City Council — August 2014
August 25–28, 2014
94 posts
The last meeting of this city council term starts today. Here's @neville_park's always useful agenda cheat sheet: https://nevillepark.ca/2014/08/24/the-cheat-sheet-august-25-city-council/
You can watch the council meeting LIVE here: https://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=16&sid=1030&lve=60647 (They have new on-screen graphics!)
Here is an example of the new on-screen graphics. Kind of glitching a bit. But still: progress. http://t.co/58nqI5bo0E
Speaker Frances Nunziata is wielding a special gavel for today's council meeting. If she be worthy. http://t.co/H0zdOfZ3LN
Rob Ford and Norm Kelly faces off. "I think you and I are on the same page but we're not on the same paragraph," says Kelly.
Ford wants to ask MLSE to designate some community time at new Raptors practice facility specifically to TCHC residents.
Kelly's point is, hey, not all low-income people live in TCHC so maybe we shouldn't be so narrow.
Ford's request that MLSE consider TCHC time at Raptors practice facility is referred to staff, 24-15. http://t.co/q42Q2RoZ8b
(Vote results: now much more legible!)
Councillors vote for deal with MLSE to put Raptors practice facility at Ex. 38-2. Guess who the two are? http://t.co/0T22wxu5N7
Hey @TorontoCouncil, new AV looks great. Councillors look very lifelike. This is HD now, right?
Supposedly business-friendly Fords have now voted against two major city deals with MLSE. They opposed BMO Field expansion in April.
I can't yet confirm whether these are in fact the pandas from the Toronto Zoo. http://t.co/McyUdzNMQy
It's sheer pandemonium yet again at Toronto city hall. http://t.co/b6mwJ6tjlu
"It is just like jade in the matrix," says integrity commissioner. quoting a leadership book and not, as I assumed, referencing the Matrix.
Ontario director of Canadian Taxpayers Federation argues against Big Move transit spending because TECHNOLOGY. https://torontosun.com/2014/08/25/transits-future-isnt-about-more-subways
Nothing encourages non-wealthy people to seek public office like the possibility of getting stuck with huge legal bills.
“They were looking for a restaurant that was a little bit more family-oriented and a little bit quieter.” Riiight. http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1136611/italian-bistro-to-open-in-riverside-condo-that-rejected-the-real-jerk/
Council votes 35-2 to put Rob Ford's motion re: re-timing more traffic signals on the agenda. Will be debated later.
Rob Ford is lone vote against using Section 37 funds to plant trees in Yonge & St. Clair area. Dude is not a big fan of trees.
Rob Ford also votes against improving demolition control policies to strengthen heritage protection. Because who even knows.
Ford also votes against a @kristynwongtam motion asking staff to look at better demarcating public from private property. 35-3.
And once again, Ford opposes a Wong-Tam motion. This one asked for a report on regulations for excessive motorcycle noise. It passes 34-5.
Council votes to seize item re: new bus garage from committee. They'll be debating whether to proceed with McNicoll Garage project report.
(If the report on the bus garage is deferred to next term, will result in delay that could cost $13m per year.)
Here's a letter from TTC Andy Byford re: the bus garage. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2014/mm/bgrd/backgroundfile-73082.pdf (PDF) Here's how councillors voted. http://t.co/j8Hcj8fJgz
Councillor Perruzza speaks at length. Councillor Parker: "I'm not sure what that had to do with anything."
City Manager Pennachetti thanks @iamdavidmiller for vision and political leadership on getting the province to pass the City of Toronto Act.
Pennachetti thanks the five budget chiefs he worked with: Shiner, Soknacki, Carroll, Del Grande & Di Giorgio. With their powers combined.
"It should not take an ice storm to gather our GTA municipalities together," says City Manager Joe Pennachetti. Very good point.
Pennachetti calls for more federal involvement in transit projects and a return to 50/50 TTC operating fund share with province.
Councillor Lindsay Luby announces she won't be running again.
Councillor Lindsay Luby has served for eleven consecutive terms. That is a lot of terms.
Appointed councillor Peter Leon says he'll stick to his promise and won't run for office.
"I know I put this council through some challenges. I know I embarrassed council," says Ford. Thanks Norm Kelly for taking the reins.
But after that nice bit, Ford goes back to his "past is the past and we have to move forward" line.
Rob Ford hints that Doug Ford's next stop is Queen's Park. Let's ask the PC party leadership candidates how they feel about that.
Council applauds Ford's speech. Mayor shakes deputy mayor's hand.
Time is funny. Less than a year ago it was "you just attacked Kuwait!" and councillors turning their backs to Ford. Now: geniality.
Deputy mayor moves motion to defer consideration of the new McNicoll Bus Garage to next term. Andy Byford says that could cost TTC $11m+.
Community objects to new TTC bus garage largely on health and safety grounds. But the land is zoned "Employment - Heavy Industrial."
An excerpt from letter in opposition to the bus garage. "A tiger will not be controlled!" http://t.co/CmH3CTP7BH
It's almost like NIMBYs tend to exaggerate the negative impacts of things.
