Thread by @GraphicMatt

Toronto council meets today! It’s the penultimate regularly-scheduled meeting of this term. (I never miss a chance to use the word “penultimate.”)

It’s streaming live here. I will tweet observations, jokes and whatnot. Things get started around 9:30 a.m.

The mayor gets to decide what items come up for debate first by designating two key matters. And so council will tackle the Open Door affordable housing program off the top, followed by a transit item related to the Eg East LRT and the Waterfront East LRT. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decision…

If you need a full preview of the agenda, I’ve got you covered in @cityhallwatcher, with a focus on Mark Shapiro’s anti-ActiveTO effort, water fountains in parks, the new conflict-of-interest policy and more. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/chw179?s=w

On the ActiveTO item, Council now has a supplementary report indicating that staff plan to limit Lake Shore West closures to “special events to be planned and advertised in advance, rather than operated as regular recurring weekend events.” toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2… (PDF)

The report notes 17,000 cyclists and 4,000 pedestrians used Lake Shore West, the MGT and the nearby boardwalk when the ActiveTO program was in effect on Victoria Day. That’s four times more cyclists than on the Sat-Sun of the long weekend.

Those numbers are down from the 35K cyclists and 5K pedestrians counted along Lake Shore West during ActiveTO days last year, but the Victoria Day closure was only announced on the Thursday before the long weekend.

Staff also reject closing lane on Lake Shore West to create a buffer between the busy MGT and the fast roadway. Too complex, they say. Better to wait for coming Western Waterfront Master Plan. Bigger buffer probably would have helped avoid stuff like this. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…

Councillor Joe Mihevc, who until he was appointed a couple of weeks ago was a registered lobbyist working with developers, declares a conflict of interest on three development-related items.

Pedal pubs are a go. Council votes 21-2 to APPROVE a pilot to license pedal pubs on Toronto streets this summer. In a couple of very Toronto twists, staff will get a chance to approve all routes, and there won’t be any booze aboard. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

(Hey @TorontoCouncil, can we get the vote result on that one? GL31.9? It didn’t come up.)

Here’s the 21-2 vote result on approving pedal pubs. Councillor Shelley Carroll and Councillor Stephen Holyday not on board. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Council votes unanimously in favour of Councillor Ana Bailao motion to remove angular plane requirements from a development near St. Clair West and Caledonia Road. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Council votes 22-1 in favour of installing traffic lights near the planned new waterfront school. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

The agenda is set, so council moves on to the first item: Open Door affordable housing approvals. Council is being asked to give the green light to $13.6 million in grants and $64.9 million in incentives for 17 projects with 919 affordable rental homes. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Mayor John Tory says given rising interest rates he’ll need to sit down with other levels of government to work with the industry and CMHC to make sure previously-approved affordable housing projects are still financially viable for builders.

Seems pretty likely Toronto city hall will look back on the last decade-plus of ultra-low interest rates and regret they didn’t take more advantage. All capital projects are about to get way harder to pull off.

Councillor Paul Ainslie moves to make sure all Open Door projects are listed on the Open Data portal, with regular updates.

Council votes 23-0 to APPROVE the grants and incentives for this round of Open Door affordable rental housing projects.

Up now: a pair of transit projects in need of funding, the Eglinton East LRT and the Waterfront East LRT. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Some Scarborough residents and councillors aren’t loving that design issues with the Scarborough Subway have changed the Eg East LRT plan, so that it’ll now end at Kennedy instead of connecting through with the Crosstown LRT. Here’s @BenSpurr on that: thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…

Here’s a map of the new Eglinton East LRT, ending at Kennedy. The big issue with the original through-service plan: the Scarborough subway tunnel “was not designed to support the load of the EELRT tunnel” on top of it. I’m not an engineer, but that sounds bad.

Transit Expansion Office manager Shalin Yeboah says if the stars align the Eglinton East LRT will be open by 2033 or 2034. Stars take a while to align apparently.

On the Waterfront East LRT, James Pertula says they’d like to see construction get started in the “late 2020s.” Several businesses and community members, including three former mayors, have urged council to put a priority on getting this project done. toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2…

Ainslie asks about this comment from Metrolinx spokesperson in the Star today that indicates Metrolinx believes through-service between Eg East and Crosstown is still possible. Transit Expansion Office Executive Director Derrick Toigo says Metrolinx is wrong.

