SmartTrack flunks further, Ombudsman versus City Manager, and let's do the mid-term shuffle
The week at Toronto City Hall for December 16 to 20, featuring a look at the agenda for the final Council meeting of 2024
Hey there! If you can hear me once, clap once. A special “hello” to those I saw at last night’s press gallery party. In the afterglow, here’s a special bonus edition of City Hall Watcher, covering the many many items on next week’s agenda. This issue runs a bit long. Read it on the web if it gets cut off.— Matt Elliott
What happened this week
📲🚘 CANCELLED RIDE: Most of the rest of this issue is devoted to items on Council’s agenda, but one notable item didn’t make it there. Citing general unhappiness on both sides of the issue, Mayor Olivia Chow’s Executive Committee voted to refer the matter of a cap on the number of rideshare licenses back to staff for more analysis.
Notably, her motion calls for consideration of a “dynamic licensing limit that responds to a number of variables including congestion targets, rider wait times, driver unengaged time, the proportion of active drivers out of the total licensed, and emissions reductions, and a principle of one driver-one license.”
There’s no due date attached to her motion, so it could be a while before this issue lands back on the Council calendar.
🚔 BOARD BACKS BUDGET: As expected, the police board approved the chief’s $46.2 million budget increase for 2025. Chow has said she supports the increase, which suggests we’ll see the funds included in her budget submission to Council in a few weeks.
🚴 CYCLING TO COURT: Cycle Toronto is taking the province to court over Premier Doug Ford’s Bike Lane Ban bill. They filed a legal challenge in Superior Court seeking an injunction to prevent the removal of lanes on Bloor, Yonge and University, arguing it will “put lives at risk.” The Star’s Mahdis Habibinia has more.
Monday, December 16
🎳 The Striking Committee meets at City Hall at 11:30 a.m.OH, WE’RE HALFWAY THERE: Time flies. We’re officially more than halfway through the 2022-2026 term of Council, which means it’s time to do the mid-term committee appointment shuffle.
Councillors have submitted their top three choices for standing committee appointments — except for Councillor Josh Matlow, who is only listed as selecting two choices. (It’s either an act of modest rebellion or an administrative oversight.) Councillors also stated interest in various other open appointments.
Here’s how things look:
I don’t expect much change to result from this process. Committees were reshuffled after Mayor Olivia Chow took office in the summer of 2023, so a lot of the roles are still relatively new. Notably, every Standing Committee Chair selected their committee as their top choice, suggesting all are likely to stick around in their current roles.
One body to watch is the TTC Board. Chair Councillor Jamaal Myers has indicated he’d like to stay in the role—and I expect he will—but the board’s composition has meant he’s been on the losing end of some votes recently. The four non-councillor “citizen” appointees have sometimes sided with Councillor Stephen Holyday to create a 5-5 log jam.
Replacing Holyday with someone like Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik or Councillor Alejandra Bravo—who have both expressed interest—could result in more favourable outcomes for Chow.
The reject table of committees with no stated interest includes the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund Board of Directors, the Long-Term Care Committee of Management (though Bravo has since expressed interest), the Heritage Toronto Board of Directors, the Toronto Preservation Board, the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (but there’s so much action!), the Housing Services Corporation, the National Zero Waste Council Management Board and the TRCA Project Green Committee.
The committee and Council will need to appoint people to these roles regardless.
Tuesday, December 17
🏟️ Council meets at City Hall at 9:30 a.m.
Ombudsman finds City acted unfairly in keeping refugees out of shelter system; City Manager disagrees
CC24.1 - Ombudsman Kwame Addo has dropped the results of the first investigation conducted by his dedicated Housing Unit — and it’s a doozy.
The 122-page document outlines the process that led City Hall to deny shelter space to refugees and asylum claimants in 2022 and 2023.
The first blockbuster revelation in the report is that the decision to deny spaces to refugees was made much earlier than previously reported. According to the investigation, Shelter & Support Services staff made the call to “stop allowing refugee claimants access to non-refugee-claimant beds due to a lack of space in the City’s non-refugee-claimant shelter system” on November 7, 2022.
This wasn’t disclosed until about six months later, when Councillor Jennifer McKelvie—at the time serving as the City’s de facto mayor—gave a press conference on May 31, 2023, announcing the change in a bid to get the federal government to provide more cash for refugees in the shelter system.
