Toronto Council meets today! It's the PENULTIMATE meeting before the summer break. Mayor Chow has designated an item about hiring more paramedics as her first key matter, so it'll be debated first. You can watch the stream here—or just read what I post in this thread www.youtube.com/watch?v=shwn...
Of course, the real main event of this meeting will be a debate about sixplexes.
The sixplex vote is expected to be close. It's possible the mayor and Councillor Gord Perks, chair of the Planning & Housing Committee, will accept some kind of compromise. I previewed the debate and the whole agenda for my newsletter: toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/running-th...
But first: "Soccer" declares Mayor Olivia Chow. "Football!" She's giving a few remarks to mark the one-year countdown to FIFA World Cup 2026. The artist behind the city's FIFA poster, Dave Murray, is here. He poses.
Now Council watches a hype video in which actor Will Arnett talks about how much he likes Toronto. He's excited for the World Cup. He is not wearing a $3,000 suit. Come on.
Councillor Holyday wants to vote against an item asking staff to look at finding an unused TDSB school that could be used by the film industry for location shoots. He does so. Nevertheless, the item CARRIES 21-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Holyday also wants to vote against authorizing a construction staging area for a project at 3755 Bloor Street West. He does so. Nevertheless, the item CARRIES 21-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
And now Holyday wants to vote against a pedestrian crossing at Torbarrie Road and Judy Sgro Avenue. You guessed it: the item CARRIES 21-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Gord Perks schedules the two multiplex items to come right after the paramedic staffing item. So get hyped -- we're (probably) getting the sixplex debate today.
Councillor Brad Bradford, explaining that he won't be able to attend Council tomorrow because his sister is getting married, wants to vary procedure to schedule his King Street traffic motion for later today. Motion to add the item to the agenda CARRIES 19-4. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
After the usual housekeeping, 36 agenda items are held for debate. The rest pass on consent. There are also 23 member motions. (So far.) You can follow the agenda here: secure.toronto.ca/council/#/co...
"1,2,3 - ACTION!" says Speaker Nunziata. Up now: the paramedics have a multi-year staffing plan. And a PowerPoint presentation about the plan. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
This plan is prompted by a big spike in the number of time periods where less than 10% of ambulances are available to respond to calls. That's driven in part by crowded hospitals — paramedics collectively spend 700+ hours waiting in hospitals to transfer patients each day.
Paramedic staffing plan calls for 362 new hires by 2028. It'll cost City Hall about $26.3 million annually, assuming the province maintains cost-sharing agreement. (Which the city expects they will.) Staff say the goal is to reduce ~14 minute average ambulance response time to 12 minutes.
Mayor Olivia Chow heralds the paramedic staffing plan. She tells council about times when she had to call paramedics for her parents. "Every second counts, and paramedics offer a caring and helping hand," the mayor says. "Together we will have a safer and more caring city."
Councillor Lily Cheng wants a five-minute recess to give time for her to put together a motion on the paramedic plan. Councillors grumble about that idea of delay. "It takes time to cook a delicious stew!" she protests.
Council is having tech issues. The software that keeps track of councillor requests to speak on items isn't working. Councillors are instead being asked to just tell Nunziata if they want to speak. Old school. Holyday is VERY perturbed by this.
After several councillors speak just to kill time, the delicious stew is ready. Councillor Cheng moves to conduct a "comprehensive review of paramedic staff wellbeing."
Cheng's paramedic wellbeing motion CARRIES via show of hands. So does the paramedic staffing plan. Toronto Paramedic Services will hire 362 new staff over the next three years in a bid to reduce response times.
Up now: multiplexes! Council has a report saying their program to allow four-unit multiplexes city-wide has been successful. They are suggesting tweaks to the rules, though. Most notably, permissions for semi-detached houses & a cap on the number of bedrooms. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
(Just for clarity, this is NOT the sixplex item. That'll come after this.)
Councillor Shelley Carroll asks planning staff why all the photo examples of multiplexes in this attached "look book" are from the Toronto & East York District. Staff say, actually, there are examples in the photo book from other areas too. www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis... (PDF)
Councillor Ainslie asks if complaints about rooming houses have gone up since the city legalized them city-wide. "I would say they've stayed about the same," says MLS Director Carleton Grant. He says there may be a "slight increase" in places where "neighbourhood activists" tend to make many reports
Councillor Morley asks staff about the impact multiplexes are having on efforts to expand the tree canopy. "It's not having a significant impact — it's consistent with what we would see with other development across the city," staff say.
