Toronto City Council Executive Committee, 10 Dec 2020

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From YouTube: Executive Committee - December 10, 2020

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Executive Committee, meeting 19, December 10, 2020
Agenda and background materials:
http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyProfile.do?function=doPrepare&meetingId=17144

A

Well, good morning, ladies and gentlemen, uh my name is john tory I'm the chair of the executive committee and, of course I serve in that role as the mayor. The clerk has confirmed that we have quorum and I will call this the 19th meeting of the executive committee to order and welcome everyone.

A

Today's meeting is being held by video conference city staff are also connecting to the meeting by video conference. As city hall remains closed, the public will continue to participate electronically in our proceedings and can watch the meeting streaming live on youtube at youtube.com toronto city. Council live. I ask everyone for their patience in any delays that may take place or technical difficulties. We experience. I think we've all got used to that during what has been a very prolonged uh pandemic.

A

The clerk staff have also connected all registered speakers to the meeting by audio. The list of speakers can be viewed online by visiting the executive committee's page at toronto, dot, ca, council and clicking the speakers box. For today's meeting, the city clerk has provided all magenta agenda materials via cmp the clerk's meeting portal.

A

So it's available there and the clerk's it staff will be available to participants to help with your devices if you're having a trouble connecting with us, I'd like to remind staff to keep their mics muted and their videos turned off unless they are actually answering questions or need to speak to the committee.

A

This will make it easier for me as chair and for those watching on youtube to hear and to allow people to watch the members participate in the debate and and in the questions as everything unfolds members please as well, if you can keep your mics muted, unless you wish to question staff or to speak to an item and ensure that your video is turned on.

A

When you do so as part of each agenda item, I will ask members to raise their hands or unmute their mic if they wish to question staff or speak, and I will then create a speakers list here and will call on members when when it is their turn to speak.

A

When voting on an item or on a motion, I ask that members ensure that they turn on their video to raise their hand to indicate their vote members. I want to ask you to submit and approve your motions by email to remind you that that's the practice that we follow here. The staff are available at exc at toronto.ca to help with those motions.

A

If there are any visiting members of council attending the meeting today- and I see at least one already, which is terrific, I would ask you that you also turn on your video so that I know you're here and and can give you the opportunity to ask questions of staff or speak. This will assist the clerk staff in recording attendance at the meeting.

A

Although we're in different locations and meeting remotely uh today, the committee would like to acknowledge that the land we're meeting on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the mississaugas of the credit, the anishinabe, the chippewa, the hot meshony and the wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse first nations, including inuit and metis people. We also acknowledge that toronto is covered by treaty.

A

13 with the mississaugas of the credit, I will ask, as we are required to do at this meeting whether there are any declarations of interest under the municipal conflict of interest act. If you do have one, please raise your hand and unmute your mic.

A

Looking at the screen, I see no such interest to be declared, so I would next then ask for a motion to confirm the minutes. From our last meeting on november, the 18th 2020 moved by councillor pastrnak, all those in favor proposed carried before we begin the rundown. I would like to add an item of new business. The proposed item is entitled boards independent review into missing persons, investigations request to extend timeline and increase budget. This is a letter that came from the toronto police services board.

A

I will ask the clerk to display the letter on the screen so that members can review it before voting on whether or not to add it to the agenda. We'll then put it at the bottom of the agenda, so there'll be time as people wish uh to uh to review the letter in in substance.

A

I will now move uh that this item be added to the agenda as an item of new business uh and if you just had a chance to see what it is there, I will now come back to the screen. So I can see you all and call the question.

A

To all those in favor opposed carrot, so let's proceed with the agenda review. The first item is item ex 19.1 update report to city council on recovery and building a renewed toronto. We have one speaker registered on this item, so I will hold it down. The next item is ex 19.2.

A

Investing in canada infrastructure program covet 19 resilience, infrastructure, screen stream. This is a staff report with recommendations. Is there anyone wishing to hold this item down, seeing no one that I will move the recommendations in the report and perhaps we don't have to display those on the screen. I think you've all seen them in the material that's been distributed in advance unless you want to. If seeing no one that wants to do that, I will just call the question all those in favor opposed carried.

A

The next item is item ex 19.3 policy analysis, potential design and possible implementation of a vacant home tax in toronto. We have a number of speakers registered on this staff report, which comes with recommendations so I'll hold it down.

A

Our next item is ex 19.4 update on waterfront toronto's keysight project, and there is a staff report with a recommendation, and I understand there is at least one motion to be moved on that is there. Anybody who wants to hold this item down.

B

A

Held by counselor thompson, deputy mayor thompson, so we'll move forward to the next item, which is item ex 19.5 update on the city's transit expansion projects. Fourth, quarter of 2020. there is a staff report with recommendations. We have speakers registered on this item, so I will hold it down.

A

The next item is ex 19.6 2021 tax supported interim operating and capital budget estimates. There is a staff report with a recommendation. Would anyone like to hold this item down?

A

Okay, pardon me uh councillor crawford. I can move the uh council crawford moves the recommendations in the report, if everybody's ready for the question I'll call the question all those in favor opposed carry. The next item is item ex 19.7 administrative amendment to reserve fund accounts. This is a staff report with recommendations.

A

Would anyone like to hold this item down? If not, I would ask that counselor crawford would move the recommendations so so moved by councillor, crawford and I'll call the question all those in favor opposed carrick.

A

The next item is item uh ex 19.8, the city of toronto investment report for the six-month period ending june 30th, 2020. again, there's a staff report with a recommendation. uh If there's no one wanting to hold this item down, I would ask again counselor crawford for uh a to move. The recommendation contained in the report see no one wanting to hold it down. Council crawford is so moved and I ask for all those in favor opposed carried. Thank you.

A

The next item is ex 19.9 2021 rate supported budget 2021, what weight water and wastewater consumption rates and service fees? This is a letter coming from the budget committee with recommendations. uh There are no reputations on this. uh Might I ask if there's anyone wanting to hold this down.

B

I'll hold it, mr mayor.

A

Held by councillor top deputy thompson.

B

Mr mr mayor yep, um I don't have a lot of questions, I'm in the agreement with the report.

B

I simply wanted to take the opportunity really to to thank the water department, water staff, for um dealing with a really important matter that occurred in my uh award over the course of the weekend where we lost water connection to homes because of um a car accident, and I really wanted to thank the staff for the superior work that they did in terms of restoring the water and, of course, the investment that we're making in this infrastructure is extremely important.

B

That's all I really wanted to say and just to thank them and say I'm in agreement with the report.

A

Thank you, deputy mayor thompson, and just before I call the question then, unless there's others who want to say anything because I think we can deal with it as we call it. That is a quick release.

A

um You know people, uh one of the things that you take for granted when you live in a big city, and I consider it still to be one of the great miracles of any city, is that you have this incredible network of pipes that run under the ground into everybody's house and that you have then the plants, and you have the people who work in all these plants to provide us with safe water that turns on every morning. I mean you just do take it for granted.

A

You don't turn that tap up and on to brush your teeth and there the water is, and the same is true of the wastewater.

A

That goes away when you open the drain or flush the toilet, and I think we should express our gratitude in approving this budget, as well as our gratitude, as I mentioned this morning, to the media in the fact that those people have been able to bring in rate increases that are below what was projected by us a number of years ago, at 1.5 percent, as a gesture of of solidarity with the people who pay those bills who themselves in many cases, are struggling this year.

A

So I want to thank the staff for all the hard work, keeping the water safe and keeping the wastewater treated and safe and for all the work they do and all the construction projects that are going to make sure that continues off into the future. And I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the members of the committee and saying that and if there's no one else wanting to add to that and to counselor thompson's remarks about the kinds of emergencies they deal with week in and week out and they deal with it very well.

A

I will call the question on these budgets uh this budget. So, mr mayor yep, sorry, uh there's concerns yeah.

C

I'm not scared again, I don't want to hold this item either.

C

I don't want to have staff uh sitting around all day, but I just want to echo the comments that you made on the incredible work that uh lou and the team have been doing over the last year and just to echo the fact that they are bringing the rates lower than what was anticipated, but keeping all the service levels, keeping the capital going um and the big thing when you look at our capital plan over the next number of years right now, it's a couple billion dollars, they're going to bring our state of good repair down to about 300 million dollars by 2030, um which is an incredible accomplishment um that they've been doing.

C

So I just want to give them a hats off for the amazing work that they've been doing in a challenging year.

A

Thank you very much council crawford and coming from the budget chief. That praise is not uh is not distributed uh easily, so that uh that is a high commendation.

A

If there's any, if there's nothing else to be said, then what we'll do is call the question on item ex 19.9 the rate supported budget for 2021 water and wastewater. uh All those in favor opposed carrot.

A

uh Item ex 19.10 now actually has one speaker, and so I will hold that down, that is the 2021 rate, supported budgets for solid waste management services and recommended 2021, solid waste rates and fees. So there is one speaker on that, so we will hold that down item ex 19.11 2021 rate supported budgets, toronto parking authority. Again this is a letter from the budget committee with recommendations.

A

Is there anyone who wants to hold this item down? If not, then.

C

Yep go ahead. I don't want to hold it down, but if I can just do again, you know 20 or 30 seconds just to thank the parkland authority.

C

It's been a challenging year for, as you can appreciate the parking authority um in many respects, just with the loss of huge loss of revenue, um we will actually will not be receiving our 55 million amount um coming this year, but you know recognizing that I think they've done a good job and good work under the circumstances this last year um with hopes that it'll be a better 2021 when we're looking at the revenue. So I just want to thank again everyone on the parking authority for the work that they've been doing um and appreciate.

C

You know their continued support moving into the new year thanks a couple.

A

Of movies and council crawford has moved the recommendation uh for approval of the parking authority rate supported budget I'll call the question: if there's no one else, all in favor opposed carried item ex 19.12, the municipal land transfer tax rebate for first-time home buyers. This is a letter from the budget committee with a recommendation. Is there anyone wishing to hold this item down?

A

Okay, otherwise, then I'll ask for a motion from the budget chief since it's his letter coming from his committee to move the recommendations contained in the staff report, so move counselor crawford. Thank you all. Those in favor opposed carrie item uh ex 19.13 project, cost adjustments and deferrals accelerations to the parks, forestry and recreation, 2020 capital budget and 2021 to 2029 capital plan. Again a letter from the budget committee with recommendations. I describe these things more as housekeeping about important housekeeping. Nonetheless, is there anyone who wishes to hold this item?

A

If not I'll, ask councillor crawford, then to recommend the what's recommended in the letter from the budget committee so moved any any further discussion. All those in favor opposed carry item ex 19.14 capital variance report for the 12 months, ended december, 31st, 2019.

A

again a letter from the budget committee with a recommendation and it's a variance report, that's for the end of last year and for a variety of reasons. Those have taken this long to come to us. Is there anyone wishing to hold this item all right? Otherwise, I will ask again councillor crawford, since this is coming from the budget committee, to move the recommendation uh and I'll call the question all those in favor proposed carry.

A

uh The next item is item. 19.15 operating variance report for the year ended december. 31St 2019., I believe cancer crawford. There are some motions on this uh that are in front of us they're, maybe not.

C

In front of us, I think it's, I think it's the nine month.

A

C

Okay, fine you're, right yep,.

A

So this again uh is you're quite right. This again is the operating variance report for the year ended december, 31 2019 coming from the budget committee with recommendations, um and uh if there is no one wishing to hold this down or to speak, I will ask councillor crawford to move the recommendations and they have been so moved and I'll call the question all those in favor opposed kerry.

A

The next item is the uh ex 19.16 capital variance report for the nine months ended september, 30th, 2020 again a letter from the budget committee with a recommendation. Anyone wishing to hold this item down, okay, seeing no one, then I'll, ask the budget to jeep again to move this so moved. Call the question all those in favor opposed carried.

A

The next item is the one on which I think there are some motions counselor crawford, uh so uh I don't want to rush people and looking at these perhaps we'll hold this down and just deal with those motions. uh At that time. There's just two motions. I think you can talk about they're, just technical in.

C

Nature from stuff.

A

I mean if people are content, they're very sure we can put them up now. You can have a quick look at them. They're, really just things that direct certain adjustments to be made. That are not. I mean there are large amounts of money, as everything is around here, but.

C

No, no, no net impact in any way.

A

Yeah, it's a zero net impact. Are people content? You should have a quick look at these on the screen now and uh we can then move ahead with the item. Okay. So if I ask the clerk to put motion a up.

A

So this is, uh this is uh uh directing some lease termination payments to be made out of a stabilization fund. We return back to the reserve, actually returning and funds to the reserve, with accounting adjustments to be made. It's a technical amendment. um If I, if there's any discussion on that, I'm of course willing to entertain it. Otherwise I'll ask the question on that motion.

A

All those in favor proposed carry but motion b, if we could put it up, is smaller zero net 355 thousand dollars for uh increasing the approved 2020 budget for children's services on a one-time, in-year adjustment um that has to do with start-up cost per.

A

Facility, so if you've had a chance to look at that, uh that is so moved uh and if I can call the question, unless there are any comments on this motion b, uh all those in favor opposed carrie and then we would move them to approval of the item uh ex 19.17 as amended, uh and that's for the operating variance report for the nine months ended september. 30Th moved by councillor crawford as amended all those in favor opposed kerry. Thank you very much.

A

uh Next is item ex 19.18 toronto, fire services, amendment to the 2020 approved capital budget and the 2021 to 22 cash flows, station b, downsview and personal protection equipment replacement. This is a staff report with recommendations. Anybody wanting to hold this item down: counselor, pastor nick. Thank you. uh Yeah.

D

Mr mayor, I don't have to really hold it. I just wanted to make a very brief comment and then please go ahead. Yep.

A

D

Yeah, so I just wanted to thank toronto fire services for how organized and accelerated the construction is going in the downsview fire station.

D

Mr mayor, you may recall we were at the design, reveal event in the summer time a magnificent plan to keep the downsview community safe, and I wanted to also take this opportunity to thank toronto fire services for their quick response um to a fire that occurred in some townhomes under construction right around the corner, from where this uh station is being built. Their quick response last weekend in a very difficult fire situation resulted in a minimum spreading of the fire to other townhomes which were occupied and, of course, the likely prevention of injury and fatalities.

D

So just uh just a shout out to toronto fire services. As I see this project, as mentioned in this capital report uh and for all the great work they're doing on site.

A

Thank you, counselor pastor, I'm sure that's all concreted by the members of the committee as well. If there are no other comments, I will ask uh for someone well councillor pashnek, I'm sure you're prepared to move the recommendations contained in the staff report and uh I'll call I'll call the question. Then uh all those in favor posed carried item ex 19.19 equity, responsive budgeting at the city of toronto. This is a letter from the toronto accessibility advisory committee with the recommendation uh for benefit of our viewers at home.

A

These committees have to be some of the recommendations have to be given life in terms of directing staff and zone from a standing committee. uh The in this case the executive committee and that's what this is to give life to their recommendations. Is there anyone money wanting to hold this item? If not, then I'll ask for a motion to move the staff recommendation moved by deputy mayor thompson. Call the question all those in favor opposed.

A

Carry next item is ex 19.20 remote participation in toronto accessibility, advisory committee meetings again a letter coming from the toronto accessibility advisory committee with recommendations on the subject matter listed in the title. If there are no no one wishing to hold it down I'll ask for someone to move the recommendations, counselor ainsley! Thank you and I'll call the question. All those in favor posed kerry uh item ex 19.21 toronto, public health's response and efforts related to covid19.

A

This again is a letter from the toronto accessibility advisory committee with recommendations. Anybody wanting to hold this down. Okay, seeing no one. I will ask then for a mover of the staff recommendations. I see a counselor deputy mayor thompson and I'll call the question all those in favor proposed carried.

A

The next item is ex 19.22 wheel: trans update on public consultation and covid 19 response again a letter coming from the toronto accessibility advisory committee with recommendations. uh Do I see anyone wanting to hold this down?

A

You want to hold it down for eric francis councillor, sierra movement, move it moving the staff recommendations or the recommendations from the accessibility advisory committee ready to call the question, then all those in favor opposed carried and then the last item is the item ex 19.23 board's independent review into missing persons, investigations request to extend timeline and increase budget. uh I don't know if you've had any time to look at the letter, uh because it I mean it's fairly routine.

A

It involves again, uh I consider seventy thousand dollars to be a large money level on seven hundred 000, but it turns an extension to the budget to let them complete their work and propose a time deadline of this spring on something that I think you'll find as a landmark report in terms of both missing persons and other police practices, because I've had a chance to understand what their work is, but I'm not trying to rush. If you leave. Let me like like me to leave it down.

A

I can leave it down and we can come back just when people have a chance to receive it. I mean your hands on that.

A

People want to have a chance to look at it, or is somebody ready to move? The uh francis seems ready to move. The council enunciated the recommendations and I'll I'll assume that we have that.

A

uh That that was the disposition. uh uh uh uh The clerk is quite right that the recommendation here is actually not to approve it, but rather to refer the item as per request to the budget committee for consideration in the 2021 budget process, all the more reason why we can deal with it now, as opposed to waiting until later. So I assume counselor nunciata you're quite happy to move that motion. Referring this item to the budget committee for their consideration in the 2021 budget process go back to the other screen.

A

If we can you, okay with that concerning seattle,.

E

A

Yes, okay, so I'm ready to call the question on that. Then it's sending off the budget committee, all those in favor opposed kerry. Okay. uh Now I think we also had a motion we wanted to put in front of you which I've conveniently misplaced here somewhere, but it was a motion that was to indicate that we will hear from all registered speakers, but that.

A

There it's going to be on the screen there. It is that uh we just indicate that uh all speakers who have not pre-registered to be allowed to register to speak until 10 a.m, so we've got four more minutes, be allowed to speak after which no further registration will be allowed and the speaker's list would be closed. uh And so can I have a person to move that move by counselor, pastrnak I'll call the question all those in favor opposed carrie.

A

If there's nothing else, then I think that allows us to move back to the first item: uh ex 19.1 update report to city council on recovery and rebuilding a renewed toronto. The torah report, as it's known around here, and I would ask that we could confirm that the first speaker and that is uh guillermo gil penalosa from 880 cities. World urban parks uh is uh on the line not on the line. Okay.

A

Well, what we'll do is uh uh see if there's any questions of staff or speakers on this and give mr pennelos a moment to to make himself available. um Are there any people wishing to ask questions of staff on this tour report?

A

Seeing none are there any uh deputy mayor thompson? Did you want to ask a question or you want to ask questions of staff.

B

uh Yes, question of staff. Mr america,.

A

Just gen council mckelvey you're you're a visiting member still, although soon to join us, which is uh which will be great uh but um you you would go first. If you had any questions of staff on this. Otherwise we'll go to deputy mayor thompson.

F

No, no I'm here for uh 19.5, but thank you.

A

Okay, deputy mayor thompson, over to you.

B

Thank you very much, mr mayor. Through you just some general questions for staff. The report looks at a variety of things and obviously the the um title of the report is, um you know responding um to the tour, and I know that it was only a very short time ago that we actually have the actual report itself. I just wanted from the city manager uh through you, mr mayor, what are any of the unique elements that you are wanting to update us on as it relates to this report?

B

I mean areas like impact on businesses, um areas like ppe's and so on. I'm just wondering if you know maybe just highlight those specific areas.

G

Yes, if I can, through uh meritori um yeah, there's a an appendix that outlines the progress that we've made on the 83 recommendations that were uh that were part of the torah report, so um so that does detail uh some of the the movement that we've made since october.

G

Yes, in terms of ppe, we're fortunate that the procurement has been going quite well, we don't have any what we would call as red or amber lights on any of the of any of that stock. So that's moving well also um what's moving. Well is the discussions with the federal provincial government? We've had an opportunity to meet with a number of senior leaders uh and their uh their view of our our call for a whole government approach is being uh quite well received.

G

So, as you would hope, uh meetings are being set up, uh we're talking about a variety of matters. Everything from uh you know the the role of the city of toronto and the digital economy, and in particular, digital infrastructure.

G

So, um and- and I do want to mention, though, as well uh uh deputy mayor thompson, the uh the work that you've been doing uh with the task force and uh that we received a report from you, I believe on monday, uh which I think augments nicely the tor recommendations and so uh we'll be uh incorporating those uh recommendations into any of our work that we're going to report on each quarter of 2021 and beyond. So there's a number of really good suggestions there for businesses.

G

uh We particularly like the suggestion around a dashboard addressing employment and and major equity challenges that people are facing. So um there's a lot of good information in our report today, but we will be building on that per the task force that you chaired and have led, and so we're incorporating that work with us as well.

B

Thank you very much um just with respect to um looking forward and and our employees coming back to work, just wondering what are some of the measures that you're looking at through the tour report in terms of testing engine testing in a variety of testing and testing our employees and so on, and- and I imagine that this is in collaboration with the um medical officer of health and so, and I just wonder if you could just give us some insight on on that aspect.

G

Well through the through meritorio. Thank you for that question. I mean, as we've said from day one our our what's up paramount importance to us or the health and safety of our workers, so you know making sure that they're respecting all the public health measures that dr davila has advised us and everyone else in this community, but also as we see in our long-term care facilities and other critical areas where we know outbreaks are, can be devastating.

