Toronto Council meets today! First item of business after preliminaries will be Mayor John Tory’s motion to declare a climate emergency, followed by his request to give the police an extra $4.5 million. Streaming live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeuPKlJTsRw
Councillor Mike Colle has added an agenda item that’d request again that the provincial government allow for the use of photo radar cameras in school zones & community safety zones. (City has asked for this repeatedly, province says regulations are coming) http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.MM10.22
Council votes 22-3 to APPROVE the installation of traffic lights at Bay Street & St. Mary Street.
I wrote about the Bay Street & St. Mary intersection in my CBC piece this week. FIFTEEN collisions over the last three years, two involving cyclists and one involving a pedestrian — seven potentially preventable with a traffic light. But sure, vote against it.
Council now debating whether to declare a climate emergency. Interested to see if any councillors make a play at opposing this. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.MM10.3
Some numbers on Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions from the city’s TransformTO initiative. Half comes from buildings, 38% from transportation, 10% from waste.
Compared to 1990, City has seen significant reductions in GHG emissions from buildings. Not as much from transportation.
Today the mayor announced a “green will” initiative to work with commercial landowners to reduce their emissions. Worthwhile, but half of emissions from buildings come from residences. He’ll need a strategy there too. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/green-will-initiative-1.5305510?cmp=rss
Here’s a map of residential GHG emissions by ward. Tracks pretty closely with income. (And prevalence of detached single family homes.)
On the transportation side, biggest GHG emission culprit isn’t commercial trucks. It’s cars., at 79%! Next policy frontier on this front will HAVE to deal with it. Need way fewer gas cars on Toronto streets.
Here’s a per-ward map of GHG emissions from personal vehicles. Need to get people in Scarborough out of their cars.
All charts from the spring 2019 update to Toronto’s TransformTO climate action plan. Lots more detail here: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/90de-TransformTO-Implementation-Update.pdf (PDF)
Free, fun motion idea for this climate change debate: no more paper print outs at Council meetings
THROWBACK: Here's an animated gif I made of an amazing moment during a 2013 Toronto Council debate about climate change. This debate seems to be going better than that one. (So far.)
Mayor John Tory: “Nobody is going to accuse me of being exciting … people will pass judgment on the level of excitement at the time of the next judgement in 2022.” So I guess that’s a third term run confirmed?
Councillor Jennifer McKelvie’s motion for a report on putting together an advisory committee to look at plans to achieve net-zero CARRIES 25-0.
🚨🚨🚨 Sound the alarm - Toronto Council officially declares a climate emergency, 25-0.
Council now debating $4.5 million in additional 2019 funding for the Toronto Police, with the province, feds and City each kicking in $1.5 million. But nobody from TPS is here to answer councillor questions. Not ideal!
The police are on the way to this debate, we’re told. Councillor Michael Thompson doesn’t just want some rando TPS rep - he wants Chief Mark Saunders here.
So the police funding item will be paused for now until the cops show up. Council will consider some Port Lands planning items in the interim. But WAIT, those items aren’t ready either. So… okay, they appear to be debating investment strategy. But WAIT, that’s not ready either.
Okay, they’ve figured out something they can actually debate: fostering diversity in Toronto’s public service. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.EX8.6
City Hall has made some progress at making the Toronto Public Service more diverse, but diversity at higher-level management position still lags behind when compared to overall population.
Council votes 21-0 to adopt the new equity and inclusion plan for public service staff.
And now: lunch. Back at 2 p.m. with the police budget debate.
Council is back from lunch, and reps from the police are now in the chamber to answer questions about their budget and the combined $4.5 million all three levels of government want to give them. Streaming live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLuxidi8ty0
Councillor Mark Grimes asks police rep if Toronto has enough police officers on the streets. Deputy chief Jim Ramer says more analysis needs to be done to answer that question, but he thinks the police need about 5,000 officers and have somewhere around 4,800 right now.
Councillor Paul Ainslie asks about “ghost guns” which isn’t a proton pack thing but rather a thing where people buy separate components online that can be combined to make a working gun. Ramer says they have seen some of these in Toronto, but not seeing a “dramatic increase.”