Morley asks about unit size in multiplexes. "The units tend to be larger than what the larger development industry is producing. We see larger units. We see more two and three bedroom units. That seems to just be a natural outcome of the demand and how builders are responding," planning staff say.
"How long would it take us to actually have meaningful data to have a fulsome understanding of the impact of fourplexes?" wonders Councillor Lily Cheng. "I think the report before you does give you a lot of meaningful information," staff say.
Noting that a lot of councillors are up in the gallery trying to get interviewed by the TV cameras, Nunziata calls for a quorum call. A bunch of councillors rush back to the council floor. "If you want to do interviews, do it on your lunch break," says Nunziata.
"Councillor Holyday was complaining about having issues with IT, and now he's up there being interviewed!" Nunziata grumbles. Anyway, it's time for lunch. Back at 2 p.m. to continue with the multiplex and sixplex fun.
Council is back. Councillor Bravo asks staff if it would be "useful" if there was a motion passed by Council about limiting on-street parking permits associated with multiplexes. Staff say sure. Bravo says she'll be moving that motion later. Okay then.
Councillor Nick Mantas asks staff about a hypothetical where there's a sixplex, where each unit has three or four car owners, wouldn't that mean, like, 20 vehicles? "I don't assume that every person or every bedroom is going to generate a vehicle," staff say.
"This idea of having multiple different kinds of dwelling types in a single neighbourhood — some people have said we need to pilot it. Would it be fair to say we've piloted this in downtown Toronto for about 100 years?" asks Councillor Perks. Planning staff confirm this is true.
Councillor Kandavel disputes staff's comment that vehicle ownership rates are on the decline. He says it's important to "acknowledge vehicle ownership will vary by geography." "Toronto's a big place. There will be variations across the city," staff say.
"I can tell you, factually, that areas of my community were not consulted," says Councillor Crisanti. "You're still comfortable with moving forward given the knowledge that we really haven't consulted directly with members of the community that are impacted?" Staff say they did LOTS of consultation
Time for speeches on multiplexes. "Imagine an image of a pig," starts Councillor Holyday. "And not a cartoon, endearing one, but one in a farm in a sty. And there's a saying, you can't put lipstick on a pig..." The analogy goes on for a while.
"Maybe they're happy with their neighbourhoods the way that they are. Maybe they experience joy in these neighbourhoods and they're not desiring this amount of change," says Holyday, in defence of people opposing multiplexes. "And they find these projects so upsetting."
"I will NOT put lipstick on a pig. I will NOT simply accept the multiplex program the way that it is. I will be voting against this," concludes Councillor Holyday. "There are lots of people in this city who really love the neighbourhood they live in — and have something to say about it."
Councillor Alejandra Bravo moves for staff to consider limiting on-street parking permits associated with multiplex addresses, in areas where parking is at or near capacity.
"Where are the people that run our buses, our personal support workers, our childcare workers, or working in construction, or manufacturing, or at the City of Toronto — where are they supposed to live?" asks Bravo, pointing out that multiplexes are cheaper than condos on a square-foot basis.
"If we're not making these kinds of choices, we're telling working-class people, we're telling young people, that we don't care about you, or where you live, or what your future is," says Councillor Bravo of expanding multiplex permissions.
Councillor Morley has motions. She wants to include information on flooding as part of the multiplex monitoring work. And she wants data on how lot size is changing as the number of multiplexes increases.
Councillor Dianne Saxe invites anyone skeptical or afraid of multiplexes to come for a walk in her ward, pointing out the Annex and Rosedale are full of different types of housing, including lots of multiplexes. "If you think that makes for a bad quality of life, come for a walk in my ward."
Councillor Shelley Carroll puts a chart of the new proposed bedroom limits up on the overhead. She's frustrated this chart wasn't included in the report.
"I'm stuck," says Carroll. "You know how much I embrace the housing and density we need ... but we're trying to socialize this living type in an area where they dealt with a decade of illegal rooming houses."
"I'd like to have the success they're having with it in Vancouver," says Caroll on multiplexes. "But I don't have the predominant lot type in my ward to do it. And I'm not getting the help from the public service to socialize it, and get to the point where the people can embrace it, not fear it.
Referring to the volume of "social media fear-mongering" about multiplexes, Carroll says, "We all got to get together on this, but today might not be the day." Doesn't sound very promising for housing advocates.
