Toronto City Council meets today! The mayor has designated the report on the subway upload as his key matter, meaning it’ll be debated first. You can stream it live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg0HvjomE0w
Councillor Paul Ainslie rises to note today is the anniversary of the day @rebelmayor first took office. Wonder how he’d react to the subway upload.
Councillor Michael Ford made a mistake when voting on the Hearn heritage item, so council re-votes. Second vote is 22-2 to designate the Hearn as a heritage property.
Council now officially kicking off their debate on the subway upload, with TTC chair Jaye Robinson asking questions to staff. Again, stream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg0HvjomE0w
Robinson asks about sunk costs — money already spent on transit projects that could be wasted if province changes/rips up plans. Staff say “considerable” dollars already spent and at risk.
Councillor Michael Ford asks the city manager if Torontonians should be “terribly alarmed” by news about subway upload negotiations. City Manager Chris Murray: “alarmed only to the extent that they would surely like to know more detail.”
As @johnlorinc has pointed out, the city’s only real bargaining chip in these negotiations is their $910 million contribution to the Scarborough subway project, raised through a dedicated property tax increase & development charges. Council could play a bit of hardball with that.
Councillor Paul Ainslie asks City Manager Chris Murray if city intends to seek cost recovery for funds spend on transit projects to date that could be wasted if province changes direction. “That would be a very logical thing for us to talk about,” says Murray.
There’s some precedent for getting reimbursed when transit plans are changed. When city tore up plans for Scarborough LRT, Metrolinx asked for (and received) $75 million from Toronto to reimburse their sunk costs.
Councillor Paula Fletcher gets staff to confirm that the provincial government — the same one that is now seemingly seeking changes — approved the Transit Project Assessment for the relief line in Fall 2018.
Councillor Mike Colle refers to a “mysterious” and “magical” technology the province is considering for the relief line. TTC say they’ve asked repeatedly for details as to what the province is looking at, but no dice.
TTC staff confirm the new one-stop Scarborough Subway cost is “just shy of $3.9 billion.”
Staff say an “omnibus transit report” coming to council next month — updates on all transit projects, costs, next steps.
City Manager Chris Murray says province hasn’t expressed any interest yet in Eglinton East LRT.
Good point raised by Councillor Jennifer McKelvie: province was originally only focused on uploading subways, so why did they include Eglinton West LRT in their letters? City Manager agrees this could look like scope creep.
Councillor Wong-Tam: “Does it concern you that you are asking questions and not receiving substantial answers, and having to re-ask the question and again not get answers?” City Manager Chris Murray: “I think that’s a reasonable comment.”
Councillor Michael Thompson asks what the province means when they say in their letter they want the three-stop subway to extend northward from Scarborough Centre. Toronto Chief Planner Gregg Lintern says he doesn’t know.
Striking how much this is NOT a discussion about the nuts and bolts of the province taking over subway infrastructure — instead, it’s about province wanting to control expansion. Nothing in provincial letters about maintenance of existing system, operating challenges, etc.
There’s a concern that the province’s major rationale for wanting ownership is the subway system is so they can borrow against value of asset to fund expansion, but maintenance is critical. $22B in needed investment through 2033.
Councillor Gord Perks raises concerns that province will contract “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Subway Company” to build extensions. (And then keep the info secret.)
Staff confirm: - Burying Eglinton West LRT would take longer than current plan. - Adding stops to Scarborough subway would take longer than current plan. - It’s unknown if new tech for DRL would delay plan. - Opening Yonge North extension before DRL would overwhelm system.
Councillor John Filion moves to go into private session to continue this subway upload debate. Motion carries. Back in public session sometime after 2 p.m.
Council is back, debating the subway upload some more. New livestream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpd0zTYJfo0
Councillor Holyday asks what kind of “new technology” the TTC is thinking about using on the Relief Line. Staff say they’re planning to use new trains, new signal system, platform edge doors at stations, but RL trains would be able to use Line 2 to get to and from storage yard.