Toigo says it’s not totally impossible to do through-service, but design issues make it extremely difficult. “I’m sure [Metrolinx] considered how to connect the Eglinton East in, but I don’t think they truly engaged with us to advance our need for the Eglinton East LRT,” he adds

When Councillor James Pasternak starts talking about extending the Sheppard Subway westward.

Councillor Joe Mihevc moves to have the City Manager “determine potential undertakings” to expedite funding and building the Waterfront East LRT.

As Council talks transit, the Toronto Police have released their race-based data for 2020, showing Black people were way more overrepresented in having force used against them by the cops. tps.ca/media/filer_pu… (PDF)

TPS’ move in this report to render the police interaction process (including use of force) as a subway map is an, uh, interesting choice, especially in a city that has traditionally funded the cops better than public transit.

Councillor Mark Grimes moves to also”determine potential undertakings” to expedite the Waterfront West LRT. Waterfront LRTs for everyone!

Councillor Mark Grimes’ motion gets rewritten a bit so it fits within the scope of this item, which is really just about the Waterfront East LRT and the Eglinton East LRT.

Mihvec’s motion to look at ways to speed up the building of the Waterfront East LRT CARRIES unanimously, 22-0.

Grimes’ revised motion to also look at speeding up construction of the Waterfront West LRT CARRIES unanimously too, 22-0.

And the Eglinton East LRT and Waterfront LRT item as amended CARRIES unanimously. Eglinton East will go forward in planning as a standalone service with a transfer at Kennedy.

Up now: an update on the ravine strategy. Ravines are great. Have you taken a walk through a ravine yet this year? You should. Very relaxing and peaceful. Wish there were more garbage bins though. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

After a few staff questions, council breaks for lunch. Back at 2 p.m. for more ravine talk, followed by the ActiveTO debate.

Council is back from lunch. There are 73 items left on the agenda. Janie Romoff, GM of Parks, says the City is still short on funds to fully implement the Ravine Strategy. City is looking for about $150 million more.

On the ravine strategy, Councillor Jennifer McKelvie moves to thank the provincial and federal govs for their contributions to date, and ask for $35.5 million for the next phase of capital work.

Councillor Perks isn’t happy about the pace of the ravine strategy. Points out council adopted this plan five years ago, but city hasn’t even evaluated a quarter of its ravines yet. He says plan called for city to fix up ten priority areas, but has yet to deal with any of them.

“Every year we make the choice that keeping taxes low is more important than our ravines,” says Perks. He says the lack of progress on his plan “should embarrass us all.”

Councillor Paula Fletcher moves for a report on the impact of Metrolinx tracks through Wonscotonach Park coming as part of a new GO Train layover facility.

Councillor James Pasternak moves to have staff look at adding an “informal ravine path” in his ward to the ravine strategy capital projects list.

Pasternak adds that ravines can’t be looked after by government alone, recounting a community clean-up where he and some volunteers found a whole lot of garbage in a ravine. He says “social capital” and volunteer networks are important.

Mayor Tory pushes back at Perks’ comments on the progress of the ravine strategy. He points out city’s operating budget has $12.5 million for ravines, $105 million for capital. He says it’d always be nice to do more, but stands firm in belief that raising taxes would hurt people.

And with that, all motions on the ravine strategy carry, with the only recorded dissent coming from Perks on the Pasternak motion. Item as amended carries via a show of hands.

It’s time for the ActiveTO debate. City staff have told council they’re only going to plan Lake Shore West car closures as limited special events. No regular weekend closures. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

The Humber Bay Shores condo association has written to Council asking for them to nix ActiveTO on Lake Shore West. Lake Shore West “is the only major access route to our home,” the letter says. toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2… (PDF)

Transportation Services General Manager Barbara Gray says she thinks they should have given more advance notice for recent ActiveTO events, and will do so in the future. They’re still analyzing the summer events calendar to see where they can fit ActiveTO in this summer, though.

