Other Items Considered by the Committee

(City Council on October 28, 29 and 30, 1998, received this Clause, for information, subject to deferring consideration of Items (a), (i) and (l), entitled "Sale of 'Property Houses' (Multiple Wards - Former City of Toronto)", "Court Application by COTAPSAI to Quash the Decision of Council Respecting the Agreement with COTAPSAI" and "Union Station Negotiations", respectively, embodied in this Clause, to the next regular meeting of City Council to be held on November25, 1998.)

(a)Sale of "Property Houses"

(Multiple Wards - Former City of Toronto).

The Corporate Services Committee reports having deferred consideration of the following reports and communications until its meeting scheduled to be held on November 9, 1998:

(i)(June 11, 1998) from the Commissioner of Corporate Services, seeking City Council authority to declare the "property houses" in the former City of Toronto on attached Appendix I (save and except for those five properties currently leased to community based housing providers and also identified on attached Appendix I) as surplus to the City's requirements and authorize the sale of these properties on the open market; advising that the issue of allocation of funds will be addressed in a separate joint report from the Commissioner of Corporate Services and the Commissioner of Community Services recommending policies on the use of property assets to meet social objectives; that the total of the current value assessment for the 55 property houses recommended to be declared surplus in this report is $10,955,845.00; that pending sale of the properties, a loss in rental revenue will be incurred in the amount of approximately $10,000 per month as at July 1, 1998; and recommending that:

(1)subject to the Board of Cityhome passing a resolution to do so, the existing leases between Cityhome and the Corporation of the City of Toronto, for the property houses be terminated in the manner described in this report;

(2)City Council, by By-Law, declare that, upon the leases having been terminated, the 55 houses owned by the City of Toronto, as set out on the attached Appendix I are surplus;

(3)notice to the public of the proposed disposition of the lands declared surplus be given;

(4)prior to offering the properties for sale on the open market, the first right to purchase be given to the previous owners and/or current tenants, on the terms set out in the body of this report;

(5)the Commissioner, Corporate Services, be authorized to market those properties which the previous owners and/or tenants do not wish to purchase through a real estate broker for a listing price to be determined in consultation with the listing broker;

(6)the funds from the sale of the houses subject to the 25 year lease be deposited into an account to be used to satisfy the mortgage at maturity;

(7)the City Surveyor, in consultation with the Director, Development and Support, Parks and Recreation, be directed to prepare a survey of the north portion of 144 Balsam Avenue and that this portion of the property be retained by the City, in fee simple or by way of an easement, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Division for parks purposes;

(8)City Council endorse the tenant relocation plan as outlined in this report;

(9)the five properties currently being leased to community based housing providers, as identified within this report on Appendix I, be retained by the City to allow the current use of these properties to continue and the Commissioners of Corporate Services and Community and Neighbourhood Services determine the appropriate leasing arrangement for these five properties and report back thereon to the Corporate Services Committee;

(10)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services advise social housing providers and the non-profit housing sector of the City's intention to dispose of the 55 properties set out in Appendix I and to report back if any of these groups are interested in acquiring any of these properties at market rates;

(11)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, review any particular needy or hardship situations and report, in consultation with the Commissioner of Corporate Services, on these situations;

(12)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services and the Commissioner of Corporate Services submit a joint report recommending policies governing the use of property assets to meet social objectives; and

(13)the appropriate Civic Officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect to the foregoing.

(ii)(May 11, 1998) from the Commissioner of Corporate Services, seeking City Council authority to declare the "property houses" in the former City of Toronto on attached Appendix I (save and except for those four properties currently leased to community based housing providers and also identified on attached Appendix I) as surplus to the City's requirements, and authorize the sale of these properties on the open market; advising that the total of the current value assessment for the 56 property houses recommended to be declared surplus in this report is $11,134,845.00; and submitting recommendations in regard thereto.

(iii)(May 25, 1998) from the Corporate Secretary, Board of Directors of the City of Toronto, Non-Profit Housing Corporation (Cityhome) and the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Company Limited (MTHCL), advising that the Board of Directors of the City of Toronto Non-Profit Housing Corporation (Cityhome) and the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Company Limited (MTHCL) on May 25, 1998, during its consideration of a report (May 11, 1998) addressed to the Corporate Services Committee from the Commissioner of Corporate Services, headed "Sale of Property Houses", recommended to the Corporate Services Committee that it:

(1)defer consideration of the report (May 11, 1998) from the Commissioner of Corporate Services; and

(2)request the General Manager, Cityhome and the General Manager, MTHCL, to submit a joint report to the Corporate Services Committee, on alternative methods to retain these property houses for Social Housing purposes; and

that the Board of Directors also requested the General Managers to submit the aforementioned report to the Boards' Asset Management Committee for comment, prior to its submission to the Corporate Services Committee, if the Corporate Services Committee approves the foregoing Recommendations Nos. (1) and (2).

