Toronto Council meets today! The mayor’s new, but a lot of the agenda items are the same, like drinking in parks, e-scooters and leaf blowers. I’ll have live coverage in this here thread starting at 9:30 a.m. You can watch along with me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjKBiINVHPg
I previewed the agenda in this week’s issue of the newsletter. This morning we got word that Mayor Olivia Chow is making an add: she’s drafted a motion related to the refugee shelter crisis. It’ll be her first key item, so council will tackle it first. https://toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/chw236
Chow’s in the chamber but most everything is still the same, for now. Councillor Frances Nunziata remains the speaker. The seating chart has not changed. The new mayor speaks first, paying tribute to the late Beverly Salmon, the first Black woman to be elected to council.
Nunziata invites Chow to say a few words to mark the occasion of her first council meeting as the mayor. “Thank you, Madame Speaker, I have full confidence you’ll keep me in check,” jokes Chow. Chow also thanks Deputy Mayor McKelvie for stepping up after Tory left.
Councillor Pasternak recounts the story of the stuck tunnel boring machine, where rescue costs are now $25 million. “I can’t really make any other suggestions of what to do with it, other than selling the movie rights and bringing Bruce Willis in to be the star of the show.”
Councillor Anthony Perruzza is attempting to participate in this meeting remotely without turning his camera on. He’s a disembodied voice. “I don’t believe it’s him!” jokes Councillor Perks. Nunziata points out rules say Perruzza can’t vote on items unless he turns his camera on.
After the usual agenda shuffling and housekeeping, Mayor Chow introduces her motion about the refugee shelter crisis. Council votes to add it to the agenda. It’ll be their first topic of conversation. You can read the full text of the motion here: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.29
Another item has been added to this debate re: funding for the Red Cross to continue to provide hotel rooms for Ukrainian refugees. Councillor Perks moves the staff recommendation to extend the contract to the end of the year, at a cost of $10 million. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.GG5.4
McKelvie and Bravo rise to praise Chow on securing this deal, with $97 million coming from the feds for interim housing assistance for refugees and another $7 million from the province toward the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. More work to be done, but not bad for a week’s work.
Nunziata pauses the debate to announce that it is Councillor Vince Crisanti’s birthday today. Some councillors break into a sorta-rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday to You.” There might be a cake? Anyway, back to the refugee shelter crisis.
Councillor Colle also praises Chow for finding constructive solutions. “She’s being nice with Dougie and nice with the guys in Ottawa.” “She’s a very charming young lady — I used to know her as a young lady once upon a time… she’s still a young lady. A young MAYOR.”
As the meeting unfolds, details emerging about how Chow will reset committee appointments. She’s appointed councillors Bravo and Malik as chair and vice chair of the Striking Committee. She’ll also be asking council to remove other members and appoint Perks, McKelvie and Carroll.
Assuming all goes to plan, the mayor’s new Striking Committee will recommend new committee appointments on August 10, with a council meeting the week after to confirm the new slate for the Chow era.
Olivia Chow has now been mayor of Toronto for one full week. https://x.com/GraphicMatt/status/1679152519941849091
Mayor Olivia Chow is the final speaker on the refugee shelter item. “We are never alone,” she says, citing her work, council’s work and the community’s work over the last few weeks to get more funding and support for refugees.
Council votes 26-0 to ADOPT Chow’s motion on the shelter refugee crisis. It requests the city to immediately open at least 150 shelter beds for refugees, and make plans to add 100 more. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.29
Extension of the contract with the Red Cross to provide hotel space for Ukrainian refugees also CARRIES 26-0. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.GG5.4
Moving right along, our next item is about appointment reshuffling. Mayor Chow moves to replace current Striking Committee members with Perks, McKelvie and Carroll. Malik and Bravo have already been appointed chair and vice chair by strong mayor decree. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.CC8.1
Chow's motion to replace Striking Committee members CARRIES via show of hands. Item as amended also CARRIES via show of hands. New slate of appointments coming in August.
