Toronto Council meets today! The first item up looks like it’ll be the big COVID recovery report, followed by a report on winter patios. It’s streaming live here. I will tweet things about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUvpa5vGj1U
If you missed it, this week’s issue of @cityhallwatcher has a full preview of a bunch of the major items on this council agenda. https://graphicmatt.substack.com/p/the-not-so-constant-gardiner
Ooh, Speaker Nunziata says there will be a NEW VOTING SYSTEM today for councillors. No more manual recorded votes via show of hands. This is the best news I’ll hear all day.
They are testing the new voting system. It is not going great. Three councillors are unable to connect to the voting interface. But valiant clerks forge on, determined to make this work.
It works! Here’s what the new vote results screen looks like. A process improvement for our virtual age. (This was a meaningless test vote.)
Councillor Shelley Carroll has added a member motion to the agenda about street racing. it is titled “Too Fast, Too Furious.” http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.MM25.24
Motion to fill the Karygiannis seat with a by-election (and not an appointment process) CARRIES 24-0.
Councillor Stephen Holyday, chair of the Audit Committee, moves to bring forward the entire agenda from the most recent Audit Committee. These items typically would have been debated at the next Council meeting, not this one. But Holyday doesn’t want to wait.
Holyday’s motion carries on a show-of-hands vote, so the agenda gets a bit longer.
A closer look at the UI for the new CMP intranet system @TorontoCouncil is using for posting motions and conducting recorded votes. Putting this together so quickly during a pandemic is legit impressive work.
We’re on to the first item: the COVID-19 recovery plan. It’s a long 270-page report, but the city’s biggest challenge doesn’t require a lot of explanation: it’s money. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.EX17.1
After peppering City Manager Chris Murray with questions about various respects of the COVID recovery strategy, Council breaks for lunch. Should be some motions and some votes after they return at 2 p.m.
Council is back. There are just 56 items left on the agenda, so this meeting will be waaaay shorter than last month’s. Council will do a bit of procedural stuff then get back to the COVID recovery plan. Stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUvpa5vGj1U
Councillor Mike Layton moves to have the city launch a PSA campaign explaining Toronto’s fiscal woes and the need for fed/prov money.
Former councillor @Janet_Davis has submitted a 7-page letter with recommendations for Council on the recovery. “Now is the time to build on the momentum of crisis federalism – to create a new cooperative federalism with municipalities as formal partners.” https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/cc/comm/communicationfile-122609.pdf
A public information campaign re: Toronto needing more financial supports from the federal/provincial government isn’t a novel idea. Mayor David Miller ran a “One Cent Now” campaign in an attempt to win a percentage of the GST.
AMAZINGLY, the One Cent Now campaign website is still up. An internet relic! http://www.onecentnow.ca
Councillor Jennifer McKelvie moves for the City Manager to put forward a funding proposal that’d fast-track the Ravine Strategy.
Councillor James Pasternak has a long motion, that includes asking the feds & prov to explore dropping the HST on restaurant purchases. Also asking the province if they’ve changed their minds re: road tolls on the Gardiner/DVP.
Councillors Grimes and Holyday objecting to the road toll part of Pasternak’s motion, suggesting tolls would stop their Etobicoke constituents from going downtown to spend money, etc. Pasternak says he doesn’t think a $4 toll would really change behaviour.
Councillor Brad Bradford has a motion with a bunch of supports for businesses, including a request that staff take a look at the commercial tax bands as part of the 2021 budget process, with an eye toward supporting main street biz.
Bradford also has a motion on transit, requesting a report on transit equity as part of the 2021 budget process.
Councillor Michael Thompson moves for a report on financial incentives for new long-term care homes, including waived/reduced development changes.
Councillor James Pasternak says he’s been advised that his motions could jeopardize some ongoing discussions, so he withdraws his motions re: removing the HST on restaurant purchases and road tolls.