"This is the way you build a city that everybody lives in," says Councillor Gord Perks of multiplexes, noting that before these "missing middle" initiatives, Toronto was on track to only have two housing types: a single-family home, and a "little box in the sky."
Councillor Bravo's motion to consider ways to limit on-street permit parking for people in multiplexes CARRIES 22-3.
All other motions CARRY via show of hands. Multiplex monitoring item as amended CARRIES 18-7. Multiplexes will be permitted in semi-detached houses and a bedroom cap will be instituted.
On to the sixplex debate. Councillor Gord Perk notes he'd like to speak first on this item. Another bad sign for housing advocates. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
But first, staff questions. Councillor Stephen Holyday asks about the connection between this sixplex item and federal funds under the Housing Accelerator Fund. "If I vote no on this, am I giving up an opportunity for money?" The answer from staff is kind of wishy-washy.
Councillor Bravo notes a letter from the feds saying they could face consequences for not approving sixplexes, including a potential 25% cut to federal housing funds. Staff confirm that reduction could put several affordable housing projects at risk.
"Should we not make progress today on this particular item, we will be putting the people in Toronto who are in need of housing in peril?" asks Bravo. "It certainly would impact our ability to advance housing options for Torontonians," says staff.
Some pro-multiplex councillors have been taking a "there won't actually be very many multiplexes" track with their arguments which I guess is supposed to be reassuring for skeptics, but also feels kind of defeatist.
The letter from the federal government to Mayor Chow, warning about financial consequences for not moving forward with housing reforms like sixplexes, is now posted. Here's the key section. www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis... (PDF)
City Hall has received $235.6 million of the $471.1 million in federal funds pledged under the Housing Accelerator so far, leaving $235.5 million to come. A 25% cut to the remainder would work out to about $59 million in foregone revenue. A lot at stake.
Referring to the letter from the federal housing minister, Councillor James Pasternak calls the conditions attached to HAF funds "ridiculous." "Was there any pushback on these conditions?" he asks the City Manager. City Manager says there was lots of discussions prior to the letter.
Seems relevant. bsky.app/profile/more...
On questioning from Councillor Thompson, staff confirm the potential funding loss for not moving forward with sixplexes is about $30 million annually cut from federal HAF money. (~$60 million over two years.)
"Would I be safe to say that part of the issue here is this council's failure to actually inform Torontonians about our agreement with the federal government?" asks Thompson. City Manager says he wouldn't characterize it as failure, but does think the city could have done more to increase awareness
Councillor Paula Fletcher calls the federal government's warning of a 25% cut to housing funds a "blackmail clause." She asks staff why the clause wasn't mentioned in the sixplex report. Staff can't really say.
Here comes the compromise. Councillor Gord Perks moves to apply sixplex permissions only to Toronto & East York and Councillor Jamaal Myers' Ward 23 — and any other wards that want it. It also extends enhanced services to wards that allow sixplexes.
Councillor Perks says this compromise comes at great risk, including that HAF funds already received by City Hall could be clawed back. But he says part of the reason he finds himself in this position, is that some Toronto MPs have told councillors they don't actually need to approve sixplexes.
"I say to the federal government, if you want to achieve this city-wide, tell the members of your Toronto caucus to stop giving Toronto city councillors mixed messages," says Councillor Perks. He says Toronto MPs should be talking to resident associations and advocating for sixplexes.
Perks' motion opens the door to using the budget to punish NIMBY councillors, which is a novel approach. It's become immediately clear that a lot of those councillors hate the idea of receiving a lower level of funding for street cleaning and public realm maintenance.
Councillor Stephen Holyday moves to defer (delay) the sixplex item, sending it back to staff for more consultation and consideration.
Holyday says the federal government's letter only required a report on sixplexes, not necessarily Council approval. "I'm not going to stand here and get strongarmed into making a decision about money — in fact, I'm not going to SELL OUT the residents of the city," Holyday says.
This whole sixplex thing has really underscored a problem with planning jargon. "As of right" is a pretty inoffensive planning concept, but resident associations have been able to weaponize it as some scary, undemocratic thing.
Because Holyday moved to refer the sixplex item back to staff, the normal debate stops and we get a subdebate about whether to defer. Perks urges councillors to vote against deferral, arguing it creates an even bigger risk of losing the federal money.
Councillor Holyday's motion to defer the sixplex item and do more consultation FAILS 7-17.