“Why is it we only find out on Thursdays?” asks Councillor Gord Perks re: ActiveTO. Gray admits again the short notice has been bad this year. She says sometimes they don’t know until the “last minute” if paid-duty officers are available to provide security.

Perks wonders how come the city can find paid security to monitor for park encampments but not for ActiveTO. Gray says there’s sometimes actually a “significant shortage” of paid-duty cops available, because there are so many construction sites and other events happening.

Gray says she can’t say when exactly there’ll be a schedule for ActiveTO for the rest of the year, but her team is committed to coming up with a schedule through October and making it available soon.

Councillor Paula Fletcher asks why the city’s traffic wardens (hired to manage traffic at intersections) couldn’t handle security at ActiveTO, instead of paid-duty cops. Gray says they could do the job, but the city doesn’t have enough wardens on staff currently.

Fletcher asks if having paid-duty cops at ActiveTO is a requirement? Gray says in some cases due to the Highway Traffic Act the city can’t avoid need for a police officer. “We squeeze it as much as we can,” she adds.

“We all know COVID’s over. No masks, etc,” says Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong. He believes the original reason for ActiveTO — creating more space for getting outside — no longer applies.

Minnan-Wong says he’s getting calls from people saying Toronto traffic is worse than it was before COVID. Gray says traffic levels are at about 99% of pre-pandemic levels, but she thinks some people are comparing current congestion to lighter pandemic levels.

Councillor Mark Grimes says he supported ActiveTO during the pandemic, but can’t support it anymore. He talks about the “landlocked” community at Humber Bay Shores. “Someone trapped in an elevator, the fire trucks couldn’t get there because of congestion.”

Councillor Gord Perks moves to have staff consider “quick start actions which improve pedestrian and cycling amenities” as part of the 2023 Western Waterfront Master Plan.

“ActiveTO wasn’t just a lesson in how to manage a pandemic, it was an expression of a pent-up desire of people being able to bike and walk and enjoy being next to Lake Ontario. That demand existed before the pandemic,” says Perks.

“ActiveTO has become the punching bag for congestion in a city which has historically been very congested, and continues being very congested and will be congested going forward,” says Councillor Brad Bradford. Getting rid of ActiveTO isn’t going to change that.

Bradford points out the Blue Jays have 81 home games a year that each create traffic, but no one is calling to cancel their games. Traffic happens because there’s stuff to do. He warns against oversimplifying complex issues like traffic.

Councillor Robin Buxton Potts, making her first-ever speech as a councillor, says she lives just off Bayview and really enjoyed ActiveTO. She acknowledges the traffic delays for drivers are bad, but wishes there was the “same fervour when my TTC is stopped for 45 minutes.”

Minnan-Wong laments for the people “who have to sit for 13 extra minutes in traffic just to get downtown because they want to take their families to a baseball game.” He regrets that it took a letter from Mark Shapiro to make council pay attention to this.

“Because the cycling lobby is so effective we think they’re the only ones out there, but they’re not. There’s the silent majority of families driving across this city, there are people who have to drive to come to work, and we have to be more sensitive,” says Minnan-Wong.

Minnan-Wong, as a reminder, is John Tory’s hand-picked deputy mayor. He has been for eight years now.

Councillor Stephen Holyday says Lake Shore West and the Gardiner are the “arteries” and “lifelines” into Toronto for people in Etobicoke. He says if people in Etobicoke can’t drive downtown they won’t “share the identity of Toronto.” They’ll just go to Mississauga or Vaughan.

Tory says he is frustrated with the “intolerance” of people who won’t accept changes to ActiveTO as we come out of the pandemic. “The notion that we could just have it exactly the same as it was before, in dramatically changed circumstances, was just not balanced or practical.”

“I want to see the program continue. I want to see it continue as often as it can do,” says Tory, saying the goal is to be responsible, balanced, and fair to residents in nearby neighbourhoods. He thinks the staff approach, of only scheduling it only an occasional basis, is right

Councillor Gord Perks’ motion to look at “quick start actions” to improve pedestrian and cycling experience as part of 2023 Waterfront West Master Plan CARRIES 22-1.

That was the only motion or recommendation attached to the ActiveTO item. And so ActiveTO will go forward as an occasional program on Lake Shore West. Staff say there should be some kind of schedule for the rest of the year sometime soon.