On the recovery plan, Mayor John Tory moves to reiterate the city’s request to the province for our share of the phase two Safe Restart funds.
Tory says he’s always been a supporter of a Basic Income program, and he thinks the pandemic should spur more exploration of such a program at provincial/federal levels.
“I’ve never been afraid to fight!” says Mayor John Tory, holding up flyers from past fights.
Councillor Mike Layton’s motion for a public info campaign urging province/feds to give city funds and support CARRIES 18-6.
Layton’s motion for for a report on making Toronto Hydro more energy efficient CARRIES 18-6.
Layton recommendations re: making sure the recovery prioritizes TransformTO and other climate change mitigation strategies CARRIES 22-2.
Councillor McKelvie’s motion to look at fast-tracing the Ravine Strategy carries via a show of hands.
Councillor Pasternak’s motion to look at expediting seniors housing as part of the recovery plan CARRIES 18-6.
Councillor Bradford’s motion to consider changes to commercial property tax bands and other measures to support biz CARRIES 24-0.
Bradford’s second motion on transit equity carries via a show of hands, as does Thompson’s motion on incentives for long-term care homes.
Mayor’s motions also carries via a show of hands. And so does the item as amended. COVID-19 recovery plan is adopted by Toronto Council. Look at all these hands.
Next item is about winter patios. It’s basically an extension of the current CafeTO rules that have allowed expanded patios, so restaurants can keep patios going all winter, if they want. “The cold never bothered me anyway” is a thing I heard once. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.EX17.7
There’s a metaphysical aspect to this winter patio debate, as city figures out its rules for enforcement. When do the outdoors become the indoors? When you add a roof? How many walls does it take? Do plastic walls count? Heady stuff. Should have sent a philosopher.
Councillor Paula Fletcher asks parks staff why the city is closing washrooms in parks for the winter. Staff say a lot of them aren’t winterized, so pipes will freeze if they’re kept open. Huh. Today I learned.
Tory makes reference to CafeTO taking place next year even if the pandemic is over, which is nice to hear. No reason why streets with expanded on-street patios shouldn’t become a regular thing.
Councillor Mark Grimes has a motion requesting staff to work with local councillors on simplifying approval processes for winter patios and tents.
Councillor Shelley Carroll moves for a report on clear rules on tents and other “outdoor dining protections” (yurts and domes and such) as far as preventing COVID-19 transmission goes.
Carroll is concerned that some tents and plastic structures are unsafe. She’s brought a visual aid from a restaurant on the Danforth that concerned her.
Councillor Paula Fletcher has a motion requesting AGCO change rules that currently don’t allow restaurants to serve booze if their patios aren’t directly adjacent to their restaurant.
Councillor Paula Fletcher, after speaking for several minutes with her camera off: “My camera was OFF? You’re KIDDING. SHIT!”
Grimes’ motion to have staff work with councillors to simplify approvals for winter patios CARRIES 24-0.
Carroll’s motion for a report with clear rules re: tents and yurts and dining domes CARRIES via a show of hands.
Councillor Fletcher’s motion requesting AGCO loosen up about booze on non-adjacent patios CARRIES 24-0.
And that’s all for today. Council will return tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. with 47 items left on the agenda.
All these “show of hands” votes are unanimous, by the way. Even though some councillors think they’re too cool to be seen raising their hands on camera. If anyone wanted to object, there’d be a recorded vote. https://x.com/GraphicMatt/status/1321209824995102726
Council’s back! Day two resumes with 46 items on the agenda. A Board of Health item about a COVID equity strategy will be the first item up for debate after some preliminary wrangling. Stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vv-9gsETik
Incredibly, there are no tree removal agenda items held for debate this month, so I won’t get an opportunity to do my “shall this tree LIVE or DIE” schtick. Sad for all of us. (But good for the trees, I guess.)
