City Council — July 2016
July 12–15, 2016
141 posts
Toronto City Council meets today! But their transit rumble is tomorrow. Still, read @neville_park's preview: http://torontoist.com/2016/07/city-council-preview-july-2016/
Coun. Mammoliti has just put a hold on this item. See if you can guess why. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2016.EX16.5
Some of the trees council will debate this week. Owners want to remove, city forestry staff say they're good trees.
Coun. Perks on a point of privilege: "Councillor Pasternak just described city staff's previous budget practices as 'shenanigans.'"
And now a brief discussion of the precise meaning of "shenanigans." Chair Nunziata thinks it's a benign term. Perks challenges. Shenanigans.
Toronto City Council upholds chair's ruling. Coun. Pasternak was not out of line when he used the word "shenanigans"
Exactly how many o's did he use in "nobody"? https://x.com/DavidNickle/status/752929740051259392
David Nickle@DavidNickle
Mel Lastman returned to city hall, and told reporters that nobody wins with the Scarborough subway.
Tory said he wouldn't, because TTC fares are a user fee. Not a great answer. https://x.com/BenSpurr/status/752939942226096129
Ben Spurr@BenSpurr
Gord Perks asks the mayor if, given his promise not to raise property taxes above inflation, he'll promise not to raise TTC fares over infl.
Budget Chief Gary Crawford says some of his colleagues are eager to put revenue tools into budget plan. "But I am not there yet," he says.
Matlow rises to point out that it's absurd to talk about being efficient with taxpayer money when council is supporting a $3B subway stop.
Coun. Mammoliti's city budget cure-all is to give the TTC to Queen's Park.
"Ward 7 doesn't want to pay property taxes anymore!" declares Coun. Mammoliti.
One of my favourite things is when politicians who have been office for DECADES are like, "We've made no progress! Our finances are a mess!"
Coun. Perks has three motions re: the budget process. These will make for some interesting votes.
Coun. Holyday has a motion that would increase budget cut targets. He wants 5%, instead of 2.6%.
Coun. Holyday's motion to increase 2017 budget cut target to 5% fails 5-36.
Motion from Coun. Davis to increase projected 2017 residential property tax increase to 3.4% fails 12-29.
Motion from Coun. Layton to ensure user fee increases for 2017 aren't contrary to anti-poverty strategy fails 16-26.
Coun. Perks motion to have 2017 budget avoid increasing TTC fares more than inflation fails 16-26.
Perks motion asking that recommended 2017 budget avoid cuts to TTC service fails 17-25.
Davis motion asking that 2017 budget avoid reducing number of new child care spaces fails on a tie, 21-21.
Perks motion asking that 2017 budget direction avoid impacting quality of life for TCHC tenants fails 17-25.
Carroll motion requesting that 2017 budget look at contracting in services where it makes fiscal sense passes 22-20.
Wong-Tam motion that 2017 budget process incorporate a gender equity perspective passes 23-19.
And the budget direction item as amended passes 32-10. Real work starts in the fall.
For context on most of those votes: Tory argued that it makes sense to leave all options on the table for the budget process.
About the only thing that isn't up for debate as part of the next budget is property taxes being kept at or below inflation.
Geez. Stop being such a perfect metaphor. https://x.com/Shawn_Jeffords/status/753230205481807873
Shawn Jeffords@Shawn_Jeffords
Council meeting on transit grinds to a halt because of power outage. #topoli
Still have power at my house, FYI. We could do the council meeting here.
Councillors realized every microphone in the room is turned on. System needs to be rebooted, but that takes time. Ten minute recess called.
(I sure am glad I decided to wait until the afternoon session to head over to city hall.)
