Other Items Considered by the Committee

(a)Urban Aboriginal Economic Development.

The Economic Development Committee reports having deferred consideration of the following report and referred the recommendations contained therein to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism with a request that he review the recommendations and report thereon to the Committee:

(July 21, 1998) from the City Clerk, advising that the Task Force on Community Access and Equity on July 16, 1998, recommended to the Economic Development Committee, the adoption of the implementation strategy outlined in Appendix "A" of the joint report dated June 1, 1998 from the Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Director of Human Resources, wherein it is recommended in part, that the Economic Development Committee and the Department of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism respond to the Task Force on Community Access and Equity and the Aboriginal Planning Group, regarding the following recommendations that the City of Toronto:

(a)determine the feasibility and establishment of a Toronto Urban Aboriginal Business Development Corporation;

(b)provide support for Aboriginal business networking by establishing links between Aboriginal suppliers and other levels of governments;

(c)examine and identify opportunities for Aboriginal businesses arising from privatization and/or the sale of assets;

(d)support the establishment of an Aboriginal business information centre and facilitate the funding for this centre in partnership with banks, the Province, the Government of Canada, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities;

(e)with other funding partners, support the creation and maintenance of a directory of Aboriginal businesses in the Greater Toronto Area;

(f)with other funding partners, support the creation of an Aboriginal institute of education dedicated to business management;

(g)in partnership with banking institutions explore appropriate mechanisms to make information about business funding resources available at community agencies, e.g. business plans, loans;

(h)in partnership with banking institutions, present educational business seminars with Aboriginal community agencies;

(I)initiate a process of consultation with banking institutions and other levels of government to develop a sustaining infrastructure of loans, services and trained Aboriginal staff to provide meaningful growth opportunities to Aboriginal people. This should include exploring with financial institutions and other levels of government non-traditional ways to build the basic equity required of small businesses for procuring loans. For example, the banks would review requirements of assets, securities, and collateral for issuing lines of credit for new entrepreneurs or small businesses. Further, the City of Toronto should communicate with banking institutions the need to provide training to their risk management staff in dealing with assessment of loan applications from Reserves;

(j)communicate its concerns to the Federal Minister of Industry Canada regarding the budget reduction of Aboriginal Business Canada from $80 million to $35 million, and request that this decision be reviewed and its budget revised;

(k)express to Aboriginal Business Canada and other levels of government the need for a loan fund for urban Aboriginal businesses located in the Greater Toronto Area; and

(l)in partnership with the federal and provincial governments, explore the need to establish an Aboriginal human resource centre that would provide Aboriginal employment telephone-hotlines and advertise employment opportunities in the local Aboriginal community.

(b)Overview of Key Issues and Opportunities in Economic Development,

Culture and Tourism.

The Economic Development Committee reports having referred the following report from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, together with related material, to the Chair with a request that he convene a special meeting of the Economic Development Committee to discuss this report and that senior staff of the Department of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism be requested to attend:

(I)(September 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism; submitting a Discussion Paper, dated September 4, 1998, entitled "Towards a Strategic Agenda, Key Issues and Opportunities in Economic Development, Culture and Tourism" which provides background information in order to assist the Committee in determining how it wishes to approach strategic planning and issues resolution, and how the Department and the Committee can best work together in this regard; and recommending that this report be received for information; and

(ii)(September 17, 1998) from the Managing Director, Toronto Historical Board, recommending that this report be received for information.

(c)Proposed Contract Award - Arena and Major Facility

Advertising Program - Parks and Recreation Division.

The Economic Development Committee reports having deferred consideration of the following report to its next meeting on October 19, 1998, and referred the communication from the President, MediaCo to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism with a request that he review this communication and report back to the Committee at that time:

(I)(September 1, 1998) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, recommending that:

(1)a five year contract for the exclusive indoor advertising rights for arenas and major facilities within the Parks and Recreation Division be awarded to DM Media;

(2)this contract reflect the terms and conditions contained within the Request for Proposals in this report;

(3)the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, the City Solicitor, and the Director of Purchasing, be directed to negotiate, prepare and execute the appropriate contract(s);

(4)the portion of annual revenues in excess of the $1,000,000.00 revenue budget requirement, be placed in a balance sheet account for basic improvement use by the participating facilities; and

(5)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto; and

(ii)(September 17, 1998) from Mr. Andrew Hethrington, Vice President, MediaCo. Inc., expressing concern with the Request for Proposals (RFP) which was issued in respect of this contract; and requesting that this matter be referred back to staff for further consideration.

(d)Millennium Task Force - Report to Council.

