Other Items Considered by the Committee

(a)Presentation on the New Council-Committee Structure.

The Community Services Committee reports having received the following overhead presentation:

Overhead Presentation by Mr. Peter Fay, City Clerk's Division, respecting the new Council-Committee Structure; and outlining the following:

-Changes-at-a-Glance;

-The Council-Committee Structure;

-Committee Responsibilities;

-Other Committee, Task Forces, and Sub-Committees - Relationship to Committees;

-Agencies, Boards and Commissions-Relationship to Committees; and

-Summary.

(b)Proposed Governance Structure for Advanced Environmental Decision-Making.

The Community Services Committee reports having:

(1)concurred in the recommendations contained in the following communication, subject to amending Recommendation No. (1) by adding thereto the following words:

"subject to the appropriate staff submitting a report to the Policy and Finance Committee on the financial and resource implications, and on any other structural matters that might be identified"; and

(2)referred to the Environmental Task Force the suggestion by Councillor Walker that further consideration be given to enhancing the role of the Healthy City Office:

(June1,1999) from Councillor Jack Layton, Chair, Environmental Task Force, submitting, for comment, draft recommendations on the proposed governance structure for advanced environmental decision-making for the City of Toronto; and recommending that:

(1)the recommendations from the Environmental Task Force to the July meeting of the Policy and Finance Committee be endorsed;

(2)the report, entitled "The Proposed Governance Model for Advanced Environmental Decision Making for the City of Toronto", by the Environmental Task Force be received for information and comment; and

(3)any comments on the proposed governance structure, as outlined in the report, be forwarded to the Environmental Task Force before June 28, 1999, for consideration in the report and recommendations going to the Policy and Finance Committee in July, 1999.

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The following persons appeared before the Community Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter:

-Councillor Jack Layton, Chair, Environmental Task Force; and

-Ms. Suzanne Barrett.

(c)Capital Loan Guarantee for Earl Haig Community Day Care Centre.

The Community Services Committee reports having recommended to the Policy and Finance Committee the adoption of the following report:

(June 1, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services advising that Earl Haig Community Day Care Centre is proposing to develop a new child care facility, named the Beach and Child Family Centre at 1667-1671 Queen Street East; and recommending that:

(1)subject to sufficient performance safeguards, the City of Toronto guarantee a capital loan of up to $1,000,000.00 to be arranged by Earl Haig Community Day Care Centre;

(2) the nature and terms of the guarantee, including any requirement for potential certification under the established debt and obligation limit, be subject to the concurrence of the Treasurer, City Solicitor and the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services; and

(3)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

(d)Capital Funding Support for Pelmo Park Child Care Centre.

The Community Services Committee reports having recommended to the Policy and Finance Committee the adoption of the following report:

(June 1, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services recommending that:

(1) approval for up to $150,000.00 be allocated to Pelmo Park Child Care Centre from the Child Care Capital Reserve to support the renovation costs associated with their relocation to Westminster United Church; and

(2) the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

(e)Children and Youth Action Committee - Report Card Update.

The Community Services Committee reports having received the following communication:

(June2,1999) from the City Clerk advising that the Children and Youth Action Committee on May28, 1999, during consideration of the Minutes of the meeting of the Policy Sub-Committee on the Children's Report Card held on May 10, 1999, recommended that the Community Services Committee be advised that:

(1)the Children's Report Card will be released in mid-September;

(2)in addition to the Report Card, a City-wide summary or pamphlet will be produced. This piece will be user-friendly and contain key messages and a call for action. Each ward would have its own customized version of the pamphlet which would contain maps portraying demographic, socio-economic and service data for the ward; and

(3)City Councillors who wish to hold local meetings will hold them at the end of September.

(f)Future Provision of Laundry Services.

The Community Services Committee reports having recommended to the Policy and Finance Committee the adoption of the following report:

(i)(May 19, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services respecting the outcome of the cost-benefit analysis undertaken with regard to options for the future provision of laundry services to the Homes for the Aged; outlining optimal approaches for laundering both linens and residents' personal clothing; providing advice on the anticipated time frame for reporting back with respect to cost and service implications related to reintroducing a system of in-house personal laundry; and recommending that:

(1)staff be directed to enter into negotiations for the sale of the Central Laundry facility to Lakeshore Laundry & Linen Concept Ltd., and to report back to City Council on the outcome of the negotiations;

(2)the negotiations and sale be undertaken and completed by a staff team, with representation from Homes for the Aged, Legal, and Corporate Services;

(3)the proceeds from the sale be deposited to the Central Laundry Reserve Fund and held in this account until staff report back to City Council regarding the costs associated with reintroducing in-house personal laundry facilities in the nine Homes for the Aged that do not presently have these facilities;

(4)staff report back to City Council, through the Community Services Committee, by the end of 1999, outlining the financial and service impacts of laundering residents' personal clothing in each of the 10 Homes;

(5)subject to the approval of City Council to establish in-house personal laundry facilities, the Central Laundry Reserve Fund be used as a source of funds for the start-up costs associated with the in-house laundries; and

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

(ii)(June 15, 1999) from Ms. Anne Dubas, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 79, suggesting that all laundry services should be performed by City employees; and noting that CUPE Local 79 members look forward to providing quality and timely laundry services to the residents of the Homes for the Aged Division.