Here’s Chow’s first strong mayor decision to appoint new chair and vice chair of Striking Committee. While I saw some reports that Chow vowed never to use strong mayor powers, her platform was pretty specific that promise was about the veto. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mayoraldecisions/2023/mayor0007.pdf
Council is moving quick. They’re now debating drinking in parks. Again. This would be for a limited pilot, running from Aug 2 to Oct 9, at 22 test sites, listed here. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EC5.1
Councillor Paula Fletcher asks about the proposed rule that says people won’t be allowed to drink in parks after midnight. Staff say that’s because all city parks technically close between midnight and 5:30 a.m., but those hours are not really enforced.
Councillor Stephen Holyday has a prop. He shows off a “No Alcohol” sign he found on the internet. He asks Parks staff if they could design similar signs that he could deploy in parks in his ward. Staff say sure, that’s possible.
Council breaks for lunch. More boozy debate after they return at 2 p.m. There are 63 items left on the agenda.
For those asking what the Striking Committee does, it sets (via a recommendation to council) the membership for other committees. Chow replacing Tory’s appointees on Striking was the first step toward getting her allies on committees like Infrastructure, Planning & Housing, etc.
Council has emerged from the lunch break. After some agenda housekeeping and a special welcome to a group of young people from the Scadding Court Leadership in Training program who are in the gallery today, they have returned to the drinking-in-parks item.
Councillor Lily Cheng asks why the city allows people to smoke pot in parks but has rules against drinking alcohol. Staff say the rules around smoking cannabis followed existing rules on smoking tobacco, while the rules around drinking are separate.
Cheng asks if the city could post QR codes in parks that link people to a survey where they can chime in with their thoughts on the drinking-in-parks pilot. Staff say that’s part of the plan.
Municipal Licensing & Standards Executive Director Carleton Grant notes that one of the challenges for the city with this pilot will be educating people — many of whom are drinking in Toronto’s approx 1500 parks already — that they are now supposed to only drink in 22 pilot parks
Councillor James Pasternak asks if the city’s bylaw officers will be issued portable breathalyzers to measure the intoxication of people drinking in parks. Staff say, uh, no, they will not. They’ll just be looking for bad behaviour.
The city says they have issued zero tickets for drinking in parks this year. They issued “two or three” last year. Grant says it’s not a high priority and drinking in parks does not tend to cause many problems.
It's time for motions. Councillor Paula Fletcher moves to add McCleary Park to the list of pilot sites allowing drinking. "Cheers to all the baseball players who might want to bring a small cooler."
Councillor Josh Matlow moves to add four parks in his ward to the list of drinking-in-parks pilot sites: Oriole Park, Hillcrest Park, Cedearvale Park and June Rowlands Park.
Councillor Stephen Holyday moves for staff to prepare a design for a “no alcohol” sign that can be deployed at the request of councillors.
Holyday has a photo of a “couple of beer cans” seen on the ground at a park in his ward.
Councillor James Pasternak says he is against this “liberalization” of alcohol consumption in parks. He says this is a “high-risk venture” that will lead to negative outcomes, including taking away business from local restaurants and bars.
Cake update: a cake is here to mark Councillor Crisanti’s birthday. “It’s Italian, so you know it’s good,” notes Speaker Nunziata.
Councillor Saxe says she’s heard from young people in her ward that they don’t have backyards or private outdoor space to hang out and have a drink with friends. “The only place they can go is public parks.” She’d support going city-wide but will support the pilot as a first step
Councillor Fletcher’s motion to add McCleary Park to the drinking-in-parks pilot CARRIES 22-3.
Councillor Matlow’s motion to add Oriole Park, Hillcrest Park, Cedarvale Park and June Rowlands Park to the drinking-in-parks pilot CARRIES 22-3.
Councillor Holyday’s motion to make a “no alcohol” sign available to be posted in parks at councillor request CARRIES 16-9.
And the drinking-in-parks pilot is APPROVED by Toronto City Council, 21-4. Officially starts on August 2.