Layton gets staff to point out the TTC moves about 520 million passenger rider per year, while GO Transit moves about 90 million. Totally different scale.
Councillor James Pasternak asks about what could happen if this subway upload issue ends up in the courts. Councillor Gord Perks suggests those kinds of questions should be asked and answered in private session. Hm.
A short pause here to congratulate Director of Transit and Transportation Planning James Perttula for his hair game.
We’re on to motions! First: Councillor Joe Cressy moves for a public information campaign opposing the subway upload: ads on the TTC, and announcements in stations.
Cressy on city-province relations: “If we wait for them to throw the first punch before we hit back, we will lose.”
Councillor Josh Matlow has a motion to, among other things, “cease further engagement with the Province of Ontario on matters regarding the upload of Toronto’s existing subway network.”
Matlow: “Our focus should be a straight line: focus on getting evidence-based transit built, focus on using every tax dollar wisely, focus on getting the job done—not just to build transit, as is often said, but to build the right transit, in the right places, based on evidence.”
Matlow: “If they want to build a subway to Pickering, and I hope they don’t, nothing stands in their way — they don’t need to upload Toronto’s subway to do that.”
Motion from Councillor Brad Bradford, requesting some reports and to reiterate the city’s commitment to delivering the relief line as an urgent priority.
Councillor Paula Fletcher wonders why the people who brought us the Presto card should be handed control of Toronto’s transit.
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam has a motion. She wants all communications from the city to the province re: the subway upload to include a preamble stating that the city does not want to upload the subway.
Wong-Tam also mentions leaving options open for litigation. The people want court cases, folks. Court cases, court cases, court cases.
Councillor Mike Colle has a motion: he wants the province to tell the city about the mysterious new transit technology they seemingly want to use for the relief line. Seems like a fair request.
Colle recalls the story of last time the province wanted to use a secret technology, which got us a Scarborough RT that can’t handle snow. He calls the province’s DRL approach a “secretive scheme” and worries they’ll repeat “the biggest blunder in Toronto transportation history.”
Mike Colle has not been one to get too fired up about things since his return to council, but he’s fired up about this.
Councillor John Filion, who authored a book about Doug Ford’s brother, calls the premier “a bully in a china shop.”
Councillor Gord Perks has a motion to allow deputations at the next Toronto City Council meeting re: the subway upload.
Councillor Anthony Perruzza: “The provincial government isn’t built to build subways in Toronto. It’s not a political winner in Wawa! You don’t come along and say ‘I’m going to drop $10 billion in Toronto because I’m going to win votes in Wawa!’”
Perruzza makes the case that after the province uploads the subway they will quickly realize spending money on it is not a great way to win votes anywhere except the 416, so investment will decline.
Scarborough councillor Michael Thompson says he’s talked to the premier about bringing back the three-stop subway. He says residents want three stops.
Councillor Mike Layton has a motion to ask the province for a value-for-money assessment of the transit projects they’ve highlighted in their letters to the city.
TTC chair Jaye Robinson: “The SRT will reach a state of ‘ongoing failure’ by 2026.” That, uh, sounds bad.
One-stop Scarborough subway currently has a targeted opening date of 2026. Robinson says a subway station takes about two years to design, so adding stations to Scarborough line now presumably adds at least two years of delay.
Two competing motions re: a public information campaign on the subway upload, from Cressy and Bailão. Tory says he’ll support Bailão’s.
Tory says he’ll oppose Perks’ motion to invite the public to depute on the subway upload at the next council meeting. He says he thinks that kind of thing is better done elsewhere.
Tory also says he’ll be opposing Matlow’s motion to cease negotiating with the province on uploading the subway. He thinks it’s important to remain at the table.
Tory says he trusts City Manager Chris Murray, and if Murray does eventually tell council that negotiations have broken down, he’ll then support walking away.
Councillor Matlow’s motion will be split into pieces. First: motion to have negotiations between city-province focus on more efficient and cost-effective transit construction, and improved regional transit, CARRIES 18-8.
