Toronto City Council has a heavy agenda [PDF] to get through at its meeting scheduled to run on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here are highlights of some of the more compelling issues Council will dig into (note that all headings link to PDF files):
2008 Capital Budget
The Miller Administration has worked diligently to make the 2008 Capital program easy to support for any councillor who isn’t entrenched with the unofficial opposition by discarding silly ideas like spending on hotdog carts. But there will likely be talk of money for Exhibition Place projects like the conference centre and rain water collection. Other than that, be prepared to hear the Chicken Littles of Council tell us that the sky is falling from the City’s debt load.
Union Station Revitalization framework
Council will be asked to endorse a high-level plan for the revitalization of Union Station. This will include searching for a private sector partner to help shoulder the $388.33 million in capital investment required to rehabilitate the decaying Beaux Arts gem, as well as working out deals with the federal and provincial governments. See past post on this here.
Office Expenses for Councillors Ford and Holyday
This item will spark a debate that is almost certain to degrade public office holders everywhere. Although this was brought forward by Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti as nothing more than a personal vendetta against his old nemesis Councillor Rob Ford (who called Mammoliti “Gino boy†at Council a few years back), the debate centres on important issues of ethics (is someone else bankrolling the councillor’s office?), fairness (will millionaire councillors be more equal than the rest?) and transparency (what is the councillor really doing?). Councillor Gord Perks gave, by far, the best speech on this issue when it came up earlier this term. Hopefully he’ll remind his colleagues one more time that public office isn’t the exclusive domain of the wealthy.
Donations to Community Events
This one will hit a nerve with Council for the same reason the office expenses debate does: it’s every councillor’s bread and butter. I wrote about this earlier in the Council meeting cycle here. The only thing that’s changed is Executive Committee has recommended a $5,000 limit on donations from “all sources†for each event. I still have a rather queasy feeling about this one. This is the Council that needed two shots to get a lobbyist registrar and then cut her off at the knees by giving her a sham of a budget to work with. Instead of doing this in a two-step approach, they should have addressed the entire issue at once. Now the door is left wide open for backdoor community benefits from shady corners of Toronto like the outdoor advertising industry.
2008 Interim Operating Budget Estimates
The 2008 Estimates report is approving a status quo operating budget for the beginning of 2008, until a 2008 operating budget is approved at the end of Q1. However, the Budget Committee has used this opportunity to make one significant change. It has recommended increasing the budget of the Office of the Lobbyist Registrar to $711,000 to “make it functional.†The lobbyist registry has been written about here, here and here.
Third Quarter 2007 Operating Variance
This may stir some interest because the report projects a $78 million positive variance by year-end 2007 that is the result of cost containment measures [PDF] implemented following July’s failed tax vote. Higher than expected revenues from various sources also contributed to the positive variance.
Social Housing Strategy
According to the report headed to Council, funding for public housing from the provincial and federal governments is drying up. This report details a strategy that is mostly focused on a permanent funding stream for housing, uploading social housing costs in full and creating more friendly legislative conditions that enables more local decision-making.
Partnerships with the Toronto Catholic District School Board
Councillor Maria Augimeri did a great job in the last term of Council hammering out a deal with the TCDSB that provided benefits to the children in her ward and the City. Essentially the TCDSB received access to City-run ice rinks so kids could learn to skate during off-peak hours (middle of the day) and the City was permitted to use school facilities free of charge for its summer camps. Now the City is looking to create more partnerships in a similar mould. This is city building at its best.
Financial Incentives for Economic Growth Developments
Councillor Kyle Rae is steering through a policy that will give tax breaks to developers that build office buildings that house new jobs in Toronto. The strategy has been supported by everyone from the Toronto Board of Trade to the Toronto & York Region Labour Council and signifies the most concrete step the City has taken to lure employers back to the Big Smoke.
Protocol for Negotiating Section 37 Benefits
Council attempted to deal with this last month but there were too many holes in the report so it went back to committee so they could take another stab at it. For those not in the Planning Act know, Section 37 allows the City to trade density for community benefits. It often includes a lot of behind-closed-doors wheeling and dealing between the local councillor and the developer and has left a bad taste in many people’s mouths over the years. This protocol is intended to bring a more formal and transparent approach to negotiating community benefits.
Audit of TTC Accessibility Complaints (page 9)
Councillor Karen Stintz won support at committee to ask Council to request the Auditor General look into the money the TTC expended to fight David Lepofsky, the vision impaired lawyer who filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal over the Commission’s refusal to announce stops on all of its vehicles.
Getting to 70% Diversion — Response to Councillors’ Motions
This report gets at some interesting and important details of the plan Council adopted in June to move to a Pay As You Throw waste disposal program that is expected to get Toronto to its target of 70% waste diversion. The report responds to a whole slew of motions that were made in June and referred for one large staff report to make recommendations on them all.
As always, you can go down to City Hall to take in the proceedings in person or tune in via Rogers 10 or the Rogers web cast.
Photograph courtesy HiMY SYeD.
14 comments
Audit of TTC Accessibility Complaints (page 9)
Councillor Karen Stintz won support at committee to ask Council to request the Auditor General look into the money the TTC expended to fight David Lepofsky, the vision impaired lawyer who filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal over the Commission’s refusal to announce stops on all of its vehicles.
The TTC decision to oppose David Lepofsky is baffling and inexcusable.
But spending money on transit stop announcements is exactly the kind of thing a right winger like Karen Stintz is against.
So I can only guess she’s pushing this to embarrass people (because she didn’t think to oppose it at the time she can’t embarrass herself), or she wants to know how the TTC could lose.
