City Council — April 2014
April 1–3, 2014
122 posts
Today's #tocouncil meeting is about to begin. But rest assured: basically nothing will happen until after lunch.
For a rundown of what to expect at council this week, here's @neville_park's council cheat sheet. https://nevillepark.ca/2014/04/01/the-cheat-sheet-april-1-city-council/
On council's agenda, Rob Ford has held a bunch of Fordy items re: recreation grants, cultural grants, traffic islands, etc.
"Good wine precedes good poetry! Good wine succeeds good poetry!" concludes Toronto poet laureate George Elliott Clarke.
If you like Toronto's poet laureate, thank @DavidSoknacki. His voting history suggests he's got a real thing for poetry.
There is a superhero at council. Second Harvest Man. Norm Kelly tries on his superhero mask briefly.
Re: Council expense budgets. It's a boring story. High spenders pretty much all maintain constituency offices. Those offices are expensive.
(Money could be saved if more councillors used city spaces like libraries for constituency offices, but that might require more libraries.)
Mammoliti says any decision but to expand the island airport would be "pretty stupid."
For the record, Mammoliti's preferred Toronto waterfront includes a red light district, a giant floating casino and an expanded airport.
(I think he was in favour of the Doug Ford Ferris wheel for a time, too.)
There's really no way @NoJetsTO loses today with this island airport vote. Either councillors kill it or decision effectively gets delayed.
Looking at it, I see at least 16 votes in favour of receiving(killing) the airport expansion. And there's a realistic path to 23 votes.
Votes to watch on airport expansion: Augimeri, Filion, Cho, Perruzza, Matlow, Bailão and Robinson.
(It's possible some of those councillors have made their opinions known and I missed it. Still catching up.)
Deputy City Manager delivering presentation on airport expansion now. Here's what the longer runway would look like: http://t.co/yp7OIzN8Yv
(If they extended that western runway another 200 metres, the Port Authority would finally have their bridge.)
Just like with the casino debate, it's absurd to think how many hours of staff time went into all these reports on airport expansion.
Cue the "it's not like expanding the airport will cause the APOCALYPSE!"-style arguments. Those are the worst.
If the only bar we set for political decisions is "won't cause the literal extinction of man" then I think we're probably aiming too low.
Peter Milczyn says he has no issues with jets, but says the waterfront we've invested does not include an expanded airport.
Milczyn says he'll be supporting staff recommendations today. Looks like council will be pushing this whole thing off to get more reports.
Mammoliti says most of the waterfront area is infill so hey why not add some more infill for a longer airport runway.
Councillor McMahon says Porter can "fly their jets out of Pearson like every other airline."
Mammoliti says Vaughan has no right to complain about congestion at the island airport because he opposed the bridge to the airport.
(Presumably pro-expansion observers in the gallery actually applauded Mammoliti's point re: the island bridge.)
Doug Ford questions Adam Vaughan. He asks if Vaughan is for or against an "open free market economy."
Vaughan says he supports the free market economy. "I'm shocked," says Doug Ford. Vaughan then corrects Ford's pronunciation of "tripartite"
Vaughan is trying to pass a motion that would end all expansion negotiations short a tenant airline's ownership situation change.
"So the sky is not falling," says Denzil Minnan-Wong. All initiatives that don't result in the moon smashing into the earth are great.
Minnan-Wong touts report saying new jets will actually improve air quality. Wong-Tam asks who commissioned the study. "Bombardier," says DMW
Doug Ford is characterizing Robert Deluce as some sort of hard luck against-the-odds success story, the Rocky Balboa of aviation.
Doug Ford says some councillors want to return to the horse-and-buggy days with cows where the island airport is. Also chickens, he says.
Council votes 42-2 to extend their meeting to finish this item. Rob Ford and Anthony Perruzza vote against extending.
And, hey, we're voting. This is a foregone conclusion. Council will vote with a strong majority to authorize further negotiations...
Council approves McConnell motion, stipulates this report doesn't imply support or opposition to the jet plan. 40-4. http://t.co/eZnnlQN3gu
Milczyn motion to look at further restricting airport hours of operation/curfew FAILS 19-25. http://t.co/1zsahY79h3
The Fords are voting against pretty much every single amendment, but they're mostly passing.