Councillor Gord Perks brings up the “Roots of Youth Violence” report from 2008. “Does it make a single recommendation encouraging that we have more police?” he asks. “No,” says rep from Social Development division.
Mayor John Tory has a motion, asking for a business case during the budget process for implementing the TO Wards Peace community anti-violence program and to request funds for crime prevention programs from the federal gov.
Tory says he’s been disappointed “to the degree that the federal government has NOT stepped up” to provide the funding they said they’d provide Toronto for anti-crime programs.
Cressy also has a motion requesting the provincial government step up with $15 million for anti-violence programs.
Councillor Mike Colle moves for a report on creating a fund to pay for safety and security infrastructure like lighting and traffic calming.
Councillor Gord Perks says he’ll vote against the City kicking in $1.5 million to increase the police budget this year.
Councillor Cynthia Lai is up with a motion. She wants to consider more funding for the Neighbourhood Officer Program in the 2020 budget.
Councillor Jim Karygiannis moves that the City Manager reach out to other cities like NYC to learn about effective strategies to reduce gun crime.
Councillor Shelley Carroll adjusts her motion to fund the TO Ward Peace anti-violence program — looking at $300K to get stuff started. Tory has asked for a business case for full funding as part of 2020 budget process.
Councillor Stephen Holyday moves that Council express support for tougher sentences and bail guidelines for people convicted of gun crimes.
Time to vote on the police stuff. Councillor Joe Cressy’s motion that the federal government ban handguns CARRIES 21-3.
Councillor Mike Colle’s motion requesting a report on a fund for safety infrastructure like lighting and traffic calming CARRIES 24-0.
Councillor Cynthia Lai’s motion to consider more funds for the Neighbourhood Officer Program during the 2020 budget process CARRIES 23-2.
Councillor Stephen Holyday’s motion expressing support for tougher bail rules and sentencing for gun crimes CARRIES 22-3.
Mayor John Tory’s motion requesting a business case for the TO Wards Peace community anti-violence as part of 2020 budget (and also fed funding) CARRIES 25-0.
Councillor Joe Cressy’s motion requesting $15 million from the province for anti-violence programming CARRIES 25-0.
Councillor Jim Karygiannis’ motion requesting the City Manager look at other cities like NYC for tips on reducing gun violence CARRIES 24-1.
Councillor Shelley Carroll’s motion to spend $300K on the TO Ward Peace anti-violence program in 2019 CARRIES 25-0.
That’s it for police stuff. Toronto Council is now onto whether to create a gender equity strategy and office. Stream still here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLuxidi8ty0
Toronto Council votes to create a gender equity strategy and establish a gender equality office, 19-0.
Zipping along, Council is now onto the e-scooters item. This isn’t the big e-scooter debate — that’ll come later — but rather about an interim recommendation to ban e-scooters temporarily while staff works out some proposed regulations.
Here’s a letter from City Manager Chris Murray to the provincial government, requesting local management of things like speed, parking, etc. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-138531.pdf (PDF)
Cycle Toronto has written to Council voicing their support for e-scooters and making some recommendations for regulations. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/cc/comm/communicationfile-97519.pdf (PDF)
Councillor Gord Perks is not a fan of e-scooters. “I have absolutely zero tolerance, patience or willingness to take an already dangerous city street and make it more dangerous so that a venture capitalist invested in an e-scooter company makes more money,” he says.
Councillor Paul Ainslie says the e-scooter issue is about “adventure versus safety.” He’s got some stats on number of e-scooter injuries in other cities.
Councillor Mike Layton moves to make it clear e-scooters will only temporarily be banned, until councillors get a report with regulation recommendations. He also wants staff to consider a system that integrates e-scooters with the bike share system, with parking docks.
(There was some procedural confusion re: Layton’s amendment, so Layton is just withdrawing it. He just wanted to make it clear this is a temp ban on e-scooters. Not permanent.)