Councillor Kandavel moves to further water down the sixplex recommendations, conducting a trial of six-unit multiplexes only in Toronto & East York district as a "test pilot" project.
Kandavel closes his speech by referencing last night's NYC election. "Zohran Mamdani ran and won NOT on a YIMBY platform, but on complexity and affordability ... it was addressing the needs of all the five boroughs." "We are risking suburban alienation with this," he says of sixplexes.
"As much as I'd like to ask you questions on your read of the New York mayoralty race, I'll let that go, and instead I want to ask you: why are you canceling the [sixplex] pilot in Ward 23?" Perks asks Kandavel. Kandavel says that's not his intention, and will revise his motion.
"Why are you making a pilot in other people's wards?" Myers asks Kandavel. "That's... a legitimate question," says Kandavel. "It's up for debate, whether you support it or not." He says he's concerned an Official Plan amendment for Toronto & East York would lead to "creep" into other wards.
Councillor Bradford moves to strike the part of Perks' motion that would provide enhanced services to sixplex-permitting wards. He calls it "petty and divisive."
Bradford says he'll support Perks' sixplex compromise motion otherwise, though. "I just don't think today we're ready here across the board, and that's why Councillor Perks is moving that motion — because the votes aren't there for [sixplexes]," he says.
"I think that the conversations with local councillors are really important. And we ought not to admonish them. We ought not to perpetuate the divide between downtown and suburbs," says Bradford, striking a pretty interesting tone.
Councillor Shelley Carroll says the multiplex program "hasn't gone well", citing the example of an application that sought to build a fourplex with 30 bedrooms. She's glad council has now adopted a bedroom cap, but criticizes the planning staff considering permit applications in the suburbs.
"We know about diversity. We know about the need for housing. We know about all of those things," says Carroll. "We're just saying, we have to proceed at a certain pace, so our community can have faith as we go there."
"I always like to say that change has to happen at the speed of trust," says Cheng. "And frankly, my community has a difficulty in trusting the city" She cites "dystopian Yonge Street" and crowded rec centres. She wants more support for city services in Willowdale before adding even more population
Councillor Paula Fletcher on the federal government's letter warning of a 25% cut to housing funds: "We have a hammer! We have a blackmail letter! We have a THREAT. 'If you don't do what we tell you by the 30th of June, it's over for one quarter of all your money.'"
That's all the speakers. Mayor Olivia Chow did not speak on the sixplex item.
Councillor Holyday's motion to receive the sixplex item for information and take no action FAILS 5-19.
Councillor Bradford's motion to strike the notion of enhanced services for sixplex-permitting wards FAILS 11-12. Close one!
Councillor Perks' compromise motion to allow sixplexes in Toronto & East York and Ward 23 (but not city-wide) CARRIES 17-7.
Councillor Kandavel's motion for a report on how the sixplex stuff is going in Q2 2027 CARRIES 17-7.
Councillor Bradford wants to extend the meeting to deal with his King Street traffic motion (he wants to pause the transit priority rules during this summer's construction). He can't be here tomorrow because of his sister's wedding. But his motion to extend is DENIED, 11-10. He needed two-thirds.
Statement from Mayor Olivia Chow: "Council would not support the proposal city-wide. So together with Housing Chair Gord Perks, we found a path forward to allow more missing middle housing through sixplexes in nine wards across the city, with the option for remaining wards to opt-in."
Anyway, that's all for today. Council will return tomorrow with 55 items left on the agenda. First up: the school food program, followed by some corporate board nominations, then consultations for new shelters. Exciting times. Also coming up: a parking strategy.
A programming note: I've got a preschool graduation ceremony to attend tomorrow morning. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll catch up on my coverage over the lunch break and resume live play-by-play for the afternoon session. See you then.
I have returned, now as a proud parent to a preschool graduate. Time flies. Coverage will return when council gets back from lunch. That's supposed to be at 2 p.m., but I bet it'll be more like 2:20 p.m. Today's livestream is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSeH...
A few notes from the morning session. Things kicked off as usual, with Councillor Holyday voting against some stuff. He was on the losing end of a pair of 19-1 votes to authorize closures of the Gardiner & DVP next year for the Triathlon Festival and the Bike for Brain Health.
Councillor Holyday was also the only councillor to oppose an item about the mayor's efforts to expand school food programs. It was APPROVED 17-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Holyday on school food programs: "It’ll be interesting when they go to their first job, on their first day, and they sit down in the lunch room, and then turn and ask where their meal is, having not been taught through their life to look after themselves and prepare a meal.”