Vaughan's revised motion asks that staff report back to city council if a tenant airline's ownership changes. Passes 33-11. Significant.
And the item as amended PASSES 44-0. A victory for togetherness.
The answer to the "who won?" question is "ask again next year."
Here's the vote result for Vaughan's motion re: potential ownership changes. http://t.co/l4WZUCkml9
Coun. Doucette rises to clarify that the @metromorning report saying the High Park Dog Park would be open to cats was an April Fools thing.
April Fools Day beloved by all. Hah, April Fools.
Council took away most of Ford's powers, but he still gets to announce the city's clean-up day. http://bit.ly/1dRTYeZ
New member motion by Coun. Fragedakis lovingly titled "Potholepalooza." https://secure.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2014.MM50.35
Why would Rob Ford vote against naming a street after Nelson Mandela? I can't even.
Ford may say he voted against renaming street after Mandela due to cost, but he's supported renaming streets in honour of people previously.
e.g. Jack Layton Way: https://secure.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2013.TE21.8, Paul Oberman Walk: https://secure.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2014.TE30.99
Up now: a motion to congratulate Canada's Olympic and Paralympic Athletes. Rob Ford... votes against it.
Why would Rob Ford vote against congratulating Olympic and Paralympic athletes. What is going on.
I think he might be broken.
Now Rob Ford's motion to plant a field of red poppies is up for a vote to waive referral. Carries 40-1. (Parker against.)
(Oh, wait, that might have been to waive notice, not referral. Procedural weeds.)
Motion to waive referral on Rob Ford's poppy field carries 44-0. I wish it was for a field of Popples.
And after a unanimous vote, the city will look at planting some poppies in honour of the In Flanders Fields poem. Ford's motion passes.
On May 8, 2012, Rob Ford seconded a motion to congratulate the Etobicoke Dolphins Girls Hockey Competitive Rep Teams. https://secure.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2012.MM23.2
Ford now rises and says he mistakenly voted against naming a street after Nelson Mandela and congratulating Canada's Olympic athletes.
Now some debate about if and how council should do a re-vote on those items so Ford can be recorded in the affirmative.
Councillor Perruzza says he also voted the wrong way on a different item. Seriously guys there are only two possible buttons.
EFFICIENCY: Replace some councillors with drinking birds that just repeatedly mash the NO button.
Council has a long history of wrong button incidents. An errant button press cost us bike lanes on University Ave. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/oops-councillors-mistake-derails-bike-lanes-on-university-ave/article1367441/
Are we at that stage in the Rob Ford Cycle where people start worrying he'll stay on the straight-and-narrow until election day? He won't.
Here's what the Bloor-Yorkville BIA worries will happen if council gives food trucks "cart blanche." http://t.co/TXJJVmMVr8
Interesting details re: ITO. Widespread belief that the mayor of Toronto can simply order around police officers. http://on.thestar.com/1lE2pgs
"'The f—ing goof did it at my house,' says Basso." http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/992472/rob-ford-terror-gripped-etobicoke-neighbourhood-in-wake-of-crack-video/
Would an arrest have changed anything? Ford would still maintain innocence, contends conspiracy. We'd end up back at same status quo.
This whole Rob Ford thing was always to end with an election. Not a court decision. Not a police investigation. It'll be a vote.
Anyway. Come to city hall tomorrow to hear Rob Ford remark on how hard it is to rid ourselves of garbage in this city http://bit.ly/1jFCp1N
Holy hell they are still talking about food trucks.
Rob Ford moves amendment deleting 50 metre rule, replaces it with rule that says food trucks can't operate directly outside restaurants.
Ford says he doesn't know if the people he meets are lobbyists. Here's what the Lobbyist Code of Conduct says: http://t.co/8ioNHS7mAd
Vaughan points out that food trucks are always going to flock to places that actually have, you know, foot traffic and density.
Oh man. Council is actually going to start voting on food trucks. After a quick recess.
John Parker brings up the prospect of splitting some of the 24 amendment motions for separate votes, which is terrifying.
