City Council meets today! Kinda. It's the customary mid-budget mini-meeting, with very few agenda items. The most notable is a planning change that'll make it harder to build a backyard swimming pool. Pool enthusiasts and Council fans can watch live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozla...
Things will get started at council this morning with a couple of presentations to honour the work of departing staff: Shanley McNamee, GM of Children's Services (retiring), and Valesa Faria, Exec Director of Development Review (joining the feds).
The meeting begins with Mayor Olivia Chow rising to offer condolences on the death of former Toronto MP Kirsty Duncan. The mayor notes Duncan's work to expand school food programs. "To me, that is her incredible legacy — generations of young people who will get a stronger start in life."
Now Chow pays tribute to Shanley McNamee, GM of Children's Services. She's been with the city for 20 years. Mayor notes McNamee's legacy of work, and also her performance in a staff versus councillors hockey game. McNamee "leaves behind a stronger childcare system," Chow says.
The ceremonies continue. Chow salutes Valesa Faria, Executive Director of Development Review. Faria has been credited with reducing the time it takes for the city to approve development applications. "The word 'significant' doesn't actually capture it — it's actually 80% faster!" Chow touts.
Faria takes the lectern. "I came into this work because housing matters. Not as an idea, not as policy, but because it shapes lives. I've seen it first hand, and I've lived it first hand." She's moving on to new fed agency Build Canada Homes, where she'll work with former councillor Ana Bailão.
"Thank you again for this recognition. Thank you very much for this opportunity to serve. I will always be cheering on the City of Toronto. And you will now have a friend at the federal level," Faria says, drawing cheers and at least one WOO from councillors.
Councillor Dianne Saxe tries to refer her administrative inquiry about whether the new blue bin system has caused an increase in on-street litter to committee for more discussion, but her motion FAILS 9-15. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Noting there have been lots of concerns about "trees and pools and stars and fields and rocks and rainbows and all kinds of other things" Councillor Gord Perks says he'll be moving to refer the planning report about pools and "iceberg homes" to allow for more discussion. No debate on it today.
Perks' referral motion on the pools/trees/iceberg homes item asks for staff to provide an additional report on some potential impacts. No specific timeline attached. Just "earliest possible Planning & Housing Committee."
And that confirms it. No debate on the relative worth of trees, swimming pools and humanity today. Perks' motion to refer the item back to Planning & Housing Committee with an additional report from staff on various impacts CARRIES via show of hands.
On an item about visitor parking requirements in condo and apartment buildings, Councillor Lily Cheng moves to have staff look at expanding city-owned parking lots. "Visitor parking, to me, is a necessity," she says, likening parking to a bathroom or kitchen. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
"I just can't imagine current requirements being adequate," says Cheng of visitor parking. She rejects the idea that the "market" should decide the amount of visitor parking in a new building, because people buying units just assume parking will be available and don't think about it before they buy.
"There are a few things in life that cause a lot of stress," explains Councillor Stephen Holyday. "And one of those things is, you've arrived somewhere to see a loved one or a family member you're visiting, and you have no place to put your car. And maybe you have to pay a lot of money."
Councillor Colle takes an opportunity to rage about the Ontario Land Tribunal, saying the OLT is approving buildings with "ZERO parking" for residents and visitors and no room for garbage trucks to turn around. (They've got a turntable for trucks, he says, but he seems skeptical that it'll work.)
Colle is worried about how Amazon packages will be delivered with these new buildings without parking. "Drones!" shouts Holyday. Colle says maybe he'll move a motion that every new building "should include drone Amazon dropoff on the roof."
Councillor James Pasternak says providing visitor parking is an important part of dealing with "chronic loneliness." Councillors Cheng and Holyday also brought up parking as a way to make people feel less lonely.
Councillor Dianne Saxe moves for a report on ways to add more accessible parking spaces in areas near transit stations.
Councillor Perks, the Planning & Housing Chair, says he'll support the Cheng and Saxe motions on visitor parking. Then he expresses frustration with the provincial gov's various planning changes. Province has "been turning the City of Toronto into a machine to generate money — not a place to live."
The Cheng and Saxe motions CARRY via show of hands. The visitor parking report CARRIES 20-0. More reporting to come. The parking debates will continue until we all feel less lonely.
Moving on, Council approves the new Scarborough Centre Secondary Plan 18-0. As an alternative to the usual vote card, enjoy this rarely-seen council seating chart. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Chris Moise makes a point of going on the record against an item approving a 48-storey project at Sherbourne & Carlton, atop St. Luke's Church. The item CARRIES 15-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
And that brings Council to the matter of lunch. Back at 2 p.m. At that point, the council will quickly conduct another entirely separate council meeting before returning to this one. It sounds complicated, but trust me, it doesn't really matter that much. See you back here soon.
Council is back. Before they get back to the meeting they were having before lunch, they’re set to have a short separate meeting to deal with five items. Most notable: allowing restaurants to serve booze starting at 6 a.m. during the Winter Olympics. Cheers to that. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
All five items from this extra special council meeting CARRY via show of hands, including the allowance of early booze sales during the Olympics. You'll be able to drink while watching the luge.
Switching back to the original meeting now, Council votes 21-0 to ADOPT an amendment by Councillor Paula Fletcher on an item about a long-in-the-works Housing Now affordable housing project on Queen East. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
After some speeches about the need to protect Toronto's employment lands, Council votes 19-2 to APPROVE a request to the province asking them to implement the city's Official Plan Amendment 804. Queen's Park has been dragging their feet on it, apparently. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
After a quick speech and amendment from Councillor Amber Morley, Council votes via show of hands to APPROVE a redevelopment plan for Cloverdale Mall. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
On an item about Ontario Line construction, Councillor Paula Fletcher moves to reiterate a request that Metrolinx install GPS and signage on trucks working on the project.
Councillor Gord Perks compares the wait for GPS on these Metrolinx trucks and other interminable and mysterious provincial delays to Waiting for Godot. "As Samuel Beckett wrote, 'Let's go!' 'We can't' 'Why not?' 'We're waiting for Metrolinx.'"
Fletcher's motion, again requesting Metrolinx install GPS on trucks working on the Ontario Line, CARRIES 22-0.
And that'll do it. Council’s mini meeting is OVER. Already! But don't despair. There will be more pulse-pounding Council action next week when they hold their budget meeting on Tuesday. I'll be watching.
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