In response to Holyday's Scroogey ways, Councillor Gord Perks read an extended passage from Dickens' A Christmas Carol, ending with "Are there no prisons ... are there no workhouses?"
Council also debated and voted on a pair of motions intended to ease traffic congestions during the King-Church construction closure. - A mayoral motion to move loading zones off Adelaide Street - A Bradford motion to temporarily remove transit priority measures.
Transportation staff opposed the Bradford motion, arguing that even with streetcars rerouted, King still sees 600 bus trips a day, with about 25K riders. Staff said it'd take about 2.5 weeks to remove transit priority across the whole corridor, mostly because of a need to reprogram traffic signals.
Arguing in favour of removing the transit priority, Councillor Bradford displayed a photo of King & Simcoe taken at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. "It's empty!" he said. "There's nothing going on there."
Holyday demanded an explanation for why it would take a couple of weeks to retime traffic signals. Staff said components need to be preogrammed and reinstalled. "Can I help?" Holyday asked. "A certified electrician is actually required to do that work," said the Director of Traffic Management.
Chow ultimately passed an amendment to Bradford's motion, authorizing staff to remove transit priority measures only in areas where streetcars AND buses aren't currently running. That basically leaves only a small section near Yonge Street. Bradford called it a "poison pill."
Chow's amendment to the Bradford motion on King Street CARRIED 16-5. The bulk of the transit priority measures will stay. Staff say major King-Church construction is on schedule to wrap up in August. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council is back. Councillor Pasternak introduces a petition signed by 1,490 people opposing a shelter planned for 1220 Wilson Avenue.
Time for member motions. Councillor Paul Ainslie's motion requesting the TPA report parking lot usage data quarterly CARRIES via show of hands. Get hyped. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Carroll's motion to report through the budget process on improving seasonal grass cutting CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Holyday's motion requesting the TTC look at alternatives to bus stops on Beaver Bend Crescent CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
But Holyday's motion to pause a real estate transaction related to a new shelter in his ward FAILS to make the agenda. It'll go to the Ec Dev Committee instead. Vote was 6-12, but result wasn't displayed on screen. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council votes unanimously to extend congratulations to the Cabbagetown Group Softball League. It's their 50th anniversary. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council wraps up the member motions. In celebration, Councillor Matlow announces there is food from a Brazilian bakery available. He apologizes to those attending virtually, since they can't have any.
Up now: a debate about the consultation process for new shelters. Councillor Pasternak has pre-circulated a motion "to pause all and any work toward the construction of a homeless shelter at 1220 Wilson Avenue" until more consultation is done. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
"Are you aware that there is a shelter just down the street from 1220 Wilson Avenue?" Pasternak asks the head of shelters. "Very aware," he says, but points out the faciltiy at 1677 Wilson is a shelter hotel that will be closed as part of a plan to move toward smaller purpose-built shelters.
The issue at the centre of this debate is that Council voted several years back to delegate decision-making authority about new shelter locations to staff, in an attempt to take the politics out of it. Some councillors would now like to put the politics back in, apparently.
Burnside asks about shelter location decisions. "They've traditionally been concentrated in the downtown, and we're being purposeful in trying to move these outside of the downtown, because people experiencing homelessness come from every ward of the city," staff say.
"It's been my experience that talking to community members about whether they want or don't want a shelter has not proven to be the best path to getting these essential programs open as quickly as possible," says Shelters General Manager Gord Tanner.
Tanner reiterates numbers that moving from shelter hotel programs to these new purpose-built shelters would save the city about $280K per month. Councillor Bravo does the math: "Wow, that's $3.36 million per year."
Councillor Dianne Saxe says there is a "rising tide of fury about encampments" in her ward. "How long would this motion delay getting people out of my parks?" she asks Tanner. Tanner said he can't say exactly, but confirms requiring more consultations would mean delays. Maybe "a couple of weeks."
Councillor Pasternak moves a revised version of his advanced-circulated motion. It now calls for a "reset" of the consultation process for the shelter planned for 1220 Wilson Ave.
"Quite frankly, shelters will not solve the problems that we face. The only way to solve homelessness is massive investments in mental health, and massive investments in harm reduction," Councillor James Pasternak says.
