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Council Highlights
Archive
September 2007 |
 The
Council Highlights are provided as a service to
constituents in Ward 25. The following is a brief
summary of Council’s meeting held on September 26 & 27,
2007.
Reinstatement of Monday programming in
community centres
Council unanimously directed staff to take immediate
steps to restore drop-in community programs on Mondays
in all City community centres. Previously at the
request of the Mayor, the City Manager identified and
announced cost containment measures and service level
reductions totaling more than $34 million in savings for
the remainder of 2007 – including the Monday closure of
City community centres to the public, while city
personnel continued to work inside behind locked doors.
Many councillors, including
myself had described this approach as punitive to our
citizens and advocated other approaches to the
$700 million provincial downloading problem.
Preferred proponent for the 3-1-1 technology
sub-project
Council approved Bearing Point as the preferred
proponent for the 3-1-1 Technology Solution Request for
Proposal (RFP) based on its overall value for the City.
3-1-1 refers to the telephone number which citizens
will be able to dial (similar to 9-1-1 and 4-1-1) in
order to access the City for information and to make
service requests. It will provide a “one-stop shopping”
experience for citizens in dealing with the City – no
longer will you have to know what department would deal
with a particular problem and what number to call.
3-1-1 will also have a web interface. The selection of
the proponent of the technology solution will now permit
this project to move forward in its implementation.
Amendment to fireworks bylaw
City Council amended the fireworks bylaw and permit
requirements to increase permit fees for vendors that
sell family fireworks on a temporary basis. Temporary
lease fireworks vendors and mobile fireworks vendors who
sell large quantities of family fireworks must pay
$1,500 for a permit to sell fireworks on Canada Day and
Victoria Day, and the seven-day period before each of
the holidays. Vendors that store and sell more than 25kg
of family fireworks at any one time will be required to
pay $750; vendors selling less must pay $500 for an
annual permit. In April 2007, Council authorized a new
harmonized fireworks bylaw but later re-opened the
decision to allow further consultation with the
pyrotechnics industry. The increased permit fees will
provide the resources to administer and enforce the
bylaw and assist in promoting public safety regarding
the use and sale of fireworks. The new bylaw and
applicable permit fees take effect January 1, 2008.
Flat rate for Toronto taxis and limos
Council approved a flat rate fare for Toronto-licensed
taxicabs and limousines for trips originating within the
city of Toronto and ending at Lester B. Pearson
International Airport. The new flat rate will be
equivalent to the tariff rates set by the Greater
Toronto Airports Authority for their licensed taxicabs
and limousines for similar trips. Additionally,
passengers can choose to pay the lesser amount of either
the meter rate or the flat rate.
Advocating for a state of good repair for City’s
social housing
City Council passed a motion urging each of the
political parties in the provincial election to make
commitments to fund the backlog of repairs in Toronto
Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) and other social
housing communities downloaded to the City. TCHC was
asked to report back on its building renewal program,
the backlog of repairs and its efforts to remedy the
most pressing building conditions. Council also adopted
a motion requesting background on how the $300 million
estimate in the backlog of repairs was developed,
including an estimate of how the backlog is growing in
the absence of provincial assistance. After the
amalgamation of the City of Toronto, the provincial
government downloaded all social housing stock onto the
Toronto government without the necessary funds to ensure
a state of good repair. No provincial government since
has seen fit to address this problem.
Action on marijuana grow operations
Council approved new bylaws to address municipal issues
resulting from the use of properties as marijuana grow
operations, including recovering enforcement costs
incurred by the City. Properties that have been
illegally converted for use as marijuana grow ops may
result in issues of municipal concern and public safety,
including electrical hazards, water and mould damage,
structural issues and related neighbourhood crime. The
first bylaw establishes new offences in regards to
causing, allowing or permitting a property to be used
for the purposes of a marijuana grow op, and requires
the owner to undertake appropriate remedial work. The
second bylaw adds a list of applicable charges for
services or activities carried out by City agencies and
divisions that are necessary to investigate and enforce
the bylaw. Council also directed staff to seek the
maximum set fine available ($500) from the province for
violations of the new bylaw. In accordance with the new
City of Toronto Act, the City is required to inspect any
property that has been identified as a marijuana grow
operation by a police service and take appropriate
action to render the building safe.
New Executive Committee member
Council appointed Councillor Janet Davis to the
Executive Committee. A vacancy had been created when
Councillor Brian Ashton was removed for failing to
support the Mayor’s proposed new Land Transfer Tax and
Vehicle Registration Tax.
Non-Council Item:
Over the past weekend, Kevin Stanton, President of
Mastercard Canada, announced that Mastercard had pledged
a donation of $160,000 to the City in order to keep
city-run outdoor ice rinks open in December. The
generous donation was accepted by the Mayor and will
allow the City’s 49 outdoor rinks to open on December 8th
(weather permitting).
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