G

I mean there is a testing regime that does go on there uh to keep our staff and our and our clients safe. I mean the other matter here which we're working through right now is, uh and we don't have details to share share. Just yet is the whole matter of the vaccine uh in terms of how who in our organization it might apply to and whether or not it's something that we would make mandatory something we're still looking at so um but yes, you're right, there's uh you know testing, especially now.

G

We know how the virus is kicking up in our community and causing us a lot of concern. You know we will have protocols in place to keep our our staff safe as they interact with the public.

B

Thank you very much, mr city manager, and thank you, mr mayor. Those are all my questions. Thank you.

A

Thank you, deputy mayor thompson. Are there other members, uh councils of deputy mayor, bylaw and council pastor mark, I see.

H

Thank you mayor, true, you, um my questions are quite specific um on the human services integration, I noticed that you mentioned some projects uh that have been accelerated. uh How are we doing with the human services disintegration.

G

So I might defer that to amma if she's uh on the line here to talk about.

G

G

You may have to hold your time.

H

Sorry, maybe juliana, can you hear.

F

D

I

I think what you're referring to deputy mayor is the the.

H

Human services, integration with regard to the income support and we're working very closely on advancing that.

I

We have the central intake number. We centralized uh the unit up at one of the offices they're working very closely together in terms of how we can amalgamate or harmonize our review of eligibility etc, but we're also working right now very closely with the province, because they're also looking at centralizing certain aspects of ontario works and possibly other elements and we'll, as we get more information on that, we can provide updates to you.

H

So has this been some work that has been advanced as well, because I mean I think that as we recover leveraging these benefits for the people that have been affected. The most is of crucial importance, correct.

I

It is I'm going to see if denise or tom is on, because they have more details on the advances that they've.

A

Made we're waiting to see if denise is there somewhere? Is that what we're doing.

I

Yeah denise, are you there.

I

Deputy mayor I'll, get you details and I'll again I'll get some emails to you. My apologies. Thank you.

A

H

Question I had, is you talk about the non-profit, long-term cares and the work that you're doing um and there's a report supposed to come in 2021 on the possibility of the development charges. uh Can you be a little bit more specific?

H

When are we expecting this work.

I

So we're working very closely with finance on on that finance is a lead and we're providing input. I'm not sure if heather's on.

I

It's the first half of 2021 is my recollection, deputy mayor.

A

I saw miss taylor's name come up, so maybe she just was trying to say something there. Just.

J

Yes, I am here sorry deputy mayor, if you could repeat your question.

H

uh There's uh there's a section that talks about the work that was.

A

Okay, we're having one of those technical moments there. We.

I

A

I don't think that question came through because I didn't hear much of it. You came back at the at the end of it. Could you just try one more time, account deputy biola to repeat the question.

A

Nope she's got a freeze up again: okay, we'll we'll move.

I

A

We can come back to her or or otherwise take that question offline. Were there other, I think we had counselor password and then we had counselor nunciata uh for questions so counselor password.

D

Okay, thank you. Thank you, mr mayor, through you to stop.

H

A

uh uh Hang on sorry, counselor bylo's back deputy rival's back, and so it's freezing up again, though councillor a deputy mayor. So maybe what we could do is um see about that connection uh and uh we'll come back to you here and I'll I'll start, your time, you're at three minutes and I'll start again with a couple of minutes left and we'll go to counselor passtnac. In the meantime,.

D

Okay, we'll try again thank you, mr mayor, um so through you to staff, I guess I'm looking at attachment, one uh of the report, the rapid housing uh initiative and I'm looking at the timelines uh tied to this, uh where um construction must be completed within 12 months no later than december, 31st 2021, so something like a year from now. How far along are we on these conditions of acquisition of land, um acquisition of land and existing buildings, acquisition of the land and rehabilitation of housing?.

B

D

Identified projects and are they shovel ready.

G

So through the mayor, we're gonna have abby respond to that question.

J

um Through the chair, thank you for the question, so we are waiting.

F

To hear back from cmhc any day now about our submission that we made on november, the 27th, uh which included uh seven properties for the purposes of the rapid housing.

J

Initiative plus some additional projects on behalf of our non-profit partners and we are progressing.

F

Still on the due diligence for a number of those for acquisition and conversions, and also a number of properties for the purposes of modular as well, the modular properties are is on land, that's already owned by the city. So it's about expediting the design, work and the application process, as we did for modular phase one and then on the acquisition and conversions. We're continuing to move ahead on the properties that we're exploring and part of that. The reason why we applied for those properties is because we think that we can meet.

F

We can acquire those properties and do the conversion within the timeline that's been set by cmhc, which is extremely tight. As you know, it's it's one year from approval, so yes, it's challenging and difficult, but we're we're very, very focused on making it happen.

D

I mean most people, I guess- can't get a kitchen renovation done in this timeline, um so you but you're confident you can get it done.

F

We're pulling out all the stops to make it happen, yeah this kind of funding from the federal government. It's something that we've been asking for for a long time. It provides 100 of the capital costs, and so it's very important to us that we're able to succeed and deliver this in the timeline that they've identified.

D

Okay, all right! Thank you, mr mayor. Thanks.

A

D

Your counselor.

A

Pastor nick uh next we'll go to we'll come back to deputy mayor biola and see how our internet's going. But uh next we will go on the speaker's list to counselor initiative.

I

Yes, um thank you. Can you hear me.

B

Loud and clear.

I

Yeah, okay, just a question on in the report on customer service, digital government and services, part of the report talks about uh the divide intron by bringing access to affordable high-speed internet to un under this uh served residents. If I could, if you can just comment on that, please.

G

Sure through the mayor, josie will uh address this.

I

uh Through the chair, uh thank you uh countenance yada, and um what we are bringing- and this will come actually in january- is a report that will be coming to committee access committee regarding utilizing our uh our assets, which we have access across the city, which is like broadband fiber that could actually support some of the underserved uh areas, in particular in a couple of pilots. We're actually going to be be bringing forward.

I

So that report will actually come as a pilot to committee and then what we'll be doing is actually put the nrp out to the market to actually assist us in the what they call the last mile. So we can actually have households and serve areas where they can't do online learning easily and that we can actually look at accessibility as well as affordability and work with some of the um the partners that may actually respond to the rfp. So your question is extremely important.

I

This will be coming back to the exec committee uh for review and approval to move forward with.

I

So, as you know, toronto housing at the last meeting adopted a report uh to look at it in their in their um um for their tenants. um Absolutely yeah uh so josie, then. If I uh want to bring forward a motion, I should wait till january, when the report comes to executive, um to add on a recommendation onto your report absolutely and we'll work with you on that.

I

Okay, thank you.

A

Thanks very much councillor barlow now uh is there anyone else wishing to ask questions uh on this report, okay of staff. So uh now I do. I see uh deputy mayor bylaw anywhere. I don't see her on my screen here, but oh there you are, um I, I don't. Did you log back on or I wonder if your internet's working better, we could give you a couple more minutes because you had two minutes left.

A

You were right in the middle of the question. I think yeah. We can hear you now. Yes and I think you're right in the middle of a question to miss taylor but yeah I'll I'll set you up for two minutes and uh you can use it as you see fit. Obviously,.

H

Yeah, just a quick question around the uh report: that's supposed to come in 2021 about long-term care homes and development charges. It talks about 2021, but can we be a bit more specific.

A

That's a question.

J

Of mission there we are.

A

J

Yep, I'm so sorry so deputy mayor, I will get back to you offline. um I don't have that specific timeline, I'll check with the team and get back to you and I'm sorry. I didn't hear your question first time around.

H

No problem uh and uh the last question is, I mean we're now getting more and more information about the deployment of the vaccine and findings and when we expect the vaccine to be uh done in the population. How are you taking that in consideration in your work plan.

G

Well, as as you can imagine through the mayor um first off, there's uh there's, uh you know, rules and responsibilities of the federal provincial government, and we are certainly uh going to play our our our position, our role as as uh as a request. So, but there is a fairly uh large team of people that are engaged right now on on determining locations for the vaccine to be brought to uh dissemination strategy that is being overseen by chief peg in consultation with dr davila.

G

uh So as we know, and there will be, as you would expect, you know, trial runs of all of this before the vaccine actually shows up for broad distribution. But we are, you know we are certainly playing our position relative to what the federal provincial government wants us to do, uh but uh just to be rest assured that we have a group of people that are uh making sure that our end of the responsibility is worked through and test it, and whenever the vaccine does show up we'll, be ready to distribute it.

G

uh As per the protocol, which will be set up by the other levels of government.

H

And through you, mr mir, does I mean? Does your table? Look at you know, there's to be a certain amount of people that has been vaccinated, the nur the numbers have to come down to a certain degree. In order for us to start, you know, bringing people back down. Is that how it's going to work? There's going to be an evaluation to then start um getting back to uh normal.

G

Yeah through the mayor I mean that that question was raised. uh You know in the last few meetings, the federal government, I think, is using the 70 percent uh figure of a population of an urban area like toronto.

G

I mean you know north of 70 is is uh preferred because it uh you know it will have very positive effects on us being able to return to uh the more normal interactions with people, and so uh you know- and of course you know to get that message across and it's a great question right now, you know, will require some form of campaign.

G

Obviously that's going to be led by the feds and the province, but uh you know again uh that's a really important point to make and uh and so that all those kinds of considerations are being worked into the strategy that you know we are going to deploy.

G

um But again, all I can say right now is is that you know we are. We are certainly in daily contact with the province in terms of just their expectations of us.

H

Thank you thanks, mr moon.

A

Thank you very much uh councillor deputy mayor bilo. uh I think that completes the questions of staff, um and so, uh if uh we can move on then to see if there are people wishing to speak on this item, there's deputy mayor thompson to speak first, so please go ahead.

B

Thank you very much, mr mayor. I simply wanted to to take the opportunity, certainly to thank the city manager and his team, and all the amazing people that are working to not only instill confidence, but also the the leadership that is being brought uh to respond to the pandemic and the efforts that are being made, uh and certainly your leadership.

B

Mr mayor, I think that uh that's that's a given, um but the leadership of so many people, but the role of mr murray and his team has just been absolutely amazing, and I think that the level of confidence that he brings to the table as is important to give torontonians that understanding that not only is their government working on their behalf. The administration is working well, uh mr murray has brought forward. Obviously this report and he'll be bringing more reports forward as it relates to all of the work.

B

That's actually being done with respect to the efforts on on recovery rebuild and renewal, and uh we know that uh through the work that's being done, mr murray is uh guided by a number of um of of of you know: supportive team staff members, but also a variety of different work, that's actually being done, which I think torontonians can actually take great comfort in recognizing that the political leadership is strong, but also the civic administration is also really strong and it's actually up to the challenge and as we approach the the holidays and so on, and we continue to ask people to refrain from gathering and you know, making certain demands on them, which is very difficult during uh this period, when normally people would gather um during the holidays and so on.

B

I think it gives great comfort in terms of the recognition and understanding that so much more is actually being done, and I think that we need to ensure that we recognize that uh every efforts actually being made to ensure the the health and and and safety and welfare of all torontonians as a first.

B

um You know course, of action and at the same time, looking at all of our financial um challenges and looking at the opportunities in terms of working with other governments and looking at how we can um you know, identify um infrastructure development, responding to business, need and dealing with the issues with respect to ppe's and so on so forth. So there is a comprehensive, collective approach in terms of dealing and responding to the issues and the challenges that this city face and- and the last point I really wanted to make.

B

Though it is the city manager's effort in terms of collaborating with the region and the regional municipalities in terms of looking at how we all work together. And if it's one thing that this pandemic has demonstrated to us as we look at all the gaps and all the challenges that we've had.

B

If we don't actually work together in a collective way, uh both politically and in the administration, then- and I don't think that we will fully rebuild and recover as we're planning to do, and I'm just really uh delighted that uh I'm confident with respect to mr murray's leadership and all the people that are working.

B

You know, staff have worked really hard. I think oftentimes. We tend to overlook this in uh the efforts that they've made, so I simply wanted, as we approach the holidays and the challenges that we still face, wanting just to offer my vote of confidence and thanks to a mr murray team and certainly to you, mr mayor and all the members of the committee. Those are my remarks that I wanted to add to this particular generation. Thank you and I can move the item.

A

Thank you, deputy mayor thompson. Are there others wishing to speak on this? Okay? Well, I will simply say I echo all of the um deputy mayor's comments, with the exception of the comments about myself, but this has just been a great uh effort with much more to be done, of course, and we're working on things as we speak, uh especially for some of the people that have been harder hit by the pandemic and trying to move forward from there.

A

So uh deputy mayor thompson has moved uh the recommendation and I will call the question since I see no one else wishing to speak all those in favor posed carried. So that is item 19.1.

A

uh I think next we would move. Then! Oh just you know, oh well, it doesn't matter. I I was too late. I was going to see if we had mr pendleton, he ever. No, he didn't materialize. So that's that's fine! Okay, then we move to 19.3 the policy, analysis, potential design and possible implementation of a vacant home tax in toronto, and I think it's our usual practice, we'll hear from the uh deputies first of which they're 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13.

A

and so we'll deal with those and uh we'll start off with uh is is jaco jubair on the line, uh so jacko jubeir. You are up first five minutes and you're most welcome here.

G

Hey thank you for having me so last year I published some research I completed on making condos in the downtown core. I analyzed the light patterns of condos over several months and then determined what percentage of units were empty and unused.

G

While I was initially skeptic, the results convinced me that toronto has a pretty serious problem. Some buildings were exceeding 13 vacancy rate. On average, I found about 5.6 percent vacancy rate among the fifteen buildings that I looked at with approximately you know. Thirteen thousand a thousand three hundred units between.

C

Them and then uh some of.

G

The buildings that are renowned for being ghost hotels at the lowest rates at around 1.5 to 1.8 percent. Yet, since the onset of the pandemic, the same buildings have posted, the most units will sell and rent. The city has identified ghost hotels as a problem and enacted regulations to curb them.

G

We need similar regulations to stop the practice of treating homes as investment vehicles and land banks, the city of vancouver, enacted, a vacancy tax of 0.8 and then raised it for 2020 to 1.25.

G

I think they made a mistake and we should not repeat it. We should start with a rate that is effective and causes changes.

G

If it is less than the asset depreciation, then it is largely a meaningless tax. So I would ask you to consider a rate of at least five percent per year, direct and direct the money to raising uh or creating more affordable housing.

G

A

Thank you, mr zubair. Are there questions of the deputy okay seeing nana? Well, thank you very much for being with us today and for sharing those thoughts uh we've been taking, taking careful account of those as we will all the others. uh Next it would move to jack campbell is mr campbell on the line.

A

Yes, I'm here morning, sir, you have five minutes uh and there may be some questions up to five minutes. Thanks very much.

G

Okay, thank you, hello. My name is jack and I'm a young adult from ward 10., I'm here today to thank the city for considering a vacant homes tax and to encourage you to implement the tax at a rate of at least three percent.

G

As a young person like many in our city, I am concerned about the future of affordability in toronto.

G

I have been fortunate enough to grow up in this city, but now I question whether I will be able to stay here as I grow older, rapidly rising housing prices and the housing crisis that our city is currently facing are making the future more and more uncertain for young people like myself, who are going through school and entering into the job market.

G

The recent emergence of covet 19 has only made these concerns greater. It is clear to me, as it is to so many others in our city, that if nothing is done to address the state of housing, affordability in toronto, soon many who live here will be forced to move out of our city.

G

I don't want to have to leave the place where I grew up and the place I call home, and I don't want my friends or anyone else to be forced out of the city either.

G

That is why I was very excited when I heard the city would be considering the idea of a vacant homes tax. It is vital that every housing unit in toronto is used for just that housing. We cannot afford to have housing units in the city sitting empty when so many are struggling to find places to live already.

G

I believe that a vacant homes tax is a necessary step. The city must take to address affordability, seeing city council considering the tax is therefore encouraging.

G

With that being said, after reviewing the city's report for action, I was disappointed to see that only a one percent tax was considered in the reports scenarios. I don't think that this goes far enough. The city of vancouver, which implemented its own vacant homes tax in 2017, currently has its tax set at three percent.

G

I would like to ask why can't we do the same? Even the kpmg report considered in the city's report for action notes that a one percent vacant homes tax may not impact investor returns sufficiently for vacant homeowners to transfer their properties to the market, given how fast home prices are increasing.

G

If we are going to implement this tax, we should make sure that it is set high enough to accomplish its goal. We should be bold. We should be ambitious and set our tax at three percent, as they have done in vancouver with issues of housing and security on the rise and the future of the economy uncertain.

G

The people of toronto are looking to you, our mayor and our elected officials, to take bold action to make the future a little less uncertain for everyone who lives here. A vacant homes tax is a great initiative, but I think that we can do better than the one percent tax considered in the city's report for action. I reiterate: the city should implement the tax at three percent.

G

We need to shift as many vacant properties to the market as we can to help make the future of our uh city affordable, like it should be, because I don't want to see myself my friends nor anyone else pushed out of toronto. Thank you.

A

Thank you. Excuse me, mr campbell, uh are there any questions of the deputy uh councilor kevin you're? Just are you unbeating yourself or you were no questions?

A

No, okay, no questions of the deputy, then I'll move on and thank mr campbell very much for his attendance. uh Next. We would move to fizza fizza kelly.

I

So I didn't want to do that, so I did it on tuesday, uh sorry, okay, so I wasn't sure.

A

I

A

I

Like a bunch yeah.

A

Maybe we'll move on to the next one. There's some problem here: uh carol arundel is carol arundel on the from social planning, toronto.

E

A

Good evening.

E

A

Over to you, it's your turn, five minutes and thanks for being here.

E

Thank you uh carol, arundel, I'm, the interim executive director of social planning toronto, I'm here today to join with the other deputies that have spoken so far in offering kudos to the city for bringing forward this proposal for a vacant homes tax.

E

In addition to urging you to support the tax I'd like to make two main points in my deputation today. The first is that we would like you to dedicate the revenues from this tax to new and affordable and supportive housing.

E

We all know about the crisis and rental and support of housing. Over the last 10 years, the waiting list for affordable housing has grown by 50 percent and it's almost quadrupled for supportive housing. There are more than a hundred thousand households on the waiting list and shelters remain at capacity. Despite you know, the new beds, you've added and the the facilities that have been added to the system, the need for housing, far outstrips our collective efforts and our funding to expand the system just over 4 000 units were built in the last decade.

E

Our recent report, spaces and places of exclusion highlighted inequities in the rental housing market. For immigrant and racialized residents and the report recognized that addressing the housing crisis is not just a matter of universal human rights, it's also a matter of racial justice.

E

The vacant homes tax is a really important tool. That's available to the city to address toronto's housing crisis vancouver has used their money, estimated 61 million to fund 270 new units of affordable housing.

E

The tax in vancouver has also brought more units back to the rental market. It's estimated there's been about a 20 reduction in vacant units over the three years that the tax has been in effect.

E

Last january, social planning, toronto uh produced a report called the good, the bad and the ugly. It made some recommendations to address the city's housing crisis, including the introduction of the vacant home tax, with revenues dedicated to affordable and supportive housing, and we urge you again today to dedicate the revenues from this tax to support new and affordable social housing in toronto, and this you know our recommendation is consistent with the tr housing to 2020 action plan and your commitment to supportive uh and affordable housing.

E

My second point is that one percent tax in toronto is too low and we encourage you to implement a higher three percent tax. You know we often talk about less best practices, um there's some learnings that we can benefit from from vancouver.

E

They started off lower, they increased the tax and now they're increasing it to three percent in 2021., let's benefit from their experience and learnings, and let's start at a three percent tax rate.

E

In conclusion, then vancouver's shown us that vacant home tax can work. It brings more housing back into the rental market and it raises funds to support new, affordable and supportive housing.

E

Thank you again for your leadership in bringing it forward. We hope you will continue to demonstrate strong leadership by supporting the tax today by dedicating it to affordable and supportive housing and by amending the proposal before you to implement a higher tax rate of three percent. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much, mr rundle. uh Are there any questions for this? Probably for this deputy well seeing none? I will thank you very much for those very concise uh and thoughtful recommendations. Appreciate that we would move on then is annie hodgins on the line any hodgins from the center for equality, rights and accommodation, miss hodgins, you're up next, you have five minutes or any part you want to use, and there may be some questions. Thank you for being here.

I

Great, thank you. um So thanks for the opportunity to speak with the committee this morning, my name is annie hodgins and I'm the operations manager at the center for quality rights and accommodation or sarah sierra's, a non-profit works to make sure everyone has an affordable, accessible and adequate home.

I

We've been working to advance the right to housing in toronto and ontario for over 30 years, and we do this by providing services to people who are facing eviction or human rights issue in their housing by delivering public education and capacity building and by working to advance race, rights-based housing policy that addresses the issues people face at a systemic level. So I'm I'm happy to be here today to talk about the vacant homes tax, um whilst a little bit of context, while skyrocketing housing prices are creating unprecedented wealth for real estate investors across toronto.

I

We know that thousands of low and moderate income renters are struggling to afford adequate housing and many are facing the threat of eviction.