Council’s temporary ban on e-scooters CARRIES on a voice vote. So no e-scooters allowed in Toronto until and unless Council approves regulations set to come before the end of the year.
(A “voice vote” means councillors didn’t need to vote YES or NO using the voting system. The speaker asks “all in favour?”, no one audibly objects, so the item passes.)
You can tell it’s late in the day because Councillor Anthony Perruzza just inadvertently suggested Councillor James Pasternak has a gambling addiction. “Sometimes there’s a disconnect between my brain and my mouth,” explains Perruzza. Pasternak clarifies that he does NOT gamble.
Council is debating a committee report recommending they stop licensing new payday loan stores. Perruzza has moved additional restrictions, including a ban on advertisements for payday loan services on City property. (Like buses.) http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.GL7.15
Councillor Anthony Perruzza’s motion to ban payday loan establishments from advertising on City property CARRIES 18-2.
Council votes 19-1 to ask the province to limit annual interest rates for payday loans to 30% or less.
Council votes 20-0 to approve package of new regulations for payday loan stores. City will immediately stop issuing new licenses to payday loan establishments.
Council is done for the day. 42 items left on the agenda (plus any member motions that get added overnight/tomorrow). They’re back tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.
Council is back for day two. Agenda grew a bit overnight, so 50 items left. Big tickets: - Update on legal fight to Doug Ford’s Council cut - Transition Child Benefit cut & city response - crossing guard program update Stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR2wEvW75TU
Mayor John Tory reads a letter from the province announcing they are reversing on plans to cut the Transition Child Benefit.
The Transition Child Benefit provides subsidies to parents who don’t qualify for other benefits, like refugee families and parents who had recently lost a job. City was prepared to step in with a municipally-funded benefit, so QP reversing their plan to cut the program is big.
This is really a pattern with Doug Ford’s government. They keep pointing at programs and demanding cuts only to find out the program provides services people need. Then they walk back.
Councillor Mike Layton’s motion for a report on an investment policy that limits investments in industries that contribute to climate change (like fossil fuel companies) CARRIES 19-2.
Council is on to a debate over the Biodiversity strategy. Here are some stats on Toronto’s biodiversity.
Here are some biodiversity stats on Toronto spiders. 200 species, BUT “these numbers only include published spider records as the real numbers are probably three or even four times larger.” Mystery spiders! (cc @neville_park)
No one prepared to take daring anti-biodiversity position today. Toronto’s biodiversity strategy is adopted unanimously, 23-0.
Minutes after approving a biodiversity strategy, Council will now decide whether this City-owned tree in North York should LIVE or DIE.
An applicant wants to remove the tree so they can sever the lot and build a new driveway. Staff recommended allowing the removal because building the driveway is impossible otherwise, but Councillor Mike Colle is opposed and wants the tree to stay. Now it’s up to Council.
“This is a little tree, but it’s an important little tree,” says Colle, but also takes opportunity to rail against development: “We cannot keep up with the rubber stamping with all this infill development that takes place up and down every street by the Committee of Adjustment.”
Councillor Holyday: “I wonder if councillor would agree to name this tree Lieutenant Maple” because it’s been a “good little soldier” and has now been put on the “front lines” of this debate. Uh. Anyway, he says the developer has approvals so the tree needs to go.
Council now considering a dev application for Danforth & Eglinton, located along Eglinton East LRT route. App is for 182 stacked townhouse units, with 218 parking spaces. Planning staff recommended refusal, but Councillor Gary Crawford moved to approve. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.SC8.4
Planning rationale for recommending refusal of the development: “The proposed single-use residential development at a planned future transit stop does not demonstrate a diversity of uses, including affordable housing.” (cc @HousingNowTO)
“How is this before us with not one unit of affordable housing?” asks Councillor Shelley Carroll. Chief Planner says there’s no inclusionary zoning framework to impose affordable housing in this dev.
Councillor Gord Perks asks if building lower-density developments like this along proposed transit routes hurts the business case for those transit routes. “Over time, they’d become under-performing lines,” says Chief Planner.
Voting on this development will come after lunch — Council will be back at 2 p.m.
