City Council meeting of January 27 to 29 and special meeting of January 30 and February 12, 2004

Integrity and City lobbyist registry
Council directed staff to draft bylaws that - subject to anticipated provincial government support - will establish a City lobbyist registry and the position of integrity commissioner for the City. Council requires legislative authority (through amendments to the City of Toronto Act) in order to enact the two proposed bylaws. Council considers the two measures important for restoring public confidence in Toronto's municipal government.

Computer leasing/external contracts inquiry
Council chose to wait until completion of the first phase of the Toronto Computer Leasing Inquiry before deciding whether to proceed with the scheduled third phase of the inquiry - called the Toronto External Contracts Inquiry. Originally scheduled to begin February 16, that inquiry is intended to deal with consulting contacts. Phase two (the "good government" segment of the inquiry) began January 19. It is dealing with issues such as lobbying, conflicts of interest, procurement practices for goods and services, and codes of conduct.

Campaign for a new deal
Council endorsed the Toronto Board of Trade's public relations campaign called Enough of Not Enough. The campaign is a call to action by Toronto area residents and business people to urge their elected members in the federal and provincial governments to take action in support of the city's public transit, affordable housing and waterfront rejuvenation. Council asked Mayor David Miller to encourage the Big City Mayors' Caucus and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to endorse the campaign. Council also agreed that the City's quest for a new deal with the federal government is to include support for day care services.

Funding of homes for the aged
Council decided to ask the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to commit to a multi-year funding approach for long-term care facilities, giving the long-term care system the same stability of funding that the government provides to hospitals. Council reiterated its concern about the inadequacy of funding for long-term care facilities such as the 10 homes for the aged operated by the City of Toronto.

Dealing with aggressive coyotes
Council supported taking steps to amend bylaws regulating firearms in the pre-amalgamation municipalities in order to permit the City's contracted agents to use firearms to deal with an animal that poses a danger to people in Toronto. A coyote problem in a park last year made it apparent that in some circumstances it may be necessary to shoot a wild animal as a last resort. Current bylaws (except in former North York) prohibit the discharge of firearms by a contracted agent of the City. The North York bylaw was amended last summer because of the incident mentioned above. Council also asked for a report on other possible methods of managing coyote problems.

Sale of waste diversion containers
Council authorized negotiation of a contract with Home Hardware Stores Ltd. for the retail distribution of the City's waste diversion containers - such as blue boxes and yard waste bins. The unit price will be set to cover the City's cost of supplying a container, plus a modest distribution charge and taxes collected by the store. The City will also continue to distribute and sell the containers at its annual "Environment Days" community events, as well as at works yards and transfer stations.

Collective agreement with firefighters
After extensive debate during a two-day special meeting January 30 and February 12, Council voted in favour of ratifying a collective agreement negotiated with the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association, Local 3888. The five-year agreement, retroactive to January 1, 2002, extends to December 31, 2006. Consistent with the Toronto Police contract, the firefighter agreement includes a salary grid based on years of service. In addition, benefits for active members of Local 3888 have been brought in line with the benefit plans of other City employees. Members of Local 3888 ratified the proposed collective agreement in January.

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.