City Council — May 2015

Toronto Council meeting starts this morning, but don't expect too much to happen before lunch. Stream it here: http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=16&sid=1030&lve=68318

.@Sean_YYZ mapped my council scorecard: how often your councillor votes with Tory. http://seanmarshall.ca/2015/05/05/mapping-team-tory/ http://t.co/SCOjkAmRNI

The nerdy detail behind the council scorecard is here: http://metronews.ca/voices/torys-toronto/1350046/city-council-scorecard-how-often-is-your-councillor-voting-with-mayor-john-tory/

If you're looking to kill time during these formalities, see how fast you can name every member of council. http://www.sporcle.com/games/GraphicMatt/tocouncil

Minnan-Wong says there will be a special Civic Appointments Committee meeting tomorrow to reconsider TTC appointees.

The Bloor-Yorkville BIA on food truck regulations: "a 25' box of steel on wheels." http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/cc/comm/communicationfile-52515.pdf (PDF) http://t.co/TGakj6Qu40

Rob Ford burning time asking to be "recorded in the negative" on a bunch of items he acknowledges will pass anyway.

Councillor McMahon wisely asks for a hold on this intriguing tree-related motion by Councillor Mammoliti. http://t.co/zaiLhVWdZq

Since it comes up a lot, here's a report with recent win/loss stats on city OMB hearings http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-77404.pdf (PDF) http://t.co/fUVwH8eGZn

I have no idea why councillors aren't required to submit all holds and requests for timed items in advance of the meeting.

At 11:13 a.m., one hour and forty-three minutes after their meeting started, councillors adopt the order paper.

Mammoliti expresses concern that loosening food truck restrictions will lead to "monster trucks" blocking restaurant signs.

After the monster trucks spend a few hours blocking restaurant signs, they'll probably head up to Finch Avenue and pull some U-turns.

Here is my food truck. Going to park this guy right outside Uncle Tetsu. http://t.co/hh7qI6uZld

Artist's rendering of virtually every Toronto street after the passage of the new food truck bylaw. http://t.co/xuWsXbavH1

Neil Flagg is apparently blogging for Levant's new site. His numbers are wrong. 2016 Gross op budget up just 2.7%. http://www.therebel.media/_7_2_billion_reasons_why_toronto_should_be_missing_rob_ford

Flagg combines the gross operating budget AND the rate supported budget to get his 2015 numbers. Not a correct comparison.

Anyway, I hate to give that any attention, but worried someone might read it and think, "hey, maybe this is reality!"

Council chamber filled with taxi types. I'm just going to stick with the livestream this afternoon.

Taxi people wearing white & yellow t-shirts, depending on which side they're on. My t-shirt would read "I AM REAL TIRED OF THIS TAXI DEBATE"

Extra points to any councillor who moves a motion to study the implementation of Johnny Cab technology.

Council chamber needs stairs. Stairs, stairs, stairs.

"What we're creating is kind of the Wild Wild West of food vending," says Coun. Perruzza. We'll get attacked by a giant mechanical spider.

Time to vote on food trucks! The big change, if this passes: trucks will be able to set up within 30 metres of restaurants, down from 50.

Council APPROVES changes to food truck regulations, 43-1. New 30m rule. Only Mammoliti opposed.

I get that it's not for UberX, but Uber applying for a taxi brokerage license kills their claim that they're not a taxi service, no?

Mayor Tory moves to defer the taxi item altogether until after the Uber court decision. http://t.co/ZQZIbH4Rec

Describing Uber as a "new technology" seems silly. It's just an automated way to call a cab. It's not jetpacks. It's not teleportation.

Tory says he has a bugbear about "the middlemen in the taxi industry who suck money."

Mammoliti is angry. "Everything we've done is going to be deferred because the mayor says so!" Some yelling from gallery now.

More yelling from the gallery. "If you want to take people's pensions, give up yours first!" Mayor's deferral motion has rankled.

But I have to say: it's really nice to see Tory take a stand.

"You can stifle me YET AGAIN, but I'm just going to KEEP TALKING!" declares Giorgio Mammoliti.

Giorgio Mammoliti is delivering a dramatic speech, as if he is in a character in a John Grisham legal drama.

Mammoliti suggests the courts will support Uber's legality because John Tory has been quoted in the media saying "Uber is here to stay."