Up now: an item now about the infrastructure plan for Yonge-Eglinton. Councillor Colle laments all the development. “You’re going to have a search team out there looking for the sun! People are going to be in little box condos.” Says people will need parks and community centres.

Council fashion watch.

After approving the Yonge-Eglinton infrastructure report with a couple of report request amendments from midtown councillors, Council moves to the annual report from 311. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Toronto’s 311 service received 1.1 million phone calls in 2021, and handled 81% of them within the target of 75 seconds. They got just 48,501 online requests, which seems low. I’d bet a lot more requests could be handled online.

The most-viewed 311 knowledge base pages in 2021 related to things like skating at Nathan Phillips Square, what goes in the Blue Bin, and the status of Toronto’s beaches.

Also: people wondering just how long Yonge Street actually is.

On the 311 item, Councillor Shelley Carroll has a motion to adjust city processes so that 311 workers actually know why service requests were closed. Seems like an important piece of info.

Carroll’s 311 motion carries 19-0. Council wraps up for the day by adding a few more items to the agenda. Back at 9:30 a.m tomorrow, where the first item will be about the proposed new Code of Conduct. Get ready for some exciting accountability office action.

Council’s back for day two.

Things kick off with Councillor Michael Thompson announcing that Drinks Ontario, a group advocating for booze purveyors, has given the City of Toronto an award for the CafeTO program. Thompson gives the trophy to Tory.

Council’s agenda today will start with a debate on a new Code of Conduct for councillors. We’re also set to run through member motions after lunch, which should put at least one item on the agenda about park washrooms.

Today’s live stream is here:

Councillor Mike Colle asks what the rules are on staff coming to the council chamber to answer questions versus answering questions virtually. City Manager Chris Murray says it’s basically at his discretion. Colle seems a bit frustrated by those who aren’t coming in.

Councillor Mike Layton makes a point of saying everyone is dealing with different circumstances, pointing out he needed to stay home yesterday because his four-year-old was sick and he wanted to get her a COVID test before he came to city hall. “Let’s try to be understanding.”

Mayor John Tory says he plans to have some discussions with the City Manager about the virtual attendance policy for staff going forward, because he thinks it’s important for the city to set an example. Will there still be virtual attendance when Council comes back in 2023? TBD.

Well, the review of the code of conduct went quickly. Council opts not to hear from the integrity commissioner and quickly votes via show of hands to adopt the new code, which includes a broader definition of conflicts of interest. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Council is on an item about the Environment & Climate Change Official Plan. Perks has moved for a report on restoring historical watercourses. Pasternak is asking councillors to vote against it, saying it’ll take too much staff time, and create “deep anxiety” in neighbourhoods.

In the matter of Pasternak v Perks, Perks wins. Perks’ motion for a report on opportunities to restore Toronto’s historical watercourses CARRIES 16-3. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

On an item about curbing anti-Black racism in schools, Councillor Michael Thompson moves for a more in-depth approach, calling for the Toronto school boards to work with City Hall on various initiatives. It carries via a show of hands. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

A little preview of the coming debate on park water fountains and washrooms. A service standard that says water fountains don’t need to be turned on until the end of June is totally ridiculous.

https://twitter.com/JoshMatlow/status/1537440040149626882

I’d also like some more info about how city staff continuously monitor and verify that water fountains are in working order. Anecdotally, it certainly feels like a lot more than 5% of fountains are out of service right now. Maybe I’m just going to the wrong parks.

Another new report on Council’s agenda: at Mayor John Tory’s request, staff again asked Metrolinx if they would comply with City Hall’s Fair Wage Policy on construction projects like the Ontario Line. Metrolinx has declined. toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2… (PDF)

On an item about a review of Toronto’s property maintenance regulations, Councillor Stephen Holyday moves to recognize the importance of holding city-owned properties to the city’s own standards for things like grass cutting. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

“First you send a guy to take a look to see if the grass is tall. Then they report that it’s really tall. Then another guy is dispatched to cut the grass. Why can’t the first guy just cut the grass?!?” asks Councillor Perruzza, who suddenly can’t stop laughing about this.

Holyday’s motion carries, as does the item, via a show of hands.