The report says none of this was handled particularly well.
The City did not measure the impact of this eligibility change; it did not track the number of refugee claimants affected, or the reason refugee claimants were not given a bed, whether it was because they were not allowed to access an available base shelter bed, or because there were simply no available beds anywhere in the system. Many refugee claimants were living on the sidewalk or in make-shift shelters with only limited access to sanitation, food and water.
In particular, the change was not communicated in advance to the groups operating refugee shelters. Several Black-led churches stepped up to take people in, creating makeshift shelters in basements and other facilities. (They were later provided with some funding to cover some of their costs.)
There’s an interesting aside in the report comparing the treatment of refugees and asylum claimants in 2023 — who were predominantly Black and from countries like Uganda, Nigeria and Ethiopia — with the Ukrainian refugees that arrived earlier.
One anonymous shelter manager is quoted as saying, “We’ve had other white groups of refugees but they were never called refugees, they were called newcomers. So I thought we were treating the refugees, particularly refugees from Africa, Black refugees, totally differently, and that was a big bone of contention among our staff.”
The second blockbuster revelation is how long it took to change this. Following the election of Mayor Olivia Chow in June 2023, Council passed a motion to end the policy of turning away refugees from available shelter beds. However, it took another two months for this change to take effect.
What prompted it, in the end, was the Toronto Star’s Victoria Gibson. Her September 8, 2023 story headlined “Newcomers still being turned away from main shelter system, city confirms” is cited as the thing that caused staff to realize their policy had, in fact, been ordered to change. Local reporting matters, folks.
The third blockbuster revelation? City Manager Paul Johnson disagrees with much of the report. An appendix includes a letter from Johnson to Addo defending the City’s actions in light of the funding challenges caused by a lack of federal support for refugees in the shelter system at the time. Johnson also blasts Addo for what he calls “a lack of understanding in the report about Divisional roles and responsibilities.” He says he is “disheartened that the tone in the report is accusatory in many places.”
This is the first time in the history of the Ombudsman’s office that City staff have rejected the findings of an investigation. It’ll be up to Council to settle things. They can vote to accept the Obudsman’s recommendations, which include developing a framework for analyzing any future shelter eligibility changes, or they can reject them.
Budget crunches could kibosh King-Liberty & Finch-Kennedy SmartTrack Stations
CC24.3 - The sad, strange saga of SmatTrack continues.
It started as a campaign promise by John Tory in 2014 to build 22 stations on GO corridors, paid for entirely with a tax-increment financing scheme that would not impact the City’s existing tax base. Over the years, it’s morphed into something completely different. When Tory left office, the plan was already a shadow of its former self, calling for just five new stations on GO Transit corridors to be constructed for $1.7 billion, with the City footing 52% of the bill — with a direct impact on the City’s existing tax base — the federal government handling 34.6% and the province ponying up a mere 13.4%.
Now, though, the province and Metrolinx have concluded that it’s not possible to deliver five stations within that budget envelope.
In response, staff propose deferring the plan to build stations at King-Liberty and Finch-Kennedy. They will remain unbuilt until more money comes—if it ever does.
That would leave SmartTrack as a three-station plan, with stops at East Harbour, Bloor-Lansdowne and St. Clair-Old Weston—a shadow of a shadow of its former self. If Council approves the change, it will be yet another blow for a transit plan that has taken a lot of blows over the years.
Hot off the presses
IA24.2 - An administrative inquiry from Councillor Jon Burnside has answered some burning questions about the cost of having firefighters on Toronto Island.
The response from City Manager Paul Johnson says the fire station on the island operates with one four-person crew and one full-size truck. Of 184,076 emergency incidents in Toronto that were responded to by Toronto Fire in 2023, 269 (0.14%) were handled by the island crew.
Based on the annual cost to maintain the island station of about $3.2 million, each emergency response on the island costs $11,895. That’s about four times higher than the $2,926 per-response cost City-wide.
In the off-peak season, from October to April, when the island fire crew generally responds to only about ten calls per month, the per-response cost shoots up to $25,925.
AND ALSO, INFRASTRUCTURE:
EX19.6 - City staff are recommending Council endorse the “substantive removal” of the old Scarborough RT corridor, arguing that any attempt for “adaptive reuse” (think NYC’s High Line) would be complicated by competing property ownership issues. However, as CBC’s Sarah MacMillan reports, some people still hope for something better (and more creative) than outright demolition.