Pasternak calls the 1220 Wilson Ave shelter plan a "doomed site" and says it will be "just another storage facility for homeless people." He calls instead for a partnership with Humber River Hospital to offer supportive housing on their property.
Saxe says she'll support Pasternak's motion for more consultation on the 1220 Wilson Avenue shelter. She's been convinced the consultation can happen without delaying the opening of the new shelter.
"Can't hear you!" Councillors are having trouble hearing Councillor Kandavel so he gets closer to his microphone. VERY close. Extremely close. Too close.
Councillor Carroll suggests some of her colleagues should look up the word "consultation" in the dictionary. "It is a meeting to discuss something or to get advice. It doesn't say, 'A meeting to give your opinion and then be obeyed.'"
Councillor Bravo moves to require individual shelter consultations only if the local councillor requests them.
"Think about Lorenzo Berardinetti, who shared his own story. Having sat here in this chamber, having been a member of provincial parliament, and now speaking about his own experience of how a shelter was his first step back into home," says Bravo, underlining the importance of shelters.
Bravo's motion to only hold separate consultations for each shelter site if the local councillor makes the request CARRIES 21-1.
Pasternak's motion to "reset" the consultation process for the shelter planned for 1220 Wilson Ave CARRIES 21-1.
Up now: a planning report about the impacts of the province's recent housing bill (Bill 17), presumably titled something like Building Homes Faster For Real This Time Seriously We Mean It Why Are You Laughing. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
City CFO Stephen Conforti says greatest impact from new housing bill is the deferral of development charge payments. It's a $1.9 billion cash flow impact for the city. City has $2.8 billion in reserves, but also over $6 billion in capital spending commitments. This could translate to project delays
Councillor Michael Thompson has a motion on the housing bill item that isn't ready yet, so Council skips ahead to a report about finding better uses for underused, unprofitable parking lots. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Stephen Holyday suggests staff should use Google Street View to verify if their "utilization rates" for parking lots are accurate. He says some parking lots that are listed as underused actually are "jammed" based on Street View. I have some questions about this methodology.
"I wish we still had these [reports] sent on paper, because I'd love to rip it up! Crumple it into a ball!" says Councillor Stephen Holyday of report recommending finding new uses for underused parking lots. "I'm furious about this report."
"I know we dream of a day where everyone is on a bike, on higher order transit, maybe we'll be on hoverboards one day," says Councillor Lily Cheng. "But many people that we hope to draw to our city come from the greater GTA, and they are visiting our city, many of them, in cars."
Councilor Cheng says she grew up in Brampton, and the parkades at Kensington Market, St. Clair, the Esplanade and the waterfront were "important assets that were part of my childhood." She urges councillors to "have a sober look" before getting rid of parking lots.
The report on a process for repurposing underused parking lots for housing, parks or other uses is APPROVED 19-2. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: a report on Magna's provincially-approved self-driving delivery vehicle pilot project on the west side of downtown. Councillor Fletcher has a motion tweaking some language about requests for a report on potential data privacy issues. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
"The idea that robots will do everything for us is a really scary prospect to me," says Councillor Alejandra Bravo. "At a time when we have so many people in the city that are unemployed. And we have a crisis of youth unemployment that we haven't seen in decades."
Councillor Dianne Saxe notes the robot cars will be headquartered in her ward, "without our consent." "And I do want anyone who sees this car to know that they are photographing your face, for their profit." She urges people to complain to the federal privacy commissioner.
"This is literally something that Premier Ford wrote a special regulation on so a corporation — and this is the thing you need to know about this — can train its AI," says Councillor Gord Perks of the robot cars. "They are monetizing a public asset."
Fletcher's privacy-focused amendments to the self-driving robot car item both CARRY 20-0.
Back to the report on the provincial housing bill. Councillor Michael Thompson moves to request a meeting with the Government of Ontario to discuss the city's concerns. Sure, I guess.
Thompson's motion CARRIES via show of hands. Holyday wants the vote on this to be sliced and diced. Recommendations 4-5 and 7-9 from the staff report are APPROVED 19-1. The rest CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: another parking debate! Transportation staff have put together a "strategic parking framework." The kids are calling it the SPF. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Mayor Olivia Chow moves to look at an improved design for parking signage and report on a pilot project. She also wants to look at a system for temporary on-street permits that doesn't require people to have a printer. (Yes please.)
Councillor Lily Cheng has a motion for a report on ways to "create city parking capacity in new areas of density." She says she wants all new dense areas to thrive, and that requires parking for visitors who "don't take transit or can't take transit."