I feel like most people know the turn of phrase as "I don't have a HORSE in this race." Not Tory, though. He says pony.

Councillor Palacio, appointed by Tory to head the Licensing & Standards Committee, opposes Tory's deferral motion.

Motion to call the question and immediately take vote on taxi issue deferral PASSES 30-13. http://t.co/sRWZvKdRzf

Tory's motion to defer consideration of the taxi item until after the Uber legal case PASSES 31-13. http://t.co/JVpJ8LPnZW

31-13 is a palindrome. Like racecar!

(Fun project: cross-ref those 13 no votes with campaign donations connected to the taxi industry.)

Ec Dev analysis says removing the East Gardiner will create 2,900 more jobs than the hybrid option. http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1360788/gardiner-expressway-removal-has-economic-benefits-report-says/

Also: "The hybrid plan would actually generate fewer potential jobs than maintaining the status quo" Whoa. http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1360788/gardiner-expressway-removal-has-economic-benefits-report-says/

The City news release RSS feed got a bit ahead of itself, apparently. Carbone hasn't been appointed. (Yet.) http://t.co/WN50No95Zi

(Semi-regular reminder that RSS is a great technology and you should use and support it and not let it die. Please.)

Fave part of post-election speeches is when leader mentions opponent and crowd is like "BOO" and then leader is like, "No, no. They're OK."

Councillor Perruzza admits he made a mistake in supporting the Scarborough subway. His vote would have made it 23-21 for subway.

Any other councillors want to take back their pro-subway vote? Just need a couple more.

Once council approves the development charge plan for the Scarborough subway, will they then approve the necessary Scarborough development?

I know, I know. Why am I asking rhetorical questions?

Mammoliti, who supported the Scarborough subway, says he won't support the report on using dev charges to pay for it.

Mammoliti has also voted against using property taxes to fund the Scarborough subway he voted to build.

And now here's cigar-chomping Councillor Karygiannis, who immediately brings up the need for a Sheppard Subway extension.

Nunziata asks Karygiannis to stay on topic. Karygiannis gets mad and refuses to speak, sits down. That worked out pretty well.

Motion to adopt development charges on original timeline (no phase in) for Scarborough subway PASSES 34-4. http://t.co/2UxFDQiIXY

And then the development charges item as a whole passes 36-3. The Scarborough subway: still a thing. http://t.co/KDb85kZ2cY

Council votes 33-5 to add an item to agenda on recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. http://t.co/qNP2ezIEJ5

Layton's motion on inclusionary zoning gets referred to committee after a 25-16 vote. Needed two-thirds. http://t.co/HLq4b1Ib7z

"“Often, people say we don’t have the ridership,” [Cho] said. “We don’t have the ridership because there’s no subway” http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5604707-delay-of-scarborough-lrt-leaves-residents-neglected-again-says-councillor/

Mammoliti, who held the item, wants council to debate whether they should recognize the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide now.

...but the vote to vary the order paper doesn't carry, so council will debate the Armenian genocide later.

Staff report on the East Gardiner is now online. Like with Scarborough subway in 2013, staff make no recommendation. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2015.PW4.1

Giorgio Mammoliti angrily points out that the ombudsman frequently wrote reports critical of the former mayor. Which is, um, her job.

It's as if he's demanding to know why the Ghostbusters are only interested in busting ghosts.

After Mammoliti gives a speech on Armenenian genocide anniversary, council votes 26-4 to commemorate said anniversary. All right.

Councillors who voted against recognizing 100th anniversary of Armenian genocide: Berardinetti, Campbell, Mammoliti, Shiner. For the record.

Coun. Carroll moves to complete the council agenda tonight. Councillors reject that, 16-19. Back tomorrow. http://t.co/sC5Lyx1CrP

Council rejects Giorgio Mammoliti's motion to refer the new green bin design back to committee. 6-32. http://t.co/TlWe2sP7QK

New green bins approved, 35-5. That was terrible. http://t.co/tbcVmWtC5S

Joe Pennachetti finishes his emotional final retirement speech to council. "Do not fear to go boldly where no other city has gone before."

Now that he's retired, someone get Joe Pennachetti a Twitter account and tell him to let loose.

Council votes 26-5 to approve 30 km/h speed limits on residential streets that meet requirements. http://t.co/L2iE4QQWkc