The Economic Development Committee reports having recommended the adoption of the following report and forwarded its recommendation in this respect to the Budget Committee for consideration at its meeting on September 23, 1998 and subsequent submission to City Council for its meeting on October 1, 1998 via the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee.

(September 9, 1998) from the City Clerk recommending to the Economic Development Committee, Budget Committee, and Council, the adoption of the report, dated September 9, 1998, from Councillor C. Korwin-Kuczynski, Chair, Millennium Task Force, wherein it is recommended that:

(1)the City of Toronto, along with the rest of the world, celebrate the arrival of the millennium beginning with a New Year's Eve celebration marking the turn of the century, and continuing throughout the year 2000; the New Year's Levee on January 1, 2001 marking the arrival of the millennium;

(2)the City work co-operatively with Toronto 2000, an incorporated board of volunteers mandated to co-ordinate the involvement of community organizations, by sector, across the City;

(3)the City work closely with all groups/organizations planning special millennium celebrations;

(4)the City work with other levels of government to ensure that Toronto residents, organizations and agencies are informed of opportunities and programs available through the Provincial and Millennium offices;

(5)the City deliver its messages to all parts of the community by ensuring that each and every Ward Councillor is informed and involved in celebrating the millennium at the community level;

(6)the City approve, in principle, the establishment of a Millennium Grants Program so that community initiatives and potential legacy projects may be a significant part of Toronto's Millennium;

(7)the City establish a Millennium Project Revolving Account in the amount of $1,000,000.00, payable in advance pending formal budget approval, and that the proposed final millennium budget be submitted to Budget Committee for review;

(8)access and equity principles be considered a vital core of the millennium celebrations;

(9)Council give direction to all City departments and staff to provide full co-operation and in-kind support for the production of this celebration and the secondment of staff with associated budget dollars;

(10)the City immediately book appropriate venues such as Roundhouse Park, Bobby Rosenfeld Park, Metro Convention Centre, Casa Loma, for the Millennium celebrations; and

(11)City departments refer all Millennium related activities to the Millennium Task Force to avoid duplication.

(e)Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Multilateral

Agreement on Investment.

The Economic Development Committee reports having received the following report:

(July 14, 1998) from Councillor Layton, Don River, advising, for information, that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has been advised by the federal chief negotiator of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, that the office of the Federal Minister for International Trade was considering a proposal to hold consultations in communities across the country with respect to the Multilateral Agreement on Investment; and stating that FCM staff will prepare a briefing note to municipalities once the consultative process has been defined by the Minister's office.

(f)Proposed Use of Funds Generated from Cash-in-lieu of Parkland Dedication

The Economic Development Committee reports having recommended the adoption of the following report and forwarded its action in this respect to the Budget Committee for consideration and subsequent submission to City Council via the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee.

(September 8, 1998) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, recommending that:

(1)the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer be authorized to establish a city-wide reserve fund for cash-in-lieu of parkland collected by the City, as noted within this report;

(2)Cash-in-lieu of parkland payments received prior to December 31, 1998 in respect of developments that have received planning approvals prior to December 31, 1997 be allocated for local expenditures as outlined in the report;

(3)the Budget Committee be advised with respect to the Committee's recommendations resulting from this report; and

(4)the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

(g)Tree Maintenance Backlog.

The Economic Development Committee reports having referred the following report to the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, with a request that he report thereon to the Economic Development Committee for consideration with his Department's 1999 Operating Budget:

(September 9, 1998) from Councillor Pantalone, Toronto-Trinity Niagara, expressing concern with the increasing backlog in maintenance service calls for trees on City of Toronto property (e.g., front yards); and recommending that the Forestry Section prepare a report, in time for the 1999 budget cycle, such report to enumerate the city-wide service levels and what must be done in order to return any backlogs to an acceptable level.

(h)Municipal Conflict of Interest

The Economic Development Committee reports having received the following report:

(September 16, 1998) from the City Solicitor, reporting as requested by Council at its meeting held on July 8, 9 and 10, 1998, on the Mayor's ability to participate as the Chief Executive Officer for the City of Toronto, on the Board of Directors of the Bid Committee [Toronto 2008 Olympic Bid Corporation] given the composition of the Bid Committee; advising that the Mayor, by virtue of being a director of the bid corporation, does not have a financial interest in that corporation, and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act would not restrict him from participating in the corporation as a member of its Board of Directors; and recommending that this report be received for information.

Respectfully submitted,

Councillor Brian Ashton,

Chair

Toronto, September 18, 1998

Christine Archibald

Tel. (416) 392-7039