Chow displayed this sign from L.A. as an example of the kind of streamlined parking signage she'd like to see in Toronto.
Holyday asks if one way Cheng could achieve the goal of her motion is to bring back parking minimums for new developments. Cheng says no. She's more focused on parking for people visiting Toronto, again highlighting the importance of parkades to her childhood.
Holyday has FIVE parking motions, starting with this one that seeks to bring back parking minimums for developments. He says "parking is such an important component of our society."
Holyday's other motions ask Council to affirm: - on street parking (or lack of it) is "defining characteristic" of some neighbourhoods - parking is critical for businesses - parking is linked to productivity - parking should be used to reduce barriers to public amenities
Saying "it just gets people upset", Councillor Paula Fletcher moves to remove part of the strategy that'd work toward charging for parking at all city-owned lots. (Some currently offer free parking.)
Fletcher also moves to request the cops establish a consistent "grace period" policy for parking on religious holidays, and to request additional accessible parking spaces.
Councillor Jon Burnside takes a stand against free parking for people attending religious services, noting religious institutions already get a break on property taxes. "Let's cut out the free parking on Sunday morning, instead of exanding free parking — we all know we need the money."
Council takes a dinner break. Back at 6:30 p.m. to try to finish this agenda. There are 19 items left. Oh no.
Council is back and voting on parking issues. The evening stream is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB-1...
Councillor Holyday's motion to bring back parking minimums FAILS 7-9. Not sure everyone knows what they're voting on here.
Holyday's motion to affirm that on-street parking — or a lack thereof — is a "defining characteristic" of a neighbourhood FAILS 9-11.
Holyday's motion to affirm that access to parking is part of reducing barriers to civic amenities is ruled redundant. Holyday challenges that ruling. The ruling is upheld 16-5. Moving on.
Holyday's motion to affirm that parking is of "critical importance" to business and residents FAILS 9-12.
Holyday's motion to recognize that parking is linked to the cost of living and business productivity FAILS 9-12.
All other parking motions CARRY via show of hands. And the Strategic Parking Framework as amended CARRIES 19-2.
Up now: an update on the Vision Zero road safety plan. I believe this is where Councillor Anthony Perruzza plans to move for a temporary pause on photo radar cameras? TBD. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Jon Burnside asks if it's true that about 25% of license plates captured by the city's photo radar cameras were obstructed. Transportation staff say they agree with that stat.
Mayor Olivia Chow is out with a statement previewing a motion she plans to introduce about speed cameras. She wants signs warning of speed cameras to be larger, and for a cap on the number of tickets a driver can get before they receive their first ticket in the mail.
"Would you say that automated speed enforcement saves lives?" Councillor Gord Perks ask Transportation GM Barbara Gray. "Absolutely," says Gray. She points to studies from Sick Kids Hospital that make that conclusion.
Mayor Olivia Chow officially introduces her motion on speed cameras, for larger signs, directed funding, and a limit on the number of infractions you can rack up before you get your first speeding ticket in the mail.
Chow says she wants the signs warning of speed cameras to be "as big and loud as possible — put it in their face! Put it everywhere! Warn them ahead of time, if the camera is just arriving."
"I'm hoping there's more than one way to skin a cat here," says Councillor Carroll. "Aww, poor cat," says the mayor. "Sorry, was that politically incorrect to cat-lovers?" wonders Carroll. Sun's getting real low.
Councillor Perruzza has a motion, but it's NOT a motion to pause the speed camera program. Instead, he wants a report in Q4 to "ensure tickets are dispensed fairly and clearly."
Chernos Lin asks about the 1st part of Perruzza's motion: is he intending that speed cameras would only be active during school hours? Perruzza says he's asking for a "reasonable conversation" about whether you should get a ticket for speeding in a school zone on Islington Ave at 2 a.m. Specific!
"As a former officer, I would think you would have heard this complaint all the time, about 'I didn't see that sign.'" Perruzza says to Councillor Burnside. "And I said, 'too bad,'" says Burnside, a former cop.
Councillor Josh Matlow has a motion. He wants to create "service level timeframes" for installing Vision Zero road safety infrastructure. He says it sets city hall up for failure when it takes years to install promised road safety improvements.
Councillor Chris Moise brings up Jarvis Street as a place where drivers routinely speed. He points out there are a bunch of schools along the route. Nice to hear, because I feel like there's been some reluctance to bring up Jarvis since the ill-fated bike lanes.