Part two of Matlow’s motion, to stop engaging with province about subway upload, FAILS 7-19.
Part three of Matlow’s motion, to have the City Manager report on risks and implications of any provincial legislation re: subway upload CARRIES 23-3.
Councillor Bradford’s motion for report on opportunities to secure binding financial contribution agreements from province, and reiterate importance of relief line, CARRIES 26-0.
Councillor Wong-Tam’s motion to add a preamble to communications indicating the city is negotiating with the province under protest FAILS 10-16.
Councillor Colle’s motion that the city request the province tell us about their secret relief line technology CARRIES 26-0.
Councillor Perks’ motion that the city hear from the public through deputations about subway upload at next council meeting FAILS 9-17.
Councillor Layton’s motion that province provide city with value-for-money analysis of their preferred transit projects CARRIES 23-3.
And the City Manager’s update on the status of subway upload negotiation as amended CARRIES 23-3, with Perks, Matlow and Wong-Tam opposed.
Councillor Cressy’s motion for a public information campaign opposing subway upload FAILS 8-18.
Councillor Bailao’s motion for a public information campaign opposing the subway upload CARRIES 25-1. But they’re redoing this one.
On a revote, Councillor Bailao’s motion for a public information campaign opposing the subway upload CARRIES 26-0.
The language in Bailão’s motion is a bit softer than Cressy’s, but it references “City Council’s position on a transit upload, affirmed by City Council in Item CC1.6 at its meeting on December 4, 5, and 13, 2018” which was to oppose an upload, so I think it’s basically the same?
The first point of CC1.6 was “City Council reaffirm its support for keeping ownership of the Toronto Transit Commission in the City of Toronto.” We’ll have to wait to see what the public info campaign actually looks like, but that’s what it will be based on.
If you followed this thread today and want more info and analysis about this subway upload issue, I’d love it if you subscribed to @cityhallwatcher — my weekly newsletter. $5 a month (or $50/year) gets you access, and supports coverage like this. https://graphicmatt.substack.com/about
Councillor Paul Ainslie moves a motion asking the Toronto Police to provide their reports to Open Data in the proper formats, and not just PDFs. Carries on a voice vote.
Councillor Stephen Holyday moves that the city work with the Heart & Stroke Foundation to find alternatives to closing down the Gardiner/DVP for the Ride for Heart in future years. Motion FAILS 10-15.
Holyday also tried to find alternatives to shutting down the expressways for the Toronto Triathlon Festival. Fails 7-18.
Toronto City Council is back, and they just voted 16-5 in favour of a $5 million light show at the Toronto Zoo, paid for by funds raised for the zoo through the Toronto Foundation.
Now at council: Councillor John Filion moves to refer changes to zoning bylaws governing shelters back to committee for more consideration.
The zoning changes council is considering would delete requirements that new shelters must be located at least 250 metres away from existing shelters, and that all shelters be located within 80 metres of a major street.
And Council is now heading into private session to talk about public appointments to the TTC board and Library board.
Council is back. Motion from Cressy, Bailão and Bradford to look at raising the land transfer tax on homes selling for $3 million+ gets added to the agenda. Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong holds it for debate.
Councillor Mike Layton’s motion for a report on pursuing compensation from polluters for city’s costs related to climate change does NOT get added to the agenda. Referred to Infrastructure & Environment Committee. (Looks like those voting yes just wanted to kill it now.)
For the record: one of the yes votes says I should not make assumptions re: her voting intention here. A fair and reasonable point! (I still bet Minnan-Wong and Holyday want to kill it.) https://x.com/JayeRobinson/status/1111333512668418048
Toronto Council now debating as-of-right zoning for secondary suites. Here’s a link to the livestream for all you planning nerds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wFKi1JTHGw
Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong has a question about the proposed elimination of the zoning rule requiring secondary suites outside of downtown to come with a parking spot: “Where exactly are they supposed to park?” It’s going to be that kind of debate.
