September 16, 1999

 To:East York Community Council

Etobicoke Community Council

North York Community Council

Scarborough Community Council

Toronto Community Council

York Community Council

From:City Clerk

Subject:Decision-Making Protocol for Parks and Recreation Matters - All Wards

 Recommendations:

The Economic Development and Parks Committee on September 13, 1999, referred the report (August 23, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism to all Community Councils for consideration with a request that any comments be forwarded to the Economic Development and Parks Committee for consideration at its November 8, 1999 meeting, subject to the following amendments:

(1)amending Recommendation No. (2) to read:

"(2)upon consideration of this report and any comments from the Community Councils, the Economic Development and Parks Committee endorse a protocol for dealing with parks and recreation matters and authorize its use by the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism (or designate) in determining the appropriate Committee routing process for parks and recreation matters;";

(2)amending Recommendation No. (3) to read:

"(3)authority be granted, at the appropriate time, to introduce any necessary Bills in Council."; and

(3)deleting the word "citizen" in the following report and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "nomination to City-wide special committees and task forces of residents and/or municipal property taxpayers in the City of Toronto who are at least 18 years of age, except on bodies dealing with children and youth issues."

Background:

The Economic Development and Parks Committee on September 13, 1999, had before it a report (August 23, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism, recommending that:

(1)this report be forwarded to the Community Councils for consideration, with a request that any comments be forwarded to the Economic Development and Parks Committee for consideration at its November 8, 1999 meeting;

(2)upon consideration of this report and any comments from the Community Councils, the Economic Development and Parks Committee endorse the protocol outlined in this report for dealing with parks and recreation matters and authorize its use by the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism (or designate) in determining the appropriate Committee routing process for parks and recreation matters; and

(3)authority be granted to introduce any necessary Bills in Council.

Councillor Joanne Flint, North York Centre South, appeared before the Economic Development and Parks Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.

  for City Clerk

B. Henderson/ms

Item No.13

c.Councillor Joanne Flint, North York Centre South

Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

(Report dated August 23, 1999 from the

Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism

addressed to the Economic Development and Parks Committee)

Purpose:

To report as requested on a protocol for processing parks and recreation matters through Committees of Council.

Financial Implications:

None.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)this report be forwarded to the Community Councils for consideration, with a request that any comments be forwarded to the Economic Development and Parks Committee for consideration at its November 8, 1999 meeting;

(2)upon consideration of this report and any comments from the Community Councils, the Economic Development and Parks Committee endorse the protocol outlined in this report for dealing with parks and recreation matters and authorize its use by the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism (or designate) in determining the appropriate Committee routing process for parks and recreation matters; and

(3)authority be granted to introduce any necessary Bills in Council.

Council Reference:

In amending and adopting Clause No. 1 of Report No. 12 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Transition Team on October 28, 29 and 30, 1998, Council requested the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism and the City Clerk to report on a protocol for processing parks and recreation matters through the City's decision-making structure, based on the following principles:

(1)guidelines should provide clarity in interpretation yet allow for flexibility in application;

(2)a matter shall be considered to be of local interest and shall be processed through the Community Council unless identified by Council as having a city-wide interest;

(3)decisions regarding how issues should be routed through Committees of Council should be made as early as possible; and

(4)Community Councils should continue to have input into matters of city-wide interest.

Discussion:

Since amalgamation, staff have used an informal protocol to process parks and recreation matters through the City's decision-making structure. In a report (June 13, 1998) to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, the Chief Administrative Officer noted that "the current division of responsibilities between the Community Councils and Standing Committees for matters related to parks and recreation services appears to work well". The protocol outlined below builds on this approach while incorporating Council's principles cited above.

Processing Principles:

The following principles balance local and city-wide interests while enhancing the effectiveness, accessibility, efficiency and accountability of Council's decision-making process:

(1)Committee responsibilities should be consistent with those defined in the Procedural By-law and other decisions of Council;

(2)Standing Committees should make recommendations to Council on parks and recreation matters having a city-wide impact, with input requested from the Community Councils where appropriate;

(3)Community Councils should make recommendations to Council on parks and recreation matters having only a local impact;

(4)only one Committee of Council should make recommendations to Council on any given parks and recreation matter;

(5)parks and recreation matters should be routed to multiple Standing Committees where overlapping mandates exist, with the Standing Committee responsible for policy implementation reporting to Council with a consolidated set of recommendations.

City-wide Matters and Standing Committee Responsibilities:

Standing Committees provide a legislative mechanism to develop and evaluate city-wide strategic directions, policies, programs, and service standards and manage resources of significance to communities across Toronto. This ensures a consistent approach to decision-making and enables local decisions to be made in the context of a broad policy framework. Standing Committees should be responsible for:

-city-wide policies (e.g., parkland dedication, cash-in-lieu, harmonization of operations, encroachments, naming, advertising, sponsorships, concessions);

-city-wide studies and plans (e.g., recreation facility needs assessments, parks adequacy review and land acquisition strategy, recreation services master planning, park system planning, integrated trail planning, Official Plan policies);

-city-wide programs (e.g., harmonization of parks and recreation programs, community gardening competitions);

