Toronto City Council meets today! Here’s @neville_park’s cheat sheet: https://nevillepark.ca/2017/07/04/the-cheat-sheet-july-2017-city-council/
After months of delay, will council finally approve a traffic signal for Richmond & Simcoe this week? http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.TE24.72
Councillors presenting petitions in support of TransformTO climate change plan. There is concern the plan won’t be fully funded by council.
Council just voted 35-8 to deny the request to remove this Etobicoke tree. http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-104268.pdf (PDF)
The arborist’s report attached to the remove request attempts to make this tree sound pretty sinister. It also misidentifies it. Great work.
These tree removal applications are something else. Owner wanted to remove this at 501 Kingston Rd because it’s damaging the parking lot.
Coun. Cressy moves motion directing staff not to permanently close any more TCHC units in 2018/2019. Interesting twist!
Council voted this morning to finally/officially nix an old plan to build a bus ramp connecting Adelaide & Bayview. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.CC31.8
The ramp was part of a 2005 pseudo-DRL plan, where buses would run up and down the Don Valley.
Coun. Kelly wants Toronto to look at how Sweden approaches social housing. Also wants to look at vouchers.
Here’s a Guardian article: “How Sweden's innovative housing programme fell foul of privatisation.” Feels familiar. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/16/sweden-housing-programme-privatisation
In his speech supporting the Tenants First plan, Tory takes some shots at Coun. Perks and the @iamdavidmiller administration.
Coun. Kelly’s motion to explore Swedish social housing model and also vouchers PASSES 22-20.
Coun. Cressy’s motion to ensure no additional housing units close permanently in 2018/2019 PASSES 36-6. Might want to take note of those six
And the Tenants First - Phase One implementation plan is approved unanimously, 42-0.
(New councillor Jim Hart is unable to debate/vote on any TCHC items due to a conflict of interest.)
Next up: the TransformTO climate change plan. I’ll set the over/under on the number of climate change deniers/skeptics on council at 5.
Coun. Ford’s silly plan to study streetcars vs buses on Queen Street would cost $681,100, per report. https://x.com/moore_oliver/status/882321860918202368
Ah, yes! So close to a million dollars to explore a streetcar vs. bus question the TTC says it already knows the answer to. https://x.com/moore_oliver/status/882322925549965317
Coun. Layton moves that funding for TransformTO climate change plan be included in the city’s 2018 budget. This will be a key vote.
Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong wants to add a protection from taxes and fees clause to the city’s climate change plan.
Minnan-Wong describes climate change plan as “aspirational”, says city isn’t actually committing to this. He’s concerned about hiring staff.
Minnan-Wong says he thinks “businesses and innovators” will solve climate change, not government.
Coun. Davis fires back at DMW’s climate change thriftiness: “Is that the same criteria you used when we expedited repairs to the Gardiner?”
Coun Di Giorgio: “I don’t think Councillor McMahon’s motion necessarily creates a poison pill” for TransformTO. He said the quiet part loud.
Mayor Tory says he won’t support Layton’s motion directing staff to put the TransformTO money in the 2018 budget. But he supports the plan.
Minnan-Wong’s motion to add taxpayer protection to the climate change plan FAILS 10-33.
And Toronto’s TransformTO climate change plan as amended carries 43-0. Yet to be determined: the not-so-small matter of how to pay for it.
This is the script: council approves ambitious plans, soaks up positive vibes over the summer, doesn’t fund them in the winter.
They might as well go wild it. Adopt the “Everyone Gets Unlimited Ice Cream and a Sailboat Strategy.” Subject to budget process, of course.
Coun. Carmichael Greb moves to deny a 24-storey development near Yonge & Eg. Over intensification, she says.
The wording of the motion is funny. Any other valid planning reasons!
Despite huge costs and expert advice, Coun. Michael Ford wants to proceed with his gravy train study. http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/07/04/ford-streetcar-study-would-be-costly-ineffective-report.html
Shhhhhhh. https://x.com/TorontoCouncil/status/882687017527762946
After MONTHS, the traffic lights at Richmond/Simcoe have been approved by council, 33-2.
Shame Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong couldn’t be there for the vote. A real shame.
Some Matlow vs. Tory fireworks at council just now. Matlow stands to question the mayor, then stops and says “I realize it’s not worth it.”
Quick council transcript: Coun. Janet Davis asks Mayor John Tory if he’ll raise property taxes to pay for TCHC repairs.
After that exchange, council voted 30-9 to commission a report on a city-wide campaign that’d demand cash from the provincial government.
After Coun. Filion complained to AG about TPA land purchase, TPA hired lawyer to criticize Filion/AG. Wow. http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-105631.pdf (PDF)
This sure is something: lawyer complains about AG pointing out she found no evidence TPA staff benefited from land deal.