Councillor Robinson expresses concerns about committee amendment that’d allow homeowners to create front door entrances for secondary suites. (Instead of side or back door.) Federation of North Toronto Residents Association also alarmed about this. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/cc/comm/communicationfile-93025.pdf (PDF)
(This is one of those things I just can’t comprehend. So a house might have two front doors — who cares?)
Councillor Mike Layton wants to look at allowing on-street parking city-wide. “I think there’s been a silent war on the car going on across our city. I’d like to take away that restriction and free the car.” Champion-level sarcasm.
Transportation staff say they have a report coming soon about allowing on-street parking in more areas across the city.
Councillor Holyday moves to maintain requirement for secondary suites outside of downtown to come with a parking space.
Holyday also has a motion that, should his first motion fail, secondary suites still come with a parking requirement just in his ward.
Holyday says when people start parking on the street it introduces “more sources of conflict in a community.”
Holyday: “The people in Etobicoke Centre do not want to take away the requirement for parking because it will fundamentally change their neighbourhoods, and it will fundamentally introduce conflict.”
Basically, if I’m following this right, widespread on-street parking will inevitably lead to a Purge-like scenario where neighbours battle neighbours in a lawless symphony of blood.
Councillor Joe Cressy: “My friends are leaving this city because they can’t afford to rent here. I have staff in my office that cannot afford to rent here. And you’re sitting around this chamber right now debating the impacts of parking if we add rental housing.”
Councillor Perks: “Councillor Holyday, you’re chasing a dream that never existed and trying to impose it on a bunch of us who are just trying to live our lives with different incomes, different backgrounds and different dreams about the City of Toronto.”
Councillor Robinson moves to make sure houses with secondary suites don’t have two front doors. “This maintains the character of our neighbourhoods,” she says.
Councillor Brad Bradford makes good point that many suburban neighbourhoods have seen a population decline over the last five years, even as city overall grows and housing gets less affordable. History shows us there’s room for more people to live in those neighbourhoods.
Tory says he’ll oppose Holyday’s motions, but will support Robinson’s no-two-front-doors motion. He says homeowners who want two front doors will still be able to get approval through the Committee of Adjustment.
Holyday’s motion to maintain requirement that suburban secondary suites come with parking spaces FAILS 6-19.
Holyday motion that secondary suites in his Ward 2 still require parking spaces also FAILS 2-23.
Robinson’s motion to not permit secondary suites to have front door entrances CARRIES 18-7.
But wait, Layton made a mistake on that one. We’re re-voting on the double-front-doors issue.
On re-vote, Robinson’s motion to not permit secondary suites to have front door entrances CARRIES 17-8.
Councillor Bailao’s motion to have staff report on exempting secondary suite units from development charges CARRIES 15-10.
Matlow voted the wrong way on that final secondary suite bylaw vote. So they re-vote, and it carries 24-1.
Now Integrity Commissioner Valerie Jepson is up with a presentation on her department’s 2018 annual report. I had some stuff in this week’s @cityhallwatcher about this — Jepson’s report says underfunding has threatened her department’s ability to provide effective oversight.
Integrity Commissioner report: “There is a real risk that refusals to provide recommended resources are in fact indirect attempts to interfere with the administration of accountability offices. It is because of this risk that I believe the current model is unsustainable.”
Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, on the possibility of raising the land transfer tax on homes worth $3m+: “Sure, they have big homes, but why should we be asking them to pay when they already pay so much in taxes?”
Minnan-Wong: “If we need extra money, we should be able to find some other way to pay for it. Just one idea: how much does it cost for one night for the homeless? $100! Start there. Find some savings there - and maybe we can pay for a few other things.”
Tory says he’ll support the Bailao, Cressy and Bradford motion to look at options to raise revenue to pay for housing subsidies, but won’t support a land transfer tax increase.
Motion to look at revenue options to pay for housing subsidies, including a new land transfer tax bracket, CARRIES 18-7.
And that’s all for Toronto City Council’s March meeting. Back at this next month.