Here’s an updated chart showing how councillors voted on previous alcohol-in-parks motions and how many approved pilot sites are in their ward. Councillors Perks, Morley and Mantas are notable with zero sites. Matlow and Fletcher top leaderboard. https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qWKOC/4/
Up now: should Toronto pursue a ban on two-stroke gas equipment like leaf blowers? The Infrastructure & Environment Committee said yes. If approved, this is just a first step: staff would hold consultations and prepare a bylaw, report back next year. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.IE5.1
Myers points out report says staff haven’t identified environmental, health or noise rationale for banning leaf blowers etc. “So why are we doing this?” Staff say while leaf blowers don’t contribute significantly to emissions, they do contribute, but staff is not recommending ban
Carleton Grant says the city only averages about 50 noise complaints per year about leaf blowers. Councillor Dianne Saxe asks him if he’d be more likely to support a ban if he got more complaints. “Potentially,” he says. “Okay, we’ll encourage people to complain,” Saxe says.
Councillor Stephen Holyday moves to “receive this item for information”, which would mean taking no action toward a ban of leaf blowers and similar gas equipment. “I believe that people are going to be really angry if you tell them you’re going to ban this type of equipment.”
“I really think this is council flexing its muscles on the population in the city and telling them how they have to live their life. And I don’t appreciate that and I don’t think they do either,” notes Holyday, who voted to uphold a ban on drinking in parks like an hour ago.
“If you’re in a hole and you have to get out of it, the first thing you have to do is stop digging,” says Councillor Dianne Saxe. She says there are already better alternatives to gas equipment for lawn maintenance. This is about sending a signal and showing leadership, she says.
Councillor Holyday’s motion to receive the item and NOT pursue a ban on two-stroke gas equipment such as leaf blowers FAILS 6-18.
Council votes 18-6 to APPROVE pursuing a ban on two-stroke gas equipment such as leaf blowers. Just the start of a process — future staff reports and consultations to come.
Up now: e-scooters. Council banned ‘em in 2021, but there sure are a lot of them zipping around Toronto streets anyway. Should council be looking at some sort of pilot project? Maybe Bike Share integration? A larger micro-mobility strategy? They’ll debate. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.IE5.5
Staff have provided a report to Council recommending they request a report back in Q1 2024 on a comprehensible micro-mobility strategy that’d cover the growing range of tiny electric vehicles that are emerging, including e-scooters. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-238450.pdf
Another staff recommendation is for a “public education campaign to support safe active transportation and Vision Zero road safety” and stepped-up “local enforcement efforts to address problem areas for illegal parking in bike lanes and illegal sidewalk riding.”
Staff say currently there’s no set provincial fine in Ontario for riding an illegal e-scooter that can travel more than 24 km/h, so a justice of the peace would need to determine an appropriate fine were someone charged for riding one. Weird gap!
Not saying the e-scooter issue is simple, but always strikes me during these debates that all the reasons people are wary of e-scooters apply WAY more to cars. They kill thousands of people and endanger millions! Drivers often just leave them wherever! Etc, etc.
Councillor Dianne Saxe moves that the coming 2024 report on micro-mobility also include consideration of a pilot project that could include data collection, safety standards, liability insurance, etc.
Councillor Holyday moves for mandatory helmet laws and “standardized individual identification markings” (license plates, basically) to be part of any Toronto e-scooter pilot.
Councillor Chris Moise says e-scooters are not going away. He estimates one out of every five downtown residents has one. He also points out there’s a ton of commercial use for delivery drivers. He supports looking at regulation, rather than a ban.
Staff recommendation for council to request a report on a comprehensive micro-mobility strategy due Q1 2024 CARRIES 21-2.
Councillor Saxe’s motion that the micro-mobility report also include consideration of pilot projects for testing stuff out CARRIES 18-5.
Councillor Holyday’s motion that the micro-mobility report also include mandatory helmets as part of any e-scooter pilot CARRIES 21-2.
Holyday’s motion that staff develop options for e-scooters to have license plates CARRIES 18-5.