I

The stark contrast is partly the result of increased financialization of housing in toronto, where housing is used as a commodity to be bought, sold and left vacant by investors, rather than as a social, good and human right that provides security, dignity and community to our city's residents. The city has recently taken some really positive steps towards the progressive realization of the right to housing for the people of toronto.

I

Today, we're calling on the city to continue along this path by adopting the structural measures that are needed to curb the financialization and quantification of housing. That's distorting our housing system in toronto. This effort should start with the implementation of a vacant homes tax.

I

So, as uh was just said by the previous deputy of vancouver's experience with implementing a vacant homes, tax has shown how effective this policy tool can be in reducing the number of vacant homes, increasing the supply of rental homes, curbing financialization and generating revenue for affordable housing initiatives. Vancouver's vacant homes tax has been successful in improving the affordable housing outlook in that city, and it's made sure that residents have greater access to the housing they need.

I

So sierra urges the city to follow vancouver's lead and we offer the following recommendations based on lessons learned from vancouver's experience. Sierra supports the adoption and implementation of a vacant homes tax to help increase the supply of rental housing and generate revenue that can be used to fund toronto's, affordable housing initiatives.

I

To achieve these worthy policy outcomes, the city should make sure the vacant homes tax is set at a rate high enough to compel property owners to place vacant homes on the rental market. The city of vancouver has learned this lesson and is set to increase their vacant homes tax to three percent from 1.2 percent, so the owners of vacant homes are incentivized to place these homes on the rental market, given how quickly housing values are appreciating their cost.

I

Toronto zero recommends the silly city reevaluate the vacant homes tax rate each year to decide if a higher rate might be necessary to achieve the desired policy outcome of increased rental housing supply. We also recommend that toronto follow vancouver's lead and make sure that revenue generated from a vacant homes tax is used to fund, affordable housing initiatives and support for tenants.

I

As noted in the kpmg study, the city does not currently have reliable data on the number of vacant homes across toronto, so we urge the city to adopt vancouver's practice of collecting and monitoring vacancy availability, affordability and other data that can be gathered through a vacant homes, tax reporting requirements.

I

Finally, we recommend that the city review a vacant homes tax as one policy tool, sorry view a vacant homes tax as one policy tool among a potential series of policies that could meaningfully curb financialization in toronto and move the city closer to fulfilling its commitment to the progressive realization of the right to housing. The homes left vacant by investors are not generally affordable for lower and moderate income renters on its own.

I

A vacant homes, tax, won't transfer enough homes to the market or generate enough revenue to meet the demand for affordable housing or fully fund the city's affordable housing initiatives. As the kpmg study noted, a vacant homes tax can't be used in isolation to meet the growing need for affordable and adequate housing across toronto.

I

So now is the time to encourage inter-governmental and inter-divisional coordination to look at how a vacant homes tax can fit within the city's broader housing policy landscape so that we can end rampant, financialization and ensure safe, adequate and affordable housing for all of toronto's residents. So thanks very much for the opportunity to speak with you this morning,.

A

Thank you very much, uh we'll just see. If there's any questions for you, I don't hear any questions, but we thank you very much for your suggestions and for your support of the principle that we're dealing with here today uh and so we'll move on. Let me just go back and see if, if, if it's a colleague did that get sorted out or where are we there.

I

You have vacations.

A

Okay, she's all right, well, we'll, okay, all right, we'll just keep moving here and then we'll we'll give three chances and then we'll have to move forward. uh Next would be jonathan robart on behalf of right to housing in toronto. uh Is mr robart on the line? Okay, mr robert good morning, good morning, can you hear me yes, so loud and clear, so you've got five minutes up to five minutes to make your deprecation. There may be some questions, but thank you very much for being here.

G

And, and thanks for having me and good morning, I'm here on behalf of the right to housing in toronto, we're a coalition of organizations and individuals working to support the implementation of the human rights housing in toronto, so we're in the midst of a decades-long, affordable and adequate housing crisis. Housing conditions for low and moderate income.

G

Households are worsening across the city with more and more households lacking housing that meets human rights-based standards of affordability, security tenure, accessibility and habitability, and this crisis is partially the result of structural changes to toronto's housing market that values housing as a commodity to be bought, sold and left vacant by investors rather than as a human right. The financialization of housing has distorted the role of housing as a social good that provides security, dignity and community, and it has undermined the realization of the right to housing here in toronto and elsewhere.

G

The right to housing in toronto applauds the positive steps the city has taken on, creating and maintaining affordable and adequate housing, unending homelessness and making the city's shelter system more accessible. However, these incremental steps need to be combined with structural measures. The counter the financialization and commodification, that's distorting the city's housing system.

G

One sent one symptom of this distortion can be seen in the growing number of homes, city-wide that are being deliberately held vacant by investors and, as such, we support the implementation of a vacant homes tax as a key step towards growing the supply of rental and affordable housing, as well as funding, affordable and social housing initiatives and, ultimately, moving towards the progressive realization of the right to housing in toronto, and we know that these taxes work.

G

We have a great example right here in canada, of how vacant homes tax increase the supply and affordability of rental units, but also help fund housing-related initiatives in january 2017, the city of vancouver, implemented an empty homes tax that currently levies, a 1.2 5 tax on the assessed taxable value of vacant, underutilized properties, and my understanding is that this rate is going to go up to 3 next year, while the primary objective of this tax is to increase the supply of housing on the rental market, uh we also see that as a secondary benefit, this tax has raised millions of dollars.

G

That's been used to support, affordable social housing initiatives and also support residential tenants, while also covering the one-time implementation and annual operating costs of the tax.

G

We recommend the city follow vancouver's, lead and ensure that any revenue generated from a bacon's home tax is used towards funding, affordable housing initiatives and support for tenants in short, vancouver's, empty homes. Tax has been successful in improving the affordable housing outlook across vancouver, but also ensuring residents can recover housing as a social good rather than as a commodity.

G

So, while these taxes are policy tools designed primarily to increase the supply of rental housing, but also generate revenue that can help fund, affordable housing, um those are all very important policy outcomes and, and we do support the adoption and implementation of a vacant homes tax. However, we urge the city to view this. This policy tool these vacant homes tax with an eye towards developing a broader housing policy that curbs housing financialization and moves the city closer to fulfilling its commitment to the progressive realization of the right to housing.

G

Now is the time to examine how vacant home tax can be coordinated with the city's broader housing policy to curb financialization of housing and ensure safe, adequate and affordable housing for all of toronto's residents. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with you this morning.

A

And thank you very much for uh being with us, mr robart. Are there any questions of this deputy okay? Well, thank you very much again for your uh for your thoughts on this and we appreciate you being with us uh I'll. Go uh we'll go back and try one more time with uh fitz fitza khalid.

A

I

Frieza colleen.

A

I just can't hear clearly is the same thing on some other conversation: okay! Well, we're just we're not like we'll. I think we'll just take that off then, because we can't keep doing this uh jeff schoenberg from progress. Toronto would be next, mrs schoenberg online, okay, mr schoenberg, welcome and thank you. You have five minutes or up to five minutes, and then there might be some.

K

A

Yeah, that's not uh schoenberg. If you can hear me, we can't hear you very clearly so we're just going to have a pause for a minute. While we see if we can sort that out.

A

Call in again, mr schoenberg, if you could hear me if you could call in again, we had a bad connection there. So we just couldn't hear you very clearly and what we'll do is we'll go back to we'll go to the next one and then we'll come pardon me.

A

Physically, are you there.

A

Okay, uh so we'll go to you, then we have a bit of. We were having some trouble uh getting hold of you when your turn came up, but here you are so uh we welcome you. You have up to five minutes to make your deputation on the vacant home tax. That's proposed, uh so I'll turn it over to you and there may be some questions.

I

Good morning, counselors staff advocates and residents of toronto. Thank you so much for giving me time to speak. My name is phillip, and I want to make it clear when I speak, I'm speaking as one of the more fortunate ones in my peer groups when it comes to housing security. I finished my university degree to continue my university education while working a full-time job for the last three years within reputable companies. I have saved and done everything by the book.

I

Someone in my situation during your youth counselors would have a home and job security by their early 20s.

I

However, I am turning 26 and I'm unable to afford to buy or even rent a home within sponsor the city I immigrated to 20 years ago, with the rising cost of food transportation and increased precarious labor decreasing in my future, not certain, but what I do know for sure.

I

If I cannot afford to live in a city, I have business for the last 20 years, really wanting it, especially when there are individuals with empty homes, hoping to make an investment on depriving those who need affordable housing while creating huge ripple aspects of inflation within the real estate market. I live in a multi-generational household, which has not been easy on my mental health. However, I am happy to have a roof over my head and a place.

F

Where I can work.

I

Many in my children are also fortunate. I have friends who experience homelessness due to their special preference and others living in abusive household unable to escape their abusers. 21 1 out of 5 homeless, youth in toronto, identify within the lgbt community. They end up on the streets due to family breakdowns and mental health problems.

I

More than a third of indigenous people experience the curious housing and homelessness in their lifetime. 27 percent of shelter users are women and often with children. In many cases, these women are leaving their abusive, abusive partners and find it difficult to establish stability and affordable place to live. So my question to you, counselors, are how can one march in pride parades openly support the lgbt indigenous women and other marginalized communities, while voting down a task that will drastically increase the lives of black people? Why the community dissidents?

I

How can one celebrate toronto as a diverse, a city of diverse backgrounds, while pushing aside the most vulnerable within a city? The lives of these people is deteriorating even more due to the pandemic.

I

If we desire to create a more inclusive toronto, providing public services for those who need help and not just farting marginalized communities, we must pass the vacant house tax by also de-incentivizing these these investors, who are removing the culture of toronto, not by a one percent tax or a 1.2 percent 1.25 tax, which is laughable, but a three percent tax and increase the tax. According to the annual inflation in the real estate market. Even during the pandemic, there has been a reporting of six percent year over year, increase home price change.

I

This year it has averaged nearly a 10 annual increase over the last five years. A one percent tax will not de-incentivize these bulkers, who are removing poncho's residents from the city. It is disillusioned to think so, and it is disgraceful for toronto's residents to pass attacks so low.

I

As city leaders, you must vote yes and dedicate all the revenue generated by the viking house pass to affordable housing and public services. Thank you. So much for letting me speak, and I hope you guys have a wonderful day.

A

Thank you very much. uh Miss khalid uh are there questions of this deputy.

A

I see none, so I will thank you very much for your time and for participating today, and uh we will take your comments, of course, fully into account. So I thank you so much now. Mr schoenberg, did we get him back so, mr schoenberg, sorry about that, there's a little technical issue with the phone there. So uh we've got you now on from progress toronto and you have up to five minutes and then we may have some questions for you.

K

K

Thank you, mr mayor, and I hope you can hear me now loud and clear, I'm here from perfect, I'm here from progress, toronto, I'm I'm in my late 30s my partner and I uh had been living in australia and we left uh last christmas. We went traveling for a few months and then landed in toronto this past april. Just as a side note, I would advise people to not move across the world in the middle of a pandemic without jobs, uh it was a little bit stressful.

K

That said, we were lucky. I have a phd and currently work as an independent governance consultant. My partner is an australian, qualified lawyer and works in one of the big four consultancy firms. We were both able to get well-paying jobs that allow us to live comfortably in toronto. We spent the first six months living in city place and have now moved to little italy.

K

We will be able to afford buying a home here in the next couple of years and probably an investment property within the next five years. Mayor councillors, you know that we have a housing, affordability crisis here in toronto.

K

People with far more direct experience with the impacts of toronto's high housing costs have told you about it today and we'll continue to tell about it and have told you about it before you've also heard from experts in the field- and you know the successful examples from other places those stories and that information alone is enough to support a vacant home tax.

K

I want to talk about sort of community and values and why you know I support a vacant home tax. I support a vacant home tax because affordable rental market is critical to a vibrant city. It allows for new people to find their place and it allows for people to move around the city. In the past dozen years I have lived in calgary melbourne, the gold coast, denmark, melbourne again, canberra and now toronto.

K

I've rented in every one of those places and without rental opportunities could not have done so. I want to live in a vibrant community, diverse in its residence. I want to live near artists, bartenders new canadians.

K

I want all people to be able to live near their work if they choose or people to choose their community based on where they want to live rather than where they can afford. The housing affordability crisis in toronto pushes people with lower incomes to the outskirts, creating a homogenous culture in in the central areas.

K

We need a vacant home tax to incentivize being a landlord. We need people willing and wanting to rent properties when property owners are not interested in being landlords. There is a problem.

K

A vacant home tax does not prevent people potentially like myself from owning investment properties. All it does is incentivize property owners to be landlords to use residential property for what it is intended to be a home living in city place. All I could see were other high-rise, condos and every night I could see the vacant properties, the walls of unlit apartments with the occasional light here and there then, during the day, as I'm exploring my new neighborhood in my new city, I would see people without a place to live.

K

The solution is right there. It's obvious.

K

I support a vacant home tax because housing is too expensive here, although I can afford it. I met my first toronto friend when I was volunteering at a food bank in parkdale. He was a fellow volunteer. He and his partner both have phd's and moved to toronto last year, as she got an excellent postdoctoral opportunity.

K

He couldn't find work in his field, so he's been working in retail. They are leaving toronto next week, partly because of affordability.

K

If two people with phds are struggling with affordability, what about all of those who don't have that advanced education?

K

Ultimately, I support a vacant home tax because I put my values: prioritize people over property. I support the needs of those who are unhoused over speculative property owning. I support a community that facilitates diversity rather than walls, people out and I support a city that allows all to live and thrive rather than struggle to survive.

K

I'm asking each of you to vote yes on the vacant home tax and ask you to raise the tax to three percent. Should the tax pass is critical that this new revenue be added to the budget for affordable housing and services? Current expenditure and housing should not be displaced with this new tax money. Please commit to adding this tax money to existing spending on affordable houses and services.

K

Please vote yes here at committee and vote. Yes at council vote for people, not property. Thank you, mr mayor and councillors.

A

Thank you very much, mr schroenberg. uh Do. Are there any questions of the deputy okay? Well again? Well, thank you very much for uh your patience and for your deputation and we'll move on to is stuart schustler. uh No, not here at the moment, all right, then, how about maria garcia I've seen ms garcia's name on the screen, so maria garcia, are you there.

I

Hi, mayor toriya, hey.

A

Okay, welcome uh you've got uh five up to five minutes and then there may be some questions for you. So we welcome you and you can go ahead.

I

Perfect, thank you. My name is maria garcia. The mayor's set I'm here with progress. Toronto. Currently I live at york center. So I'm happy to see that city councilor james passpornak is here. I just want to share a little bit about myself. I moved to canada when I was 9 years old, as my parents thought I would have better opportunities here.

I

My entire life. I've worked hard. I got good grades in school and I got my first job at 15 and have worked ever since in 2015. I finished my undergrad at york university with the help of osap, as my parents could not help me pay for my education.

I

Since then, I have also completed two additional postgraduate certificates, one at york university and another one at centennial college. Like many people, my age and many people who have spoken before me today. I believe that an education and hard work would mean success and financial independence.

I

Now I am almost 30.

E

Years old and yes, I have a full-time job that pays more than minimum.

I

Wage, however, I have had to make peace with the idea that I'll never own a home in my city in toronto, because I simply will not be able to afford it.

I

However, I am struggling now to make peace with the idea that I might not be able to afford rent in toronto on my own rent alone would cost me half my paycheck, not considering what I would have to pay back on my student loans, as well as the cost of living here in general.

I

Currently, I do live with my family here at york center, where we have to split rent three ways in order to be able to afford it.

I

I sit here- and I ask that you vote yes on a five percent vacant home tax and dedicate that revenue to affordable housing for people like me in the city and all those who need it, as well as for public services. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much, miss garcia uh other questions. Councillor pastranak has a question of the department.

D

Well, thank you. Thank you, mr mayor, and thank you so much uh for deputing today on this important issue. Two of my four kids have have left toronto. They moved out for a number of reasons, but affordability is is one of them. What do you think this city would look like if a whole generation of young people don't see a future here and they start moving out? What would happen to our to our industries, to our neighborhoods to our future?.

I

Thank you, um city, councilor, pastor, enact for your question. I mean I'm not an expert in urban planning, but I I do think we are already seeing um how the city is being affected by this. We're, like someone mentioned earlier, we're seeing toronto's changing a great deal. People are being pushed out we're seeing places that I grew up with that are being now demolished and turn into condos, and then I'm thinking, okay, but I can't afford these condos.

I

You know generations before me, generations, like many of you here, um you guys, went to school, you worked hard and you were able to afford your homes. You were able to afford your rents and now I'm seeing that that's not the case for my generation and the generation after mine. So um it is a concern and I don't. I don't think toronto would be the toronto that we know and love if we are not able to live here and grow here.

D

Okay, thank you very much.

A

Sorry, counselor passionate thank you. Are there other counselors wishing to question this deputy, if not I'll? Thank you very much, ms garcia, for your deputation and for answering questions and we'll move on to the next uh and the next person. If we have available is kelly, do yes, hello, hello, good morning and welcome to the executive committee, and uh you have up to five minutes to speak and then we may have a question or two for you. So please go ahead.

I

Okay, thank you, mr mayor hello. um um My name is um hello. I'm a young immersion, emerging generations dead at all from ward 14 toronto danforth. I recently graduated with my bsw this summer and I am now looking for full-time for full-time work, but um I am still having this nagging anxiety, reminding me that if I want to continue living in toronto, I will never be able to move out of my parents home.

I

Even when I get a full-time job. So I am fortunate to have parents who are able and willing to support me by sharing their home with me. There are many other people who are not as fortunate.

I

I have been seeing more and more people living outside, and recent news articles of encampments being cleared away as we shamefully hide our housing crisis. My dreams of staying in toronto, where I was born and raised, is looking weaker, the constant nagging that is contributing to my exactly anxiety. I feel it stems from the real issue of our city's housing crisis.

I

My parents bought our bungalow in the late 1990s when it was just 300 000.

I

That house has now tripled in price. We are lucky because we for sure would not be able to afford rent and living expenses in toronto like if my parents had not bought that house back, then how is it that houses sell upwards of one million dollars and we still do not have a vacant home tax in place. People slides should be prioritized over house investments.

I

Members of the executive committee, if you hear about the people who love living in the city, vote yes to implement a vacant home tax, all the revenue generated from the vacant home tax should go to affordable housing and public services. Vancouver's housing tax was recently raised to three percent. I want toronto to be at least five percent, since people are profiting from leaving their homes vacant and greatly contributing to our housing crisis.

I

I will be watching and following the decision along side progress. Toronto. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much. uh Ms du. Are there any questions of the deputy, seeing no questions we will move on and thank you very much for your participation and move on next to catherine uh sterling choney.

A

E

There can everyone hear me.

A

Yes, I think so uh you have five minutes you're most welcome here, and uh so please go ahead and speak up for five minutes.

E

I

E

I

Hello, my name is catherine chitlin, I'm in connection with progress toronto. My family immigrated here in the 60s to trump to the toronto area and have contributed to the city by opening businesses, purchased homes and sent two further generations of children to school all within the now humber river, black creek area.

I

This is an experience I will not be able to replicate for myself or generations. After me, as an adult approaching 30, I can't afford to live in the community.

I

I grew up in where and where I currently work and serve as a program coordinator coordinator for a non-profit supplying grocery boxes to our neighbors, we were forced to move out of our home in our in our city near family into milton and then after the rapid growth and inflation in milton, I now live in georgetown and have to commute to the city where traffic can be anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour and a half. This also concerns me, as it further adds to congestion and emissions that the city does not need.

I

I heard for a very long time that the inability to purchase homes that my generation was facing was a reflection of us, an entire generation's collective poor budgeting. I internalized that feeling that I was somehow unaccomplished. Even after doing everything I was told, I was supposed to go to school, take a credit card and build credit. Save your money, get a job with a reputable company, get a second job, and now I have three jobs.

I

I did all of those things and still living in a city I call home by either ownership or through renting is an impossibility. The problem was never us the problem with our elected officials. I am one of many here today about um passionate about this issue, but there are countless that are not here and counting on action towards affordable housing. My apps are simple and similar to the other. Deputies is to say, yes dedicate the revenue generated towards affordable housing and public services and learn from vancouver and start at a very minimum of three percent.

I

Thank you very much.

A

Thank you, uh ms colantroni colonchony. Is there a question for the deputy from anybody here? Okay, we won't have any questions, but we do thank you very much for being with us today and we'll move to the next uh deputy, which is philip ilejevsky.

A

Mr elijah, are you there.

F

A

Okay, well, we thank you for coming and you have up to five minutes for your deputation and then there may be a question or two.

F

Okay, uh thank you mandatory and uh thank you to the counselors for this opportunity to speak. um I'm living currently in ward, three, that's etobicoke lakeshore!

F

um I just wanted to talk about this a little bit personally, um I have a similar situation that I used to live in milton and I was very lucky to be able to find an apartment through friends in etobicoke, but when I was living in milton, I was basically traveling about 50 minutes to an hour and a half per day downtown um or to etobicoke, where I worked and um different areas, but I think what's important that hasn't been mentioned. Yet is the environmental impact that so many cars have where people are being driven away?