(vi)(June 18, 1998) from Ms. Peggy Birnberg, Executive Director, Houselink Community Homes, advising that as a housing provider in the City of Toronto, they are greatly disappointed to learn that the Corporate Services Committee will be considering a proposal to sell selected City-owned residential properties; and stating that it is not in the interest of the citizens of Toronto to have a municipal government that treats a precious few units of housing as a revenue generating commodity and that it is in everyones interest that the municipal government demonstrates a willingness to fight against the trend of simple, short-term, money saving solutions, and to work with groups and organizations struggling to make this city more humane.

(v)(September 18, 1998) from the Corporate Secretary, Board of Directors of the City of Toronto Non-Profit Housing Corporation (Cityhome) and the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Company Limited (MTHCL), advising that The Boards of Directors on September 14, 1998, recommended that the Corporate Services Committee recommend to Council the adoption of Recommendations Nos. (1) and (3) contained in the report (September 9, 1998) from the Acting Chief Operating Officer; and that The Boards of Directors also decided to advise the Corporate Services Committee that the Boards would appreciate the City's support of the request to have the ownership of these property houses transferred to the amalgamated Toronto Housing Company, and to allow staff to further explore the options for such housing stock in order to maximize its potential for social housing purposes, given:

(a)the extent of the current waiting lists for affordable family housing; and

(b)that City Council has previously advised the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Chairs of the Boards of the Ontario Housing Corporation (OHC) and the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority (MTHA) of its opposition to the sale of the scattered houses owned by OHC in the City of Toronto.

(vi)(September 9, 1998) from Councillor Sandra Bussin, East Toronto - Ward 26, requesting that the Committee consider the following:

"that existing tenants receive the right to purchase his/her own specific unit within any of the subject properties that are of the following type: a duplex, triplex or fourplex",

So that a tenant who wishes to purchase will have the option to purchase a single unit only.

(vii) (August 21, 1998) from Ms. Kimberly L. Beckman, Davies, Howe Partners, advising that she has been retained by Ms. Sharron Sayliss, a resident of 1 Hubbard Boulevard for a number of years; that her client and a number of her neighbours are interested in purchasing the building located at 1 Hubbard Boulevard; and forwarding a proposal respecting the use of the buildings located in the area.

(viii)(September 25, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, recommending that the Corporate Services Committee give serious consideration to the proposal of the Housing Company Board that would transfer ownership of the Property Houses to the Company for affordable housing purposes, prior to considering other options that would result in their sale to the tenants or others at market value.

(ix)(October 7, 1998) from Councillor Jack Layton, Don River, recommending that:

(1)all vacant units in the City's "Property Houses" portfolio be immediately rented to households in the emergency shelter system and/or families and individuals on the City's Housing Connections waiting list;

(2)the City retain the ownership of all houses in the portfolio and that the City Housing Company manage this stock in a manner that maximizes the number of affordable units available for low-income families;

or alternatively

(3)the City delay any decisions to sell units in the Property Houses portfolio for 12 months to facilitate the review of recommendations of the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force with regard to the use of municipal assets for the reduction of homelessness.

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(Clause No. 17(I) of Report No. 15 of the Corporate Services Committee)

(b)Court Application by COTAPSAI to Quash

the Decision of Council Respecting

the Agreement with COTAPSAI.

The Corporate Services Committee reports having received the following report:

(September 28, 1998) from the City Solicitor, advising that by Application dated September15, 1998, to the Ontario Court (General Division) COTAPSAI (the "applicant") initiated legal proceedings against the City of Toronto; that the applicant seeks Orders:

(a)quashing City of Toronto By-Law No. 277-1998 dated June 3, 1998, to the extent that it adopted the recommendations in Clause No. 3 contained in Report No.7 of The Corporate Services Committee, headed "City of Toronto Administrative, Professional, Supervisory Association, Incorporated (COTAPSAI)";

(b)quashing City of Toronto By-Law No. 554-1998, dated July 31, 1998; and

(c)directing specific performance of the Consolidated Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Toronto and COTAPSAI, adopted by the City of Toronto in Confirmation By-law No. 1997-0088 dated February 3, 1997;

that the grounds for the application are that By-law No. 277-1998, to the extent that it adopted the recommendations in Clause No. 3 of Report No. 7 of the Corporate Services Committee, and By-law No. 554-98, purport to annul the binding agreement between COTAPSAI and the City of Toronto as set out in the Consolidated Memorandum of Understanding and, therefore, should be quashed for illegality; that Christopher Riggs, Q.C., of the law firm of Hicks, Morley, Hamilton, Stewart, Storie, has been retained to act on behalf of the City of Toronto; that the Application will be heard on October 20, 1998; and recommending that this report be received and forwarded to Council for information.

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(Clause No. 17(l) of Report No. 15 of The Corporate Services Committee)

(c)UNION STATION NEGOTIATIONS.

The Corporate Services Committee reports having endorsed the recommendation embodied in the confidential report (October 8, 1998) from the Commissioner of Planning and Urban Development Services respecting Union Station Negotiations.

Respectfully submitted,

COUNCILLOR DICK O'BRIEN,

Chair

Toronto, October 9, 1998

Patsy Morris

Tel. (416) 392-9151