May 15, 1998

 To:The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team

 From:City Clerk

 Subject:Draft Discussion Paper on the Roles and Responsibilities of Community Councils

  The Etobicoke Community Council reports having:

 (1)referred the following submissions, received at a public meeting held on May 7, 1998 to hear deputations on the role of the Community Council, to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team;

 (2)received the following communication (March 12, 1998) from the City Clerk forwarding Clause 2 of Report No. 3 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, headed ADraft Discussion Paper on the Roles and Responsibilities of Community Councils@:

 (March 12, 1998) from the City Clerk, forwarding for consideration and community consultation, Clause No. 2 contained in Report No. 3 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, headed ADraft Discussion Paper on the Roles and Responsibilities of Community Councils@, which was adopted, without amendment, by City Council at its meeting held on March 4, 5 and 6, 1998.

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 The following persons appeared before the Etobicoke Community Council in connection with the foregoing:

 -Mr. Gary Collver, on behalf of Etobicoke Citizens for Effective Government, regarding division of councillors= responsibilities between policy making and administrative roles; engaging residents in meaningful participation; development of a code to address the roles and responsibilities of councillors; neighbourhoods report cards; delegation of powers to Community Councils with active citizen participation (submission attached);

 -Ms. Nadine Grant, LAMP, endorsing the concept of Community Report Cards, and in particular, reporting on the community report card process that has been initiated in the Lakeshore-Queensway Wards; advising that the Healthy City Coalition is working on benchmarks (submission attached);

 -Mr. Bob Berry, Islington Residents and Ratepayers Association, who stressed that the issues are accessibility and accountability; that the Etobicoke Community Council rates very highly, both individually and collectively; that the Council as a whole should not be tied up with what are deemed to be local issues; and identified issues that must be considered by the entire Council such as a tax freeze, policing, pollution, transportation, user fees, etc., and the need to have a level playing field (further submission attached);.

 -Mrs. Sylvia Giovanella, Etobicoke Federation of Ratepayers= & Residents= Associations, who recommended that the area of each community council should be centred in the six previous local governments and each to have eight to ten councillors; the community council should have Areal teeth@ and specific responsibilities for Zoning by-laws, consents, building permits, plans of subdivision, local by-laws, and power to appoint a Committee of Adjustment; while each Community Council should have administrative staff, they should not have a separate budget; the Chair should be appointed for an 18-month period and elected by the Community Councillors; decisions of the Community Council to require a 75% vote of the City Council to be overruled; there should not be neighbourhood committees. Mrs. Giovanella also recommended outside scrutiny by an AAuditor General@ (submission attached);

 -Mr. W. Culbertson, stressing the need for local advisory groups, such as local seniors= associations which are presently actively involved with the local administration and need that support to continue;

 -Mrs. Marjorie Hewett, speaking from the perspective of the local arts community, and stressing the need for local Community Councils who understand the needs of the local groups;

 -Mr. W. Alexander, Chair of the Etobicoke Barrier Free Accessibility Committee, who also stressed the need for Community Councils in to order to support the work of community volunteers who establish such committees;

 -Mr. D. Bannon who, while recognizing the work of local groups and staff, remarking that there must be some budget and staffing efficiencies.

 City Clerk

 Molly Sutherland/005.23(s)

 Attachments