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Council Highlights
Archive
June 2007 |
 As
a service to Ward 25 residents, I provide highlights of
the City Council meeting of June 19, 20 and 22, 2007
New Garbage System
In a controversial and hotly debated item, Council
endorsed a costly and user-unfriendly new garbage
collection system.
Key features of the plan include new garbage and
recycling carts, improved and additional collection for
multi-unit buildings and townhouses, and expanding the
Blue Box Program to accept new materials. Residents
will choose a new garbage cart from four size options –
paying a charge on a new combined Toronto Water/Solid
Waste bill. Residents who choose the smallest cart
holding about one garbage bag over two weeks will get a
credit that exactly offsets that charge. Choosing one
of the larger options will result in a net additional
charge.
I voted AGAINST this item.
In addition to the higher charges that will likely hit
individual families hardest, the overall business case
does not stand up. A cost/benefit analysis shows that
Toronto residents will pay an additional $54 million per
year in order to achieve the Mayor’s 70% diversion
target – which in turn will extend the life of the newly
acquired Green Lane Landfill site an additional ten
years beyond its current 20-year expected life. Since
the 20-year landfill capacity cost $220 million, the
extension of ten years represents a benefit of $110
million. So over 30 years, Toronto residents will pay
30 x $54 million = $1.6 billion - in order to save $110
million. No business would do that – even if motivated
by greenhouse gas (GHG) savings which will see our
annual production of GHGs drop from 24 million to 23.76
million tonnes, a minuscule savings which might
ultimately be unmeasurable in the rounding error.
In my view, instead of foisting this financial and
logistical nightmare on residents, the City should be
seriously looking at a “Clean Energy from Waste”
solution like Steam Reformation. Proven in Europe and
about to undergo a pilot in Sault Ste Marie, Steam
Reforming technology is NOT incineration, but does
produce clean energy and would help to easily exceed the
70% diversion target. Lastly, it essentially eliminates
the production of methane, one of the worst GHGs and one
which is mostly vented into the atmosphere at landfill
sites.
New water rate structure
Council approved in principle to use water pricing as an
economic development tool to help retain, attract and
support the growth of existing businesses that use water
for processing purposes. Toronto’s residential water
rates are generally lower, in comparison to neighbouring
municipalities and other major cities; however, the same
is not true for large-volume users. The current
seven-block volume-based rate structure results in
similar consumers paying different rates. The new water
rate structure provides a single rate for all users,
with a second available block for
industrial/manufacturing industries that consume water
at volumes above 6,000 m³ annually. To be eligible for
the lower process-use rate, industries must submit
detailed water efficiency plans and be in compliance
with the City’s sewer use bylaw. The new rate structure
will be phased in beginning January 1, 2008.
Nathan Phillips Square redesign
Council endorsed the Nathan Phillips Square (NPS) Design
Competition Jury's decision to select the design
proposal from Plant Architect Inc. and Shore Tilbe Irwin
& Partners for
the revitalization of the Square. In addition
to relocating the Peace Garden, sundial, eternal flame
and sacred water, Council approved a motion to also move
the Peace Garden's pavilion to the new location.
Representatives of the interfaith and peace communities
will be consulted as the relocation and design for the
Peace Garden is further developed. Council reaffirmed
its commitment to preserve and enhance the unique
heritage qualities of NPS and also approved a motion
prohibiting naming any section of it after a corporate
donor. Funding for the project was approved in the last
term of Council and includes $24 million to be raised
from the private sector and other orders of government.
Heritage designation to protect Sam the Record Man sign
Council directed staff to protect the Sam the Record Man
sign in recognition of its cultural heritage value. The
downtown Yonge St. landmark was protected from the
threat posed by the closure of the store and the
subsequent auction that could have seen the signs
removed and relocated. The iconic neon spinning discs,
SAM lettering and light box on 347 and 349 Yonge St.
are protected by the designation.
Breastfeeding in public places
Council approved a new policy
that encourages mothers to breastfeed anytime and
anywhere in public places operated by the City of
Toronto, including all Agencies, Boards and Commissions.
Breastfeeding
is the best way to provide food and immunologic
protection for the health, growth and development of
infants and children, and is supported by the World
Health Organization and Health Canada. There is wide
variation in public attitudes related to breastfeeding
in public. This City’s breastfeeding in public policy
is consistent with current policies adopted by the
Ontario Human Rights Commission and supports
breastfeeding mothers who decide to breastfeed in public
places operated by the Toronto Government.