Councillor Holyday has two motions. -Report on limiting the hours of day speed cameras operate -Consider wrapping the cameras in a bright colour to make them easier to see.
"I'm not prepared to go to some child's parents in my ward, and say, you know, 'I'm really sorry your child was hit, so we decided to make the cameras more visible — we made it easier for people to speed,'" says Councillor Paul Ainslie. He'd like to do away with warning signs altogether.
Councillor Shelley Carroll moves to amend the part of Chow's motion that'd put a cap on infractions before the first ticket is received. She says it's a "tricky one" with regulatory changes and requires a report before Council makes any changes.
Councillor Burnside wants to speed through the rest of this speed camera debate. He moves to call the queestion and proceed straight to the votes. That CARRIES 15-4.
Perruzza's motion for a report in Q4 on making sure speed camera tickets are being issued fairly FAILS 4-16.
All other motions and the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan update as amended CARRY via show of hands. "Thank god that's over," mutters Nunziata. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Kandavel tries to defer a 7-storey development application, but his motion FAILS 7-14. Councillor Thompson moves to approve the project. That CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Kandavel also tries to move this public art motion related to another development application. But it FAILS 10-11. Interesting! Kandavel seems confused by the outcome. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council APPROVES a planning recommendation to allow more infill development on apartment lands. Vote was 19-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Holyday moves to remove his ward from initial phases of a study on allowing more density on avenues. That motion CARRIES 10-9. Strange things are afoot. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Perruzza moves to reject an 832-unit development application on Weston Road. "There's no real amenities here," he says — it won't be part of a "complete community." secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Perruzza urges Council to give this application "sober second thought", but Councillor Gord Perks moves to approve the application. "We don't get to be the sober second thought," explains Perks. "The sober second thought is the Ontario Land Tribunal. And I have doubts about their sobriety."
Up now: hot hot heat. Mayor Olivia Chow has a motion to review the city's heat relief strategy, following this week's scorching hot weather. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Mayor Olivia Chow moves some amendments to her heat motions, including swapping out the idea of designating a "chief heat officer" with a "chief resiliency officer." She cites projections showing a significant increase in hot days and rainfall. "We know we have a climate crisis," she says.
Chow points out that the city moved to open pools earlier, knowing the heatwave was coming. But she acknowledges "there was a gap" that led to some pools closing for periods on Sunday, due to a lack of lifeguards and the need to give staff a break from the heat. "We can do a lot more," she says.
Councillor Matlow praises Chow for her motion about creating a Chief Resiliency Officer and addressing climate change impacts. "The fact that John Tory did not ensure we were set up for success in future years is a failure," he says.
Mayor Olivia Chow's motion to provide up to $50K in funding to make sure 500,000 bottles of water are available for distribution in a heat emergency CARRIES 21-1.
Councillor Bravo's motion to find more 24/7 cooling spaces that can be available during extreme heat CARRIES 21-1.
Chow's motion to report back in Q4 on a new heat strategy, looking at appointing a new Chief Resiliency Officer, and her motion to work with the Red Cross on heat relief efforts, CARRY 21-1.
The last item also has to do with the heat. Councillor Bravo would like to make changes so it's easier for people to know whether their local pool is open or closed. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
"This was a heat emergency. We knew it was coming. Toronto Fire knows what to do. EMS knows what to do. Somehow, we didn't know what to do? ... Are we just going to get an apology? Are we going to see this stuff again?" Councillor Burnside asks city staff about Sunday's rolling pool closures.
"It is a commitment ... an action that's already been taken. It's beyond an apology in terms of the readiness for that," staff say in response to criticisms of Sunday's pool closures. They seem confident it won't happen again.
On further questioning, City Manager says the issue was that the city moved to open pools early and extend hours, but didn't also move to increase staffing levels. "We should have had more staff there," says park staffer.
Bravo says her motion is really about making sure 311 has up-to-date information on whether pools are open, and that the city website listing pool status is easier to find, etc. It CARRIES via show of hands.
Looks like we made it. Nunziata closes by grumbling about all the councillors attending the meeting virtually. "Geez, all you have is this screen with all these little heads!" she says. Anyway, the agenda is done.
I do hope you enjoyed this thread. It was, as always, a real journey through many emotions. If you find the work I do useful, please consider a subscription to my newsletter, City Hall Watcher. It keeps me going. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/subscribe