Up now: zoning by-law amendments for the Ontario Line. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Mihevc moves a couple of motions on the item related to Osgoode Hall, asking staff to work with Metrolinx to find options to avoid building an Ontario Line station entrance on the grounds. Also directs staff to convey “significant concerns” to… someone? Not specified.

Mihevc’s motion to work with Metrolinx on finding ways to avoid locating an Ontario Line station entrance on the Osgoode Hall property CARRIES 19-0.

Mihevc’s motion to convey Council’s significant concerns about using Osgoode Hall land for Ontario Line construction also CARRIES 22-0.

Zoning bylaw amendments to enable the construction of the Ontario Line maintenance and storage facility in Thorncliffe Park are APPROVED 18-4.

The rest of zoning bylaw amendments carry via a show of hands.

On an item about the city’s rent bank program, Councillor Stephen Holyday moves to change the program so that any grants only use funds that come from the provincial government. He wants the city to only fund loans, not grants, to people facing eviction. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

The number of households accessing the city’s rent bank to avoid rental arrears has basically doubled over last few years. It was converted from a loan to a grant program during COVID. Staff are now proposing making that change permanent.

Holyday says he’s worried about needing to raise property taxes to fund grants. He thinks this kind of service is better funded by the provincial government. Bailao points out these grants are going to be way cheaper than homeless shelter costs, and people get to keep their homes

Councillor Buxton Potts moves to pause any further loan repayments from the old loan-based rent bank program until staff finalize the criteria for loan forgiveness.

Mayor John Tory says he supports converting the rent bank to a grant program. He doesn’t think QP would love the idea of the City opting out of using its own funds for the grants. Tory reiterates this keeps people out of shelters, which is cost-effective. Also: it’s morally right

Holyday’s motion to NOT have the city fund any grants through the rent bank program FAILS 3-18.

Buxton Potts’ motion to pause repayments under the old loan-based rent bank program CARRIES 20-1.

Council APPROVES the permanent conversion of the Rent Bank Program to a grant program. No more loans. 19-2.

Up now: a report on major Metrolinx transit projects. Nunziata wants to know what the next steps are to get Metrolinx to look at burying an elevated section of the Eg West LRT. Derek Toigo says there’ll be a community meeting in the affected park. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Mayor John Tory asks staff if this report still expects Metrolinx to comply with the city’s fair wage policy, notwithstanding the fact they’ve said they won’t. Toigo says yes.

Councillor Paula Fletcher moves a long motion with a series of requests to Metrolinx to mitigate impacts from Ontario Line construction. She warns of the “impending chaos” that’ll result from all the work.

Good to see more talk of direct financial support to retail biz during construction like this. Estimate the economic impact and provide offsets, in amounts that escalate significantly if/when the project is delayed. Could be built into the budget of any major project.

Councillor Stephen Holyday, who says he’s been a critic of the cost of the fair wage policy for a long time, moves for a report on any savings that result from Metrolinx not complying with the policy.

One bit of info I found when researching the fair wage policy: the policy says security guards contracted by the city can be paid minimum wage. (This wage schedule hasn’t been updated since 2018 - presumably, new sched uses updated min wage numbers.) toronto.ca/wp-content/upl… (PDF)

Really strong undercurrent through this meeting of both councillors and staff being beyond frustrated with Metrolinx. You can understand why — the city and its elected officials have and are going to face a lot of blame for this work, but have zero control over it.

“Transit is the dream but construction is the nightmare,” says Matlow. He says biz and communities shouldn’t be collateral damage, pointing to a bunch of issues caused by Metrolinx and Crosslinx up on Eglinton as a cautionary tale for Leslieville, Thorncliffe Park and others.

Tory echoes Matlow’s comments & says he expects there’s a lot more nightmares coming. He told a group yesterday that Queen & Yonge will be closed for years, and they couldn’t believe it. But work has to be done — he thinks there’s a lot of room for Metrolinx to do better though.

On the fair wage policy, Tory says the majority of construction work falls under collective agreements so fair wages will be paid anyway. But he thinks it’s important for the “integrity of the policy” not to grant Metrolinx an exemption.

Councillor Paula Fletcher’s long list of requests to Metrolinx to mitigate construction impacts in Leslieville & Riverside CARRIES 23-0.