-by-law enactment, review, and consolidation (e.g., uniform parks by-law, ravine control by-laws, tree by-laws);

-review of operating and capital budgets, including setting of city-wide priorities and assessing local priorities identified by the Community Councils;

-use of park reserve funds allocated for city-wide purposes (e.g., land acquisition, park upgrading, recreational facility development);

-service delivery structures and levels;

-standards development (e.g., buildings and facilities, pricing, program registration, maintenance, conservation);

-general administration (e.g., fees, charges, work programs);

-contracts, agreements, and property transactions (e.g., RFP's, tenders, awards);

-recreation grants policy and allocation;

-nomination of citizens to city-wide special committees and task forces;

-intergovernmental issues (e.g., provincial legislation, regulations, policy and programs; liaison with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Rouge Park Alliance);

-master plans for new park development on Toronto and Region Conservation Authority property;

-key structural elements and resources affecting more than one Community Council area (e.g., river valleys, ski facilities, golf courses, regional sports centres, waterfront trail, ferries, park service yards);

-planning applications resulting in parkland acquisition (i.e., joint circulation of reports to the affected Community Council and, if the applications are of city-wide interest, to the Planning and Transportation Committee);

-acceptance and recognition of major donations and sponsorships; and

-marketing and communications.

Reports on city-wide parks and recreation matters will typically be routed through the Economic Development and Parks Committee. However, matters of mutual interest may be considered by more than one Standing Committee. The Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism may also report, independently or with other City officials, either to the Planning and Transportation Committee (e.g., cash-in-lieu of parkland policy, city-wide open space and trail systems), the Administration Committee (e.g., acquisition, lease, or licensing of City property), the Community Services Committee (e.g., recreation programs for vulnerable social groups), the Works Committee (e.g., recreational use of works facilities), or the Policy and Finance Committee (e.g., capital and operating budgets). Liaison with the City's special purpose bodies will also be necessary (e.g., with Board of Health respecting pesticides, dogs in parks, municipal alcohol policy).

Extraordinary circumstances may require joint Standing Committee meetings to deal with a complex policy matter involving the core functions of two Committees. These meetings can be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

Local Matters and Community Council Responsibilities:

Community Councils provide a legislative mechanism to identify and respond to local issues, needs and objectives and make decisions on neighbourhood matters. Such decisions implement the City's policies, programs, and by-laws through the management of local resources and service delivery.  At the same time, Community Councils should continue to provide input to the development of city-wide policies and matters affecting more than one Community Council area (e.g., management of key structural elements and resources). Community Councils should be responsible for:

-administration of local resources and activities (e.g., local parks, arenas, community recreation centres, community allotment gardens, concessions, recreation programs, gardening/greenhouse and arborist services);

-specific park plans, development, operations, maintenance, and permitting;

-specific park and facility naming;

-identifying local needs and setting local priorities as input to the capital budget and recreation grants allocation processes;

-use of park reserve funds accrued locally prior to amalgamation;

-use of park reserve funds allocated for district purposes;

-citizen appointments to arena boards of management, community recreation centre advisory councils and committees, and park advisory bodies;

-liaison with non-profit community, recreation and sports groups;

-recognition of community volunteers;

-administration of ravine control by-laws, tree by-laws, and the Weed Control Act;

-specific tree removals and damage;

-specific park encroachments; and

-planning applications and secondary plan policies affecting parks, open spaces, and natural heritage.

Shared Committee Responsibilities:

Decision-making will occasionally be shared between Community Councils, between Standing Committees, and between Community Councils and Standing Committees.

Considerable co-ordination will be required during budget deliberations. Community Councils will need to determine local priorities for park reserve funds allocated on a Parks and Recreation District basis. As well, either the Economic Development and Parks Committee or one or more Community Councils may propose combining district and city-wide reserve funds for severely deficient areas or to expand an open system of city-wide significance or link it with a local park or open space system. In all cases, the Economic Development and Parks Committee should send a consolidated set of recommendations to the Policy and Finance Committee.

Policy and program linkages occasionally require that a parks and recreation matter be considered by more than one Standing Committee or in conjunction with agencies such as the Board of Health. The Committee having responsibility for policy implementation should be the conduit for recommendations to Council.

As noted above, Standing Committees will continue to request input from the Community Councils on major policy initiatives (e.g. service harmonization) for consideration and transmittal to Council.

Delegation of Administration:

The Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism (or designate) should be formally assigned the responsibility to determine which matters are of city-wide interest as generally described in this report. Such matters will be routed through the appropriate Standing Committee(s) with Community Council input as required.

Conclusions:

This report recommends a protocol for parks and recreation matters that formally allocates decision-making responsibility to Committees of Council. The protocol codifies a number of principles implicit in the routing of reports since amalgamation. Parks and recreation matters will continue to be assessed for their city-wide and local impacts. Standing Committees should be responsible for city-wide matters; Community Councils should be responsible for local matters and for providing input on city-wide matters as appropriate.

Staff will develop protocols for matters affecting other Divisions in the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department.

The City Clerk has been consulted in the preparation of this report.

Contact Names:

Mr. Wayne Reeves, 392-1901; Mr. Frank Kershaw, 392-8199; Ms. Claire Tucker-Reid, 392-8182.