2008 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
annual meeting and conference
Council approved a motion to host the 2008 Great Lakes
and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative annual meeting and
conference. The Cities Initiative was founded in 2003
to give cities a voice in decisions about the Great
Lakes and St. Lawrence River,
and
provide a forum to work together and with other
governments and organizations to restore and protect the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The
event is an opportunity to showcase Toronto’s
innovations and progress in water efficiency, beach
management, storm water management and waterfront
development. It is also an opportunity for the City to
demonstrate leadership on water and environmental
issues. At
present 42 cities, 24 in Canada and 38 in the United
States are members.
Residential fire sprinklers in new housing projects
Council approved a motion supporting that residential
fire sprinklers be installed in all new residential
housing projects, or projects with major renovations,
that are funded through the City’s Affordable Housing
Program or its Agencies, Boards and Commissions. Council
also requested the provincial government to require fire
sprinkler systems to be incorporated into the
construction of all new residential buildings.
Expansion of Winterlicious and
Summerlicious
Council directed staff to amend the current
Winterlicious and Summerlicious program criteria to
include fine dining chains if the restaurants meet the
program criteria. Council also approved a motion to
expand the existing programs to include additional
city-wide culinary programs that will encourage
participation of more dining establishments. Developed
in 2003, the Winterlicious and Summerlicious culinary
programs focus on showcasing Toronto’s diverse and
unique fine dining experiences.
Non-Council and Upcoming Items:
1. Council approved my motion to request the Ontario
Municipal Board (OMB) to alter its Decision on the
development application at 2425-2427 Bayview Avenue,
in order to maintain the
neighbourhood protection provisions of the City’s new
Official Plan (OP). The OMB recently issued a Decision
approving a highly controversial application to build 20
three-storey townhouses at that location in the middle
of a neighbourhood of single detached homes, over the
objections of City Council, City Planners and the local
community. Not only a sharp blow to nearby residents,
the Decision has major implications for neighbourhoods
throughout our community and the City of
Toronto
as a whole.
In addition to overturning Council’s refusal of the
application, the Board specifically ruled that it met
the provisions of the new OP. In particular,
Neighbourhood Protection Policies in the new Official
Plan require development in established Neighbourhoods
to “respect and reinforce the existing physical
character of the neighbourhood” and expressly prohibit
change “through re-zoning, minor variance, consent or
other public action that are out of keeping with the
physical character of the neighbourhood.” In the
Bayview situation, the townhouses represent a
significant change to the predominately single-family
detached home neighbourhood.
This Board Decision would now effectively emasculate
these policies and make them ineffective going forward.
If left uncorrected, no community anywhere in the City
would be protected from significant change in character
from a similar application. I encourage you to review
the OMB Decision which is available via my website
www.cliffjenkins.com. For those who treasure the
stability of our residential communities, it is very
disturbing reading.
The Decision also calls into question, once again, the
role of the provincial government’s Ontario Municipal
Board. This is another in a long line of decisions
which have favoured development interests at the expense
of those who have invested in the quiet enjoyment of
their stable residential properties. In my view,
residential communities across the City will continue to
suffer the negative impacts associated with these types
of decisions until the Provincial Government undertakes
real reforms aimed at truly strengthening decision
making powers at the local level and substantially
reduces the OMB’s scope of influence in municipal
planning matters. With that in mind, I encourage
residents to communicate their views on the subject to
those who may be able make effective change for us in
the next provincial government: MPP Kathleen Wynne (kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org),
PC Leader John Tory (john.tory@ontariopc.com),
and/or the Don Valley West NDP (dvwndp@gmail.com).
2. “New Revenue Tools”: The Mayor’s Executive
Committee is unanimously recommending to Council that it
adopt a staff report implementing a Land Transfer Tax
and a Vehicle Ownership Tax, as well as continuing to
study an Alcoholic Beverages Tax. The provincial
government, having downloaded provincially-mandated
social programs without sufficient funding, did provide
the City the ability to levy new taxes. In my view,
the ongoing failure of the provincial government and the
City to provide for and implement appropriate levies on
new development under the Development Charges Act in
order to fund Toronto’s growth should not be remedied by
these proposed new taxes on citizens. I do not
support the Premier’s and the Mayor’s new Land Transfer
and Vehicle Ownership “revenue tools”. Those who still
wish to have their opinions heard by Council may e-mail
clerk@toronto.ca, addressing your comments to the
Mayor and Members of Council prior to Monday, July 16.
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