Role of the Community Councils
The Toronto Community Council recommends that:
(1) appropriate officials, in consultation with a team consisting of interested councillors, be requested to prepare a community information package on the Recreation and Parks user fee issue, enumerating the programs facing fees or fee hikes, listed by facility;
(2) appropriate officials be requested to provide all users, instructors, boards, residents= associations, community centres and libraries with the community information package referred to in Recommendation No. (1);
(3) appropriate officials be requested to prepare motions respecting delegation of powers concerning policy areas which could or should be delegated for final decisions to Community Councils.
The Toronto Community Council reports, for the information of Council, having taken the following action:
(1) agreed that a group consisting of interested members of Toronto Community Council and citizens will meet and report back to the meeting of the Toronto Community Council to be held on February 18 and 19, 1998 on how the following goals outlined below could best be fulfilled and implemented:
(a) citizens are encouraged to play a strong role in decision-making, and Community Councils act and are responsible to the residents of the community;
(b) the Community Councils adopt and implement policies which strengthen communities by giving them better information and more control over decisions that affect them;
(c) Community Councils have the mandate to decide on the issues and policies important to communities, and to spend the funds needed to make those decisions meaningful; and
(d) Community Councils have the staff needed to carry out these tasks.
(2) requested the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team to recommend to City Council that Recommendation #19 be amended to allow panels or sub-committees, to assist in the timing, administration and processing of agenda items before Community Councils;
(3) requested the Acting Executive Commissioner of Urban Development Services to report to the Community Council, at its meeting to be held on February 18 and 19, 1998, on a mechanism that would provide Councillors with timely notification of Committee of Adjustment appeals;
(4) referred the following motion from Councillor Pantalone to the Acting Executive Commissioner of Urban Development Services and requested her to report thereon to the meeting of the Toronto Community Council to be held on February 18 and 19, 1998:
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That the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team be requested to recommend an amendment to the procedural by-law so that Committee of Adjustment decisions are not brought forward to the Community Council unless requested by the Ward Councillor or department head.@
(5) referred the following motions from Councillor Johnston to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team:
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(1) That all traffic, parking and sidewalk matters on all City streets be considered by the Community Council;
(2) That all policy setting matters be considered by the appropriate Standing Committee, but with the input of the Community Councils@.
The Community Council also reports having adopted the following motion placed by
Councillor Layton on behalf of Councillor Rae:
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WHEREAS the Interim Procedural By-law adopted by Council on January 2, 6, 8 and 9 requires that anyone wishing to make oral submissions to a Committee shall give written notice thereof including a written outline of the submissions to be made to the Committee secretary at least 8 days in advance of the Committee meeting;
AND WHEREAS the said Interim Procedural By-law enables the Committee to decide, by majority vote, to waive compliance with the aforesaid requirement;
AND WHEREAS the Toronto Community Council considers the aforesaid requirement to be a disincentive to open and accessible community participation in local government issues;
AND WHEREAS it is the mandate of Community Councils to afford all citizens an opportunity to participate in local decision-making;
NOW THEREFORE IT IS MOVED that the Toronto Community Council waive the requirements of s. 131(2) and 131(3) of the Interim Procedural By-law adopted by Council on January 2, 6, 8
and 9, 1998, and hear oral submissions by any person in respect of matters on the agenda for any meeting of the Toronto Community Council, without the necessity of the deputant making written submissions in advance of the meeting.
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Mr. John Sewell, on behalf of Citizens for Local Democracy, appeared before the Toronto Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter.
The Toronto Community Council reports having before it the following communications, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk:
- (January 20, 1998) from Mr. John Sewell
- (January 15, 1998) from the City Clerk forwarding City Council=s action at its meeting held on January 2, 6, 8 and 9, 1998 respecting Report of the Toronto Transition Team; and
- (January 21, 1998) from Councillor Kyle Rae.
(Copies of the foregoing communications are on file in the office of the City Clerk).