Council moves on to an item about executive compensation at the city and its agencies and corporations. Councillor Dianne Saxe moves for a review of including TransformTO climate plan objectives in the performance measures for the city’s various CEOs. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX6.1
Saxe’s motion and the executive compensation review item CARRIES quickly via show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX6.1
And that’ll do it for today. Council breaks until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. There are 55 items left on the agenda. Up first after everyone sleeps: Mayor Chow’s motion to declare gender-based violence and intimate partner violence as an epidemic, then a bunch of audit reports.
Council is back. After some preliminaries, the first item up this morning will be Mayor Chow’s motion to declare an epidemic of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence in Toronto. The day two livestream is here. This thread will continue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws0aadqYg8U
Councillor Lily Cheng announces she has launched “SnackShareTO” — a program where councillors bring in snacks to share with each other during council meetings. She notes former mayor Rob Ford got rid of food at council meetings. She’s brought it back, at no cost to the city.
Councillor Ausma Malik, wearing a Team Canada scarf, wishes the women’s soccer team good luck in the World Cup, kicking off today.
Speaking of soccer, that reminds me: yesterday, without debate, council approved spending $4.2 million on a sole-source contract with an architecture firm to draw up plans to expand BMO Field for World Cup 2026. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX6.25
Mayor Chow shares the story of intimate-partner violence in her own family. Her mom moved in with Chow after she was assaulted by Chow’s father, but the mayor notes lots of people facing violence in the home don’t have access to any other housing.
Councillor Frances Nunziata says she also experienced intimate partner violence, 48 years ago, when she was married. “It was very difficult to talk about it. You felt ashamed. You felt it was your fault … You didn’t talk about it, but you lived it every day.”
Councillor Lily Cheng moves an amendment to Chow’s motion, asking to include the police and community organizations in the city’s development of a plan to take action following this declaration of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence as an epidemic.
Council votes via show of hands to adopt Cheng’s amendment. Chow’s motion to declare gender-based violence and intimate partner violence an epidemic in Toronto CARRIES 24-0. (Perruzza, again a disembodied voice via remote participation, is also a ‘yes’.)
The mayor and councillors give the advocates in the gallery a standing ovation after the motion passes.
And now: audits. Last year, council awarded $1.5 billion in winter maintenance contracts, mostly to just two companies. The process was messy, with two failed RFPs and a non-competitive contract award. The AG has recommended some process improvements. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.AU2.5
Here’s a nifty chart from the auditor general’s report comparing the cost of snow clearing and other winter maintenance in Toronto under the patchwork of old contracts compared to the new consolidated contracts.
For more background on this, CBC’s Shawn Jeffords and John Rieti have a thorough rundown here. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-snow-clearing-over-budget-1.6906979
Councillor Paula Fletcher says she’s concerned about the city’s procurement, noting she’s had issues with the way this winter maintenance contract was awarded and also the deal the city made for online payments with PayIt. (She’d like the AG to look at that deal too.)
Councillor Stephen Holyday notes he was frustrated that the city received so few bids for these winter maintenance contracts. Seems like that’s an inevitable consequence of consolidating contracts, though — how many companies are even capable of operating at the City’s scale?
City identified $69 million in failures by its contractors this year but only moved to recoup $17 million. One reason? “Applying the full value of liquidated damages could cause the contractors to go out of business and thereby paralyze the City for the rest of the winter season”
After many questions to staff and some grumbling from councillors, both audits related to snow clearing contracts CARRY via a show of hands, with no motions. We’ll see how next winter goes, I guess!
Up now: another auditor report. This one’s about the city’s modular housing initiative. After some initial success at building homes fast for pretty cheap ($170K per unit), phase two has taken longer and been more expensive ($268K+ per unit.) https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.AU2.7
Councillor Cheng, who has opposed a modular housing project in her Willowdale ward, moves for further reviews by staff and the AG on the modular program for 2024 and 2025. “Change moves at the speed of trust,” she says, arguing city processes need to do more to build trust.
Cheng’s amendments carry via shows of hands, as does the auditor’s report. Up now: the province’s Bill 109 has imposed tighter timelines for development applications. In response, staff are recommending council delegate more powers to the Chief Planner. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH5.1
Councillor Stephen Holyday is especially concerned about the potential for delegating powers to authorize temporary uses of land to the chief planner. He moves to strike that bit from the staff recommendations. Councillor Perks rises to say he agrees. Rare Perks-Holyday mindmeld!