Supplementary report on council agenda says it'll cost up to $520K to review Carlaw alignment option for DRL. http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-95004.pdf (PDF)
Coun. Moeser won't be in attendance for transit vote due to medical treatment, but supports Scarborough subway http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/cc/comm/communicationfile-62075.pdf (PDF)
In a debate rife with awful pro-subway talking points, this one has got to rank as one of the worst. https://x.com/Shawn_Jeffords/status/753281911313739776
Shawn Jeffords@Shawn_Jeffords
Tory says subway is an investment that will last 80 years. An LRT would last 30 years. #topoli
I made this Transit City opposition Bingo card four years ago. With a few minor tweaks, we could still play today.
"What is the population of Scarborough?" "Can you read this number for me?" "Would you agree with this statement?" Staff questions are bad.
Word on the street: in addition to the expected motion re: Sheppard East subway, we'll also see an attempt to resurrect Sheppard West subway
Once you start trading horses, everyone demands their own pony.
Matlow gets Byford to confirm that under LRT plan, Metrolinx was on the hook for maintenance and the cost of the SRT shutdown.
Matlow gets TTC to confirm that LRT construction wouldn't need to necessarily wait until Kennedy station redesign - could start at Sheppard.
Crawford asks if the risk of cost escalation is same for LRT & subway. Staff say yes. (But Metrolinx would have paid LRT escalation.)
Lots of councillors arguing the LRT and subway project budgets are similarly sized but not bothering to mention who was on hook to pay costs
Mammoliti to Byford: "It's better to build a subway than a choo-choo train?" Byford appears to contemplate his entire life before answering.
"How old is the oldest subway system in London?" asks Coun. Norm Kelly. You could look this stuff up on Wikipedia.
He has stirred, and has now added his name to the list of councillors who want to question staff. https://x.com/jpags/status/753307327655251968
Jennifer Pagliaro@jpags
Councillor Jim Karygiannis appears to have fallen asleep in his chair.
Keesmaat says evaluating a Carlaw alignment could delay the DRL by six months.
Coun. Matlow is first speaker. He makes a motion to replace the Scarborough subway with the Scarborough LRT.
Mayor Tory will be asking Coun. Matlow some questions about his subway-killing motion in a sec. Good time to tune in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiCoj3a2JSM
Whether province would play ball on LRT or not, I don't get why council would want to make it easy for prov to skip out on signed contract.
Mammoliti suggests suburbs screwed by amalgamation, says Yonge St had zero population until after subway built, refers to "choo-choo trains"
Coun. Campbell makes motion asking for more evaluation of a surface route for the Scarborough subway.
De Baeremaeker has a PowerPoint presentation. "Scarborough's subway: one of the busiest subway stations ever built in the City of Toronto."
The well for future LRT projects in Toronto has been thoroughly poisoned today. https://x.com/moore_oliver/status/753326913465282562
oliver-moore.bsky.social@moore_oliver
Cllr GdeB: "People take subways because they like them. It's a better form of transportation"#Fordian
Cressy: "This is my first Scarborough subway groundhog day debate. It's good to be here." Layton: "No it's not."
Here are the nearby Pokemon in the council chamber at Toronto City Hall.
Di Giorgio's speech takes a long and meandering road from subways to life insurance. That was a weird five minutes.
Coun. Perks has a motion that asks for staff to come back with true "apples-to-apples" comparison of LRT and subway plans.
Coun. Carroll compares subway debate to a kid who wants a walkman today because his brother got one in 1986. Look up this clip. It's great.
Coun. Di Ciano moves that next phase of Toronto's long-term transit plan give consideration to a Bloor subway extension to Sherway Gardens.
Now Coun. Karygiannis moves that next phase of transit plan include consideration of a Sheppard subway extension.
And now Coun. Pasternak moves that next phase of transit network include consideration of a Sheppard West subway extension.
YESTERDAY: We must pinch every penny to balance Toronto's 2017 budget. TODAY: We must build many, many subways.
Link to video of @shelleycarroll's Walkman/iPhone speech on the Scarborough subway. https://x.com/JohnToryWatch/status/753345851016085504
Coun. Cho says he once supported LRTs, but then talked to some Germans who told him he should support subways because of climate change.