Councillor Holyday’s motion for reports on any savings achieved by Metrolinx not complying with Toronto’s fair wage policy CARRIES 15-8.

The item on the Metrolinx major transit projects CARRIES 22-1, with Matlow voting against it because he’s just plain fed up with Metrolinx in general.

And with that, Council breaks for lunch. There are 61 items left on the agenda, with a few additions coming. 50+ of them are member motions, so a bunch will get dealt with fast after the break.

See you back here at 2 p.m.

Council is back from lunch. On an item about the corridor safety review along Queen East, Councillor Brad Bradford moves to install a pedestrian crossover at Queen East & Victoria Park, and make other safety improvements. That CARRIES via a show of hands. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Cynthia Lai’s member motion to ask Metrolinx for a timeline for building the Sheppard Subway extension gets added to the agenda. Councillor James Pasternak holds it for debate. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Paula Fletcher’s motion to create more opportunities for people to play pickleball this summer gets added to the agenda and CARRIES via show of hands. Get those pickles and balls ready. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Josh Matlow’s motion for a report on the timing of turning on water fountains and opening washrooms in parks gets added to the agenda and CARRIES via a show of hands. Report due at the July council meeting. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor James Pasternak’s motion to re-open council’s previously-adopted plan to install sidewalks this year and change it so they will NOT install sidewalks on the north side of Blaydon Avenue CARRIES 18-6. Councillor Perks holds it for debate. They’ll come back to it.

Councillor Layton’s motion requesting the provincial government amend regulations so people who start making income through an apprenticeship program aren’t at risk of losing their RGI housing gets added to the agenda, 23-1. Councillor Holyday holds it. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Layton’s motion for a report on options to prohibit the distribution of “graphic imagery” to private residences and the display of such images in public spaces gets added to the agenda and carries via a show of hands. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Josh Matlow’s motion to direct staff to identify a vision for the north portion of the Casa Loma complex does NOT make the agenda. Vote was 8-16. It’ll be referred to the General Government & Licensing Committee. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Mayor John Tory’s motion to modernize service in city parks, including speeding up the activation of water fountains and washrooms, gets added to the agenda. Tory holds it for debate. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Josh Matlow’s motion to develop design guidelines for CafeTO gets added to the agenda on a show-of-hands vote. Matlow holds it for debate. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Josh Matlow’s motion to review the city bylaw that requires some types of apartment building windows to remain closed, even when it is very hot outside, gets added to the agenda via show of hands. Then it CARRIES 22-2. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Mayor John Tory’s motion to ensure the City of Toronto is “supporting local media outlets such as community newspapers, magazines, online and multilingual media” gets added to the agenda and CARRIES via a show of hands. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Frances Nunziata’s motion to endorse the objectives of the Toronto Mayor’s School Cricket Program gets added to the agenda and carries via a show of hands. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Councillor Joe Mihevc’s motion to explore options for affordable housing and other community uses as part of the planned new library branch development near the St. Lawrence Market gets added to the agenda and carries with a show of hands. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Whew. Council makes it through 51 member motions, though Nunziata says two more are coming. (If I missed any that you wanted vote results on, let me know.)

There are now 15 items left on the agenda.

A twist: Councillor Michael Thompson moves to re-open Matlow’s motion for a report on the timing of turning on water fountains and opening public washrooms. Thompson then asks that it get combined with Tory’s motion. That carries with a show of hands. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

A new motion: Councillor Bradford just learned that Donald Summerville Pool — the big outdoor pool near Woodbine Beach — can’t open due to a “severe technical issue in the pool lining.”

He wants a report on the problem, and how long the fix will take app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

I swear this city is as bad at dealing with water as those aliens in SIGNS.

All three midtown councillors vote against a development item, with confidential attachments, relating to 36-44 Eglinton Avenue West. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Council is now going into private session to deal with a few items, like the Auditor General’s report on the city’s shelter hotel program. The AG found more than $13 million in overbilling. I wish I could tell you what they’re saying, but alas. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Council has emerged from the abyss. Councillors will now ask some public questions about the Auditor General’s reports on the emergency shelter system.

