City Council meeting of October 28, 2002
Toronto Official Plan
After extensive discussion and amendments, Council approved the first Official Plan for the new City of Toronto. The Official Plan represents a vision for directing and shaping the physical growth and development of the City of Toronto over the next 25 to 30 years. It provides protection for 75 per cent of the City's existing neighbourhoods. Growth is directed to the 25 per cent of the city where transit and community infrastructure are already in place and where growth will benefit Toronto economically, socially, aesthetically and environmentally. The new Official Plan will be forwarded to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final approval before it takes effect.
Municipal election campaign reform
Council voted to establish a Toronto Election Finance Review Task Force to consider election finance issues such as campaign contributions, reporting and rebates. The task force, to consist of councillors and representatives of stakeholder groups, is expected to be established in the next few weeks. Deliberations are to include consultation with the general public. The task force's findings will be presented to Council next fall.
Use of corporate resources for elections
Council approved a set of updated policies on the use of corporate resources for election-related purposes, especially during an election year. Broadly, corporate resources and funding may not be used for any election-related purposes. Among specific restrictions, members of Council must discontinue the printing and distribution of their constituency newsletters in an election year between August 1 and election day.
Race issues and policing
Council endorsed the principle of "zero tolerance" of racial profiling for police purposes in Toronto. In addition, Council decided to take the related steps of asking the Province of Ontario to amend legislation that governs the review of civilian complaints about the police, and of requesting that the Toronto Police Services Board report on the extent to which the police force has implemented recommendations of past reports on race relations and policing.
Equity and human rights awards
Choices for this year's City of Toronto access, equity and human rights awards received Council's approval. The awards will be presented at City Hall on November 25. The recipients of the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations are Michael "Pinball" Clemons, Jehad Aliweiwi and Lillian McGregor. David Lepofsky and the late Sgt. Brian Keown are the recipients of the Access Award on Disability Issues. The Constance E. Hamilton Award on the Status of Women is being awarded to Mubarka Alam, Ekua Asabea Blair and Amarna Moscote.
Support for immigrant settlement
Council adopted guidelines for City communications concerning immigration and settlement in Toronto. The communications policy framework is one of the City's initiatives to assist newcomers in achieving their goals as participants in the social, economic, cultural and political life of the city.
Information technology project ("eCity")
Council authorized work on "eCity," a process to establish a foundation for using technology to improve local government by providing public access to information and services electronically. The next step involves creating a detailed work plan and establishing staff teams to undertake specific projects.
Yonge-Dundas Square project
Council approved a rental rate structure for the new civic square at Yonge and Dundas streets. The square's board of management also received authority to consider the sale of naming rights to the square and to accept advertising contracts to help pay for its operation and maintenance. Yonge-Dundas Square is scheduled to open officially next spring.
Poet Laureate legacy projects
Council expressed its support in principle for efforts to establish three legacy projects advocated by Dennis Lee, Toronto's Poet Laureate. Lee, now at the halfway point of a three-year term as Poet Laureate, wants to create a Poets' Park suitable for poetry readings, a naming project to honour notable Toronto artists and thinkers (by placing their names on civic sites and streets), and an annual poetry contest to promote the writing and appreciation of poetry.
Eliminating duplicate street names
The City will begin a consultative process to help establish guidelines for resolving the issue of duplicate street names Toronto inherited from the pre-amalgamation municipalities. Duplicate names pose a problem for emergency dispatch. Almost one hundred street names are duplicated and four - Byng, Franklin and Gibson Avenues and George Street - are found in triplicate.
Vehicle testing services
Council agreed that the City should look into the feasibility of using City staff and resources for mechanical inspections of taxis and commercial vehicles such as tow trucks and driving-school cars. There may be opportunities to bring some portion of the service in-house. The inspections have been contracted to the private sector for many years.
Previous Council Highlights
For inquiries about the official documentation of Council decisions, contact the City Clerk by e-mail, clerk@toronto.ca
Council Highlights, produced for your convenience, is a summary of Council's recent decisions. Council Highlights is not intended to serve as an official record of the meeting. If you have questions about this summary, please e-mail Strategic Communications at stratcom@toronto.ca.