F

There's this real exodus from the city to go outside to farther places as far as georgetown and burlington places like that, because we can't find homes here, we can't find affordable homes. We can't find homes period for something that's even remotely affordable.

F

I have given up, as has most people, that I know and we're not talking about lower income people but middle class people and upper middle class people on ever buying a home anywhere in toronto or even a little bit outside.

F

So that's completely off the table, and this tax is is a wonderful idea and really thank you all for um taking this into account and thinking about passing this tax. I think it should be at five percent, because that's the only way you're going to get enough uh revenue to be able to pay for some affordable housing units and to be able to construct new um housing units to be able to make things more affordable and have a bigger impact, because please don't even consider one percent. It's it's just crazy to think about that.

F

um My three sisters used to live in the toronto area. We lived in scarborough and lived in, um you know etobicoke, um but they all left. One of my sisters is near london ontario. My other sister is in georgetown and my other sister is in vaughan. My brother also left and he's in um he was in brampton um and my mother also had to leave toronto, so everybody had to leave from my family, I'm the only one here and I want to stay, but the outlook doesn't look very good.

F

um I have lived in other places in the world and I lived in. Of course, I lived in montreal and in 2009 I paid 615 dollars for a two-bedroom apartment that was 10 minutes away from downtown montreal in 2017 I lived in osaka, I lived in the center of osaka and I paid eight hundred dollars, canadian, and that was not out of the realm of possibility there. um The cost of a of a home of a one bedroom apartment in toronto is over two thousand dollars a month.

F

This is a significant amount, not of just a lower income working person, who's paying minimum wage. But this is a significant amount of a middle-class person's salary. It leaves very little. It doesn't leave anything for any kind of retirement savings.

F

It doesn't leave anything for for much other than the basic goods so living basic paycheck to paycheck you're, making around forty thousand dollars a year. It leaves very little for anything in terms of your future when you talk about car payments insurance, that's also very high in toronto.

F

So it's very unaffordable here and a lot of people say japan is expensive. Well, I lived in japan and the cost of living is much lower in osaka in many ways than it is in toronto. Our prices here for just about everything are much higher, so please pass this tax and please set it at five percent to make it significant enough so that it can pay for some of these um measures that we can take and try to make more affordable housing in toronto, but also, I think. Lastly, I want to talk.

F

Tell the counselors, um like you have to think about who you are serving. Please consider your constituents, not people who are just broadly speculating and ballooning. The prices here think about your constituents, people that actually live here and please don't force everybody to do this mass exited because it is happening and very few people. I knew that lived in toronto in the past still live here. Thank you for your time.

A

Thank you very much, mr elojefsky. Are there any questions of this deputy okay? Seeing none well, thank you so much for being here and we will move on to the final deputy of the day uh cave candia.

A

Good morning uh you have up to five minutes to make your uh your deputation and then we might have some questions thanks for being with us.

E

Great, thank you so much for having me um so hello. My name is robbie. I am I'm a 20 23 year old, markham resident and who recently moved.

I

From cedarburg.

E

From war 24., so I'm here to talk support for the beginning home ten years or twenty. What is the group of people in the corner? Why are people alone? It never occurred to me that they were homeless. Why?

E

I genuinely thought the city with a place of humility. We can fulfill dreams and opportunities, especially owning a house, so everybody includes my parents who are both refugees who came to the city during the 90s from a war-torn sri lanka. Luckily, my parents do own a house through hard work and dedication, but it did cost our family 1.7 million dollars, meaning a monthly mortgage of at least five thousand dollars so for obvious reasonings can't really move out of my parents basement.

E

However, I cannot imagine a homeless person from toronto afford a home because, unlike my own family, they do not have enough resources or any to assist them. It is an unfortunate thought. This is an unfortunate thought, because I was once naive now, I'm no longer the city was well, not the one splub city of humility that I once thought before, but it can be today if members of the executive community care about the people who live in the city. Please vote yes to implement a vacant tax home tax.

E

All the revenue generated from the vacant home tax must go towards affordable housing and.

I

E

Such as funding for education and vancouver's house was recently raised to 3. I want toronto to be at least 5. I will be watching and following the decision alongside progress toronto. Thank you so much for listening.

A

Thank you, uh miss kandian, uh okay, thank you very much. uh Are there any questions of the deputy? Thank you. Thank you. So much. Okay, thanks very much. There are no questions, so we thank you for being here with us this morning for your patients. uh There was just so you know, members one more deputy, alicia sorenson who has indicated she can't be with us in person today and she'll, send us something in writing so that we'll look forward to receiving that.

A

I think that brings us to the end of the list of deputations, uh and so uh we would move next to questions of staff, and I have uh deputy mayor pardon me um on on the list of those, but before that uh councilor calvary, did you have any questions of staff on this?

A

No okay, so we can then move right to members of the committee and we'll start with the deputy mayor.

C

Oh yes, thank you, mr chair. I think this question might be for um our cfo heather taylor. um The first question is kind of a obvious one, but needs to be asked anyway. In the context of this discussion, do we have financial problems in our city.

J

uh Through you, uh mr mayor um deputy mayor, you're, you're, aware of the the financial challenges that have evolved due to covid specifically due to covet, and I would say that it has made 2020 a challenging year. Yes,.

C

2021 is going to be tough too. Isn't it.

J

We are in unprecedented times at the moment, and we are in the process of developing a 2021 budget that reflects coded challenges.

C

Can a one percent vacant home tax estimate on how much the revenue stream on that.

J

um The the estimate is based on a one percent uh vacant. A one percent vacancy in the city uh would generate somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 million.

C

55 million dollars, if we had 55 million dollars uh extra, do you think we could use that to buy extra buses that we desperately need.

J

There are many uses of where the funds could go. The one caution that I will will make is that if the policy is to reduce the number of vacant units vacant units over time, hopefully would be eliminated and the tax would go down, it would be. It would be concerning, from my perspective, if we became reliant on a tax uh attack stream uh for ongoing programs.

C

Sure, but we could you know we don't have enough money to buy those buses. Do we right now.

J

So through through you, mr mayor, uh as you know, when we're developing our capital plan, it's based on a priority perspective so sure, depending on what the priorities are, that is, is where the funding gets attributed.

C

We identified at the last meeting of council that roads are a priority. We could use that money to fix our desperately falling apart part roads. Couldn't we.

J

So through you, mr mayor uh deputy mayor, as you know, there are, there are several competing priorities for the city. The roads are one of them. Yes,.

C

Our housing stock tch hundreds of millions of dollars needed in repairs. We have our existing housing stock falling apart. We could use that money to fix some of the repairs in our comm. In our wards, where we have uh units that are, you know, literally falling falling apart.

J

Through you, mr mayor uh deputy mayor, you might recall last year uh or actually earlier on in 2020, we did uh create a program where there is a steady funding stream for tchc to address its state of good repair needs.

C

Wouldn't it be more valuable if we were getting more revenue in just just not here, but in almost any other area, to send the money to general revenue so that we could apply it to price to priorities as they're needed.

J

So, as I previously mentioned, um if it was to go to general revenues and it funds ongoing activities, there is a concern that, if, if this policy is effective, that ongoing revenue stream would diminish over time and there would be a reliance for ongoing operating activities. So that is a concern from my perspective is that we become reliant on an unpredictable revenue stream.

C

Okay, uh thank you very much, uh mr mayor. I'm finished my questions and, if you could put me down to speak, I'd be grateful. Yes,.

A

I've done that thanks so deputy mayor. Are there others wishing to ask questions of staff? I have counselor pastrnak and I have deputy mayor thompson so far, so we'll proceed with the counselor pastor. Nick then.

D

Yes, thank you. Thank you, mr mayor. Through you to staff, I mean one of the themes and the deputies that we we just heard was. The revenue uh from from this tax will go into, I guess, building new, uh affordable housing, but I really don't see that in in the report before us, and is it a reluctance of staff to have dedicated revenue or is it something we're going to discuss in the future.

J

For you, mr mayor uh councillor, that's exactly the case. um The recommendations of this report are for us to report back in 2021 with regards to the the the policy definitions in the policy the by working with legal on the bylaws.

J

So there is a required report back that would provide more information on the the actual tax itself and then the use the potential use of those funds.

D

Okay, so that's still to be decided. um I'm looking at a report from june 2017 asking staff to take a number of actions and report back um to the september 2017 executive committee. Now I'm not sure whether her staff um did the work on this. Do you recall whether whether we actually have an earlier report with recommendations on how to implement this tax.

J

For you, mr mayor, a counselor, um as you know, I started in 2018 and there was some history around our report back. This is the first report. Back since I've been with the city on, uh there was some work done with an external consultant they're referred to in in the um in the report. We did work with kpmg, and so my understanding is. This is the first report back. uh It is a bit delayed and obviously you're aware that uh earlier we were going to come, but because of coven uh this was different.

J

D

Yes, no, I am aware there's a pandemic going on um now when I see a delayed report. No, we mentioned copen, that's fair enough, but um when I see a delay of this nature, it's usually a reluctance of staff, a coolness of staff on the policy. Do you do you have a coolness, a reluctance to to go forward with this policy? Are we um is this of concern to you or or you're? Okay, as long as it's council direction,.

J

Mr mayor actually a councillor it's about ensuring that we have the appropriate work, that we've got the um we've done, the appropriate due diligence and that we can actually bring forward and have an informed conversation.

D

Okay, fair enough, so when it comes to uh rental rental supply a lot of what's going on in the marketplace now, are you know individuals who have bought? I guess investment properties, condos and buildings.

D

Now um all right, it's our goal to get them to lower their rent, uh because it seems to me that they can't rent it because they're charging too much or asking too much. uh Is it? Is it the objective of this to um because these mark? These condos are already um on the market to rent and we're trying to get people to rent them so they're saying? Well, I can't rent them because the market has. I can't charge less than what my mortgage is.

D

Do you see that economic uh pull and tug push and pull um in the marketplace now and that you know a a tax can't change that reality of someone who's taken on a very heavy mortgage and they can't charge less than a certain amount or they'll lose money every month and that um they're charging too much above market and no one's going to rent it, so it stays empty.

J

For you, mr mayor, a counselor, I think it's important to understand that when the work was done on this particular uh tax, we were looking at other jurisdictions and all the data that we have is precoded.

J

um The current market conditions have not been taken into consideration in the report, but going back to the policy objective of this tax, it would be to prevent units from sitting empty that are not principal residences. To ensure that available units could be in the marketplace available for people to rent.

D

Okay, I guess I have very little time left um now. Tch has problems with vacancies every year would would tch be subject to this uh attacks.

J

um Again through you, mr mayor uh councillor, I I don't think tchc would would be um candidates for this tax. My understanding is: there's long, wait lists for tchc units, so I would be surprised as to hearing about units that sit vacant for more than an extended period of time as well as this is about principal residences and the units that uh tchc have are our properties of the city.

D

Right, okay, you'd be surprised at how long some of these units stay vacant, but that's another issue. Thank you very much.

A

Thanks uh counselor pastor nick uh just so you know who I have down here: I've got down: um uh counselors deputy mayor thompson, councillor, crawford deputy mayor bylaw to speak, uh and uh yes so I have you there uh as well anna. So let's go, and I now see cancer in seattle. So I'll add that, and so that would bring us next then, to deputy mayor thompson.

B

Thank you very much, uh mr mayor, through you to uh maybe it's miss taylor or someone else. um How many uh vacant units are there in the city of toronto? Currently.

J

For you, mr mayor um deputy mayor, we actually don't have a tracking mechanism right now. We really.

I

J

As you can see in the report, we've really just done an estimate, um so there is not a tracking mechanism right.

B

Okay um and and we're not saying today that we're going to implement a vacant um uh uh tax uh unit tax at this moment, it's some it's a process that you're going to work through with staff, and I guess consultants to develop. That is that correct.

J

For you, mr mayor deputy mayor, we we refer in the report that we need to work with the province. We need to work with legal. There is some work that needs to be done uh to identify uh components of the policy that would still need to be endorsed by council.

B

Right and we know that it works in other jurisdictions, so we will look at best practices in order to implement our version of of this um um vacant uh unit uh tax system right.

J

That's correct.

B

Right um so if I owned a property and um let's say assumed, I owned two properties and one was price, and I think it was sort of the um the line that uh council pastor mack was following. I'm not sure I heard an answer, and maybe just I didn't hear it probably just because of the connection, so I want to just ask: I don't want to duplicate, but I just want to ask just because I didn't think I heard an answer.

B

So if, if, for example, um I own a property- and it's I don't know valued at a million dollars and assuming that one percent on that would be ten thousand dollars, um and- and I I wanted to to rent that- and uh it is, the market rent is more than the ten thousand dollars. um How would we determine and- and and you know, let's assume that I'm not able to rent it for whatever reasons what would be our um process in order to ensure that either?

B

Is there an exemption for that in this particular case, where I wouldn't have to pay taxes, because I can't rent it or is there some sort of subsidy that we would implement? As part of a process so that we could augment the rental component, so if someone they'd say could afford let's 8 000, we would, um you know, um invest the additional 2000.

B

What would be that measure based on you know, even if the property was at two and a half million dollars, for example, because some of the properties are of those particular values that they are vacant they're not just unit but they're vacant homes, for example, that I'm aware of I'm just wondering what is what are we to expect as part of the process that you're working through in order to come back to us? And how is it done in vancouver right? I don't know so I'm just asking that question just for for my edification.

J

For you, mr mayor, so a deputy mayor, part of the report back, is defining a principal residence defining exemptions that would qualify, so that is not yet determined. However, um just to use the example that you have, if you had two properties, as you mentioned, one of those properties, assuming would be your principal residence, the other one would not be your principal residence. Okay, those are the properties that this policy would be targeting.

B

Oh, that's helpful and I I must ask, and, and I'm sorry to put you on the spot, but one of the um deputy termed uh those who are investing and or owning properties, vultures. We don't. We don't take the position that they're actually voted vultures. We encourage people to invest in the city. Would you agree with that?.

J

True, mr uh mr mayor um nope, we don't use the term vultures.

B

Right, thank you. I just wanted that clarification. Just make sure that people understand, we don't use that term at all.

J

No, it's no report.

B

Thank you. Yes, I didn't see it. Thank you very much. Thank you, mr mayor.

A

Thanks deputy mayor thompson, uh councillor crawford would be next.

C

Year, mr mayor, just a couple, questions uh really on dedicating this particular particular tax when it does come in so you're, not giving any recommendations on dedicating the tax as much as it sounds great that affordable housing probably does make sense to be dedicated. You're not suggesting through this decision, a report to make any of those decisions today. Is that correct.

J

That's correct.

C

Okay um and with regard so and just on the dedication and again I don't think kevin- you were here a number of years ago, but we have the billboard tax uh that brings in nine or ten million dollars a year and back then, uh through the advocacy of the arts community. We um put the billboard tax and it's it's sort of a similar thing, a much smaller amount, of course, um but staff at the time advocated not to dedicate this tax, um and I was on council at that point.

C

And can you explain- and I think you did this in one of your questions about why it's important- that we don't dedicate it be, and it has to do with a lot of the fluctuating uh aspect of attacks like this. So you just reiterate again why you do not recommend dedicating the tax at this point.

J

For you, mr mayor councillor, the concern that I would flag is that when you become reliant on a certain revenue stream and that revenue stream is unpredictable and if the policy is successful and the policy is successful, the revenue stream would in actual fact, diminish over time. So my concern would be to to create a program whereby you expect certain revenue streams to come in to fund that program and that funding stream it becomes unpredictable and unreliable.

C

So again, going back to again the example was set with this billboard tax because we set the policy objective, which was primarily 25 per capita for the arts, um and we have achieved that. We continue to achieve that. But we didn't have to dedicate that night. The billboard tax to the policy objective to actually achieve what we wanted to achieve correct.

J

Through you, mr mayor, that's correct.

C

Okay, thank you. That's all, mr mayor.

A

Thanks very much council crawford and uh that will bring us next then to uh deputy mayor bialow for questions of staff.

H

Thank you uh for you, mr mayor, just want to make sure that I understand uh what we're trying to target so um we're really targeting uh homes that are sitting empty. So, if somebody is buying, uh you know an investment property and they decided to rent it out one or two. Those are not the properties. We're trying to target right. This is for properties that they're not um fulfilling uh the objective of being somebody's home, either through rental or ownership. Correct.

J

For you, mr mayor, um I I did answer uh deputy mayor thompson's question in a very specific way because of the question he asked whether or not if you had a second residence and you were not able to rent it, then that particular unit would in actual fact be captured under what we're proposing. But if you're.

H

In the rental market, it's not so we're not targeting rental properties out there correct.

J

We are targeting properties that are empty sitting vacant. Okay,.

H

With regards to the percentage of the tax you're, not proposing a percentage yet correct, you gave an example of a one percent, but you want to further look into what would be the appropriate percentage that would get to the goal of the policy. Is that correct.

J

Three, mr that's totally correct. We are just using the one percent as an indication. Again we don't know the number of properties. So that's an estimate. We used one percent because in vancouver that's where they started, so we were just using it just to create an idea of where the threshold would be. Okay,.

H

um And following on uh councillor crawford's um uh questioning about the billboard tax, so we have the billboard tax that is dedicated. Is the city building fund also dedicated.

J

To you, mr mayor, the city building fund is designated to specific types of projects. Yes,.

H

Okay is the hotel tax also designated.

J

Through you, mr mayor, uh the hotel tax is uh the that one I don't think is designated. However, we do have commitments of the amount of hotel tax that we generate to based on a policy. We in actual fact take a percentage of what we generate through the hotel tax and support the tourism industry. Exactly so, I think in theory. Yes, that would be deemed a designation.

J

H

And is: is that uh uh because uh there's actually um a desire of the public, sometimes to understand where some of these taxes are going.

J

For you, mr mayor, I think it's important that when, when people are paying tax typically, they they have an increased appreciation for where the what the use of proceeds are exactly.

H

And is: uh do we have a housing plan approved that we put forward with three parts uh to be funded by the municipal, provincial and federal government? Is our portion of that housing plan fund fully funded.

J

Through you, mr mayor known at this time, the the entire plan is not fully funded.

H

So could this be a source to fund some of the projects in our approved 10-year housing plan.

J

Through you, mr mayor, um I think the use of proceeds from this proposed tax would be up to council to decide. Okay.

H

uh Thank you so much. Those are my questions.

A

Thanks very much deputy mayor barlow, uh then we would move on to questions of staff from councillor nunciata.

I

Thank you. I just want to ask a question about the vancouver model. Their revenue. um Do you know where the revenue that they're generating is that is going to? I can't see that in the report.

J

uh Through you, mr mayor, um staff are on the call that actually did the research with vancouver. So I'm going to direct that question to andrew flynn.

I

Because most of the deputies refer to the vancouver model.

G

um Thank you uh through uh through you, mr mayor, to to the um uh to the uh councillor uh the vancouver revenue is going to affordable housing and and we're we're fortunate to have abby bond uh on the call as well who who has um first-hand experience with the vancouver model. If there's anything, she needs to add that would be appreciated, but it is at this point time going to affordable housing.

I

So it's uh dedicated to affordable housing when they started at one. They started at one percent and what are they now in revenue.

G

They've, just they've just recently increased it to three percent.

I

Three percent: okay. uh So, um as far as the recommendation of the the recommendation to to uh authorize a budget allocation of 5 million and 2026 in 2022 is that to uh undertake the following steps to develop a vacant home tax program. That's in the the recommendation is that what the money um is allocated for in your in the budget through you, mr mayor, that's correct, okay, so the unpredictable revenue that you spoke about. I I I can't remember who asked that question.

I

um It's similar to the land transfer tax, correct to you, mr mayor, that's correct and we're there's! No! um When when we, um when we did the um a few years ago, when we taxed the vehicle tax, the revenue from that which did not vote was dedicated to roads.

I

But I believe that that revenue was not put into the budget. um So it is possible to dedicate um the revenue to a specific um cause to a specific area right if it's roads, parks or housing.

J

Through you, mr mayor councillor, that would be a decision of council as to whether or not they wanted to direct uh and designate the proceeds to go to a specific program.

I

But it is possible to do that.

J

Yes, that's correct.

I

Yeah, it doesn't go into general revenue, okay, um okay, so that that's it for my questions. Thank you very much, mr mayor.

A

Thank you counselor nunciata, uh so that would then bring us to uh speakers and I'm quite happy to compile the speaker's list. I have the deputy mayor, men and wong on already who else is going to be wishing to speak to this?

A

I think you are deputy mayor biola, because you have a motion. I think so that would be uh two. That's fine! Well, we'll start off with those two and see what we what happens from there, so uh deputy deputy chairman and one year first.

C

Well, thank you, mr mayor, um I'd like to say that I support consideration of a modest vacant home tax. However, uh such a policy must be done carefully and smartly.

A

Sorry counselor a deputy mayor, rather just to remind you, you have a motion, so you might want to just oh. I have a motion put that on the table.

C

Thank you, mr mr, mr mayor, um so uh so I have a motion that uh council uh request the cfo to report back on exempting the principal residence of taxpayers from the application of the vacant home tax. Such report to include a review of the city of vancouver's application, the empty home tax, principal residence policy and its application to the toronto vacant home tax. How a principal residence exemption can protect toronto, snowbirds and any possible impact of the toronto vacant.