Does it even matter anymore what happens at city hall?The details of the budget aren’t available to the public.Joe Pantalone has “carte blanche” with exibition place as well as the front street extension.And the rest of the time is spent going after ford and hollyday as if they are enemies of the state.No the sky isn’t falling that time has passed.I just wonder what state the city will be left in by the time the next election comes around.I suspect the debt will be quite high and the cities infrastructure will be a disaster.So let’s just sit back and let this mayor and deputy mayor have a field day with our tax dollars.I’m sure they will use our money for their re-election campaigns.Maybe by then most people will have awoken from their sleep and realize we need better people in government.
Yes we need better people in government, but they shouldn’t be people like George. His continued ramblings have demonstrated that he does not possess the capacity to be one of the ‘better people in government.’
Can someone explain to me how Joe Pantalone has carte blanch for the FSE? The plan has been on the table for years and years and yet, nothing has happened…doesn’t really sound like carte blanche to me.
I agree with Rich…I want to elect people who have a firm vision for our city, not just nay-sayers. Nay-saying never got us any closer to our goals. George is on here every day denouncing this, that and the next thing…just for the sake of disagreeing…I haven’t gone through all the posts he’s commented on, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few contradictions in there. And yet, he never offers any cues to what he would do if he EVER got elected.
Laura, Pantalone has carte blanche (or at least, used to) in that the FSE is even still an issue. There’s no real money, planning rationale, or public support for it, yet something like $50 million is still “put away” (speculatively earmarked, really) in the city’s capital plan to build it down the road – and, some say, some planners and developers still approach projects like it might (in the case of certain planners) or will (in the case of certain developers) happen.
thanks everyone for the accolades.People who support me know that I am honest sincere and do have a VISION for this city.I always have and have contributed over the years to better this city in spite of politicians like Joe Pantalone who is a seasoned veteran who could pull the wool over anybodys eyes.Just ask any of his 3 former wives.If you like the way this city is sinking deeper into debt and its infrastructure left to rot then yes I am NOT the person for you.
Before you try to criticize me remember I am not an elected person just an independant citizen.If you want the true facts just try to obtain them from any councillor.Our tax dollars should be spent for the benefit of its citizens not to line the pockets of the rich and greedy!
George: You’re a laugh a minute. Just because you capitalize vision doesn’t mean you have it. Instead of taking the chance to show you’ve got some real ideas, you go into the gutter and throw mud at someone behind their back.
Is that all you have left? That’s not just dirty politics, that shows the worst kind of character there is. Shame on you, George. Shame on you.
I’m just glad all of your dimwitted comments are saved here in case you ever run again. Anyone who sees the real George Sawision — the one here on the Spacing Wire — will never make the mistake of casting their ballot for you.
Well passerby it seems Joe Pantalone doesn’t agree with you ,he sent me a letter after the election commending me on how clean my election campaign really was and how I didn’t mud sling.However I can’t say the same about Joe and the NDP party who really threw a lot of it around.Very dishonest thats for sure.And yes all my comments and what I say should remain public as should the spending of the council.It will be a great day when we finally get an honest government.You don’t have to try to make me public enemy #1.Many in the NDP party have already tried and failed.As for casting a ballot it would be interesting if there was an honest open election,I’m sure the results would be surprising.
PS could u be a little more open with your opinion I hate when people hold back.
OK, George. I’ll BITE. What’s your VISION for TORONTO?
I don’t know who this George is but he did just brag about his clean election campaign but takes a shot at Pantelone (“Just ask his three ex wives”).
That’s the worst kind of politics there is.
sorry stef just returning the favour to Joe. One of his ex wives spoke to me and I have kept her comments in private in respect, but when Joe takes personal shots at me that seems to be fair game ,but when I make a sarcastic remark, that is out of bounds.Its just an example of how this city has gone down hill when freedom of expression is only for the NDP.
Ok Smitty you will have to check my web site first then get involved in the next election,my Vision is clear.A transit line across the bottom of Toronto on the harbourfront.A review of existing projects to limit condominium growth, and the election of a comptroller to watch over a growing problem with debt and incompetent spending.
Of course my environment plan includes bicycle lanes that should have been implemented long ago.As well public works will have to be revamped to make this the cleanest city in north america again, something that was lost long ago.
The city needs not only a detailed plan that reflects a better environmental future but a transit system that actually works.
Blah Blah Blah
It really doesn’t matter what my plan is anyway the NDP are already funding Joe,Rosario and Olivia for the next shot at your money so take a deep breath and enjoy, remember you are paying the interest on the billion dollar loans this bunch is borrowing.
have a great day everybody and thanks for your time
So George’s VISION is the same as the City’s plans (except the comptroller, which most everyone thinks is a bad idea since it puts too much power in one bureaucrats hands). But somehow all those people are city hall are not “good people”.
Give it up George. You’ve got nothing. The charade is over.
No one believes in your comptroller. Suppressing development only adds to sprawl. All your other ideas are appropriated from the real leaders of Toronto. And guess what! No one thinks you could ever implement an agenda like that.
By the way, Georgie, slandering the deputy mayor because you say, without proof, he said something mean about you (who hasn’t said something mean about you? You’re a running joke) is hysterically hypocritical. With examples like that, it’s obvious you don’t really object to what’s going on at city hall right now…you just want to have the power for your self.
“be prepared to hear the Chicken Littles of Council tell us that the sky is falling from the City’s debt load.”
One in every 8 revenue dollars going to debt servicing – more than one in 7 by 2011. City debt up a billion in a half-decade and a billion in reserves wiped out. Nothing to see here, move along…
I haven’t read Philip Preville’s Toronto Life cover story yet but if Shirley Hoy’s megamemo the Post leaked is any guide, her cage is well and truly rattled.