Rob Ford's motion to only restrict trucks from operating directly in front of restaurants FAILS 4-33. http://t.co/Rdev7tp0zL
Now council has decided to split a giant Palacio amendment into individual votes. Things are about to get incomprehensible.
Palacio motion to restrict trucks to three hours on one block instead of five hours carries 23-14. http://t.co/56SFdc5LNR
Palacio motion to establish a limit of two truck permits per block PASSES 25-12. http://t.co/dEaymdEaVn
Council votes in favour of 50-metre prohibition for food trucks, 24-13. http://t.co/5WL013ITbt
Council also votes to prevent food trucks from operating within 30m of schools/churches. 32-5. http://t.co/pISwOCQpWm
Council votes 21-16 to prevent food trucks from operating for more than 3 hours on any one block within 24 hr period. http://t.co/yZSfMj3K9W
I think after all those votes a number of the remaining amendments will be ruled as redundant.
Wong-Tam motion to limit total number of permits to 126 (including existing 27) for next 12 months PASSES 22-15. http://t.co/gjKFzLnmdO
(Er, sorry: 125. Not 126.)
Layton motion to not permit trucks within 60m of BIA during special events unless authorized by BIA passes 34-3.
Vaughan motion to restrict food trucks rom operating near sidewalks narrower than 2.5 metres fails 17-20. http://t.co/s0kGJ77JHe
And the food truck item as amended, with most staff recommendations restored, PASSES 34-3. http://t.co/pGcAy3EMm4
Mayor wants "a couple of minutes to rant on each grant." Same as it ever was.
(Rob Ford has held items relating to community recreation grants and community festival and special event grants.)
Rob Ford says some Rob Ford stuff on the grants and then council approves 'em both, 29-1. Guess who the 1 was.
John Parker to Rob Ford: "Is there anything else we can release with a rant?"
Might as well just call him "Councillor Rob Ford" again.
22 items left on council's agenda. This one on liquor licenses is actually kind of interesting: https://secure.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2014.CC50.7
Trends We Hate: governments describing any kind of change to a thing as "modernization."
Adam Vaughan drops the word "bullshit" on the floor of council in a speech. Council After Dark.
I'm cool with swearing at council. Let the market decide.
Council doesn't get the 2/3rds majority it needs to extend the meeting and finish the agenda. 18-10. http://t.co/sIH2pJxtbq
Notably, Ford said he would stay until midnight if he had to and then voted not to extend the meeting.
Rob Ford will be holding his fist fundraising event in a municipality that is decidedly not Toronto. http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/993263/mayor-rob-ford-to-host-first-fundraiser-outside-city/
Hah, possibly! Please read that as "first", everyone.
RT @JamesHMcLaren
@GraphicMatt “fist fundraising event”? Freudian autocorrect?
City Manager says Toronto is still in the middle of discussions re: a master agreement with Metrolinx for the Scarborough Subway...
Perks says Metrolinx isn't accountable to the public and that the governance model has to change. City manager is asking for those changes.
Perruzza has moved to extend this council meeting by another hour. 14 items left. Voting now.
(It'd be interesting to map some of these extension votes. Suburban councillors tend to be the ones who want to go home. Longer travel time)
Deputy Speaker Parker says he's "happy to have a short rant" and then calls upon "Councillor Ford", meaning Rob.
Mayor releases item on the World Cities Culture Forum. He characterized it as spending $10K to take taxi drivers to museums. It's not that.
Ford sort of accuses Adam Vaughan of not taking care of his children. Weird comment. It's late.
After a couple of questions to staff and one speech, council votes 26-0 to create a poverty reduction strategy. http://t.co/qoauJcEAbx
Map of one which councillors voted to extend the meeting until 10!
RT @arcadekyle
@GraphicMatt Since you asked... http://t.co/e76QwgYeSm
Deputy Speaker Parker: "Do you really want a quorum call? Are you SERIOUS?" It doesn't happen.
Councillor Minnan-Wong suggests that some people look at @Ont_Ombudsman and "think he's a bit of a nutjob."
Council finally ends. Blue Jays lose. Not a great night for watching livestreams of things.