C

Home tax policy on the application of federal capital gains tax on the sale of a principal residence.

C

So um I say that specifically because I don't believe that this council wants to create a bylaw that will have the unintended consequence of inadvertently taxing a homeowner's principal residence, and this is a particular concern to snowboards to travel south in the winter.

C

I can I'm sure we can all agree that we should be taxing seniors, who are trying to enjoy their golden years. Nor should it impact the capital gains they would otherwise have to pay on what is probably their most important asset in their in their retirement.

C

So I would say that, as I said before, that that I support a modest home tax, but we have to have a degree of sensitivity to those who will be asked to pay for it, and we haven't talked enough about that today.

C

As one of my constituents wrote to me said: all new taxes deserve serious scrutiny, as once enacted, they are rarely rescinded.

C

It comes as no surprise to me that those who don't have to pay the tax are the first to recommend that the taxes should be increased. This is all too typical at city hall.

C

As a council, we have to take into consideration the important role that the construction industry plays in creating jobs and in the health of the toronto economy. As I have said before, and I will repeat again, we face serious challenges in our economy. The solution lies in growing the economy and creating new jobs and new wealth.

C

It does not happen by creating new and large taxes. I won't be supporting a tax greater than one percent.

C

I will not be supporting a tax that does not go and direct the funds to be applied to general revenues to direct the funds is to do a disservice to transit, roads, toronto, community housing and all the other priorities we have in the city. Thank you, mr mayor.

A

Thank you very much deputy mayor now. Are there any questions of the mover, because I have one? If no one else does the question I'd like to ask is just would you consider amending the motion simply to just because it's not entirely clear here, but I assume you'd be satisfied with the the report that you asked for here. Being a part of the overall report expected in q221, that's referred to in the recommendations. I just want to make sure that, because it will all become at once.

C

Absolutely, mr mayor, I just this principal residence thing is a big thing and I don't think any of us intended to so that people's principal residents are end up being taxed. So.

A

C

I went across my report, I'm fine with that when.

A

It's my turn we'll either treat it as a friendly amendment or otherwise we'll just demand it to make it clear that it's fine.

C

The cfo and the substance of it she seemed to be satisfied with.

A

Okay, thanks, uh that's those are my questions on the mover. Are there others wishing to ask any questions of the deputy mayor? uh Okay, then uh that would bring us next on the speaker's list to deputy mayor bila.

H

Thank you mayor, um mr mayor. I think that the success of this policy and this tax is uh eventually not collecting much funds from it. I think the goal here is really to have units that are not in the rental market that are not being occupied to be brought back into the rental market. You know, I think uh houses are being built to eventually be somebody's home, uh either through purchasing either through rental, either through families staying over but to be occupied.

H

I think that, given the housing crisis that we have and the pressures that all governments are facing because of housing affordability, we have to motivate everybody to have their properties um being at their their uh investment properties or not to be uh somebody's home, and I think this is the main goal of this policy is to ensure that uh the property is uh isn't it is in the market.

H

So um I I do uh I'm very supportive of this of this policy um and uh one thing that I would like to emphasize that our cfo said is when the revenues come uh by the collection of this of this tax, and- and I agree with the deputy mayor- that it has to be done carefully- nobody wants to tax principal residents, we all understand people have constructions, people have uh um uh things that happen in their properties and all those things need to be taken in consideration as we've developed the bylaw, uh but with regards to the funds, I think two things are important.

H

One is that we're not reliant on this fund. I think the cfo alerted us for that, and I think it is important that we take that in consideration. uh We don't want this to be another pressure like we have with the land transfer tax on our operating budget. I think we need to be conscious of that, but I do believe that this should be directed to uh affordable housing just because it is a housing policy uh more than a tax.

H

I think that all of us that are very supportive of this, see it as a housing policy tool more than a tax, and we keep saying that you know the success is uh not to have the funds coming in, but as the funds are coming in, there's plenty in a in our 10-year housing plan that we know in capital projects that we know those funds could be allocated, and this council has done it in many other ways. Like I said, city building fund, uh billboard, charts hotel tax. We have these taxes allocated to certain areas.

H

Certain industries- and I think uh torontonians- would understand us saying yes, we're introducing this new tax. The objective is to uh actually bring these in the market and not give the main objective is not to collect uh these funds, but as we are collecting, because people will have the choice to keep their properties empty. If that is the case having the property empty, creates pressures in the housing sector.

H

So I think it is only fair that, if the pressures are being created by that person having that unit open, that those funds are allocated to create solutions in that sector, and that's why I hope I'm hoping that that staff as they're developing this policy take this in consideration. It is really to respond to the pressure that that property owner is creating by having that unit empty, that. I believe that those funds need to be allocated to solve that issue. So with that, uh those are my comments, mr mig.

A

Thanks uh deputy mayor barlow, uh now I'm just looking at the there. We see deputy mayor thompson, ready to speak and so over to you, sir.

B

um Thank you very much, uh mr mayor. um Mr mayor, I just wanted to lend my support to the report. That's before us from our staff, which is uh you know, looking at analyzing and potentially designing and implement a a system for uh vacant um home taxes in toronto.

B

I mean there is not something else that we can call it. It is a tax, but, of course it's not like the um the types of taxes that we traditionally uh impose where people are offended by. I think that it's the type of situation as it relates to um you know if you have a property and it's vacant and uh it's not being utilized.

B

uh This is the only measure that we, as a municipality, would have, which is the levy, uh a measure which is the tax, but really, I think it's a tool as it relates to the comments that uh deputy mayor balon have just been making that can help us with respect to a real challenge that we're actually facing in the city many of the policies that we actually have in place. Right now, are you looking at terms of um you know, affordable housing.

B

The question is, uh you know whether or not we're looking at a really deep, deep measures to help us with respect to affordable housing and that we're looking at 15-year ranges or we're looking at 40 to 49 or or into perpetuity and so on and creating that ability to afford. um Those are some of the challenges that we're working on now, and I know that there are some new um proposals that are coming forward, which are quite interesting in as much as they may not give us.

B

The full large numbers, as the short-term measures may long-term, is uh of great benefits because they obviously last longer. um I I will tell you, mr mayor.

B

It was a few years ago that I was in the downtown area on king street specifically, and I was there and um it was uh with a person that we all know, and uh his name is al carmo and l is the at least was the proprietor of the kitkat, and you know we're talking about king street and the king street pilot with respect to the streetcar and so on and now was um you know explaining to me his uh lack of support for the um the the king street streetcar and he said to me: look you know, look at all these uh condos that you guys are building here and they're, giving approval to, and he pointed out to one building and it was late in the evening and he says, look at the building and I looked at the building.

B

I didn't really see anything that these things, distinctive about the building other than there were some elements. uh There were more dark areas as opposed to lit areas, and he said to me: you know those dark areas.

B

There are the areas where no one lives in those particular units, and we need to make sure that we should be renting those units and so on, and um it was interesting in terms of his observation and- and I I kept um you know an eye on other areas in the city and looking around and uh when I would either drive or walk by to kind of, see and understand what was actually happening and sure enough.

B

As I talked to more and more people who lived in some of these buildings, downtown they'd say to me, you know on my floor. There are four or five units that are actually vacant. Nobody lives in them, and yet you know you guys in the city of toronto are not doing anything to address these things, and I think people are welcoming this uh idea of a vacant.

B

um You know uh unit uh tax and, at the same time, as is has been stated, um look you can be part of the solution or you're part of the problem, and if you are part of the problem, we have measures that are going to respond to that in order to engage to ensure that we can create opportunities.

B

For you know more rental stock on the market, um I haven't determined exactly what I will support going forward, whether or not it will go directly to a specific dedicated uh fund or whether or not it will go into general revenues and so on. I'm um really looking forward to the report that mr mrs taylor, miss taylor and her team will bring forward, but I do think that this is the appropriate direction to go.

B

It's been tried in other areas and so on whether or not it's one, three or five percent or more, we will see what uh the analysis is: that's being brought forward by staff, but I do want to thank the staff for a very thorough report and a report that uh certainly we can all rally around. Of course, once it uh comes back- and I just want to remind everyone that we're not initiating it today, it is something that's going to come after. We've done the full analysis and so on.

B

So thanks very much uh for the report from snap and again also mayor, thank you for your leadership on this and uh deputy mayor paolo as well. Thank you.

A

Guys I see counselor pastor next week, thanks deputy mayor thompson, counselor pastor next.

D

Next great, thank you.

D

Thank you, mr mayor, and I will be brief um during during the uh deputations we we heard from people who are on the verge of leaving the city uh because it's no longer affordable and, as I mentioned in my questions, I have two kids who've already left the city because of primarily affordability, other reasons as well, and then you have to ask yourself what kind of city are we going to have if, if our our next generation young people uh continue to leave, uh how will it affect many of our industries, uh whether it be retail or hospitality, food and beverage, uh some of our sports industry?

D

How will it affect our university? So the repercussions of losing a whole generation of people who don't want to or can't afford uh to live here anymore is is, is quite a serious thought and and it and it should have a a response, uh but I think it's important to um to understand what's before us today we are not adopting uh a vacant home tax.

D

uh Today we are directing staff to put a framework, a legal framework together in the policy design and then come back to us uh for further comments on uh on whether we accept amend or reject uh what's brought before us. The other thing we're not doing today is we're not deciding on how the revenues from this tax will be used.

D

Now that being said, when it comes to taxation or fundraising, when you have a specific goal, where the funds are going on, you're more likely to get buy-in and support for your initiative, in other words, if the revenue from this goes just into uh you know, general revenue or big black hole, and nobody really knows where it is.

D

It's a big hodgepodge and people don't understand what it's all about, there's less likely to be support for it, but if it's targeted uh towards affordable housing initiatives, seniors, affordable, housing, seniors villages, those types of things, then you get a lot more uh support. I think what we're going to find is in the marketplace is you're going to find a lot of people, small-time investors who have bought a couple of units who um who can't rent them out and they are actually paying mortgage costs and other utility costs related to it?

D

Maybe um condo fees and they cannot rent it out. um They'll lose money on it if they rent it out below a certain amount and then, on top of that the city comes around after they're already suffering financial loss because they have a minimum rent and maybe the rent is too high, maybe they've overextended themselves.

D

When the city comes along and taxes, you know a um you know, a let's say, a retired couple or seniors or young investors who have who have um lost on their investment and have tried everything possible to rent it out without losing money and the city comes along and and throws the tax. On top of that, um I can't see that going over very well.

D

But that being said, I know there's a lot of comp complexities to this issues. We've got to have: um we've got to have an honest discussion um and, and we've gotta we've gotta make sure that it's implemented fairly if we do adopt it and that we understand where the revenue is going. Thank you very much, mr mayor.

A

Thank you very much, councilor pastornack. Let me just have a look now at the there we have councillor, not seattle, wanting to speak, so please go ahead.

I

Thank you, mr mayor. I just uh speak briefly um so, as it was mentioned, what we have before us is asking staff to undertake the following steps to come back to us at the end of 2021 on a vacant tax uh vacant home tax in toronto, which I fully support, and I believe all of us support that, and I agree with the comments by councillor bailao as far as affordable housing.

I

I think that will come back to us when staff report back to us on how we're going to dedicate the additional revenue too. um But you know it's it's working as, as it was said, is working in vancouver, and um you know- and I agree with councillor pasternack- I I think that if the if the residents realized that we were adding this additional tax on and where the revenue was uh was dedicated to, I think they'll be more acceptable than just putting it into um revenue. I think we we talked about revenue tools.

I

We have talked about that for a while now, and I think uh you know this is an opportunity for us to to get those revenue tools and get additional revenue.

I

um We have to also look at other revenue tools as well uh in the future because, as was mentioned in 2021, we do have a very challenging budget um that we have to meet, so I will be supporting the recommendation and hopefully by the end of 2021, with a recommendation from staff and then at that point council will make the decision on on where the revenue will be dedicated to so. Thank you.

A

Thanks very much councilman sierra. Let me just get back to the uh screen on it with our committee members. Anybody else wishing to speak on this okay. Well, I'm just going to say a word or two. If I might, let me just stop the clock and reset it here just so, I can be prepared everybody. So, uh first of all, I want to say thank you to the staff for their work in putting this together. This has been it's one of those things uh like everything else.

A

You know they say good food takes time and I'm not sure there'd be some. Who would not uh uh equate this to good food, but I think a sound public policy measure takes time to research and to study and that work is not yet done in some respects.

A

Some of the important decisions are just beginning, as some of colleagues have have noted, but I want to thank the staff for the work done to date and I think what they brought forward here is, in principle, a very sound uh public policy recommendation and we're helped uh by the fact that it has been tried, including in a major canadian city.

A

So I think we can see you know, what's worked, what has changed uh and and so on, and I guess you have to start, though, from the premise that uh you accept the fact that well, yes, indeed, houses are in are for investment and they're, a good investment and people who are in the fortunate position of being able to invest in more than one uh beyond their own, uh that's great uh for them, but at the same time, houses are for people.

A

First and foremost, houses are a place to live, and so, in this case we're not saying that somebody has to live there, we're simply saying there's a choice you have and the choice is that you can choose to own a house or a condo or any other kind of housing, and you can keep it empty and pay a tax or you can either rent it out or sell it and not pay the tax, and so there's a choice there that people can make.

A

And indeed, if you look at vancouver, people have made a choice in both uh both have taken both choices. Some have chosen to pay the tax and keep the property empty for reasons known to them. Others have chosen to put the uh units back in to the market, and I think it is worth noting in in my voicing my strong support for this initiative and to making sure it continues to get pushed forward.

A

Is that in vancouver, the experience has been a 25 reduction in vacancies, and that means that 25 percent of thousands of homes, 25 of the total of thousands of homes, which means thousands of homes, have been returned to the housing market, for availability to people who want to rent them, probably or who, in some cases, ended up buying them. And I associate myself with the comments that were alluded to by deputy mayor bylaw, which is that I wouldn't be unhappy when it comes to talking about the money involved here.

A

If this tax ended up eventually producing no revenue, because you had 100 of houses that were occupied in some way by somebody living in those houses. And so I think that in the end, this is not as much about the money as it is about using what I have described as a useful tool.

A

I think the report uses that expression, in fact, to try to increase the supply of housing, a couple of more points that I want to make, which is that I I myself want to wait and see what the staff recommend, after their additional research and so on, with respect to how these funds are used. Not because I wouldn't prefer strongly in fact to see the money go to enhance our efforts with respect to affordable housing.

A

But you have to think it through carefully and if you got to the desired state where 100 of units were occupied and there were no vacant uh houses and you'd then come to rely on that money for affordable housing. As part of the budget, then you'd be sorry about that in a certain way. You'd be happy that all the houses were occupied and apartments and condos.

A

But you would be unhappy that the revenue stream got down to zero and you don't want to have a declining revenue stream for that kind of thing and of course, the the the converse of that could be. That there'd be huge pressure if that number started to drop, because the tax was being successful in achieving its purpose, which is to put people into those homes.

A

There'd be huge pressure to raise the tax up and up and up to keep the revenue stream alive, which also might be something that could be, in that case bad public policy. And I don't say that in any judgment about the deputies who came today to suggest it should be higher.

A

The staff will consider that as well and we've heard people on this committee say they wouldn't vote for a tax higher than one percent I'll wait and see what they recommend in light of vancouver in light of everything else about what will be an effective policy tool to achieve the desired outcome here, which is to make sure that homes are for people to live in first and foremost, and we do give a choice to pay the tax or not, but that homes are for people to live in.

A

The final thing that I want to say is to acknowledge.

A

This cannot be seen is not seen by me is certainly not seen by deputy mayor bilo. I know as a substitute for our housing policy and our other housing goals. We remain committed to doing what we have to do and doing even more than what we've set out to do on affordable housing and on supportive housing. But I guess what this is is something that would be in addition to our efforts with respect to affordable housing and something that represents an in the meantime, a kind of measure that can be taken to increase the supply.

A

While we uh intensify our efforts to build and to make available more supportive and more affordable housing. So I I know members sound like they're going to support this measure. I hope that that will be the case at city council, so staff can get on with their work and bring this forward, and I will certainly for one be wanting to push this forward to completion and to implementation in 2022, because I think it's a very sound public policy measure to achieve one of our most important objectives.

A

Thank you for your patience. um Okay, so are there any other speakers? I think we've heard from pretty much everybody that seems to want to speak. In that case, we would go first then, to the motion from uh deputy mayor uh minion wong, which we'll just put up on the screen.

A

There it is, and it's been changed as you can see here, to reflect the fact. This report, too, will come back in the second quarter of 2021 with the other one. That's referred to in the principal recommendations from staff. So if there are no further comments, I'll call the question on the motion number one, all those in favor opposed carried, then we would go to item as amended and ask for all those in favor oppose kerry unanimously.

A

So I thank you for that. Now we have it's 12 o'clock, so we have half an hour. If we go to the 12 30 uh we'll see how we do here. uh I think we have one. If, if the deputy is here, we have one deputy and an item 19.10, uh which is the solid waste uh uh budget. I can just find my deputies, let's hear some more than like there. We are.

A

uh We have one deputy on that and I'm just going to see if that person happens to be available, because we could then I think, probably deal with that item. Emily alfred.

A

Is pardon me, oh, is it okay? Can you unmute her? Oh emily, alford are you there.

A

A

Okay, well, we won't be able to do that just now, because maybe she went off to do something else. um We had, um I don't know counselor thompson uh 19.4, uh whether we have deputies you see on 19.5, so I was just going to leave that for a minute to see if we could eliminate a couple of these others more quickly. Nineteen point four council championship adaptive mayor you held. That was that for some questions or for some comments, this is the key side. Yeah.

B

Just quite quick questions of staff, but I'm obviously.

A

You have some questions or on a motion on that deputy mayor, okay. Well, I think nonetheless um we'll just try one more time.

B

See I'm in your hands, mr mayor, how you like the person.

A

I think, unless I can just hear emily alford I'll ask her one more time if she's there, I think we unmuted her emily alfred she may have put us on hold hello. Oh, is that emily, alfred.

F

Hi, hey sorry about that! No.

A

Hey no problem, we're glad to have you here. We are most welcome now, you're here on the rate supported budget for solid waste management and, as you know, the way this works we're just going to deal with that item now because you're, our sole deputy on that. But we're delighted to hear from you and you would have up to five minutes to make your comments and then there might be some questions for you. So are you ready to go.

F

I am thank you very much.

A

All right over to you, thank you.

F

Okay, so, uh as you know, my name is emily. Alford, I'm the waste campaigner at the toronto environmental alliance, we're a non-profit organization that has been advocating for zero waste for more than 30 years. Moving towards zero waste, not only prevents the pollution and harm of disposal, but it also conserves resources and energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions and it's essential to create a local, resilient circular economy.

F

I spoke to the budget committee a few weeks ago, but I'm here today with additional comments and to again urge this committee not to cut the waste education budget, but to enhance it and increase it. The proposed 2021 budget includes eliminating printed waste guides, also known as waste calendars that are mailed out to every household and instead direct residents to get their information online or pick up materials at events and community centers.

F

While this may seem like a quick solution that saves money and eliminates paper use, we believe that cutting this direct mail educational tool will actually result in higher waste costs and more contamination of all waste streams in the long term. Currently, the waste calendar guide is the foundation of the city's waste education. It's a printed guide that is delivered to every single house and every multi-residential unit in the city. It includes basic recycling, organics information as well as details about other city waste services.

F

It serves as a reference guide that complements other promotional efforts. For example, someone might see a transit ad or get a flyer in a wasteville, but they won't likely remember the details. A printed calendar guide at home stays up all year and can be something people go back to when they have a question.

F

It displays information in multiple languages every month and importantly, it doesn't require residents to seek out the information on their own. We strongly support the expansion of online and web-based communications as critical to expanding and reaching more people in toronto. The staff briefing note points out that the city website and the to waste app are reaching a growing number of torontonians.

F

The city should be encouraging more people to download the waste app and to visit the city website. The city should expand online communication tools, for example, making posters and guides in different languages available for download, and the city can offer online events chats and opportunities for residents to learn more.

F

However, we believe that completely eliminating direct mailings of a printed guide will leave out a significant portion of the population. Some estimates say that 11 of toronto households don't have internet access at home. This is largely low-income households.

F

T's research with u of t of multi-residential households shows that seniors are half, as likely as other groups to go online for information seniors. Make up. 50 of toronto's population and research out of york. University shows that marginalized groups, including seniors and new immigrants, prefer and rely on printed materials over online tools.

F

Aside from an equity issue to reaching all toronto residents, no matter their major income, direct mail of printed guides is important from a social marketing perspective.

F

One study done in ontario showed that people spend less than five seconds looking at signs on public waste bins to understand how to sort people are busy and most people are not inclined to take extra steps to download an app or go to a website to learn things.

F

The city survey described in the briefing note, also shows that residents really do rely on printed waste calendars, but it's important to know that, while the city survey shows that people are looking at more online sources, the survey done by the city was actually done online.

F

So it's predisposed to reaching people who are comfortable communicating in english and comfortable online and with computers t did research with university of toronto. At multi-residential buildings, we talked to a dozen buildings across the city. We had more than a thousand responses, and our survey was done in person and on paper and online we had multiple options. We found seniors were most likely to do the survey on paper and they were very much reported that they preferred learning on paper and that they preferred seeing these guides in person.

