STRATEGIC POLICIES AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST PURSUANT TO

THE MUNICIPAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ACT.

 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 24, 1998.

  1.SELECTION OF COMMISSIONER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

 The report from the Chief Administrative Officer will be provided prior to the meeting.

  DEPUTATION ITEMS.

 2.CONDITION OF MOUNT ROYAL PARK, MONTREAL, QUEBEC FOLLOWING ICE STORM

 Nancy Loewen, President & Director, Construction Volunteers Canada,

Bénévoles Canadiens du Batiment

(March 19, 1998)

  Requesting:

 (1)funds in the amount of $10,000, or an amount deemed more appropriate by the City;

(2)support of the efforts to rehabilitate the Park in a timely fashion; and

 (3)the City enter into a Atwinning@ relationship with the City of Montreal.

 Additional material and photographs will be available at the meeting.

 (a)Mr. James W. Knight, Executive Director, Federation of Canadian

Municipalities (FCM)

(March 20, 1998)

 Setting out the FCM=s position in this matter.

3.MOTION - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT=S NEGOTIATION OF THE

MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENT (MAI) WITH 29

MEMBER COUNTRIES OF OECD

 City Clerk

(March 12, 1998)

 Referring a motion by Councillor Augimeri from the March 4, 5 and 6, 1998, Council meeting, and recommending that:

 Athe City of Toronto urge the Government of Canada to consult widely and in depth with the people of Canada, especially and including, the soliciting of detailed responses from municipal councils, before taking any further action on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment.@

 (a)R. W. Pritchard, General Manager of Corporate Services and City Clerk,

City of Kitchener

(March 3, 1998)

 Advising of a motion passed by the City of Kitchener urging the Government of

Canada to :

 (1)suspend negotiations on the Multilateral Agreement on Investments until it has consulted more widely and in depth with the people of Canada, especially and including, the soliciting of detailed responses from municipal councils and their citizens; and

 (2) directing the appropriate City staff to discuss this issue with local M.P.=s and to prepare a report on the implications of this Agreement on municipal government.

   COMMUNICATIONS/REPORTS.

 4.COMMITMENT OF $1 MILLION TO A SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO AT SCARBOROUGH COLLEGE UNDER THE ONTARIO STUDENT OPPORTUNITY TRUST FUND (OSOTF)

 City Clerk

(March 12, 1998)

 Referring from the Council Meeting of March 4, 5 and 6, 1998, a motion from Councillor Duguid, together with his communication (March 4, 1998) from J. Robert S. Prichard recommending that:

 A(1)the City of Toronto Council confirm the decision taken by the former City of Scarborough Council, which invested $1 million in a Scholarship Fund for the University of Toronto at Scarborough;

 (2)the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing be advised of this resolution, and that the Province of Ontario be requested to immediately contribute its matching funds to the University of Toronto at Scarborough as per their obligations under the OSOTF program; and

  (3)in the interim, all Community Councils strictly apply their existing condominium conversion and demolition control policies/by-laws, where applicable, in order to minimize the loss of affordable rental housing units.@

 5.DEVELOPMENT CHARGES

 Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

(March 12, 1998)

 Seeking Council=s authorization to commence the requisite background studies and policy formulation leading up to the introduction of a comprehensive development charges by-law for the City of Toronto; and recommending that:

 (1)The Chief Financial Officer be authorized to utilize appropriate staff resources and funds of up to $300,000 from the North York Development Charges Reserve Fund - Capital Growth Studies to undertake the requisite background studies pursuant to the Development Charges Act, 1997;

 (2)The Chief Financial Officer be authorized to hire, where necessary, the appropriate consultants to assist with these studies; and

(3)The Chief Financial Officer proceed as per the attached Schedule A, with a view to ensuring the appropriate by-laws are in place within the 18 months window provided by the legislation.

6.PROCESS TO DEVELOP AN AGREEMENT ON MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST BETWEEN THE CITY OF TORONTO AND THE GREATER TORONTO AIRPORTS AUTHORITY RELATING TO LESTER B. PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

 Interim Lead, Economic Development

Report Not Yet Available

  7.BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREAS: INTERIM PROCEDURES FOR 1998 AND MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS FOR THE (FORMER) CITY OF TORONTO

 Interim Lead, Economic Development, Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

(March 19, 1998)

 Outlining Business Improvement Area Program and recommending interim administrative procedures and policies for 1998 and process for developing an integrated program across the amalgamated municipality for implementation in 1999, as follows:

 (1)City Council request the Minister of Municipal Affairs to amend the meaning of BIA membership set out in Section 220 of the Municipal Act to include all business tenants as well as the assessed owners "of rateable property in the area that is in a prescribed business property class".

 (2)to clarify that all business tenants may continue to participate at BIA General Meetings, that authority be granted for the introduction of the necessary Bills to Council to give effect to an amendment to the (former) City of Toronto Municipal Code which will delete subsections A, B, C and D of Section 20-10.

 (3)the City Solicitor be authorized to review Section 20 of the former City of Toronto=s Municipal Code and to introduce the necessary Bills to Council to bring it into compliance with the amendments made by Bill 106.

 (4)the Director of Economic Development be requested to review the administrative practices, services and support that has been provided to BIAs in each of the former municipalities in consultation with the BIAs and the Chief Financial Officer, Solicitor, Auditor, and other staff involved in administrating the program, and report further recommending an integrated BIA program for implementation in 1999.