Everyone else is cool with the Holyday amendment too. It CARRIES via show of hands. So does the item.
Councillor Holyday would now like to vote against the installation of some new traffic lights. Council votes 20-1 to AUTHORIZE new traffic lights at Carlton & Homewood. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.TE6.74
Council votes 20-1 to AUTHORIZE new traffic lights at Yonge & Grenville. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.TE6.75
After a speech from Councillor Chris Moise lauding the project, Council votes 23-1 to APPROVE moving forward with phases four and five of the Regent Park revitalization — the final phases. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.TE6.21
And that’ll take council to lunch. Back at 2 p.m. with 42 items left on the agenda.
Council is back. After a couple of quick budgetary amendments from Councillor Shelley Carroll, Council approves the design for the new St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts design via show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX6.13
It’s now time for the member motion run-through: 36 items councillors would like to add to the agenda. Additions generally need two-thirds support. Council will consider each in sequence. It goes fast. Most are pretty minor, but I will note anything noteworthy.
Councillor Josh Matlow & Councillor Jon Burnside’s motion to look at ways to save the Science Centre at its current location at Don Mills & Eglinton gets ADDED to the agenda via a 19-4 vote. (Burnside also a yes.) They’ll debate it later. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.4
Councillor Bravo’s motion to provide $800K to expand affordable rental housing on Ossington Ave gets added to the agenda and CARRIES via a show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.11
Holyday’s motion to request the Minister of Municipal Affairs review requirements for registering to run for mayor of Toronto, so that maybe it takes more than $200 and 25 signatures, gets added to the agenda via show of hands. Colle holds it for debate. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.22
Councillor Colle’s motion to waive city fees for 106 new supportive housing units in a development on Elm Ridge Drive gets added to the agenda and CARRIES via a show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.25
Councillor Colle’s motion to request the province require tanker trucks carrying toxic and flammable materials use the 407, instead of the 401, when travelling through Toronto gets added to the agenda, but Holyday holds it. They’ll come back to it. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.28
Councillor Moise’s motion to waive fees for street closures related to the Just for Laughs comedy festival gets held by Holyday. For Holyday, street closures are no laughing matter. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.35
After all that, there are now 18 items left on this agenda. Up now: another planning report. The province recently changed the definition of an employment area to exclude retail and office uses. Toronto’s planning department is not a fan of the change. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH5.2
Following a quick debate, council votes via show of hands to adopt the planning staff recommendation to grandfather in existing commercial/retail/office uses in lands zoned for employment. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH5.2
On an item about Ontario Line construction, Council votes 24-0 to request Metrolinx submit their plans for things like complaint tracking and public reporting to the Community Liaison Committee monitoring the project. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.TM2.1
No speakers on the Science Centre item. Council votes 21-3 to APPROVE the Matlow/Burnside motion requesting staff look at ways to save the Science Centre at its current location, including potentially having the city step in and operate it. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.4
On the item about asking the province to review the requirements to run for mayor of Toronto (currently $200 and 25 signatures), Councillor Mike Colle says he thinks this is premature and the city should first look at more comprehensive election reforms. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.22
A Perks motion on the mayoral requirement item is coming, but not ready, so council lurches forward to another item — a request that the province require tanker trucks full of dangerous stuff to use Highway 407 instead of Highway 401. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.28
Councillor Holyday moves that the province designate the future Bradford Bypass — referring to the highway, not the recent mayoral campaign — as the preferred route for tanker trucks.
Holyday’s motion to request the province make tanker trucks carrying hazardous stuff through the GTA use the future Bradford Bypass highway FAILS 4-18.
Colle’s motion to request the province require hazardous-hauling tanker trucks to use Highway 407 instead of Highway 401 FAILS 10-12.
Colle’s motion for a report on actions that could keep Toronto residents who live near Highway 401 safe in the event tanker trucks crash or explode CARRIES 22-0.