F

So I I can give you some more statistics, but I think that's really: basics. I've. I've shared some information at the previous budget committee meeting. I know that uh dr calvin, lacking from york university, has also submitted a letter to the executive committee just this morning explaining some of his research findings and his concerns about eliminating printed materials.

F

I encourage this committee to look at expanding the communications and education budget, not reducing it. When I looked at, I fund the city budget information very confusing to follow, but it looks to me that, based on the approved budget for 2020 of over 5 million, this reduction would be a 30 cut to education and communications in waste. I think toronto has an excellent best-in-class waste system. It has great infrastructure, great services, but it needs education and communications with residents every day to make sure that they do their part to participate.

F

So I encourage you to maintain printed mail out guides for all residents in the city. Thank you.

A

Thanks very much for your uh deportation, uh miss alfred. Are there any questions of the deputy.

C

A

uh Is that you saying that to deputy mayor yeah? Okay, so you go ahead then.

C

Yes, um what's the cost of the calendar.

F

uh I believe I I'm not 100 sure I believe uh the matt kelleher said it one of the last meetings. It was around eight hundred thousand dollars. I guess he could confirm that, but it's it's about 20. I think the city briefing note that it was around 27 of the education budget. It's a pretty big part of it.

C

Okay, I'll ask staff to get a confirmation of that. Thank you, mr mayor.

A

Thanks uh deputy mayor and.

C

I may speak on the internet.

A

Oh yeah, okay, uh then uh we have any other questions of the department. Okay, miss alfred. Thanks again for your being here. We appreciate that very much. uh Then we would move uh two questions of staff, starting with uh we have a couple of uh uh people for visiting from outside the committee councilor calvary. I think you're here on the transit. So no questions on this item. Okay, uh then we go to uh we go to uh committee members and I think I see councillor crawford with a question.

C

Thank you, mr mayor I'll, probably ask ask the same question that deputy mayor is going to be asking uh so that's to staff mata kelleher. Can you just briefly walk us through uh number one, the rationale for um reducing or getting rid of the direct mailing calendar um and what alternatives and the costs? Of course what that would be. But what are the alternatives that we did discuss?

C

You did discuss at the budget committee um I'm trying to ensure that we still maintain our ability to communicate with all residents across the city on solid waste initiatives and savings.

L

So through you, mr count there. Mr mayor, um am I coming through yes, perfect. So the rationale behind uh the reductions, the the printed out uh calendar- is around um nine hundred thousand dollars so so close to a million dollars to to develop and it's sent out once a year. um What we're looking at doing is is in line with the overall corporate strategic plan of digitizing our services and pushing to digital, and with that we're looking at waste reduction as well, and the other part is we're.

L

Looking at ways, we can get the same information out at more frequently. So part of the work that we've been doing with revenue services is is looking at our direct mail out with our with our bills that that go out four times a year and including inserts on the calendar in those bills, as well as up-to-date information on on tools to recycle and directing residents to the online platforms.

L

We've invested quite a bit of of money in terms of our toronto waste app, which has all of the information of what and where products should go when your collection day is, and it's even structured in a way where you, if you put your address in that it will give you reminders before your garbage day or recycling day or organic stay.

L

So all the information is in that system to be able to be pushed out on demand and we're also investing a lot in terms of our community, reduce and reuse programs, upwards of two million dollars a year to educate and communicate our program with residents throughout the city.

C

Thank you. So you did mention you're looking at putting information in the bills that get mailed to people. um The deputy brought up a good uh question and comment with regard to people who don't have internet. Don't have the ability for that and they really rely on these um these calendars to to sort of talk about. um You know: waste reduction. How do we manage that sort of conundrum and challenge.

L

So again, through you, mr mayor, to to the counselor, we have a number of resources available, whether it's three one one or with the direct bills that that come to to residents. We will have that information. A good deal of it in those um in the envelopes and and really what we're looking at is, is synergies and efficiencies with getting that information out.

L

So when we look at the direct mail cost and the development cost of a calendar, we're upwards of around a million dollars, but when we can combine, though, that information in a in the bill that goes out to residents four times a year, we can do that for around 100 to approximately 200 thousand dollars. So we're looking at ways that we can get the same information out just a little bit more efficient.

L

The other piece too, on on the the languages uh concern that was brought up with it being online, we'll be able to to actively uh promote multiple languages more than we do now. I think we have upwards of 15 languages um that our material goes out in and with all the information being in in a new digital format. With with more robustness around that we'll be able to meet our outcomes of of more and better waste diversion and access to our information, 24 7.

C

Thank you and just a quick uh question with regard you, like all divisions and agencies across the city, have had a huge financial challenges um with your budgets. You were able to bring in a 1.5 budget which is lower than I think the combined 2.7 you were expecting um and you'd be able to do that through a certain amount of efficiencies.

C

um You just talk about some of the the work that you did to ensure that you, you sort of bring in an affordable uh budget um budget increase for residents.

L

Absolutely so through you, mr mayor to the council, we've looked through a number of our contracts and renegotiated contracts to reduce our overall costs. We've looked at our staffing levels.

L

Our projected needs in terms of delivering our service and meeting our overall outcomes, and that's where we're really focusing on is our outcomes based not necessarily all the resources that needs to go in it's?

L

How do we make sure that we meet our outcomes and deliver uh those outcomes with the the funding that's approved by council, um we've looked at our capital budget and and smooth that out and looked at how we can better facilitate the planning of our capital budgets in terms of of a smooth annual expenditure versus some ups and downs, and we looked at our debt financing structure, our funding from reserves to ensure that we have long-term stability within our overall program.

L

So there's a lot of work done by the team to be able to bring in a one and a half percent the other piece that that we looked at too and and back to the deputy's comments on uh communications budget in whole.

L

So I think what we need to to to ensure that we look at is the difference between what communications is and what education is, and our outcome is really to to educate residents, not to necessarily communicate to them and sometimes they're they're melded together and we've we've brought on or we've developed a new stakeholder and outreach group within solid waste. That will do a lot of that outreach and engagement versus some printed material.

L

But when we look at our experience during covid, we we've spent only around six to seven hundred thousand dollars of our communications budget and we're we're looking to maybe spend around a million to a million and a half next year with our budget, and some of that is just due to the demands of what information can go out from the city in terms of our ability to push that out and and the the focus of our communications team being rightfully so dedicated to covid.

L

So, just because our communication budget has been reduced in 2021, it doesn't set the precedence that every single year after that, it will be the same or lower we're looking to spend what we can spend and not rate for things that we anticipate not being able to spend on.

A

Thank you. Thank you. uh Council crawford uh head deputy mayor men and wong to ask questions of staff.

C

um I was going to ask how much it costs, uh but that question's already been answered. um I you know what mr mayor, I'm just going to speak on this item. Please.

A

Okay, thank you. uh We have uh then counselor nunciata wishing to ask questions of staff and deputy roberto to come.

I

Just a question at budget we also talked uh matt. We also talked about some of the multi-residential units that you'll be working with management uh of these buildings, on putting up notices in the buildings correct.

L

Oh that's: correct, counselor.

I

Now, just a question on the calendars, so now we mail out calendars every year. Does that change that the calendars? As far as the uh pictures and whatever information you have on that that does that change every year or is it the same as just the year? You just send one out every year.

L

So through you, mr mayor, the counselor there's some content changes um and some different pictures and different items that they may move, depending on the circumstance from from one area to the other. There's generally, some minor schedule changes just based on route optimization, but for the most part they they do stay the same. The collection, calendars.

I

So some people will be using the same calendar a year by year, correct.

L

Some people can um I'd, say the majority of the items that are in garbage organics and the blue bin have not changed and for most people the day that they have their materials collected does not change either. But the other piece, too, is is we'll have this all online, so it can be printed. It will also be put into the bill mail outs as well. So a lot of that information will be pushed out more frequently than once a year at a much more efficient cost.

I

A

Thanks counselor tiana, I had deputy mayor biola with some questions. I believe.

H

Yeah just questions around logistics, uh so usually people get these calendars just before the end of the year. So will the app and the information on the bill be delivered before the end of the year as well.

L

So through you, uh mr mayor to the council, the the calendars are actually being put out right now for the 2020 budget. um And so what will happen is around this time. Next year there will be a communications piece on well throughout the year on how to transition to the the app and get more uh relevant, 24 7 a day information as well as there will be those the printouts throughout the year to to allow that information all year.

H

So it actually gives you this full year to do that, transition to the digital and to educate and to have all the information, the bills and then only towards the end of next year. They won't get the calendars.

L

Through you, mr mayor, that's correct, okay, thank you.

A

Thanks deputy mayor biola, are there other uh members of council or committee wanting to ask any questions of staff on this? Okay? uh We then can move to speakers, and I had heard deputy mayor van wong indicating first that he wished to speak so over to you, deputy mayor.

C

Thank you. Thank you, mr mayor. You know 19. I think my record is 95 of the time. I support the budget as presented by staff. I think they may have got it wrong on this one um and I'm gonna, I'm I'm considering a council. I have to have further discussions, um but uh I think we may be doing the wrong thing on this one.

C

um I didn't, and you know my record in supporting the budget- is equal with my disagreement with emily on most issues at t, but I think she's got it right. She may have it right, our family and, I think most families across the city. We use that calendar almost every week to see. What's what's going out, um it's important. I can also tell you seniors, need that calendar and they're not going online.

C

I never go online to look and I don't think a lot of people go online. They use that calendar. Mr mayor, um I don't know about you, but I and I think every employee in the city gets our paycheck mailed to us every two weeks.

C

Why don't you stop doing that and email it to us and take that money and spend it on a calendar? That's one of the few things that our residents get get from us that they use maybe every week to find out what they're supposed to put out. What's supposed to, you know go in the green bin when they, when they find something that they don't usually you know, throw out every single day where they can go and get information on on different things.

C

It it's a small thing, but it's an important thing. So I think that you know this choice to cut each 100 000 dollars is, you know, find find something else, but not something that's you know, I think, really useful to the residents. So I don't have any motion. I do have a concern and I I will consider taking it to um moving a motion to counsel this.

C

I think this might be the wrong approach if we want to contin, promote and continue um recycling methods and also for our residents, especially our older residents, who really rely on that calendar. So um thank you, mr mayor.

A

Thanks deputy mayor- uh and I have then counselors uh pastor, knack and uh crawford to speak on the list, so we'll keep going there. Okay over you, counselor passionate.

D

Thank you. Thank you, mr mayor, um once again I'll, be very brief, because I think uh deputy mayor minowang um to summarize what I was going to talk about you know I have the I have the calendar uh in in front of us now and I I'm not looking at it as a cost center.

D

I'm I'm looking at this as an investment, I mean if people, even if a fraction of our residents read this and and and get knowledge from it or or get advice from it, and act on just even a fraction of the suggestions here, it could potentially save um the city, millions of dollars from from mistakes made in what people put in the green bin as recycling or the garbage, and also um it provides important advice on on how to there's some fire safety stuff.

D

Here we people don't know about our toxic taxi, uh which provides advice here. Talks about hazards, hazardous waste, talks about food waste and, and that's such an important conversation when it comes to um who's, food scared scarcity, um and I- and I think I mean there's this big poster here right in the middle- I mean it- tells you exactly or generally speaking, what should be going on in each container and the mistakes.

D

The mistakes made by by the common uh household owner, like me, um cost the city uh a lot of money, uh the wrong the wrong things in green bins uh can jam up the equipment, the wrong things uh in in the garbage bin fill up our landfill. I mean we're running out of landfills.

D

A new provincial statute is making it even harder to find alternatives when ours is used up in 20 years, um very important about camping fuel canisters. So I think I don't have emotion and but I I would agree, this may be something to take a a second look at, because I've got to tell you in our household.

D

I I rely on it um because sometimes I'm not sure what week it is to take the stuff out and and um and and it's important it provides good advice throughout the year that many people rely on so I'll leave it at that, and I'm not trying to be critical of staff. I think matt's done an amazing job uh in our solid waste area he reports uh to infrastructure and environment and and and he's been doing, a great job, just a sober second look at this decision, I think is, is prudent.

D

Thank you very much, mr mayor.

A

Thank you, uh councilor, pastor, nick. I next had council crawford.

C

um Thank you, mr mayor. um I just want to remind um our colleagues, my colleagues on you know the bigger picture of the challenges that we've been facing over the last year on our financial. um You know you know, difficulties um and the numbers are big. You've seen the numbers, a billion billion and a half two billion dollars that uh revenue loss and the challenges that we've been facing.

C

um The cfo and the city manager sent out to all staff all across the divisions and you'll be seeing a lot of this as we come into the budget uh process in 2021, solid waste parking and water are just one of the examples and it's an example of the incredible amount of work that our staff all across the system have been trying to do. Number one to mitigate some of these cost challenges to recognize that there's still an affordability challenge in the city and when we're looking at tax rates.

C

When we're looking at the rates for solid waste of water, they worked really hard to figure out how we can keep it affordable. um So, with water and with solid waste, they brought what would have been a three percent and a 2.7 increase down to 1.5 because they recognize the challenges people are facing and that's a good thing. We all here, I think, would agree that we have to figure out ways to make in challenging times things affordable for people um and recognizing that a lot of work has happened everywhere.

C

When you're looking at solid waste- and I mean the numbers here- they have- you- know: 2.6 million dollars, they've saved through the hiring slowdown, the voluntary separation program 1.5, another half a million dollars on not doing the progression pay. um And yes when they were looking at. How do we look at you know, trying to make things affordable? They did look at the calendar.

C

You know the conversations I've had with matt and the team um recognizing that it's not necessarily a service reduction or cut because they're looking at different ways to educate people, different ways to be able to provide the kind of service- and you know like your counselor pasnak and the deputy member. I have a calendar too. It's on my fridge right now and I'll be getting another one. I do rely on it. I do look at that, but I will be looking at other alternative ways to use it.

C

I have the ability to use an app I'll, probably get used to that, but we have others who don't have that, but again, matt has outlined alternatives, ways that we can change the perceptions of you know what people have always expected and and it's a million dollars or 900 000 on you know a huge huge budget.

C

It's not a big item, but when you look at this one item and you look at the dozens, if not hundreds of other items that accumulate- um and we haven't seen them yet- but you will start seeing them through the budget process um and if we start making these small changes, I mean, as I said, you know, one million compared to whatever the overall budget is, is not a big increase, but there are hundreds, if not thousands, of those kind of items um where staff have.

C

I mean they haven't reduced services, but they're looking at different ways to provide the same kind of services and that's something we need to be doing continually um as a council, so I mean I will be supporting the the recommendations here that, of course, this will go off to full council, but I do caution us when we're looking at here's one example of why we're trying to change a service to make it.

C

You know different, of course, but meet the needs of the outcomes we want and if we start doing with this, one there'll be a lot of others that can have a cumulative effect as we go into bound trying to balance this year's budget. Thank you.

A

Thank you, counselor crawford, uh just going back to the screen now is there. Oh, we've got counselor easy to speak there. We are and counselor nunciata. Okay, I just oh it's 27 past uh I I I've just been looking here. We have the transit item with five deputies.

A

We have to finish this and then we have keysight, which I don't anticipate, is going to be that long. But I was just going to suggest that just to see if I can get heads nodding that we uh maybe move a motion to complete the agenda, because I think we can be complete, you know by 1 30 or something like that and then have the time free are people in favor of that. So a motion to no yeah not able to do that all account. Okay, um I.

B

Support that motion.

A

Deputy mayor uh bilo, I I hate to: uh is it not nothing that can be changed by an hour.

H

um Yeah I'll try to well. I just I think.

A

We can be finished here, you'd be the only one that doesn't want to do this, and I don't want to sort of say well too bad for you, but I I just like to see if we could just you know, move forward and get this finished, then we can all be off doing other things this afternoon. Instead of having an hour for lunch,.

H

I will uh all right manager.

A

I think then, we'll have a motion to complete the agenda and I think all in favor carried with one opposition. uh One hesitation noted uh sorry about that. Okay, let's go uh counselor ainslie over to you.

C

Thank you, merritori, uh I'm not long. Speaking to this, uh I just want to remind people that, as we're on december 10 2020 I've had to move into the 21st century that we spend a million dollars annually on a paper calendar that is our general manager of solid waste alluded to it doesn't change very much. I I do appreciate the fact that that some people use it on on a regular basis. um But I'll be quite honest.

C

I don't- and you know, as counselor pastor knack a few moments ago held up the the paper calendar that that's full of information. I'm gonna hold up. Sorry, I'm going to hold up my phone and there's our solid waste app. The solid waste app is free. You can put it on your phone in minimal amount of time and it's free. It's cost a million dollars. It has all the same information that the solid waste calendar has. You know we have three.

C

If you have questions you can't find on the app quick call or an email to 311.. We, you know same thing: pretty seamless provides all the same information.

C

I think, as we're trying to make this city more livable more affordable, make sure that people get the services that they deserve and need spending a million dollars on a paper calendar that remains largely unch unchanged from year to year, like I hear from lots of people when they're trying to figure out what to put their bins out, they don't even look at the calendar. They open up their front door, look at their front window to see what bin color been their neighbors are putting out, and that's how they deal with this.

C

So I want to commend staff for moving this forward. I want to thank them for initiating a campaign in information wise so that people will understand a year from now what they have to do when they don't get their calendar. That, once again, is costing us a million dollars. Thank you, meritorio. Those are my comments.

A

Thanks counselor ainsley and I saw counselor nunciata with some comments.

I

Yes, just briefly because a budget we we did discuss it at budget and that's when I asked the question to staff the calendars change year to year, and basically I do. I do think that residents look at the pictures and if it doesn't change year to year, they can reuse those calendars.

I

But I just want to warn deputy and mayor men and wong. If you are going to be moving that motion at council um you, you need to find other cuts within that budget, because the budget remains the same and if you want to we've discussed environment days, if you want to do that, but if you're going to increase them and add that into the budget, I urge you to find the money elsewhere within that budget.

I

A

Thank you very much, your counselor nunciata. uh Let me just see if there's anybody else wishing to speak, who has not okay. I will just speak briefly to this. If I mean I just I started the clock. um I um I know uh that there was a temptation that was sorely within me to refer to counselors, pastrnak and deputy mayor wong as luddites, but I think that would be unfair because I think the point they're making is is valid to a certain point.

A

um You know, I know where we have our cottage, uh the the I I I'm not as familiar with all the arrangements there with respect to uh to solid waste and recycling, and I refer to the calendar it's interesting because I'm not even sure they send the written calendar anymore, I'll check and see.

A

But I know now that I just have it on my phone and I go to my phone every weekend and have a look at what I'm supposed to be putting out or what I'm not supposed to be putting out or even questions that arise about about the blue box and the green bin.

A

um And I realized that some of the points that were made by the deputy mayor, in particular about some older people who don't as easily use their phone for that purpose, is true, although I think we're selling a lot of uh of the senior citizens short in that regard. Because, first of all, we know they all have phones, I think almost without exception and secondly, I think they're pretty adept. I mean my mother who the deputy mayor knows well.

A

um In fact, she thinks some days that he's much more sensible than her son and we won't put that up for debate just now, but um she's 89 years old and she uses her phone for all kinds of things she plays bridge online. I mean you know, I think, there's a lot of people that are in that age bracket that are much more literate and comfortable with these devices than we think.

A

So I guess um you know I'm not going to move any emotions either, and I think it's better that people didn't just for the moment, but maybe between now and council, which is only a few days away. We might look at whether there is an opportunity to first of all uh improve communications, but without the calendar, so in other words there may be other things I heard, mr kelleher, and by the way mr calher and his team do an excellent job, not just with respect to this budget.

A

But overall, if you look at what's involved in their work and how well they do it and how relatively few complaints we get knowing there are some about things that happen or don't happen on. Given days of the week, I think that they might just look at maximizing communications in other ways he made reference to the bills that go out. uh You know it isn't a directly on point observation, but deputy mayor manwang mentioned these slips that I don't think I got for the first five years. I was there and then suddenly they started arriving.

A

They come every two weeks telling me what was deposited into my bank account. They may be a legal requirement, I don't really know, but if they're not, it may well be the case that, for you know, that's a lot of money that spent mailing those things out to thousands of people every couple of weeks. We could look at that.

A

I think that's a valid suggestion and I think that we could certainly they'll look at using other tools to communicate more effectively, so that counselors, if we did cancel the paper product, would would uh feel better about that. I I will also make a passing observation as much as um I realize. Sometimes you have to make these things bigger for some of the very same people that are seniors and so on um the thing that counselor pastor knocked held up, and I don't recall whether we received one in our house this year.

A

I didn't see it if we did in our condo, but um that looks like a pretty elaborate publication. So there may well be a way in which you could produce a publication.

A

If you wanted to do that and still save a lot of money uh or you could do it on a on a request basis and actually have people ask for the calendar, which would also save a lot of money because we're sending it out to everybody now and I think in the city, we often feel we have to do every single program without exception universally and send everything to everybody and do everything for everybody when in fact, there are many fewer people who actually need whatever it is that we're doing so.