EX19.2 - A report on the next phase of waterfront development, including the installation of interim bus lanes on Queens Quay East, will be up for approval. Community feedback has been pretty darn positive.
CC24.5 - The City’s legal department has finished its review of Bill 212 — Premier Doug Ford’s bike lane ban. The substantive stuff is held in a confidential attachment. If Council wants to debate it, they’ll need to do so in an in-camera session.
GG18.39 - After an audit suggested overbilling, Council will vote on whether to extend a ban on construction company Duron Ontario from bidding on City contracts.
IE18.5 - Council will vote on whether to retrofit City vehicles with sideguards that have shown to reduce cyclist fatalities by about 62%. They’ll also debate an update to the Vision Zero plan, with some new Community Safety Zone designations.
AND ALSO, HOUSING:
EX19.1 - A report lays out the next steps on the City’s path toward becoming a public developer. A new Housing Development Office will be set up by Q2 2025.
EC17.4 - The Shelter Safety Action Plan is on the agenda. In addition to new policies for safer shelters, the item also extends contracts with the Red Cross for refugee lodging and One Community Solutions for shelter security.
CC24.16 - The City cracked opened the application window for the new Rental Housing Incentive program on November 18, and closed it on November 29. Staff will be reporting on the number of applications received and any approvals as the City works toward a goal of building 7,000 new rentals
PH17.7 - Staff have put together a new Home Ownership Assistance Program. The big change is increasing income eligibility. The proposed new program will be open to households that make up to $160,000 a year.
AND ALSO, THE ECONOMY:
PH17.1 - Council will vote on whether to replace the previous Imagination, Manufacturing, innovation & Technology (IMIT) incentive program with a new Economic Development & Growth in Employment (EDGE) incentive program. Like IMIT, EDGE will try to lure big companies to Toronto by offering property tax incentive grants. But this is more than just an acronym swap. The new program also removes eligibility for office building projects and generally will “significantly reduce the overall value of grants under the program.” Some councillors seem worried about the decline in grants. At committee, Councillor Parthi Kandavel tried to increase the annual incentive budget to $50 million, but committee members opted to stick with Councillor Gord Perks’ suggestion of $20 million.
PH17.2 - Despite a City survey showing widespread support for legalizing corner stores in neighbourhoods, several neighbourhood associations have written to City Hall arguing that there are, in fact, reasons for concern. Several letters say they’d like more consultation. Some, like the Beaconsfield Village Residents Association, are concerned about the potential for bars, cannabis stores, and vape shops to open within neighbourhoods. In response, the Planning & Housing Committee sent the matter to Council without a recommendation. It seems like a referral for more consultation is a likely outcome.
AND ALSO, APPOINTMENTS:
HL19.3 - There’s been a holdup in the process of appointing a new Medical Officer of Health to replace the departing Dr. Eileen de Villa. Aidan Chamandy has more on the delay at Toronto Today. To bridge the gap, Council will vote on whether to appoint an Acting Top Doc effective January 1.
NC15.2 - Here’s a familiar face. Brian Topp, a longtime NDP power player who most recently served as Chief of Staff to former Alberta premier Rachel Notley, is up for consideration as a new appointee to the Toronto Hydro Board.
AND ALSO, ALSO:
EX19.3 - While the notion of a cap on rideshare drivers was taken off the agenda by Mayor Olivia Chow’s referral motion, a report on driver wages remains. At the Executive Committee meeting, Chow moved to create a communications campaign focused on “raising the floor for gig workers.” Some councillors might question whether that’s a wise use of City Hall resources.
CC24.2 - In response to an increase in the number of protests in the City, staff recommend a couple of new measures. First, they want to set up a grant program to give out $2.5 million to community organizations that would like to install barriers to prevent vehicles from getting too close or smashing into their buildings. Second, they’re recommending a report in Q2 2025 on the potential for a bylaw modelled after bylaws in Calgary and Vaughan that restrict where people can protest. I’d expect the latter to face some pushback from some members.
GG18.4 - After it was deferred in October, Council will debate whether to award a contract worth up to $289 million to GFL for garbage collection in District 2 — the area between Humber River and Yonge Street. There’s been some concern about the escalating costs of these contracts, with some analysis showing it might be cheaper for the City to handle garbage collection in-house. The deal would lock the City into the GFL deal until August 2, 2031, with two additional option years subject to Council approval.