Coun. McMahon moves that staff not explore Carlaw alignment for DRL. Stick with Pape.
Some people started planning it not knowing what it was / and they'll continue debating it forever just because
We're at the last speaker. Mayor Tory is up to talk about the Scarborough subway.
Tory says province has been firm in their support for a subway. True, so why not try to get 'em to pay for more of it?
After Tory completes his remarks, Coun. Matlow will ask him some questions.
Not sure how that squares with his Toronto Star op-ed. https://x.com/DavidNickle/status/753362163549499392
David Nickle@DavidNickle
"I really feel the job that I was elected to do was to bring the city together," said Tory.
Matlow asks Tory for evidence that only a subway can spur economic development in Scarborough. Tory says it's in the staff report.
McConnell requests that council be allowed to split the transit plan into sections and vote on each individually. This could take a while.
Coun. Matlow's motion to remove Scarborough subway from transit network plan and replace with LRT FAILS 16-27.
Coun. Campbell's motion to look at more grade separations at road crossings with Eg West LRT passes 32-11.
Coun. Campbell's motion to do cost estimate for surface subway along SRT corridor passes 29-14.
Coun. Holyday's weird motion that Eg West LRT look at opportunities for commuter parking passes 38-5.
Coun. Perks motion asking that staff prepare apples-to-apples comparison of LRT and subway fails 16-27.
Coun. McMahon's motion removing study of the Carlaw corridor for DRL fails 8-35.
De Baeremaeker's motion that they not use a woodlot as a construction area for Scarborough subway passes 39-4.
Layton's motion requesting co-fare for Toronto on GO Transit passes 42-1. Karygiannis against, but it was a mistake. Re-vote unanimous.
Coun. Di Ciano's motion asking for consideration of subway extension to Sherway Gardens PASSES 32-11.
Coun. Karygiannis motion asking for consideration of Sheppard subway extension to STC PASSES 25-18.
Coun. Pasternak motion asking for consideration of Sheppard West subway extension PASSES 28-15.
Re-vote of the motion re: the Sheppard East subway extension carries 27-16. (Perruzza screwed up first vote.)
Mihevc is asking for another re-vote on the Sheppard subway extension to STC. They're about to go again.
Third time's almost the charm. Council votes 24-19 in favour of looking at Sheppard subway to STC.
Report as it pertains to SmartTrack stations carries 43-0.
Report as it pertains to Eglinton West LRT carries 42-1. Holyday opposes it.
Report as it pertains to Eglinton East LRT carries 43-0. Remember that.
Report as it pertains to business case analysis of Scarborough transit carries 36-7.
Remainder of Toronto's transit network plan carries 41-2. Carroll and Perruzza against.
And that might be our last ever Scarborough subway debate at Toronto City Council. Thanks for the memories. They were enraging.
Interesting to hear Stephen Buckley say until recent changes Toronto traffic lanes were designed to suburban or rural standards.
"We will have to figure out a way to get this funded," says Buckley of the road safety plan. My big worry is it gets lost in budget process.
Would be interesting to talk to Transpo staff about how the job has changed over last decade. A lot of orthodoxy was thrown out the window.
Minnan-Wong presents hypothetical of pedestrian texting, wearing headphones and crossing mid-block. "What do you do with a guy like that?"
Minnan-Wong asks if police ever write tickets for jaywalking.
This animated gif is my greatest and most lasting contribution to society. https://x.com/m_layton/status/753670406087798784
Mike Layton@m_layton
Clr Kelly has just suggested TO road safety measures may be irrelevant because of automated cars.
"We do not have any books bound in human skin," confirms Toronto Public Library in delightfully thorough Reddit AMA. http://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/4st4tj/ama_we_are_toronto_public_library_ask_me_anything/
Toronto Public Library on accessing porn on their computers. "The monitor resolution can be iffy."