A

I will just say that I hope maybe staff could take a look at all of those things, because I do associate myself with the comments of counselor seattle that, if we're going to just put this 900 thousand dollars back in for the calendar, then somewhere in order to make this budget balance uh we're going to have to find something else to take out. So those are my comments uh and uh uh we will uh go forward now, I think, to uh to vote on. uh Do we have any emotions?

A

We don't have any motions, so we just really have then the recommendation mayor. I'm sorry, sorry,.

H

I'm really sorry, I know that you spoke already, but I just wanted to make a quick comment on this issue just because maybe staff can look into it, which is. We also have the seniors calendar that we also do upon request. Maybe the departments can work together and actually have some of this information in our seniors calendars um and and upon request, if the seniors need the paper copy, that can be actually combined and all the information in one calendar.

A

That's an interesting idea too, can be added to that list of things that staff might take a look at just over the course of the time between now and council. So on that note, then, I think we're ready here to. uh Let me just find uh I don't have the recommendation, but can we put the uh okay? I guess I didn't ask you, but the staffer, the the counselor crawford, I think, would be prepared to move uh the staff recommendations here that come from the budget committee.

A

In any event, the budget committee's recommendations really- and I will call the question on that- if I can, then all those in favor opposed just okay, I think you're, the two deputy members of their hand up at the same time, but I think it was just deputy marion, along with intended to vote against deputy mayor thompson.

C

Voting in the report, sir, I voted in favor.

A

Oh, we vote in paper. Okay, then it was everybody to vote in favor, subject to the comments that were made about to counsel. Okay, good, thank you. um So we voted to continue on here. uh So that means that the next can I just check in then we were just about to talk about keysight um and we then moved to this other item. Instead, I did uh on keysight. uh I think we had a couple of people that wanted to ask them questions and maybe make some comments.

A

Okay, so I think the person was held who held it down was uh deputy mayor thompson. So if we wanted to go then to him for questions of staff deputy mayor, do you have a question of staff.

B

Yes, mr mayor, thank you. I wonder if, through the city manager, if you could just explain the city's role as part of the waterfront and and the process that we actually have in front of us, I realize it's an update, but I just wanted to understand our our role as part of waterfront and the board.

G

So through the mayor, I can certainly provide a high level, but I'm going to just ask tracy if you're there just to give a more specific answer. Please.

I

Certainly so through you, mr mayor.

H

F

City is one of three.

H

F

The three government parties.

I

Is part of waterfront toronto.

H

I

Engaged with waterfront toronto on an ongoing basis through our waterfront secretariat, led by david stonehouse, certainly they we have regular executive steering committee meetings. Intergovernmental meetings where waterfront toronto uh gives us updates on what they're working on in separate and apart and in addition.

D

G

D

Deals with portland flood protection.

G

uh What we see with.

I

Keysight, specifically, is the setting out of a governance structure that will focus specifically on the keysight proposal, uh which will be comprised of steering committees and technical tables. So we're really integrated in the conversations at various.

H

B

Okay, thank you very much. That's uh very helpful with respect to that. um What, um um and maybe this is a question for mr stone house, what will be different with respect to keysight.

B

um We obviously went through the sidewalk lab uh process and so on, and we had a lot of issues there um as part of the update here. What is the unique differences going forward that will allow for a level of confidence in terms of both in terms of the public process, as well as confidence in terms of the the uh partners, if you will as part of the tripartite process, I know we have got a good leader at waterfront there, but I just wanted to understand what would be the differences as such.

B

What can the public expect.

G

I

I'll start at a higher level uh through you, mr.

D

I

Then ask david to chime in um certainly what I've seen in this particular instance with keysight that we've learned they've waterfront toronto certainly has taken.

F

Some great learnings from the previous engagement.

I

And are engaging with us in a far more detailed way uh on how they're approaching this new new rfq rfp for keysight in respect.

F

To the public engagement I'll ask david stonehouse to speak for any further on that.

G

Through the mirror, waterfront toronto will continue to do public consultation through 2021, um and I expect in in terms of details well beyond 2021, as the project moves forward through through implementation.

B

What role will create teo play in conjunction with.

I

Waterfront I'll start through you, mr mayor, uh create t.o.

G

Is actually going to be involved.

I

As well on the steering committee related to keysight, uh they represent the 1.5 acres known as block 3 that forms part of this keysight development, so they are absolutely at the table and actively engaged in this initiative.

B

Okay, those are all my questions, mr mayor. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much deputy mayor thompson, other other questions of staff. I think I saw where did she go there? You are deputy mayor, bilo, had questions of staff.

H

Yes, uh so what you're saying here is that you're gonna go out to ask for a proponent to develop the 12 acres. Is that correct.

K

H

G

Through the mirror, yes, okay,.

H

So um you're saying that affordable housing is very important, but you're only committing to 20 of the land like in the secondary plan, even though three orders of government have done several projects like the province that west on lands with 30 percent we're doing housing now, with 30 percent federal, has a housing national housing strategy? Have you been having conversations with them so that actually, before you put out the land to get that proponent, you can actually bring some of the programs that could be available to get to this target.

A

Okay, sorry, deputy mayor just just.

H

A

The city manager answers you, you're, directing your questions as, if uh that they're being directed to something that is city sponsored here. This is a a competition and whatnot that will be run by waterfront corporations. I think it's perfectly fair to ask these questions here, but you've sort of been saying you to the city manager, you're running a process and we're not actually running it, but we're certainly here to comment on it. So I just wanted to make that clear to people watching us and so.

H

Thank you mary. It's that the the group that is running this process.

A

Waterfront corporation anyway, sorry city manager, I'm sorry I just want to make that clear people watching might be confused. That's all.

G

uh And through the mirror- and thank you for that clarification, um so this is water. This will be water from toronto's uh process.

G

um We have uh crateo involved, we have the housing secretariat involved and we have encouraged very much the waterfront trump to be speaking with federal and provincial officials, and you know it should be clear that the report speaks to a minimum of 20 percent because that's based on the existing approved regulations uh and policy documents, but the uh in the report. We state that our you know will be working with waterfront toronto to achieve more than the the minimum uh 20 that is uh currently in place.

H

Okay, I'll have several comments. Mr mayor.

A

Okay, thank you, dr mary. No problem, uh let me just get everybody back up here and see okay, so who else has questions of staff anybody going once going twice? Okay, then we can move to speakers on this and I've heard deputy mayor bylaw say she wishes to speak, so you could be first. Thank you very much.

H

Thank you mayor uh mayor. I'm um somewhat disappointed with the the report. This is waterfront toronto, which is uh basically an organization with three borders of government that have done have been doing a lot of work in the area of affordable housing and using their lands. uh Like I said, province has done west on lands we're doing housing.

H

Now federal government has a program at the federal, the national housing strategy, and I I hear there's a commitment, but I hear the commitment is going to come after we get the proponent and I think, there's no better organization than the waterfront toronto. That has the three governments at the table to actually once you go out to market already have a strong program so that the industry can look at it and understand what kind of supports they'll have in order to provide that affordable housing. You have the federal government at the table. So why not?

H

When you go out, ensure that that cmhc commitments in there that there's commitments from the province and the city and you can push the boundaries? I really ask uh uh our staff to to work with uh waterfront toronto more in that basis, because I feel that if we do it the other way around, we won't get as good results. We keep hearing from the industry. Certainty is really important. We have the three orders of government at the table.

H

Let's have those conversations, so we can actually give that certainty to the market in order to push for as much as the affordable housing that we can. This will be a new community that is built in there. I know that we have several public public policy priorities in here, but I think that we, we all understand that we're building a community and to build a healthy community.

H

We need to have the people that are going to be working in those areas and working in downtown being able to live in in this area and there's no better way for us to push that as we've done ourselves in the city that to use um tools like our lands like to use the tools when we're planning these communities and then we've done with many secondary plans that have been coming through our um our uh committees as well. To ensure that uh that we push this forward.

H

So I would like to see a bit more commitment, I'm hoping that our staff can relay this message to waterfront toronto, um because I think it's an important one. I think we've seen uh when governments put their land with uh objectives and programs in place. I think we get a better result and I think the waterfront could actually be a great milestone in having something with the three orders of government coming together and pushing for this.

A

Thanks uh deputy mayor uh others wishing to speak on this, I just have to wait for the people to come back up on the screen for a second here. We seem to be having a little there. We are.

A

Other speakers- okay,.

B

A

Mayor thompson there we are.

B

Thank you very much, uh miss mayor. um I want to move this report and I want to thank the folks at waterfront, toronto and obviously all that's involved in terms of bringing this report forward.

B

um It appears to me that this is a report as it relates to to keysight that will engage and ensure that this area of the waterfront is going to be developing a mixed use way that will create features and design of great benefits to the city we've heard from ms cook, and it's mr stonehouse and and others, and so on, around the consultation process and so on, and I know that, um irrespective of what has happened in the past with respect waterfront, one of the things that we can say about that organization, the consultation process that they had put in place was uh in place was very effective uh in as much as um you know, the the results at the end of the day, what transpired uh they they are, bringing forward now an opportunity for us to be engaged in all levels of uh departments and so on, and so I'm very bullied.

B

By what I see here, uh I did have um a presentation from waterfront uh staff to go through the plans, and I was I was quite uh impressed with respect to what they actually have in place. I note that, with respect to the the affordable housing uh pieces, they spoke about it, and, and so it appears that uh there is uh opportunity for further dialogue and to be engaged and so on. I know that they're very open to that, and I'm really excited with respect to that.

B

I think that uh all of us is desirous of actually seeing something transpire here um in our lifetimes.

B

Quite frankly- and I'm really excited about this- and uh I know as we await for the next uh staff update, uh we will see obviously a better uh we'll have a better understanding with respect to the um the the response from those who are interested in working with waterfront in terms of developing this jewel of of the city of toronto, I mean we're one of the last cities in in in north america that are working on uh developing and finalizing our development of our waterfront.

B

It's time that we get on with it. This report um obviously brings all the players together. It's a different approach from what I had seen before and I'm really quite excited. I think we should be really excited about this and we may have some elements of concerns about.

B

um You know that what's in front of us, but what actually is really important for us to understand is that there is a tremendous efforts to listen to the needs and the requirement that's here and we all have a say as we move forward in terms of implementing a plan, that's actually going to ensure that an element off the waterfront.

B

This said the keysight area is going to be part of this jewel that we actually have as our waterfront, but it's time that we get on with it, and I think that staffer waterfront are in fact listening and they're working really hard. The leadership there, george and his team- are doing a really great job and so on, and I just want to commend them for that and the board of directors that are there. We have some top-notch people that are working really hard.

B

Mr diamond, I believe it's still the chair of that um board and I think that uh if there is uh anything tougher than a diamond, I'm not sure what that is. But it is mr diamond, his leadership team there. So I want to uh to certainly support them and, of course you know uh our city team here miss cook and and um miss murray and others, and so on I mean I.

B

I don't think that they will fail us on this on, as they would not feel us on any of the other initiatives that they're working on. So I'm glad that they're steady hands and innovative minds that are being brought to the process here, and I think that we'll all be very proud, I'm just hoping to see that sooner as opposed to later. Thank you, mr mayor.

A

Thanks uh very much deputy mayor thompson, any other people wishing to speak well, I'd just like to make a couple of comments on this. First of all, I want to join counselor thompson and saying thank you to our own staff, who uh you know they have a difficult job to do in a sense that we're this is land.

A

That's in our city, and uh you know it's our our waterfront, uh but we've chosen, I think, for good reason to be partners with the other governments in uh developing that waterfront and I think that's been to our benefit. uh You know- and I think that, uh but that it puts the staff in a position where they have.

A

um You know less ability to kind of make recommendations to us that are hard and fast with respect to what's going to happen there and we're we're having to deal with our partners, which has been, I think, generally a very good experience for us. I want to thank the staff of waterfront corporation. I couldn't agree more with what deputy mayor thompson said about, in particular the chair over there and the ceo, mr diamond, has worked tirelessly.

A

He was briefing me this week just on some of these very same uh matters and uh he's just worked tirelessly and and of course he does that, uh mostly out of the goodness of his heart and out of a great love for the city and was frankly persuaded to stay in that job at a time when he, I think, would rather have left, but I'm glad he's there.

A

You know, I said at the time when the sidewalk chose not to be able to uh to to reach an agreement with us, which was really like many business things that don't come about just a failure to agree on commercial terms. That's all it was. They were very excited about toronto. I think they continue to think. Toronto is a place of great opportunity and, of course, their broader corporate organization continues to employ hundreds and hundreds of people and thank goodness for that in the city of toronto.

A

But I said at that time as much as I was disappointed with that outcome, that uh the good news for us was that the asset in question, namely a piece of land, uh one of the best pieces of land undeveloped on a major uh city waterfront in north america. Maybe one of the only ones was still there. It wasn't going anywhere that land is still there and the good news is, I think, when you listen to people that talk about its value today, they're of the view that it is as valuable as ever.

A

And so what now we're going to be able to do is have a second opportunity, having learned some of the lessons of the first opportunity to go out and to get a further sounding with respect to what people might like to do with that land. And we will do that, of course, in conjunction with our partners in the government of canada and the government of ontario through uh waterfront toronto, and I trust uh both in their abilities to do this.

A

Ms davis and the other people that have worked on the team down there over time will continue to do their good work, and we have learned some lessons, I'm sure from the sidewalk experience with regard to the home, uh affordable, housing matter. I would just say this: I think it really dovetails with what deputy bear bilo had to say, which is what you've got now, I think, is an unparalleled opportunity in that you have the three governments, unusually as partners in this venture, all three of us.

A

Having shown our commitment to affordable housing, and we now have an opportunity to do something collectively, which is something that's unprecedented. Prior to this, it's been us putting up our land and asking them to contribute money or the province, putting up its land and asking us to contribute money. Now we have a chance to do something genuinely together.

A

Those other things have been done together and I would only suggest that, uh when we're urging waterfront corporation in the course of going through this uh choice of a proponent and and and pressing people on affordable housing, as we should that we include affordable home ownership in that too, because I think we have, um you know, done a lot of things with respect to affordable rental, which is our principal need, as is supportive housing.

A

But I think the concept of affordable home ownership is something that is attractive and interesting and and frankly, if you're, you know using money and land uh there's an opportunity to do that as well, and I think there's one more point that has been alluded to a couple of times, but I think it bears mentioning, which is that our commitment as a city and as a city council to mixed income developments- um you know applies everywhere in the city. It doesn't apply.

A

You know over here, but not over there, and I think you know we have to establish the principle that the waterfront is as we've done with many of the things we've developed down there. It's for everyone.

A

It is a unique asset, uniquely located where it is, you can't move it either, and it goes across through scarborough and etobicoke as well, but it's a unique asset that belongs to all of the people of toronto, and so I just hope that we, you know, can keep that in mind and keep in mind the comment that was made by one of our colleagues here today, which is that we want that to be a healthy community key side, and we have decided, I think, as a matter of policy, that healthy communities can contain a mix of people who live there, who are from different walks of life, and I think that some of the comments made today, which I hope will be passed through the waterfront corporation, will underline that uh policy that we have with respect to the development of our city and our waterfront, even though we we own it and develop it jointly with uh the waterfront corporation and our partners in government.

A

This is our waterfront in our city. So thank you. uh Those would be my comments.

A

Are we then ready to um to uh deal with the recommendation which asks the deputy city manager to report back to the executive committee after the selection of a proponent? I think that, hopefully, mr stonehouse and others have some comments, they'll be conveying in the meantime, but those aren't recorded in the minutes, but I think they're in the minutes, as it were uh ready for the question, then, okay, so on the recommendation, uh I'll ask for all those in favor opposed carried okay.

A

So then, I think we come to our last item, uh which is the transit item, uh and we have some deputies on that uh and so we'll hear from them first uh and um is larry what more? What what? What more uh on the line? Okay, mr? What more you're! First, the scarborough community renewal organization, are you there, I'm.

G

A

You hear me thank you for your patience. We can hear you loud and clear, and so you have up to five minutes to make your deportation. There may be a question or two.

G

Great uh thank you, mr mayor and members of the executive committee. My name is larry watmore and I am the president of the scarborough community renewal organization or scro, as we call it for short. Skrow is an organization of engaged volunteers that works to connect, promote and renew scarborough, so that scarborough can be strong and prosperous.

G

We seek to renew scarborough on multiple fronts, including strong and inclusive neighborhoods, vibrant arts and culture, and enhanced.

B

Natural environment and opportunities for.

G

Economic prosperity right here in scarborough, so so that scarborough can become a complete community where people can live, work, learn and play.

G

I'm here today to bring a scarborough voice in support of the approval and funding of the eglinton east, lrt from kennedy station to u of t scarborough and from there to malvern. We believe this should be a priority project for the city, because it offers significant social and economic benefits.

G

We support this project for the following reasons: number one: it advances the city's strong neighborhoods strategy. The route outlined in the staff report benefits seven of the eight neighborhood improvement areas in scarborough, where a majority of trips to and from work are made by public transit.

G

The lrt will bring faster and more reliable transit to our residents and shorter commutes, whether they work in other parts of scarborough or across the city number two. It aligns with the ambitious growth plans of u of t scarborough one of scarborough's, most important anchor institutions, and it will reduce the commuting time of many of utsc's 14 000 students number three. It addresses a significant public infrastructure deficit in scarborough.

G

This project, together with the scarborough subway, will provide the critical infrastructure needed to serve as a catalyst for economic prosperity in scarborough generally and in northeast scarborough in particular, and number four. It provides economic benefits to scarborough businesses and our residents, especially our youth.

G

We support the city's efforts to encourage the provision of local employment opportunities for our young people as part of the construction of public infrastructure projects like this one, so in short, the eglinton east lrt, will help create the conditions to enhance the social and economic health of scarborough and a prosperous scarborough helps to create a prosperous toronto.

G

Thank you, mr mayor, for your support of this project and, and we agree with you, the eglinton east lrt will be a game changer by connecting parts of scarborough to each other and by better connecting scarborough to the rest of the city, and we thank the executive committee as well for this opportunity to bring to bring voices from across scarborough today in support of this project, including, u of t scarborough, uh the scarborough health network, centennial college taibu, community health center, the scarborough business association and others, all of whom have provided letters of support today for this important initiative.

G

B

You all and I'm happy to take any questions.

A

Thank you, mr whitmore. Are there any questions for the deputy okay? Well, thank you so much for your comments. We appreciate those very much and uh we will move on to the next uh deputy, who is mr tim cocker, the waterfront business improvement area.

B

Thank you, maritori councillors of the executive uh first I'd like to congratulate councillor mckelvey on becoming chair of the infrastructure.

G

Environment committee look forward.

B

To working together with you.

G

Specifically, I'm here today, though, as executive director of the waterfront bia in support of continuing to advance design and engineering of the waterfront transit network, I'd like to recognize and thank the city's transportation planning staff and their partners with ttc and waterfront toronto collaborating. We saw excellent progress updates at a stakeholder meeting just this monday. We really appreciate their work to inform and gather feedback from both community groups and business groups like ours.

G

It's good to see different phasing options being considered to get eastern elected activity in place as fast as possible, and also the report today indicates there are potential collaborations with ontario line playing. We would, of course like to see both transit lines in place to connect the water with even more parts of toronto, and we thank maritori for your comments.

G

Last thursday, on the importance of building out waterfront transit, to support both current development and, of course, much more future development in the future, and that means the portlands we're having having the lrt in place would be key to unlocking development potential there beyond keysight into the portlands, probably the most significant opportunity in all of north america, our waterfront bia will actually be expanding in 2021, I included our new boundary map in our submission letter that you may have seen.

G

The bia now represents the business community along the entire queens key corridor, all the way east to cherry street. That includes the keysight site and moves our boundaries to the foot of the portlands. Where that wonderful new bridge is being installed that will carry light rail transit into the portlands.

G

I encourage executive committee to continue advancing and accelerating waterfront trains at work as a way to maximize toronto's overall growth potential as we look to recover and to connect more of toronto with more of this beautiful waterfront. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much, much appreciate your deputation other questions of the definite okay. Well, thank you very much again. We appreciate your being here to uh to reinforce your support for this project, which is so very important to us. uh Okay, just just proceeded, I think, take my list of decadence and put it into the uh there it is uh next is chris james drew.

G

Hello, can you hear me.

A

Hi, we can hear you and uh welcome, and you have five minutes to make your deportation. Thank you for your patience today and over to you.

G

Thanks so much um so my name is chris drew and I'm a resident in the ward of toronto center in downtown toronto, very close to the st lawrence market, and I just want to first uh give a shout out to tim, who just spoke he's doing an amazing job on the waterfront via, I know, he's a strong advocate for transit, and I also want to give a shout out to larry who just spoke and his strong advocacy for scarborough.

G

So I just wanted to touch on a couple of aspects of my support for the eglinton east. Lrt, and one of the reasons I wanted to chat with you today is larry brought the scarborough perspective, and I want to bring the downtown perspective, which is that I'm a downtown resident, and I fully support this project for scarborough. This needs to happen. It's a critically important project.

