted
recommendations calling for the approval of 1,000 new,
affordable rental homes in Toronto this year. The
action plan that Council adopted aims at situating
affordable housing in all parts of the city. Funding
available to support developers that undertake the
construction projects includes $56 million from the
federal-provincial Affordable Housing Program, $7
million from the federal Supporting Communities
Partnership Initiative and $8.9 million from the City.
The plan provides for the potential use of City-owned
sites for 200 of the housing units.
Recreation
facilities and nut allergies
Council agreed to
encourage food vendors at City recreation facilities to
voluntarily stop selling unpackaged nuts and to limit
the availability of chocolate bars containing nut
products. The City’s action responds to the problem of
nut/peanut allergies. Exposure to nuts can be
life-threatening for some children.
Strategy
for special events
Council adopted plans
for the implementation of an Event Enhancement Strategy.
The strategy, prepared by the Toronto Special Events
unit, includes creating an online resource to support
the organizers of special events, and establishing a
formal network of festival/event organizers. City staff
will review all City service fees related to festivals
and other special events, addressing concerns raised by
event organizers in the community. All divisions are
being asked to assist in the review by keeping clear
records of all event-related requests they receive, as
well as any fees collected and costs expended in the
first nine months of this year.
RV
campgrounds in Toronto
Council supported a
proposal to have staff research opportunities to attract
recreational vehicle tourism to Toronto. Staff will
identify potential locations for recreational vehicle
campgrounds near Toronto’s downtown core that offer good
access to public transit and other amenities for
visitors. The City already operates one campground that
can accommodate recreational vehicle travelers. The
Glen Rouge Campground in Rouge Park has 124 sites to
support every form of camping.
Councillor
appointments
Council appointed two
councillors to fill vacant seats on City Council.
Martin Silva was appointed to Ward 20 (Trinity-Spadina)
and Paul Ainslie was appointed to Ward 41
(Scarborough-Rouge River). The two seats became vacant
late last year when Olivia Chow and Bas Balkissoon
resigned from City Council to seek election at the
federal and provincial levels of government. The
appointments were decided in a process designed to fill
the two vacancies until the current term of Council
expires on November 30, 2006.
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