Process for Disbursing Grants to Property Owners for

Termite Control

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends the adoption of the recommendation in the following transmittal letter (June 11, 1998) from the Municipal Grants Review Committee:

Recommendation:

The Municipal Grants Review Committee on June 11, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the attached report (June 5, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services respecting the process for disbursing grants to property owners for termite control.

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(Report dated June 5, 1998, addressed to theMunicipal Grants Review Committee from theCommissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services)

Purpose:

This report sets out a process for disbursing grants to property owners under the Termite Control Program.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications:

Funds in the amount of $24,000.00 are available in the approved 1998 Consolidated Grants Program Budget for termite control grants, which is the same level that was provided in 1997.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be authorized to process grants for termite control, to a maximum of $500.00 per property owner, upon the terms set out in this report. Funds in the amount of $24,000.00 for this purpose are available in the approved 1998 Consolidated Grants Program Budget; and

(2)the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to do what is necessary to give effect to Recommendation No. (1).

Council Reference/Background History:

This report describes the Termite Control Program, carried forward from the former City of Toronto, including criteria currently applied by staff in administering the program. As funds for the program are included in the Consolidated Grants Program Budget, the Municipal Grants Review Committee must approve the process by which these funds will be disbursed in 1998. At this point 25 applications are waiting to be processed under this program.

Under the Termite Control Program, individual grants of up to $500.00 are available to property owners for termite treatment where housing program staff have observed active termite infestation. Consistent with the transitional policy for grant programs in 1998, these grants are available only within the boundaries of the former City of Toronto. Staff will report back on whether the program should be expanded to the entire City area in 1999, as part of a broader review of termite control and housing programs being undertaken.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

Property damage due to termite infestation has been a serious problem in Toronto for many years. It is estimated that 18 percent of city blocks in the former City of Toronto have had properties treated for termites. We are also aware of termite activity in other parts of the new City. Termites affect mostly older and more affordable housing, making termite control an important conservation issue, and an important aspect of housing rehabilitation.

The Termite Control Program was created by the former City of Toronto to protect properties from the structural damage associated with termite infestations. Under the program, Housing staff and Building Inspection staff work collaboratively to encourage and, where necessary, require owners to control termites. Housing staff are pro-active in providing advice to property owners, and termite control grants where appropriate. Building Inspection staff are responsible for enforcing termite by-laws to require treatment where necessary.

Termite control can include chemical treatment of the soil and elimination of wood-soil contact around a property. The current technology for termite control focuses on the use of a termiticide in conjunction with wood-soil separation to protect individual properties from underground termite colonies. As an incentive to undertake the treatment and wood-soil separation, which can cost $2,000.00 or more for a property owner, City Housing staff can issue grants of up to $500.00.

The current process for approving grants under this program is described in Appendix 1.

For the last several years, the Urban Entomology Program of the University of Toronto has been pioneering a new method of termite control. This method, called "Trap-Treat-Release" relies on small amounts of chemical and the social behaviour of termites to attack underground colonies, thereby suppressing or eliminating them. Traditional control methods use significant amounts of chemical to protect properties, but do not attack the source of infestation. Under funding agreements with some of the former municipalities, the University of Toronto has been testing this method across most of the new City area. While the results to date are very encouraging, the method must undergo regulatory review and product development before it will be commercially available. Staff will report back to Council on the progress of this research and the implications for the City's termite control program.

Conclusions:

In the transition year of 1998, we propose to continue processing grants for termite control under the procedures outlined in the Appendix, and request confirmation of the Commissioner's Authority to approve and disburse grants from the Consolidated Grants program Budget, based on the recommendations of Housing Program staff.

Contact Name:

Joanne Campbell, Tel: 392-6135/Fax: 392-3037.

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Appendix 1

The termite control grant is administered as a first-come, first-served, one-time grant available to property owners in the former City of Toronto, under the following criteria:

Program Criteria:

(1)Maximum Grant - 50 percent of actual costs of termiticide treatment and breaking wood-to-soil contact to $500.00.

(2)Application must be supported by two competitive bids from qualified pest control operators for termiticide treatment and two competitive bids from contractors on breaking wood-soil contact as required.

(3)Only chemicals toxic to termites and registered for use by Federal and Provincial authorities are eligible for reimbursement, currently Dursban TC (chlorpyrifos), Dragnet (permethrin), Purge System 22R (propoxur) and Timbor (disodium octoborate tetrahydrate).

Application Process:

(1)Property owner requests termite inspection.

(2)Housing Program staff inspect and determine evidence of termite activity and risk of termite infestation.

(3)Application received, reviewed and recommended by Housing Program staff.

(4)Grant is approved by Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, or designate.

(5)Applicant arranges for soil treatment (and wood soil work where applicable).

(6)Applicant requests payment by submitting final invoice and completion certificate issued by the pest control operator.

(7)Funds disbursed after Housing Program staff inspect and accept completed work.