The letter continues with the tiger metaphor and also works in a Nelson Mandela quote. Pretty amazing. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2014/pg/comm/communicationfile-48903.pdf (PDF)
Councillors Cho and De Baeremaeker rise to oppose deferral of the bus garage. Looks like the tiger will win this time.
But now Shiner and Pasternak have talked of supporting deferral. Pasternak suggests maybe the TTC won't need new buses anyway.
Councillor McMahon calls this issue "almost the worst kind of NIMBYism." She's got a map of Ward 32, showing three TTC yards in her ward.
Council votes against deferring the new TTC McNicoll bus garage. Sanity wins. Also tigers, maybe. 13-26. http://t.co/ct8pszJRrf
But Shelley Carroll says she made a mistake and voted the wrong way, so they're going to redo the vote.
And again council votes against deferring the new bus garage. 12-27. http://t.co/8D9IE4Ej33
John Parker lauds the leadership of former TTC Chief Gary Webster. Says he laid out agenda for future of TTC and worked to bring in Byford.
(Then he was fired without cause after he answered some questions about LRT.)
"Whole idea of underground transit is to reduce at-grade vehicles" like buses, says Councillor Pasternak.
Ford rises to present Speaker Nunziata with a gift, which reminds me, hey, this will be the last time Nunziata will chair a meeting.
Paula Fletcher is wearing a Karen Stintz For Mayor t-shirt, in tribute of the work Stintz did as TTC Chair.
Fletcher also wants the TTC to hire a consultant to do more community consultation on the McNicoll Bus Garage.
Councillor Del Grande notes that there's GO tracks near the McNicoll garage site, and some residents already opposed to idea of more trains.
Council votes down a Norm Kelly motion to hold more consultations re: alternative locations for bus garage. 15-25. http://t.co/vmOOUF4U6u
Minnan-Wong voted the wrong way so councillors will re-open that Kelly motion re: consultations.
Council approves the bus garage project report, so it'll go forward. 32-8. http://t.co/0D3nVtzzRt
Council currently debating whether they should permit an application to injure a tree. Here is a picture of the tree. http://t.co/Pd5JVj0huq
It's weird that this mostly right-leaning council never moved to loosen city policy around tree removal. Several councillors seem to hate it
On Gord Perks facepalm watch. (viz. https://fordfortoronto.mattelliott.ca/misc/ford-ani/perks-face-palm.gif) http://t.co/h2uZEPyBph
I'd probably vote to deny this tree request, but still - don't get why these kinds of decisions aren't just delegated to community council.
"Before this term is over, I really want to watch every single councillor give a five minute speech about a tree," someone must have said.
Shelley Carroll calls the question, potentially denying us more debate about this tree. But don't worry - next item is about a tree too.
Motion to deny the request to injure this one tree in Etobicoke FAILS 11-27. http://t.co/vzci1SuEvh
Then the original recommendation to injure that tree real good PASSES 30-9. http://t.co/rPAW5Y1haa
I was hoping that Ke$ha's "Timber" would immediately start to play upon confirmation of the vote, but that did not occur.
Council will now debate whether to remove this Silver Maple. Gotta tell you: I like the looks of this tree. http://t.co/xIr3ldlZGN
Council votes 21-14 to refer the question of the tree back to staff. Okay. http://t.co/hhGwJvzUDt
Mike Layton has a list of times Rob Ford pushed to overrule staff and install traffic signals. Maybe he'll publish that info! @m_layton?
Council votes 33-2 in favour of installing a pedestrian cross-over in North York. http://t.co/4bjs3WvAOZ
Rob Ford is now doing his thing where he votes against OMB appeals that use outside planners.
Ford likes to say the city never wins these OMB cases. Stats released by the city contradict that. http://t.co/R95nDSHw3o
Council votes to send letter to Enbridge requesting no bitumen transported through city. 28-6. http://t.co/6B4YFv9c0Q
Email from John Tory campaign. Think they were pretty happy with way today's poll numbers were reported. http://t.co/SlpcytKP9S
Council is debating UP Express fares. Minnan-Wong argues it's a premium service so it can have a premium cost.
Even if you can justify $25 or $30 for the airport train as fair, I'm very skeptical they'll get a lot of ridership at that cost.
And every operating rail line in this city should have service designed to use available capacity and give people alternatives to driving.
Council votes 27-7 to ask Metrolinx to set UP Express fares at rates comparable to GO. http://t.co/dEwVj8slx5
Council votes 27-7 to reiterate its preference to add additional stops along UP Express route, including at Eglinton http://t.co/XRLnxs6ktE
Council votes 25-8 to request Metrolinx set the fare at rate "affordable for most Torontonians." http://t.co/DufrWNDtF0
And the voting machine is broken at council, so council is doing voice votes. Ford is not happy. He's insisted on recording every vote.
Things move SO MUCH FASTER when they just vote by show of hands. Think of all the extra time we could have had to do activities.
Gord Perks rises to point out City Manager Joe Pennachetti was up in the AV booth just before the lights and voting system broke.
I'd go see a remake of CLERKS that was about city clerks.
Joe Pennachetti announces the confirmation of the bills from the clerks area. A bit more procedure and we're done.
Oh, first council will vote on whether to excuse Giorgio Mammoliti, who didn't show up and also has his pay suspended.
