The Board approved the awarding of the contract for architectural, engineering and project management services for the Animal Health Centre schematic design and detailed design to Diamond & Schmitt Architects Inc./Design Level in the amount of $1,042,650.00, including fees and disbursements and all applicable taxes plus a 10% design contingency allowance.

This report recommends the award of a contract for architectural, engineering and project management services for the Animal Health Centre project.

The Board approved the awarding of the contract for Capital Campaign Management and Consulting Services for the Capital Campaign project to Ketchum Canada Inc., including:

1.         the first phase amounting to $180,000 for 2010; and

2.         subsequent phases amounting to a total of $951,500, subject to approval of the 2011-2013 annual operating  budgets,

and further subject to approval of parts 1. and 2. by the Fundraising and Sponsorship Committee.

This report recommends the award of the contract for Capital Campaign Management and Consulting Services.

The Board authorized the Chief Executive Officer to award the contract for the High Voltage Equipment & Cable Replacement Project of the Building & Services Refurbishment allocation within the 2010-2014 Capital Works Program, noting that the budget available for this work is $550,000.

This report recommends approval for the Chief Executive Officer to award a tender for the High Voltage Equipment & Cable Replacement Project.

The Board:

1.         Authorized the Chief Executive Officer to award the contract for the Parking Lot 2 Paving project, part of the Capital Budget allocation within the 2010-2014 Capital Works Program, noting that the budget available for this work is $500,000.

2.         Prior to the award of the tender, directed the Chief Executive Officer to ensure the design of the parking lot:

a.         meets and exceeds the Toronto Green Parking Lot Standard; and

b.         includes Toronto and Region Conservation Authority parking lot design criteria that minimizes stormwater run-off.           

This report recommends approval for the Chief Executive Officer to award a tender for the Parking Lot 2 Paving project.

The Board authorized the Chief Executive Officer to award the contract for the Penguin Exhibit project within the 2010-2014 Capital Works Program, noting that the budget available for this work is $875,000.

This report recommends approval for the Chief Executive Officer to award a tender for the Penguin Exhibit project.

The Board:

1.         Authorized a delegation of two members of the Giant Panda Acquisition Task Force (Dr. Ming-Tat Cheung and Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti) and two Zoo staff members (John Tracogna, Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. William Rapley, Executive Director, Conservation, Education and Research) to travel to China in the fall of 2010 to meet with Chinese officials and begin negotiations for a Giant Panda Co-operation and Research Project, and that this delegation be co-lead by the two members of the Task Force.

2.         Approved this travel at an estimated cost of $7,000 per person, for Dr. Cheung, Mr. Tracogna and Dr. Rapley, to be funded from the 2010 Operating Budget, and that such funds be repaid from funds raised by the Fundraising and Sponsorship Committee.

3.         Concurred in Councillor Mammoliti's decision to pay his own expenses to travel to China.

The Chief Executive Officer advised the Board that:

-           The Audit Committee, as its meeting on Monday, July 5, 2010, directed the Toronto Zoo to forward its 2009 Financial Statements to City Council for consideration at the August 25, 2010 meeting.

-           At the present time, Ernst & Young continues to withhold issuance of the Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report to Management pending independent third party review (Towers Watson) of the pay equity obligation of the Zoo.  This liability relates to outstanding payouts (i.e., former staff who have not made a claim) from the initial pay equity study and a subsequent evaluation for non-permanent positions for the period of 2006 to 2009.

-           The Towers Watson review of the historical data is expected to be completed by the end of August. A preliminary costing has commenced for the subsequent period, with anticipated completion in October.

This report provides the Audit Results, as prepared by Ernst & Young, to assist the Board in its review of the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2009.

This report lists the status of outstanding Board resolutions.

A status report is presented to the Board every six months regarding the Toronto Zoo’s Occupational Health and Safety Programs. 

A status report is presented to the Board every six months regarding the Toronto Zoo’s Visitor Safety occurrences and programs.

For many years, the Zoo, as part of its annual advertising and event plans, has implemented various tactics to build awareness and visitation to the Zoo by families in various ethnic communities new to the Greater Toronto Area. This report reviews what has been done and the level of success achieved in meeting this objective.

Each year the Zoo advertises in several bi-weekly cultural newspapers to reach new families in these communities and encourage visits to the Zoo during the summer months.  In 2010, the plan has full-colour, quarter-page ads, in the language of the paper, featuring the Sharks at Stingray Bay exhibit and a $5 off admission coupon in ten (10) publications.

This report will update the Board of Management on visitor statistics for the period ending

July 7, 2010.

This report will update the Board on filling the positions of Staff Veterinarian and the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer.

This report will provide an update to the Board on Committee activities.