AU7.2 - Council will have license to ask questions about the AG’s report on software purchases, which revealed about $11 million in subscriptions and licenses that were paid for but not used.
GG18.28 - A confidential proposal to lease space at 50 Richmond East to Unity Health and operate Toronto Public Health clinic services in the building got a rough ride at committee, with Councillor Jon Burnside and Councillor Stephen Holyday voting against it. (The item ultimately carried 4-2.) There may be a renewed attempt to oppose it at Council.
PH17.5 - In a move that could have a chilling effect, Council will vote on whether to request a report on establishing a maximum allowable temperature of 26 degrees in rental units.
➡️ I’ll have live coverage of the meeting starting on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. on BlueSky, Mastodon and the other place.
Previously, in City Hall Watcher
For paid subscribers of City Hall Watcher, this week’s issue has:
Guest contributor Damien Moule returns to look at what really causes traffic to build up on Toronto’s streets. Hint: it’s not bike lanes. A shocker, I know.
A look at line-by-line changes in the Police Budget, with big spending increases on animals and ammunition.
Next week:
Ahead of the final Council meeting of the year, it’s time for an update to the Council Scorecard — find out what your councillor’s voting record looks like and how often they’re siding with Mayor Olivia Chow.
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Wednesday, December 18
🏟️ Council meets at City Hall at 9:30 a.m.Council will debate member motions — items brought directly to Council by members — at 2 p.m. These generally require a two-thirds vote to avoid getting referred to committee unless Councillor Frances Nunziata, the Speaker, deems them urgent.
Some notable items up for consideration:
MM24.15 — Inspired by the regulatory challenges faced by Anastasiia Alieksieiehuk, a Ukrainian immigrant who has been getting tickets for parking her coffee trailer on streets because her trailer is not technically “motorized” and thus not considered a valid food truck, Councillor Dianne Saxe wants to direct staff to report back on a pilot project that would allow trailers. “No municipal interest is served by requiring on-road mobile food vendors to operate trucks, rather than unmotorized trailers,” writes Saxe. Hard to argue otherwise.
MM24.15 - “Doug Ford’s latest overreach into municipal jurisdiction is another reminder that Canada’s constitution was written when our country was largely an agrarian society. Large cities like Toronto are now responsible for delivering, and funding a large share of, transit, roads, social housing, recreation, and other services residents rely on every day. Yet the province can overturn any of our considered and debated decisions on a whim,” writes a fired-up Councillor Josh Matlow. He wants Council to establish a Program Advisory Body that would look at ways to achieve more municipal autonomy. It would include “local advocates and governance experts.”
MM24.20 - Councillor Paul Ainslie would like Council to request a report on waterfront development outside of the central section.
MM24.17 - Councillor Dianne Saxe has a motion to give $1 million in Section 37 funds to the Yorkville library branch — the oldest library in the system — to improve accessibility.
MM24.10 - Councillor Jamaal Myers wants staff to look at waiving garbage and recycling collection fees for all food banks.
MM24.2 - Councillor Parthi Kandavel, working with the Toronto Youth Cabinet, would like the City to create a Youth Employment Strategy.
MM24.4 - Councillor Amber Morley believes Mimico needs a plaque honouring the extinct passenger pigeon. The last such pigeon, Martha, died in Cincinnati in 1914. RIP to a real one.
🏆 The Bid Award Panel meets via videoconference at 2 p.m.CONTRACT AWARD OF THE WEEK: Up to $1.9 million for paramedic uniforms.
Thursday, December 19
🏟️ Council could meet at City Hall at 9:30 a.m.With rideshare off the agenda, the odds of Council needing a third day to finish off their business are much lower than they would be otherwise.
Friday, December 20
No meetings scheduled.
The Week After Next
It’s the holidays. Take some time off.
The Far-Flung Future
After the holiday break, the budget launch blasts off on Monday, January 13.
Feedback? Tip? Email Matt Elliott. For advertising inquiries, email Sean Hansel.
What is the status of the citizen members on the TTC board? How are they appointed and for how long? Can they be removed?
Would the King-Liberty Ontario Line continue to be built if the SmartTrack station does not?