(Report dated June 2, 1998, addressed to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, from theCity Clerk.)

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

Recommendations:

The North York Community Council on May 27, 1998, recommended to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team that:

(1)the Ontario Legislature be petitioned on an urgent basis to amend Bill 103 by deleting the current subsection 8(4) and substituting a provision substantially as follows:

8(4)The City Council may, by by-law, assign to a Community Council, with respect to the part of the urban area that it represents, any function that City Council may carry out in respect of that part of the urban area; and

8(4.1)Without limiting the generality of subsection (4), the City Council may assign to a Community Council the authority to make recommendations for by-laws which recommendations, subject to subsection (7), oblige the City Council to act under subsection (6); and

this resolution be circulated to the other Community Councils in the City of Toronto;

(2)the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer be requested to develop a model whereby the Community Councils would have budgets which could be used for discretionary spending to reflect local priorities, such budgets to be calculated on a per capita population basis;

(3)the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism be requested to report on how heritage issues such as the designation and preservation of heritage properties can be dealt with by Community Councils;

(4)there be staff from the Clerk's Department on site to service the Community Council exclusively;

(5)responsibility for the payment of Councillors' office expenses be transferred from the Clerk's Department to the Finance Department;

(6)a model be implemented whereby the City Council will deal with major issues such as of waste disposal, sewage treatment, water treatment, police, fire, etc., and that Community Councils be left to deal with community issues; and

(7)Community Councils determine their own procedural by-laws.

Background:

The North York Community Council held a special meeting on May 27, 1998 to consider and receive community input with respect to the draft discussion paper from The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team advising of their recommendations regarding the roles and responsibilities of Community Councils.

The North York Community Council had before it the following:

(i)(April 15, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that the North York Community Council on April 1, 1998, deferred consideration of a notice of motion from Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, Don Parkway, and a report (January 30, 1998) the Solicitor, North York Civic Centre;

(ii)(May 7, 1998) responses from Reverend Billy Richards, Pastor, Christian Centre and Ms. Annette Ross, Secretary, Anthony Community Association to the questionnaire;

(iii)(undated) from Mr. Dale Anderson, President, York Condominium Corporation No. 32.

Copies of the above-mentioned documents, which were circulated with the agenda for the North York Community Council meeting held on May 27, 1998, are on file in the Office of the City Clerk, North York Civic Centre.

The following persons appeared before the North York Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter:

Mr. Alasdair Robertson, Bayview/Cummer Neighbourhood Association;

Ms. Midge Day, York Mills Ratepayers Association;

Mr. Wallace Winter;

Mr. Ken Dunsmore, Don Mills Residents Inc.;

Mr. Geoffrey Geduld;

Mr. Noble Norval Harris, People=s Church;

Mr. Lorne Berg and Ms. Ella Jackson, Black Creek Business Area, who filed a copy of their submission dated May 27, 1998;

Mr. George Teichman, who filed a copy of his submission dated May 27, 1998, as well as a copy of the Position Paper on Community Council Powers dated September 24, 1997;

Mr. Eric Parker, Lawrence Park - Bayview Property Homeowners Association;

Mr. Tim Higgins, South Armour Heights Ratepayers Association; and

Ms. Rosemarie Brenwald.