First debate has started : the COVID response equity strategy. The city’s data shows non-white and lower-income people have been impacted much harder by the pandemic. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.HL22.1
“While we can’t attribute it definitively to Thanksgiving, we do see a bump up in our cases which from a timing perspective lines up very nicely with Thanksgiving,” says Dr. de Villa re: recent case numbers. “And that may inform the upcoming holidays in December, of course.”
Councillor Mike Layton moves for a report on keeping park washrooms open in winter.
Councillor Paula Fletcher moves to have the city encourage more stores to offer special hours for seniors.
Councillor James Pasternak moves to have staff look at safety measures for city-owned ski hills, to see if they can be kept open this winter.
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam moves to amend Layton’s washroom motion to specifically request that the report re: winter washrooms also talks about making sure those washrooms are accessible.
Councillor Mark Grimes moves a motion on behalf of Councillor Mike Cole, who wants Public Health to respond to areas experiencing issues related to “crack cocaine abuse.”
Cressy, as chair of the board of health, suggests a friendly amendment, replacing “crack cocaine abuse with “the overdose crisis.” Colle accepts the change.
Time to vote! Councillor Layton’s motion for a report on winter washrooms (with the accessibility amendment from Wong-Tam) CARRIES via a show of hands.
Fletcher’s motion to encourage seniors hours in stores also carries via a show of hands.
Pasternak’s motion to see about keeping the ski hills open safely is similarly passed via show of hands.
Councillor Grimes’ amended motion re: the overdose crisis also carries with the hands. So does the item as amended.
Up now: Councillor Mike Colle’s request that upcoming bike plans include bike lanes (and expanded patios) on Yonge Street in mid-town. Councillor Stephen Holyday, as you might expect, has concerns. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.IE15.11
Fascinating conversation between Denzil Minnan-Wong and Transportation GM Barbara Gray, as she explains that “free-flowing traffic” is impossible in a big city and that there’s a difference between free-flowing movement and efficient movement. Minnan-Wong seems unconvinced.
“I can’t understand why we would create a bottleneck of this magnitude.” Holyday is very unhappy with this item, even though the recommendation doesn’t endorse any specific bike lanes. It just asks staff to consider ‘em.
Colle moves an amendment to the motion, requesting staff to also look at routes parallel to Yonge Street, as a possible alternative. He reiterates this is just a request for staff to do a study — Council isn’t voting to implement Yonge Street bike lanes today.
Councillor Mike Colle: “It’s easy for that councillor from Etobicoke to talk about Yonge Street as a highway to downtown, but it isn’t! Yonge Street goes through very vibrant neighbourhoods — very vibrant business districts.”
Layton: “I would actually make the motion that if we wanted to get a curb lane closure on Yonge, perhaps we should install a mini golf course of some kind, to address the two deputy mayors have spoken today…” Golf enthusiast Holyday demands Layton retract that. He does.
Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong: “The idea of making roads worse by restricting traffic on our important arterials like Yonge Street is JUST. PLAIN. WRONG. It makes our city weak. It makes our people frustrated.”
Minnan-Wong and Holyday seem to stubbornly hold to this ideological belief that Toronto is only a few policy moves away from making it super easy to drive around the city. I’ll never understand it.
Anyway, Council is on lunch until 2 p.m. Back in a bit!
Council is back. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam has just added a motion about Ministerial Zoning Orders to the agenda, following MZOs issued Friday for the West Don Lands.
Council is about to vote on the mid-town Yonge bike lanes study request. There are 44 items left on the agenda. 29 are member motions. It’s going to be a squeaker, but I think they can finish this agenda today. I believe. Stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vv-9gsETik
Councillor Mike Colle’s amendment to have staff also consider routes parallel to Yonge for the bikeway — and extend the scope south to Bloor — CARRIES 19-3.
And the request for staff consideration of bike lanes on mid-town Yonge Street (plus expanded patios, etc) — or maybe a parallel route — CARRIES 19-3.