G

You know in the news over the last number of years, there's been a lot of discussion on the scarborough subway versus lrt, and I think sometimes this project hasn't been given the same amount of attention in the public discourse or dialogue, and I just want to emphasize how important this project is, and I know there was a lot of community support in all parts of toronto for a project near where I live the king street project, and I really appreciated that, and so I just want to lend my support for the eglinton east lrt.

G

I know councillor nunziata has been a strong supporter of the eglinton crosstown and the wonderful maintenance and storage facility and the kodak site, and I fully support that. So I think it's important for toronto residents to support each other and speak out in favor of projects that are not necessarily directly in their backyard.

G

The other reason, I'm speaking in favor of it, is that this project will connect the university of toronto campus. I went to ryerson university and benefit from rail-based transit being located next to my campus and those. U of t scarborough students deserve rail-based transit that will make it easier to get into and out of their campus.

G

This project will also eventually connect the malvern neighborhood and that's a community that has seen many many lines on the map for many many years and they really need to see some progress on having more rapid transit come to their neighborhood. It's incredibly important part of toronto, and I hope that they get more and faster transit soon.

G

The other reason, I'm speaking strongly in favor of the edge of denise dellarte is I got married at the guild inn uh in 2019 in councillor ainsley's ward and I highly highly recommend uh to all torontonians to check out the gildan as the wedding venue. It's a wonderful facility, great staff and it's at a city park, and there were so many guests at my wedding that have never been to the gildan or that part of scarborough or toronto before so building more rapid transit near that facility that can allow people to get closer to.

G

It will be a great way to open up the world of toronto to toronto residents and visitors, and so when I was going back and forth to the wedding venue at the gildan, it was a great opportunity to see um not only the neighborhoods of uh eglinton, east and kingston road, but the potential for more mixed use and more people to live and work along this lrt corridor. So I just wanted to emphasize it's an important project.

G

I highly encourage city council to advocate to the provincial federal governments for funding for it, and there are people, many people in toronto who may not necessarily live along the route or use it every day, like myself from downtown, who fully fully support this surface, lrt project in scarborough thanks so much.

A

Thank you very much for that deputation uh mr drew, and are there any questions of the deputy, seeing none all? Thank you so much for being with us today. uh Next we have the soda executive director asian court community services association's minnesota on the line okay over to you, lee welcome and you have up to five minutes, and we are glad to have you here and then there may be some questions.

E

Thank you. uh Can you hear me.

A

Yep loud and clear, thank you.

E

Awesome, uh my name is lee soda and, as uh mr mayor said, I'm the executive director at aging court, community services, association or axa, and also a proud scarborough resident for over 25 years. I'm speaking to you today to support and to urge council to ensure that the eglinton east lr, lrt project is deemed a priority transit project and that you will call on city council to vote in favor of funding the eglinton east lrt and to ensure that it extends uh into melbourne.

E

uh Axa, as we are known, is a scarborough-based community agency in operation since the early 1970s that puts community at the center of all of the work that we do and propels by the belief that we must ensure that decisions that affect all parts of our city should and must be inclusive of marginalized and underrepresented communities and reflective of the diversity of our city, and that we collectively include opportunities for economic prosperity.

E

For our diverse and vibrant community members. As one of the largest geographic areas scarborough within the city of toronto, transit is critically important to connect our residents to employment across our great city of toronto.

E

Residents in the northern part of scarborough will tell you that they have one of the longest transit commute times in the city as a north, scarborough resident myself, I can definitely attest to this.

E

The 24-stop eglinton east lrt would be an investment in city building and ensuring that thousands of scarborough residents, including those living in a number of the underserved neighborhoods long along with students attending two post-secondary institutions, could be connected to the city's rapid transit network.

E

This deputation brings voice to the interest of scarborough residents in support of the advancement and approval of the eglinton avenue east lrt. This long overdue project should be a priority project for the city of toronto because of the significant social and economic benefits.

E

This is a rich opportunity for community benefits framework and increased economic benefits to scarborough businesses and residents, especially for our young people, who have who have experienced higher burdens during this pandemic.

E

We support the city's efforts to hire locally during the construction of the infrastructure projects like this and ensure that a community benefits project framework is firmly in place prior or from the onset to ensure residents who live in scarborough have access to employment opportunities through the eglinton east lrt.

E

We continue to hear the roars respectfully from scarborough residents that the city of toronto needs to invest in rapid public transit infrastructure that is responsive to the needs of all regions that make up the city of toronto, including scarborough, which is home to over 630 of toronto residents. This project also speaks to the city's strong neighborhood strategy. The construction of the eglinton east lrt would help to address the transport poverty that exists in scarborough, especially in neighborhoods like melbourne, scarborough village, kingston gatherway all identified as nias or neighborhood improvement areas.

E

We know that access to rapid transit significantly shapes people's socioeconomic opportunities. The eglinton east lrt would enable scarborough residents with access to more employment opportunities and encourage local socioeconomic development.

E

I urge you please to ensure that the eglinton east lrt is a priority transit project and fully funded by the city of toronto, so that we can see construction begin on this line to support our communities and our city's future. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much minnesota. Are there any questions of the deputy?

A

Well, thank you very much for being with us and for those comments uh which certainly come from a deep pool of experience and uh and uh direct contact with a lot of the neighborhoods in question. uh Last uh but not least, for the day in terms of deputations is kirsten marwa not with us okay. So I guess that miss marwah is not here at this moment in time.

A

So that would be the end of the deputations then, and we could move to questions of staff and uh councillor mckelly is in here with us and uh so you're. First.

F

uh Thank you very much, uh mr mayor. um My first question is about the cost escalation that we see here of 1.7 billion dollars. Now I was wondering if staff could quickly break this down into the buckets it's associated with some.

I

F

Are new costs from design, but some of them are attributed to uh the cancellation of the scarborough story. This shepherd lrt and those costs now being moved onto the tony stellar tee. So could you just break that down into uh those different buckets? And specifically, you know what is the new design money needed.

K

Through the uh through the mayor, um the um the increases are related to a number of different factors, as you mentioned counselor.

K

So there is the the change that we had to make to the connection at kennedy station because of the uh updated design of the scarborough subway extension and what we were planning for the tunnel connection there uh no longer no longer worked, and so that led to a redesign of the tunnel and an increase probably represents about 20 percent of the roughly 20 percent of the the increased costs that that show in the figures, the other.

K

At the other end of the line up in the malvern area, we had been planning to um to piggyback on the infrastructure that would be put in place for the shepherd lrt for a good section of the uh of the the line that would be going to malvern and now with that project, not advancing or certainly not advancing before the eglinton east, lrt with the decision to extend the shepard subway, we now need to assume those costs in this project.

K

uh We also will need to assume the full cost of the maintenance and storage facility for the line, because, again we can't piggyback on the the maintenance and storage facility that would have been in place for the for the shepard lrt.

K

The other thing that we did in in work with a consultant and with ptc was to look at um review the costs in terms of what we're seeing comparable projects across the region and and also um uh ttc standards on a number of elements of construction and uh and so saw the need to increase the estimate to um to match what we're seeing across the region comparable projects like ontario, lrt or or other projects like that. Okay,.

F

So some of these costs are associated with the change in the provincial plans that now move forward with um the subway extension to mccowen and changes in design. That happened with that, as well as the shepard subway correct. So that's part of the reason for these additional costs.

K

Through the chair, that is correct, counselor.

F

Okay, um two other questions: um what does phasing mean- and you know that I'm very uncomfortable with the word freezing, so um can you maybe explain very clearly what that means, and the second is: what is the status of your discussion about the location of the storage facility with the university of toronto, scarborough campus, because they have great growth plans there and obviously part of building transit is to allow for economic development such as that. So can you just speak to those two questions as well.

K

Through the uh through the mayor, um yes councilor, we uh we understand council's direction from the last time that this that this line will go, extend all the way to malvern. What we are looking at in the in this concept of phasing is not uh going to utsc and then stopping, but looking at what could be an operational section of the of the line uh we could get to utsc while we're continuing to take the line up to malvern and things could start to operate while we're continuing the work up the line.

K

So it's more like staging, I would, I would suggest, as opposed to to phasing um and then in terms of the the conversations with utsc. We, um when we last came to council on this report, utsc did raise some concerns about the access into the proposed maintenance and storage facility, just north of their campus in conversations with utsc they they are not opposed to having the maintenance and storage facility there.

K

They just want to ensure that the access route does not disrupt their development plans, and we have made a commitment that, as we go through the next stages of design, um we will. We will avoid the the entrance uh or the proposed access that uh that was causing them problems for their development and and redirect the access to the msf so that it works with their development and the realignment of uh military trail.

F

Thank you so I'll take it that those cons conversations will continue.

K

Through the mayor, yes, they will.

F

Okay, thank you.

A

Those are all your questions, councillor mckelvey.

A

Thank you very much. Who else has questions of staff on this report? Councillor ainslie.

C

Thank you mayor tory through you, so james, could you just uh reiterate the so there's a 20 increasing.

C

Right costing and and then there's another increase in costing.

C

In the melbourne area, because the subway the scenario around the shepherd avenue lrt so is it safe to say that's about 30 cost increase.

K

uh Through the uh the mayor, some of your your question didn't come through to the counselor, but I think I understand where you're going so I will attempt an answer. So, yes, the uh what I was explaining before the significant additional cost is related to the change we need to make at kennedy station and the connection of the lrt into kennedy station.

K

We now need to tunnel a little bit further out to midland uh in order to avoid the the scarborough subway extension tunnel that will be in that area as well, and then the other and.

C

Then sorry, north and then yeah sorry, I unders sorry. So then can you also explain to me so this the subway extension in scarborough uh the agreement that we have with the province provinces they're fully paying for it?

C

So is there not any way we can go back on the province and say you know, your subway line has just caught increased our costs by close to a billion dollars.

K

So through um through the mayor, uh the the increase related to that is not not a billion. The increase related to that is is more in the neighborhood of 350 million. Of that of that amount that we show in the report um so can.

C

We not go back to the province for that.

K

Through the uh through the mayor, in terms of conversations around funding there, there may be um political discussions that uh that council wants to uh to engage in about about funding. Derrick uh toggle may have had some other um insights or or answers on the the funding questions.

C

Okay and then um the 4.4 billion dollar cost um at that. So that's in today's dollars: 20 20 dollars.

K

Through the mayor, yes, that is correct. 20 20.

C

Okay, and um so the expected timeline, if we got funding, was construction would start in 2024..

C

Is there any idea what this will look like in twenty twenty four dollars.

K

Through the uh through the mayor, we haven't escalated through into construction because we need to go through more detailed design. So this is still a class four cost estimate based on five to ten percent design and we'll be undertaking that that work um on the on the more detailed design and and have a more um uh a more reliable cost estimate and and one that we can calendarize. We also need to work out the the timelines for um for construction and how it fits with all that's going on in the scarborough area, with the subway.

C

So so I know there's a number of different costs: um they're looking at how to bridge over the highland creek ravine along morningside to get to ut uh utsc, there's also the question around the bridge work over the 401 at morningside. So none of those costs, those costs are still being established. Correct.

K

Yes, through the through the mayor, those costs, although that those elements are included in this, we did.

K

We are working with mto about the the rehabilitation of the morningside bridge over the 401 and making sure that as they're moving ahead with their rehabilitation work that they're taking account of the needs, um the design requirements for the lrt, uh and so that did there was a slight increase in the the costs uh on that element to um to better reflect what what may happen with that bridge.

C

Okay and um how much money do we have in the bank for this project to date,.

K

Through um through the mayor, the uh there has been no formal allocation of funds to this uh to this project. Yet the the capital funds there is the uh there's, often a reference to the um the the scarborough transit fund, the the levy that was on the uh the property tax and what that would would um uh provide toward this. The the amount that uh that could be leveraged there. But we will be coming back in the next stages, with a fuller funding and financing strategy for for the project.

C

And and when will you be coming back with that's that part of the strategy, final question.

K

Through the through the mayor, we um will be reporting back for the 2022 budget process uh to to launch more detailed design. We will also be- and- and so at that point we can talk in uh in in more detail about the um the opportunities or the funds that may be available. That also opens opportunities for other discussions to be happening.

C

Okay, thanks james, I appreciate your uh answers and meritoriously. Those are my questions. Thank you.

A

Council ainslie uh other uh questions of staff: okay, uh counselor perks, I saw you arrived after. We had our uh you're okay, all right, good enough uh thanks a lot okay. So then we move on to speakers and uh who can I just have a show of hands so who I want to put on that list. uh You'd be first counselor kelvin, obviously, uh and uh so why don't we just turn to you and others can indicate their wish as we go and so off. Yo councillor mckelvey.

F

uh Thank you, mr mayor. I am very excited by this report uh today.

F

It is a step in the right direction for this project, but clearly we have a long way to go, but it is important that we put our pedal on the gas right now, because we do know that there is going to be significant economic stimulus from our government partners in the spring and frankly, if we don't work to get this funded right now, the door is going to close on funding as the national debt skyrocket and it could be a decade before there is that opportunity again.

F

So this report is a step in the right direction and we have a long way to go. What I want to draw your attention to is the 12 agencies that have said letters of support for the eglinton east lrt. There are letters from our three anchor institutions: the university of toronto, scarborough centennial college and the scarborough health network. Collectively they represent 15 000 staff, 35 000 students and 500 000 patients that go through their their institutions every year.

F

In addition, there's letters from community support agencies, including taibu, the agent court community services, scarborough transit action, scarborough civic action network, scarborough business association, as well as the scarborough community renewal organization, centennial community association, west rouge association and 42 voices. Scarborough stands together, united in advocating to advance the eglinton east lrt. I do want to end, though, with of all the different remarks. There was one that I want to draw your attention to from taibu and taboo says a key strategic investment to address the inequities that are impacting scarborough's.

F

Black and indigenous communities is investing in access to affordable transportation. The eglinton east lrt is therefore a critical investment in scarborough and in melbourne. um Thank you so much to the deputies that submitted letters and came forward today. I will continue to do everything I can to champion this important project. I know that meritorio has spoken so strongly in support of his views on this project as well, and let's hope that, hopefully we can get this across the finish line very soon.

A

Thank you, council mckelvey, uh others wishing to speak counseling.

C

Thank you mayor tory. I will be brief. I first I want to thank staff for their continued work on this. I I want to thank mayor tory for your ongoing advocacy for this often I'm speaking with mnpps, in particular, mps in in the scarborough area, which are asking for enhanced transit, and I know that you've been at their federal liberal caucus numerous times where this has been raised and you've stressed the importance of it to to eastern scarboro, and I want to thank you for that. I am a little frustrated by the increased cost.

C

uh The scarborough subway extension is continues to drive up the cost of the eglinton east, lrt one way or another in this report. It's driving it up by close to 400 million dollars.

C

uh So so it's frustrating, um but I knew I do know as we move forward uh and I'll use the golden mile area of the eglinton, uh lrt that runs through deputy mayor thompson's ward and the uh the uh redevelopment and the excitement that it's bringing to that area, and I know it will do the same along eglinton avenue and morningside up to the university of toronto scarborough, where students years ago, had a levy put on their tuition to help pay for the pan am games center tpask because they were promised in lrt.

C

So I know they will be very excited about it. University of toronto. Scarborough, this lrt, which runs through a good part of my ward, runs through five neighborhood improvement areas. I know the residents are looking for better transit to get from point a to point b, and this lrt will do a long way go a long way to delivering that needed transit. So I want to thank everybody for their continued advocacy on this.

C

We're moving another step forward and I look forward to one day seeing a shovel in the ground. Thank you.

A

Thank you, counselor ainsley. Let's go back to the screen here and see others wishing to speak. Okay. Well, I might just um say a word. If I can, then let me just reset the clock here.

A

uh First of all, I just want to uh thank uh the staff, and- and I want to thank the counselors- and I want to thank the mps from scarborough- the councillors have been steadfast all of them and their support for what I think is an extremely important project for the whole city, but especially for scarborough.

A

uh The staff have worked long and hard on this and it's gone through various evolutions over time, but I think it is moving forward, albeit at a pace that might be a bit slower than we want, but that could be accelerated by what councilor mckelvey made reference to and she's certainly been. uh You know one of the lead fighters uh for this, which is that I think there are going to be some unprecedented opportunities to help to get financial support for this project.

A

For a couple of reasons I mean one is the kind of post-pandemic stimulus that I think the federal government will be looking to do, and I think this fits in as well with some of their other agendas, including fighting climate change, because, of course this is going to take people out of cars to some extent I'll be, albeit for a lot of people.

A

I think it'll be more of a an opportunity to get around for people who don't have cars, but having said all that, I think it will contribute to a cleaner way of getting around, um and I think there there's uh an unprecedented consensus.

A

I think what you have here is uh uh mps from scarborough but mps from across toronto, who understand the importance of this project, because I have met with them repeatedly and it comes up every single time I meet with them as recently as this past monday, when I meet with all the members of parliament from the toronto area, I um I think that it's interesting, because we we spent more time talking about in the speeches and so on, about the scarborough eglinton east, lrt, perhaps because scarborough has gone for it's not an exaggeration to say generations, without adequate investment in transit, without adequate investment in health care.

A

For that matter, really I've got quite into that in trying to help the scarborough health network with them and their plans to rebuild and renew. And if you look at the record there, it's really just something you can't believe was allowed to go on for as long as it did, but the same is true of transit. While we had various fights down here and while things just didn't happen, but um I think what's interesting is these two projects which I would say are the two?

A

You know biggest waterfront transit generally in scarborough east eglinton east lrt. They both actually have very similar characteristics, albeit that they run through different areas. uh Both are going to connect uh communities up to the city in a better way and connect communities up to each other and again, I've said many times that we're running the risk with the waterfront that we're going to allow all kinds of development to take place there.

A

You just have to go out to counselor, grimes ward and see humber bay shores, which actually is a is a spectacular sort of high-rise, vertical neighborhood, with some great parks and so on, but the development was put there over a period of many years without adequate transit and now it rests in front of us to fix that, and that was something he and I were talking about just the other day as part of our midterm review. In this case in scarborough, you have a lot of people who move around scarborough within scarborough 625 000 residents.

A

As has been pointed out, tens of thousands of students and patients and other people- professionals, doctors, nurses and, and, and so those communities are both disconnected from each other because of a lack of transit over the course of the years.

A

The second thing that this will do in both cases is connect people to opportunity, because, let's not forget quite deliberately, we have directed that a lot of the development that happens along the lakefront um is development that will provide other places to study or places to work, in addition to places to live and places to enjoy recreation and more to come, there's some very exciting ideas that are coming forward with respect to the waterfront and recreation there, and so this transit again will provide us with the opportunity, both on the waterfront and in scarborough, to connect people to opportunity and people to recreation and people to to places to study, and I think when you look at centennia when you look at scarborough college.

A

U of t I remember when I was going to university and I realized that's sort of ancient history, but the scarborough? U of t campus was just being established, then it was a tiny, tiny place relatively speaking. It was like an outpost of the.

A

U of t, and today it is a thriving campus with incredibly rich resources, both in terms of the student body and the faculty and, of course, located right next door to the pan am games a magnificent sports facility, the likes of which we don't have in any other part of the city, and I think, if you look at these two projects as well, so they carry with them the um the the benefit of economic development that will come with them.

A

There is no question: it's going to cause people to invest the opportunity of connecting people up to economic opportunity, and I think there will be substantial environmental benefits in both cases as well. So I think these are two projects where I know there will be people in other parts of the city who will say well, you know why are my dollars going to invest in waterfront transit? I don't live anywhere near there. I don't go there or, conversely, the same about scarborough. I can remember a debate.

A

I had in the 2014 mayoralty election, where somebody actually raised the notion of saying well, why should toronto taxpayers pay to build transit in that part of town and that's because it's all for one and one for all, and I think a lot of that kind of talk has died down as we've realized.

A

We are one city: we've got to make sure every part of that city develops into healthy communities to use an expression that was used earlier above keysight healthy communities on the waterfront, healthy communities in scarborough, and these two projects will go a long way to making sure that happens. So I think this is a step forward, we're not proving it today, but we're moving it forward, and I think we've got to keep doing that and take advantage of the consensus that exists today to get this going both of these projects going.

A

Thank you very much for your attention. Anybody else wishing to speak. Okay, let me just find.

A

So it is uh item 19.5 our last of the day and I'm just turning the page here and you have a recommendation in front of you. That applies to both of the eglinton east and waterfront transit networks to approve updated design.

A

This is asking council to do so and to continue with the work on an updated business case prior to the 22 budget and then the same basically with the waterfront transit to come back with the further uh recommended schedules and funding requirements prior to the 22 budget and the city council send this report along to the gtc. So that's what's in front of us and if you're ready I'll call the question all those information recorded vote, please record a vote. Okay,.

E

All those in favor mayor, torrey, councillor, blau, councillor, ainsley, council, nunziata, councillor, pasternak, councillor, thompson, deputy mayor midwang, are you voting in favor and councillor crawford, constant crawford's, not present that carries unanimously.

A

Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you. Yes, thank you all very much and uh I think that completes our business for the day. If I'm not mistaken, unless there's any other business anybody wants to raise, uh we dealt with already, I think, sending the matter to the uh the budget committee, the police matter, okay. uh Well, if there's no other business, I will say thank you all very much and that this meeting stands adjourned. Thank you.

D

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