Council briefly lost quorum on the Auditor General item related to the emergency shelter system. Nunziata calls a roll call vote and that gets enough back to keep the meeting going. Ainslie, Grimes, McKelvie, Thompson and Tory listed as absent.

Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong wonders if the city is on the hook to pay marketing costs related to the rebranding Minnan-Wong believes hotels will need to do to shed their reputations as shelters. Staff say no, that is not in the agreement.

Councillor Buxton Potts moves to add consultations with people experiencing homelessness and housing caseworkers to the process of reviewing the city’s data collection policies for unhoused people.

“COVID’s over. Some people don’t want to say that because it’s to their benefit to make this continue. But COVID’s over,” says Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, blasting the continued use of emergency shelter hotels.

Councillor Anthony Perruzza moves to have staff take immediate action to recover any hotel overcharges related to the shelter program, and to not complete any repairs at hotel sites where the city has been overcharged until funds are recovered.

Perruzza cites this article by
@cathyacrowe
(“It’s got a picture of a hot dog”) about the spending scandal in the emergency shelters. “Cathy Crowe says it: we could be doing SO MUCH MORE.” rabble.ca/columnists/tor…

Nunziata says several items in Perruzza’s motions are already covered in the audit recommendation, and his request for a strategy report in July isn’t realistic. She rules the motion out of order. Perruzza challenges the chair.

Shall the Chair be upheld? The chair shall. The vote is 15-5. (Robinson also voted against it.) Perruzza’s motion is stricken from the proverbial record.

Some helpful context from my local councillor on why the Perruzza motion was ruled out of order, and the chair upheld.

https://twitter.com/cllrbuxtonpotts/status/1537544810638221321

Councillor Buxton Potts’ motion CARRIES via show of hands. As does Councillor Holyday’s motion to keep confidential parts of the reports confidential. The two Auditor General reports carry via show of hands. We’re due to get a report in July on the progress of recovering funds.

Councillor Lai’s “Get It Done” member motion to get Metrolinx to provide a timeline on the Sheppard Subway extension CARRIES 16-1. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

After an amendment from Councillor Holyday specifying that only “qualified” apprenticeship programs should, well, qualify, Council passes Layton’s motion requesting the province change regulations so people don’t lose their RGI housing when they do apprenticeship programs.

Nunziata moves to extend this meeting to complete the agenda tonight. There are 9 items left. That CARRIES via a show of hands.

Strap in. We’re getting Wacky Evening Council.

Up now: Staff are recommending installing traffic signals at Dundas West & Wimbledon Road/Old Oak Drive. Councillor Stephen Holyday says this is causing controversy in the community, and wants to ask staff questions about it. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Holyday wonders why there wasn’t a broader area study or community consultation about these traffic lights. Staff say that would not typically be a great use of staff time, and the results would be unlikely to impact their recommendation.

Holyday, who often votes against these kinds of reports, says he thinks staff have been made an objective case for this traffic signal. He says he’ll vote for these lights but plans to monitor the traffic impacts closely and assures residents he’s open to changing his mind.

And with that, the traffic signals are APPROVED, via show of hands. Moving on.

At long last, It’s time to go debate public bathrooms and water fountains. Councillor McKelvie is asking about service standards. Deputy City Manager Paul Johnson says the standard is to get all the water fountains turned on by the end of June, which remains ridiculous.

Councillor Mike Layton asks Johnson about the mayor’s motion, which just directs staff to speed up the turning on of water fountains. Wouldn’t that require more staff? Johnson says yes. “Our sense is additional resources would be required.”

Councillor Josh Matlow asks Johnson if it’s true that all washrooms were opened by May 24. Johnson says it’s not entirely true, because “a few” that require repair are still closed.

One scenario that I think Tory and Council should REALLY want to avoid: it’s 2026. The World Cup is in town. City hall is enthusiastically spending at least $90 million to host. Water fountains are still broken. Park washrooms are still locked. “Not enough resources,” staff say.

Matlow: “Just to be clear: it is NOT a fact that all washrooms by May 24. It is NOT a fact that all water fountains have now been activated.”

Johnson: “All those that were operational, washroom-wise, were open by the 24th. All the fountains that are operational by end of June.”