Back to the item about the requirements to run for mayor. Perks moves to delete Holyday’s recommendation and instead request a review of those requirements as part of larger review of electoral reform, including stuff like ranked ballots and giving permanent residents the vote.
Holyday rises to say he thinks Perks’ amendment is out of order, because it totally changes the intent of his original motion. Nunziata says she’ll look into it.
On the matter of Holyday v Perks, Nunziata sides with Holyday and says Perks should just bring his motion through committee separately. Perks formally challenges the chair. Nunziata’s ruling is UPHELD, 15-8.
Councillor Carroll says she can’t support Holyday’s motion, because it just punts the issue to the Ontario government with no city review or recommendations first. “I fear that their response to that might be less about the number of candidates and more about who won.”
Councillor Anthony Perruzza wants change to the requirements to run for mayor of Toronto. “When some dude marches in with their dog, and says, ‘I’m signing up for my dog’, there’s something wrong with that!”
Perruzza says a dog running for mayor was “basically taking the Municipal Elections Act and parking it under a dog’s butt and having him poop on it, and have the media click away!” (“Madame Chair, that’s extreme!” yells Colle in protest.)
Fact check: a dog did not in fact run for mayor. The dog’s owner ran for mayor and just said it was his dog that was running. A steeper registration fee wouldn’t necessarily stop this. There are wealthy dog owners!
Anyway. Holyday’s motion to request the provincial government review the requirements to run for mayor of Toronto — currently $200 and 25 signatures — FAILS 11-11. Loses on a tie!
Six items left. Mayor Olivia Chow has added an item to the agenda authorizing staff to accept donations to support refugees and asylum seekers in Toronto. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.MM8.43
Chow’s donation item is quickly passed, along with a couple of others. There are now three items left. Council takes a five-minute recess so Nunziata and staff can figure out whether it makes sense to finish the agenda tonight.
Recess is over. Council moves on to an item about Toronto Hydro’s financial statements for last year. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX6.19
Toronto Hydro Board Vice Chair Michael Nobrega appears to have dialled into this council meeting from a log cabin.
Councillors Fletcher, Perks and Saxe are grilling the Toronto Hydro reps here about their commitment to climate change mitigation and the TransformTO plan.
Saxe asks when Toronto Hydro plans to switch their street lights to LEDs. Reps say they’re working on it and a report will be coming to council “at a future date.”
Councillor Dianne Saxe, formerly Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, says she reviewed local utilities as part of her previous role and Toronto Hydro was not one of the leaders at preparing for and addressing climate change. She says they’ve got to change.
The annual report from Toronto Hydro is ADOPTED via show of hands. Two items left. Mayor Olivia Chow moves to finish the agenda tonight. That CARRIES. Last major item is about employment land conversion requests: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH5.3
This report is about 70 requests from property owners to convert lands zoned from employment to allow more uses. There’s often big money at stake here — allowing residential tends to drive a better ROI than strictly industrial/commercial development.
Chief Planner Gregg Lintern says the city’s lands zoned for employment are like a city version of the green belt. “They could be called the ‘jobs belt’,” he says. Planning department tends to be reluctant to convert them to mixed-use.
After a bunch of questions to staff, Councillor Shelley Carroll moves an omnibus motion to convert a handful of properties zoned for employment to either “mixed-use” or “regeneration areas.” Addresses are listed here if you scroll down a lot: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH5.3
Some ~procedural drama~ here, as Councillor Nick Mantas apparently would like to add another address to the list of employment land conversions, but his motion is not ready. Councillor Burnside moves to “call the question” — ending debate, and Mantas’ chance to move his motion.
Carroll’s omnibus motion with a handful of employment land conversions CARRIES 23-0. Item as amended carries via show of hands.
Last item is about a dev at Broadview & Cosburn in Fletcher’s ward. She’s not happy about the lack of affordable housing. She moves to consider prioritizing Community Benefits Charges money for affordable housing nearby. That carries via show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.TE6.25
And that’s the ballgame. Mayor Olivia Chow’s first council meeting has come to a close. Up next: a special meeting in August to confirm new committee line-ups. Then a meeting in September to discuss the city’s financial plan.
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