Council is back. Before we get back to debating this Scarborough development, it’s time to zip through 34 member motions. Stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IO4atrbDl8
Councillor Jaye Robinson’s motion for a report on requiring sit-down restaurants to provide reusable cutlery and plates, etc (no plastic stuff) CARRIES 21-0.
Councillor Anthony Perruzza is requesting a recorded vote on every member motion referral and approval vote for some reason, which is slowing things down. Speaker Frances Nunziata is audibly frustrated.
Councillor Mike Layton’s motion to look at discounts for post-secondary student fares on the TTC (in the wake of OSAP cuts and end of U-pass plans, etc) CARRIES 22-1.
Councillor Jennifer McKelvie’s motion to investigate ways to accelerate roll out of Vision Zero School Safety Zones CARRIES 23-0.
Councillor Brad Bradford’s motion to urge province to allow for enforcement cameras on school bus stop signs CARRIES 23-0.
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam’s motion urging the province to stop all cuts to local healthcare services CARRIES 21-3.
Wong-Tams motion for a report on creating a food hub in St. James Town CARRIES 23-2.
Councillor Jaye Robinson’s motion to expand the scope of the Road Safety Plan to target heavy trucks and construction sites CARRIES 24-0.
Councillor Josh Matlow’s motion for a safety audit of all streets in the Yonge-Eglinton area CARRIES 25-0.
Councillor Mike Colle’s motion to request the Police Board establish a Community Police Office in Lawrence Heights doesn’t get added to the agenda. Needed two-thirds support and 16-9 didn’t do it.
Councillor Colle’s motion urging the province to restore $14 million in funding for a Lawrence Heights community centre CARRIES 25-0.
Councillor Colle’s motion to ask the province to hurry up and allow Toronto to use photo radar already geez CARRIES 26-0.
Member motions are over. We’re back to this Danforth & Eglinton development. Recap: Planning staff think it doesn’t have enough density for a proposal located on future Eglinton East LRT. Local councillor Gary Crawford thinks it should go forward.
In a speech, Crawford says the stacked townhouse development won’t jeopardize the LRT and fits in with the community. “The community has spoken on this,” he says.
Councillor John Filion sides with Ainslie. Councillor James Pasternak backs Crawford, explaining that the “angular plane” of the site means a mid-rise building would only mean about 20 more units. (Pasternak also says the City would lose at the OMB if they rejected.)
The talking point from councillors supporting this development is that building many more units on this site is, basically, physically impossible. If that’s true, it’s weird that the professional planners who authored the refusal report didn’t mention it.
This is a Mattamy development, for those asking. https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2018/04/mattamy-proposes-stacked-townhomes-eglinton-and-danforth
Councillor Paul Ainslie’s motion to REJECT the development for not offering enough density along future Eglinton East LRT line FAILS 8-15.
Item is adopted. Council votes 16-7 to approve the stacked townhouse development at Eglinton & Danforth, against advice from planners.
Next item: Councillor Brad Bradford wants staff to conduct polls on all these streets to see if residents want permit parking. Perks doesn’t think polling is a good way to set policy. Carroll thinks it’ll cost a lot of time & money.
Councillor Bradford wins the day. Council votes to conduct the permit parking polls on those streets, 18-5.
Council debating an item related to the crossing guard program now. Councillor Jaye Robinson moves for ongoing training for crossing guards.
That motion and the crossing guard item pass without much debate, on a voice vote. Next up: the legal challenge to Doug Ford’s cut to the size of Council. Legal staff say they’re ready to take this fight to the Supreme Court.
Mayor John Tory says he supports continuing the legal fight against the Council cut because a Supreme Court ruling will provide some clarity as to the limits (if any) of provincial power over cities, and that’s a useful thing to have.
Quick debate. Council votes to receive the report about the legal challenge to the Council cut, 20-4. The fight shall continue.
After some procedural weirdness at the end that didn’t matter, Council’s meeting wraps up. Next meeting starts October 29 so councillors BETTER wear Halloween costumes for at least one of the days. Start preparing now.
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