Councillor Nunziata asks if a lot of water fountains and washrooms are vandalized. Johnson says vandalism happens, but it’s not the majority reason why fountains and washrooms would be inoperable.

Councillor Layton has a motion, amending Tory’s motion. He adds splash pads to the list of “water assets” that should be open sooner, and also wants to extend the season, with openings happening at end of May at the latest.

Also wants resource requests brought to budget process.

Holyday is confused about part of Layton’s motion that asks that increased grass cutting keep with “principles of the Biodiversity Strategy & Pollinator Strategy.” Does he want more cutting or less? Layton says he just wants to make sure plan isn’t detrimental to those strategies

Councillor Josh Matlow: “We’re making choices. We’re making choices to spend money elsewhere, and we’re not investing well enough in our parks. It shouldn’t take until the end of June to get water fountains turned on. It just shouldn’t.”

Matlow: “How much are we about to spend on FIFA? That’s awesome that we’re all going to watch soccer here, but it seems to be this agonizing debate about whether we’re going to resource snow clearing well enough, or bathrooms well enough. These are basic, basic things.”

Councillor Gord Perks says council needs to figure out how to get the city’s public washrooms open year round. He says it won’t be cheap, but points out City has a bylaw requiring biz who serve customers to keep their washrooms open, and city should do the same.

“It’s a living example of the fact you can’t run a good city on the cheap,” says Perks.

He wants council to spend the money to winterize public washrooms. To colleagues, he says, “don’t vote for a budget that doesn’t increase the revenues to do things like this.”

Because this debate seems genetically engineered to make @shawnmicallef’s head explode, Council has lost quorum while discussing public washrooms and water fountains. Not enough elected politicians care, it seems.

Nunziata calls a roll call vote to try to cajole councillors back into the meeting.

They BARELY have a quorum, with just 15 members present. The mayor is absent, as is Ainslie, Colle, Crawford, Filion, Grimes, Lai, Minnan-Wong, Pasternak and Thompson.

Councillor Brad Bradford sticks up for staff, saying it’s wrong to admonish them on social media and suggest that they’re lying about this issue. “I think it’s inappropriate. I think it’s regrettable. And I think it’s immature and unhelpful.”

For the record, six of Tory’s eight-member Executive Committee were marked absent in the roll call vote for this debate, including the mayor himself.

McKelvie and Nunziata also call out Matlow’s tweets about this issue. “I’m just appalled,” says Nunziata.

Councillor Matlow’s motion for a report in July on service standards for opening washrooms and turning on water fountains FAILS 7-10.

Councillor Mike Layton’s motion to keep with the principles of the Biodiversity Strategy and Pollinator Strategy when it comes to any increased grass cutting CARRIES 15-2. (“What have you got against BEES, Holyday?!” wonders Layton.)

Whoops. Councillor Nick Mantas voted the wrong way on the biodiversity/pollinator amendment. A re-vote has it 16-1. (Layton’s “What have you got against BEES, Holyday?!” still stands.)

Balance of amendment by Layton carries via show of hands. The remainder of Tory’s motion to “modernize” park operations including opening washrooms and turning on water fountains earlier CARRIES 17-0.

Up now: Councillor Josh Matlow’s motion to develop design standards for CafeTO. My colleague @EmmaRoseTeitel wrote about how ugly all the orange pylons can be: thestar.com/opinion/star-c…

Transportation GM Barbara Gray says they noticed last year that some restaurants with CafeTO patios never actually set them up. They’ve got a process this year for checking to make sure the spaces are actually used as patios for one meal service at least three days a week.

Councillor Josh Matlow moves an amendment to his motion. In addition to making CafeTO spaces more attractive, he also wants to make them more accessible.

On the CafeTO item, Matlow’s accessibility amendment CARRIES, as does the item itself, via show of hands. We’ll see if this leads to fewer orange pylons.

Perruzza’s motion to look at relocating the Black Creek and Downsview library branches to city-owned properties CARRIES 14-1.

And that’ll do it. We learned. We laughed. We lamented.

Council’s PENULTIMATE meeting for the 2018-2022 term wraps up at 7:20 p.m.

“Special thanks to the staff who are here,” says Nunziata. “Today was very challenging.”

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