Here's Coun. Layton's motion that would ask the province to lower default speed limits. https://x.com/TorontoCouncil/status/753677395970789376
Toronto City Clerk@TorontoCouncil
Third motion moved by Councillor Layton on item PW14.1 https://t.co/0zRlwnSMkO #tocouncil
Coun. Campbell moves to request province allow parking enforcement officers to enforce speed limits.
Seems like photo radar would be simpler. Let robots do it.
Coun. Campbell accidentally refers to "Chief McCormack." Easy mistake to make.
Coun. Wong-Tam wants full road safety plan implemented in two years, instead of five.
Carroll on road safety plan: "We're adopting something today that kind of flies in the face of what we did Tuesday with our budget targets."
Nunziata has a motion that'd ask the province to make it illegal to text while walking. Oh lord.
Fragedakis: "How would they know if you were texting? What if you were on email? Or Pokemon Go?"
Coun. McMahon presents what she calls a "more do-able" version of Wong-Tam's two-year implementation motion.
Coun. Campbell accuses McMahon of not having data to support speed limit reductions. "The data is people dying on our streets," says McMahon
Coun. Wong-Tam's motion to implement road safety plan in two years, instead of five, fails 15-26. (Nunziata also no)
Coun. Fletcher's motion to lower speed limit on the part of Gerrard Street in her ward passes 33-8.
Coun. McMahon's motion to lower speed limit on the part of Gerrard Street in her ward passes 33-8.
Coun. Crawford's motion to lower the speed limit on the part of Gerrard Street in his ward passes 33-8.
Everything is passing. Council is generally in favour of road safety.
Coun. Layton's motion that staff consider implementing 2018 road safety plan items in 2017 passes 33-8.
Campbell's motion that council ask police to ask prov to allow parking cops to enforce speed limits passes 24-17.
Coun. Perruzza's motion that all wards get a portable "Watch your speed" sign passes 35-6.
Pasternak's motion that staff report on transferring crossing guard programs from police to transpo dept passes 32-9
Nunziata's motion asking province to make texting-while-walking illegal PASSES 26-15.
Fletcher's motion calling for a Vision Zero Summit in the springtime passes 29-12.
Coun. McMahon's motion that staff look at implementing road safety plan in 2 years, instead of five, carries 39-2.
Nunziata slightly revised her walking-while-texting motion before they approved it. Here's the final version.
I can't believe that passed. Toronto's road safety plan officially includes a request that province ban cell phone use while walking.
I guess Nunziata's motion also covers, like, a Game Boy or a Tamagotchi.
It was like, "hey, we're mere minutes away from doing something entirely progressive and urbanist! BETTER SCREW IT UP A BIT!"
For the record, yes, "travelled portion of the roadway" refers to the part of the road meant for vehicles. Does not make this less absurd.
Council votes 30-3 to congratulate Black Lives Matter & other winners of 2016 access equity & human rights awards.
Council votes 35-2 in favour of @CarmichaelGreb's motion re: playing road hockey and other sports on public streets.
So, subject to some conditions, kids can now play road hockey in Toronto without being branded as rule-breaking scofflaws.
Just don't check your phone while playing road hockey, kids.
Toronto Council votes 19-8 to introduce a half-hour break between 6 and 6:30 p.m. during 2017 council meetings.
A day after approving road safety plan, Minnan-Wong and Holyday skeptically questioning staff on need for traffic signal in Regent Park.
Minnan-Wong wants a staff report evaluating whether traffic signals at Dundas & Regent Park Boulevard are required.
(As someone who crosses here a lot, part of the issue is the signals at Dundas/Sumach take forever to change for pedestrians.)
Council votes 10-19 against Minnan-Wong's report request motion re: a traffic signal in Regent Park.
Traffic control signal in Regent Park is approved 18-11. Stephen Buckley can now leave Toronto.
Toronto City Council's meeting is over. Next meeting isn't until October 5. I have no idea what we'll do with all this free time.