Tory has moved to put all TPA board members on a leave of absence, effectively immediately.
Mayor also wants TPA to use TMMIS for meeting agendas/minutes. (Can we also do this for TTC/police board, please?)
Sending support to my councillor @PamMcConnell28. Hoping for the best. http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/07/06/veteran-toronto-city-councillor-pam-mcconnell-gravely-ill.html
Council now moving to the King Street transit pilot debate. Transit nerds, assemble. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B0pGy8z1Gk
Coun. Karygiannis asks chief planner if they did “elaborate outreach” to people of Scarborough for their thoughts on the King Street plan.
Also: downtowner opinions on the downtown Gardiner Expressway are basically irrelevant. Consistency! https://x.com/jm_mcgrath/status/883067636254466050
Coun. Holyday asks City Transportation Manager how they’ll respond to complaints from drivers if congestion increases on and around King.
Report says exempting taxis from new King Street rules would effectively kill this pilot on day one. But council still might vote to do that
Staff will use a “dashboard” to monitor and evaluate the King Street pilot. Here’s what it might look like.
Coun. Mark Grimes, apparently no longer the midnight mayor, asks Andy Byford is King Street downtown gets busy at night.
In evening, staff say, taxis make up about 38% of the car traffic on King Street. Between 25% and 33% at other times.
Tory also wants to double the number of taxi stands on King and add new on-street parking spaces on side streets.
Does anyone believe for a damn second that taxis, who can ignore King St traffic rules at night, will respect the same rules during the day?
Full text of mayor’s motions on King Street pilot. https://x.com/TorontoCouncil/status/883078885679792128
Per staff, here are pros and cons of mayor’s proposal to exempt cabs at night from new King St rules. (via http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-105589.pdf [pdf])
Coun. Joe Cressy says taxi exemption worth trying. It sounds like this was a necessary concession to ensure this got through council.
Coun. Holyday has a diagram of a heart. He labels various arteries “King”, “Bloor”, “Gardiner.” Worries about congestion causing heart death
Coun. Holyday would also like to prioritize Front Street and part of Bathurst Street for motorist use. https://x.com/TorontoCouncil/status/883082352314003457
Don’t usually see pedestrian signals described as “motorist encumbrances.”
I’m told there was significant support brewing among councillors for full-time exemption for taxis. Mayor’s motion designed to avoid that.
Worry also that taxi industry would simply ignore all rules if not given some kind of concession.
Council votes 33-5 to request report on adding old City of Scarborough logo to Scarborough street signs.
Speaking of old logos, they really need to bring back the old Metro Toronto logo. A fidget spinner before fidget spinners.
Council votes 35-5 to request report on adding old East York logo to East York street signs. I’m detecting a trend.
Coun. Josh Matlow is lone vote (36-1) against accepting a donation to continue city programming at S.H. Armstrong Community Centre pool.
The strategy on the King Street pilot seems to be working. Etobicoke councillors Di Ciano, Campbell say they’ll support it.
Coun. Pasternak is concerned about lost parking revenue on King Street. Here’s a wild, maybe socialist idea: raise rates.
Coun. Pasternak suggests there are bigger transit needs and demands than King Street. He calls this project “corporate welfare.”
Coun. Ford says he’s not convinced this project will work for his residents in northwest Etobicoke.
Ford says traffic has been slowed down by loss of Yonge off-ramp from Gardiner and Bloor bike lanes. He won’t support King Street plan.
Perks, supporting the King plan, cities the book “Cities and Automobile Dependance.” Find it at your local library: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM1066120&R=1066120
Coun. Karygiannis moves to change night-time taxi exemption so it starts at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. He says some people go out earlier.
Coun. Wong-Tam hopes that, after adopting King Street pilot, council next moves on to supporting ambitious plan to transform Yonge Street.
Coun. Holyday motion to ditch King Street pilot and instead just ban some left turns FAILS 6-33.
Karygiannis motion to start taxi exempt time at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. FAILS 11-28.
Holyday’s motion to prioritize Front and Bathurst for motorists during King pilot FAILS 7-32.
The King Street transit priority pilot (with a night exemption for cabs) PASSES council 35-4. Implementation in the fall.
Council is done for the night. Back tomorrow with 28 items left on the agenda.
Agh. So sad. RIP. https://x.com/metrotoronto/status/883390337816772608
McConnell was so quietly effective at delivering so many great things. Look at Regent Park, West Don Lands — major, game-changing projects.
I always thought of McConnell as the best example of why institutional knowledge and experience at city hall can be so valuable.
Look at how she got funding for things like island ferry replacement or St. Lawrence Market north. Few councillors can stickhandle like that
McConnell opened an awesome park with a absurdly good dog fountain a week before she died. Role model. (Photo via http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/06/berczy-park-toronto-welcomes-new-kind-public-space)