 (5)the following interim administrative procedures be adopted for the BIA program during 1998:

 (a)that BIA levies be included on the final realty tax bill in 1998 due to the late delivery of the assessment roll,

 (b)that BIAs be permitted to draw advances of up to 75% of their net levy following approval of their budgets by Council,

 (c)that BIA advances on the first 50% of the net levy be interest free until July 31, 1998, and that interest be charged at the rate of prime plus one percent on the portion of advances in excess of 50% of the net levy and after July 31, 1998, and

 (d)that the balance of the net levy be provided to BIA Boards of Management only when collected.

 (6)City Council adopt the objective of continuing to serve BIAs with as little disruption as possible during 1998 while the program review is ongoing, and to that end generally continue to provide each BIA with the same services as were previously available in its former municipality.

 (7)Section 86.1 of the Procedural By-law be amended to authorize the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee to deal with BIA Boards of Management appointments and the Budget Committee to deal with BIA budgets instead of the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

 (8)The appropriate City officials be authorized to take the actions necessary to implement the foregoing.

8.TERMS OF REFERENCE - AUDIT COMMITTEE

 Audit Committee

(March 24, 1998)

 Recommending to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the Terms of Reference for the Audit Committee set out in the report (March 4, 1998) from the City Auditor.

9.AUDIT SERVICES

 Audit Committee

(March 25, 1998)

 Recommending to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, that:

 (1)the following recommendations of the Toronto Transition Team in connection with the delivery of audit services be approved:

 (a)that the City should have an internal Audit function to provide ongoing audit services to the Corporation; and

(b)that the annual attest audit should be done by an external auditor hired by an Audit Committee of Council;

 (2)the City Auditor and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer be given authority to proceed with a Request for Proposal in relation to the annual attest audit for the fiscal years 1998 to 2002 inclusive;

 (3)the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer establish a staff committee, including the City Auditor, to review the proposals and make recommendations to the Audit Committee concerning the selection of external auditors; and

 (4)the Chief Administrative Officer and the City Auditor work with the Chief of Police and the General Manager of the Toronto Transit Commission to examine what opportunities there may be to consolidate audit functions.

10.CANADIAN AUTO WORKERS (CAW) CAMPAIGNS TO KEEP TARIFF ON NEW IMPORTS

 Mr. Len J. Mikulich, City Clerk, The Corporation of the City of Brampton

(February 12, 1998)

 Requesting endorsement of a resolution passed by the City of Brampton at its meeting on February 9, 1998, requesting:

 (1)the federal government to reverse its recent decision on auto parts and cease any action, legislative or otherwise, that would lead to the elimination of auto tariffs on vehicle assembly;

 (2)the federal government to fully commit to protect the principles of the auto pact, and advising that the Council of the City of Brampton has gone on record with federal; and

 (3)provincial governments in supporting the immediate withdrawal of any intention to implement such tariff removal and ensure the protection of the Auto Pact.

11.RESOLUTION - ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPALITIES OF ONTARIO (AMO)

 Mr. Bill Calvert, Chief Administrative Officer, District Municipality of Muskoka

(February 3, 1998)

 Requesting endorsement of a resolution passed by the Council of The District Municipality of Muskoka at its meeting on February 2, 1998, advising the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) that AMO does not and shall not represent the views or opinions of their municipality in negotiations with the Province of Ontario.

   12.RESOLUTION - BUSINESS EDUCATION TAX RATES IN ONTARIO

 The Assessment and Tax Policy Task Force

(March 26, 1998)

 Recommending to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, that the following resolution passed by the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth on February 19, 1998, be endorsed:

 Athe Province of Ontario be strongly urged to set a single uniform education tax rate for businesses across the province and they be urged to phase in the decrease to businesses, in the 47 municipalities which have a higher than average tax rate, over a five-year period, and that they provide funding.@

13.PROVINCIAL PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM

 The Assessment and Tax Policy Task Force

(March 26, 1998)

 Recommending to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, that:

 (1)that the following resolution be adopted:

 Whereas there have been problems identified with the methodology utilized by the Province of Ontario in the creation of the new Current Value Assessment (CVA); and

 Whereas highest and best use is an unfair assessment tool; and

 Whereas there is insufficient time before the return of the Tax Roles (April 30) to explore meaningful measures for long term solutions to assist those hardest hit by the negative impacts of CVA in the business community; and

 Whereas it is generally believed that Graduated Commercial Rates would result in an unfair and unworkable tax system;

 Therefore be it resolved that the Province of Ontario be requested to defer implementation of the commercial, industrial, residential and multi-residential components of CVA for at least one year to allow time to explore measures for long term solutions; and

 (2)that the Province of Ontario be requested to:

 (a)end the business education tax rate, that forces Toronto businesses to pay more education tax than other businesses in Ontario; and

(b)re-evaluate in 1998, commercial and industrial properties, with the idea of having an average of the 1996 and 1998 figures as being the property assessments to be used.

14.IN CAMERA

 SEPARATION PROGRAM FOR BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES

 Executive Director of Human Resources and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

(March 25, 1998)

  15.IN CAMERA

 MANSON PROPERTY AT 5421 LAWRENCE AVENUE EAST

 Budget Committee

(March 11, 1998)

 
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