(g)Response to Provincial Request for Proposal for Additional Long-Term Care Beds for a New City Home for the Aged.

The Community Services Committee reports having:

(1)recommended to the Policy and Finance Committee that:

(i)City Council be requested to direct the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services to respond to the Province of Ontario's Request for Proposal for additional long-term care beds for a new City Home for the Aged prior to the July 30, 1999, deadline; and

(ii)City Council be requested to endorse maintaining the same level of operating service for both the existing and expanding Homes for the Aged portfolio; and

(2)requested that the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services report to the Policy and Finance Committee for its meeting on June24,1999, on the budgetary implications of building a new Home for the Aged:

(June2,1999) from the City Clerk advising that the Advisory Committee on Homes for the Aged on May 28, 1999, had before it a report (May 20, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, addressed to the Budget Committee, wherein it recommended that:

(1)the 1999 operating budget of the Homes for the Aged be increased by $697,000.00 to enable the Division to access additional provincial funding, which is available to enhance nursing services;

(2)this report be referred to the Community Services Committee for discussion of the policy issues and options outlined herein; and

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

and that the Advisory Committee:

(i)directed that its support of the recommendations contained in the aforementioned report be conveyed to the Community Services Committee; and

(ii)received the communication dated May 26, 1999, from Ms. Anne Dubas, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 79, in regard thereto.

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Ms. Anne Dubas, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 79, appeared before the Community Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter, and submitted a communication (June 11, 1999) in regard thereto.

(h)Creation of "Safe Park" for the Homeless in Toronto.

The Community Services Committee reports having:

(1)referred the proposal for the creation of a "Safe Park" from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services for review and report thereon to the Advisory Committee for New Emergency Shelter Sites;

(2)directed that, if no other alternative emergency shelter sites are found over the next few weeks, the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be requested to provide the Advisory Committee for New Emergency Shelter Sites with an outline of how a temporary housing structure on an identified site can be established as soon as possible;

(3)directed that, in order to deal with situations when occupancy of hostels is above 90 percent, the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be requested to develop a protocol with respect to the issue of homelessness and use of parks and open space, including implementation, if necessary, and report thereon to the Advisory Committee; and

(4)directed that the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be requested to report directly to the next meeting of City Council on July 6, 1999, on providing necessary accommodation for the homeless:

(i)(May30,1999) from Mr. John Clarke, Provincial Organizer, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, advising that the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is working to create a "safe park" for the homeless; and requesting the opportunity to appear before the Committee in regard thereto; and

(ii)the Committee also had before it the following communications in support of the "safe park" suggested by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty:

-(June 11, 1999) from Ms. Susan McMurray;

-(June 9, 1999) from Mr. Jonathan Culp;

-(May 21, 1999) from Ms. Shirley Farlinger;

-(June 13, 1999) from Mr. Graeme Bacque;

-(June 15, 1999) from Ms. Diane Marshall, Clinical Director, The Institute of Family Living;

-(June 15, 1999) from Ms. Patricia A. Eastwood;

-(Undated) from Reverend Brian Burch;

-(Undated) from Ms. L. Spring;

-(June 16, 1999) from Mr. Don (Dan) Heap;

-(June 16, 1999) from Ms. Barbara Craig, R.N., Street Health;

-(June 16, 1999) from Ms. Beth Wolgemuth, HIV Prevention and Harm Reduction Outreach Coordinator, Street Health;

-(June 16, 1999) from Mr. John P. Valleau;

-(June 16, 1999) from Ms. Ruth Perkins;

-(June 8, 1999) a Petition signed by approximately four individuals; and

-(June 16, 1999) from Mr. Greg LeBelle, Community Outreach Worker.

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The following persons appeared before the Community Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter:

-Mr. John Clarke, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty;

-Mr. Beric German, Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, and submitted a brief in regard thereto; and

-Ms. Beth Wolgemuth, Street Health.

(i)Impact of Recent Provincial Announcements on the 1999 Budget for the Shelter, Housing and Support Division.

The Community Services Committee reports having received the following communication:

(May10,1999) from the City Clerk advising that the Budget Committee on April 16, 1999, referred to the Community Services Committee for information a joint report (April 9, 1999) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services respecting recently announced Provincial initiatives to address homelessness and their impact on the 1999 budget for the Shelter, Housing and Support Division of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department.

(j)Overview of Settlement Services, Programs and Priorities.

The Community Services Committee reports having received the following report:

(June 2,1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services responding to the request of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee on February23,1999, to report on immigrant and refugee settlement service programs and priorities; and recommending that the report be received for information.