On to member motions! Wong-Tam’s motion to let Instabuggy handle grocery delivery for St. Lawrence Market businesses carries via a show of hands.
Some technical difficulties now. Councillors are being told how to use their browser’s “refresh” button. It’s working for some but not others.
Vote to add Councillor Carroll’s motion on ranked ballots to the agenda FAILS 13-10. It needed two-thirds.
Minnan-Wong moves to appoint Councillor Cynthia Lai to the TTC board, to replace Jim Karygiannis. Motion to appoint her CARRIES 20-3.
On the ranked ballots vote, Carroll notes this means the city will miss the window to send a message to the province urging them NOT to ban municipal ranked ballots before the bill is passed.
Councillor Matlow’s motion about giving Toronto a city charter is added to the agenda on a 15-7 vote. Thompson says he voted incorrectly, but a re-vote isn’t allowed because it would change the outcome. Rules is rules. We’ll come back to this item later. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.MM25.15
Councillor Michael Ford’s item requesting province impose a cap on fees charged by food delivery apps is added to the agenda and held for debate. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.MM25.18
Wong-Tam’s motion about provincial MZOs is added to the agenda. “City Council express its displeasure with the actions taken by the Province through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.” Displeasure! It’s held for debate. We’ll come back to it. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.MM25.30
A Bradford item that’d again see Council urge the federal government to ban the sale of handguns in Toronto is added to the agenda. But Holyday isn’t sure he supports it, so it’s held for debate. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.MM25.31
Every Council meeting, there’s at least one surprise item that ends up eating up a lot of time. This month: this taxi regulation item that is basically just a report request. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.MM25.1
They left the taxi debate to discuss the AG report on winter road maintenance. With a few minor amendments, council adopts the auditor’s recommendations. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.AU6.2
There are 20 items left on the agenda and proceedings have slowed to a crawl. Since tomorrow is Mawlid al Nabi and there’s a TCHC board meeting on Friday (Nunziata’s on the board), if councillors don’t finish today they’re probably looking at coming back next week.
Councillor Michael Ford’s motion urging the provincial government to cap the fees charged by food delivery apps CARRIES 23-0. I think Ford might know a guy at Queen’s Park. (KWT’s also a yes on this one.)
Council votes 22-1 to “make permanent the inclusion of live music venues as a category of the Creative Co-Location Facilities Tax Subclass.” Property tax breaks for live music venues will continue. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.EC16.7
A Nunziata motion to call it a day and come back Friday to finish this agenda FAILS. Vote was 14-9. It needed two-thirds.
There’s now a Carroll motion up for debate, to finish this agenda tonight. Tory urges Council to vote against, arguing that councillors make poor decisions during night meetings.
Last couple of these meetings have just been a devastating blow to the “a smaller council will make things more efficient!” crowd from 2018.
Back to debating an item about homelessness. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam moves to have staff implement recommendations from the Faulkner report, including providing survival equipment & supplies to encampments.
Councillor Gord Perks moves to direct the City Manager to find and use emergency funds if the shelter system can’t handle the demand this winter.
Wong-Tam’s motion to provide survival equipment and supplies to people in encampments CARRIES 21-2.
Perks’ motion to find and spend emergency funds if shelter system runs out of capacity this winter CARRIES 21-2.
A Grimes motion that Council reiterate support for locating affordable housing at 2950 Lake Shore carries unanimously, 23-0.
Wong-Tam’s item expressing displeasure with the Ministerial Zoning Orders issued by the province last week CARRIES 20-3.
And that’s it for today! Councillors will be back on Friday to wrap up their last 11 items. I WON’T be back with them, though, because I’m taking the day off. I’ll recap any major votes in the Monday issue of @cityhallwatcher.
Speaking of @cityhallwatcher, if you like threads like this and find them useful, buying a subscription to my weekly newsletter is a great way to show your support! Just $5 a month or $50 a year — a bargain and a deal. https://graphicmatt.substack.com