Other Items Considered by the Committee

(a)Toronto Food Policy Council - Food and Agricultural Quick Starts.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having referred the following report to the Chief Administrative Officer for report thereon to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee:

(February 1, 1999) from Councillor Jack Layton, Chair, Environmental Task Force, advising that the Environmental Task Force on January 28, 1999, considered a report dated January 5, 1999, from the Food Policy Coordinator, Toronto Food Policy Council, and submits the following recommendations for consideration:

(1)the Chief Administrative Officer and the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, as co-chairs of the Toronto Inter-departmental Environmental (TIE) Team, be requested to coordinate responses to the actions listed below and described in this report:

(i)Council endorse the practice of increasing the purchase of Canadian organic food by the City; and that Council direct the appropriate City officials responsible for food service contracts to ensure that the purchase of Canadian organic food increases over the term of food service contracts between the City and food service providers;

(ii)the Board of Directors of the Toronto Housing Company prepare a report that investigates the opportunities to establish rooftop and on-site community gardens on residential buildings owned by the Toronto Housing Company, with estimates of costs and possible sources of funding;

(iii)the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism prepare an action plan to increase the area of the City devoted to community gardening and the number of participants in community gardens be developed;

(iv)the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services prepare a report examining the feasibility of using steam generated from burning methane gas at the Beare Road and Keele Valley Landfill sites to heat greenhouse operations that would be run by non-profit or for profit operators under an agreement with the City; and

(v)the Human Resources Director investigate the program run by Husky Molding Company, which provides organic food to employees at discounted prices, which has resulted in a reduction of absenteeism and lower medical and drug costs; and

(2)the noted recommendations and accompanying report also be forwarded to the Board of Health for their information.

(b)Yards Rationalization Update.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having received the following communication:

(February 10, 1999) from the City Clerk advising that The Works and Utilities Committee received a report dated January 11, 1999, from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services respecting the yard rationalization study, and directed that it be forwarded to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, together with the communication dated February9, 1999, from Councillor Irene Jones, Lakeshore - Queensway.

(c)Process for Providing Downtown Municipal Office Space to Replace Metro Hall.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having:

(1)amended Recommendation No. (1) (c) embodied in the following report by adding thereto the following words, "such contribution to exclude improvements within the perimeter colonnade of Nathan Phillips Square, and with priority given to improved below-grade pedestrian access from City Hall to the subway", so that such Recommendation shall now read as follows:

"(1)(c)a practical contribution towards making real the City Centre vision of an enhanced municipal precinct anchored by City Hall and an upgraded Nathan Phillips Square, such contribution to exclude improvements within the perimeter colonnade of Nathan Phillips Square, and with priority given to improved below-grade pedestrian access from City Hall to the subway;"; and

(2)added the following new Recommendation No. (5) to the following report:

"(5)the schedule for the proposed RFP be such that a final report recommending action on the proposals received reach the November meeting of City Council."; and

(3)deferred consideration of the aforementioned report, as amended, pending consideration of the Office Space Rationalization Study:

(February 18, 1999) from the Commissioner of Corporate Services, recommending that:

(1)the Commissioner of Corporate Services be requested to issue a Request for Expressions of Interest, generally as described in this report, soliciting responses that would provide timely delivery of the following elements in a financially sound manner, without exposing the City to significant risks:

(a)the sale of Metro Hall;

(b)the provision of a building or buildings close to City Hall to meet the City's need for downtown office and ancillary space, on the assumption that Metro Hall and 277 Victoria would no longer be available;

(c)a practical contribution towards making real the City Centre vision of an enhanced municipal precinct anchored by City Hall and an upgraded Nathan Phillips Square; and

(d)a net return to the City;

(2)following evaluation of the Request for Expressions of Interest, the Commissioner of Corporate Services report back through the Office Consolidation Sub-Committee and Corporate Services Committee on detailed terms of reference for a Request for Proposals including the same elements set out in Recommendation No. (1); and identifying the short-listed respondents who will be invited to make Proposals;

(3)the Commissioner of Corporate Services and the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be requested to develop preliminary Planning Guidelines and Principles for the City Centre so that these can be incorporated into Request for Expressions of Interest;

(4)funds be provided from Transition Funding:

(a)in the amount of $130,000.00 to cover the City's costs of preparing, issuing and evaluating both a Request for Expressions of Interest and a Request for Proposals;

(b)in the amount of $70,000.00 for consulting services to help prepare the City Centre Planning Guidelines and Principles and evaluate proponents' responses to them.

(d)Service Level Harmonization.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having:

(1)endorsed the Recommendations embodied in the following report; and

(2)requested the Works and Utilities Committee and the Urban Environment and Development Committee to convene a joint meeting, as soon as possible, to consider policy issues, and report their findings to the Budget Committee for inclusion in the 1999 Operating Budget:

(February 19, 1999) from the Chief Administrative Officer, recommending that:

(1)this report be forwarded to the Budget Committee for service level recommendations as part of the 1999 Operating Budget process:

(2)the shaded "Baseline Service Level" and options for the programs outlined in Tables 1 and 2 have formed the basis for the 1999 preliminary Operating estimates, and be considered by the Budget Committee as part of the 1999 Operating Budget process;

(3)service level harmonization reviews within Departments continue through 1999 resulting in the determination of Baseline Service Levels and options for other programs and services;

(4)this report be forwarded to Community Councils and the respective standing committees;

(5)the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

(e)Report from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Board of Directors.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having referred the following report to the Chief Administrative Officer for report thereon to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee:

(February 1, 1999) from Councillor Jack Layton, Don River, recommending that:

(1)the "New Approach to Funding Urban Transportation in Canada" document be considered by:

(i)the Environmental Task Force;

(ii)the Toronto Transit Commission; and

(iii)the Urban Environment and Development Committee and that these committees consider the recommendation adopted by the FCM Board of Directors;

(2)the issue of mercury in sludges and other wastes be addressed by the Works Department in the development of strategies for solid waste disposal/diversion and biosolids management;

(3)City Council address Brownfield Redevelopment by incorporating the recommendations into our strategic plan, official plan and environmental plan;

(4)City Council endorse the recommendations of the report entitled "Greening Canada's Brownfield Sites" (See attachment);

(5)the CES (Working Group on Community Energy Systems) Study Tour report (see attachment) be received;

(6)the FCM Campaign for Pesticide Reduction (See attachment) be submitted to the City of Toronto Pesticide Sub-Committee for consideration;

(7)FCM and its staff in the development of an information package to alert municipalities about the possibilities for Carbon Credits and Trading;

(8)the Commissioner of Works, the Toronto Atmospheric Alliance and ICLEI be requested to work together to assist the FCM in the investigation and possible development of a Municipal Carbon Trading Collaborative; and

(9)the Chief Administrative Officer be requested to report on the possible involvement of the City of Toronto in the Centre for Municipal Aboriginal Relations.

(f)Municipal Plan for Continued Provision of Benefits to Non-Social Assistance Recipients.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having referred the following communication back to the Budget Committee for consideration during the 1999 Operating Budget deliberations:

(February 22, 1999) from the City Clerk, advising that The Budget Committee on February 19, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the report (January 28, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, wherein it is recommended that:

(1)pursuant to Council direction, a fund be established for 1999 with an amount up to $400,000.00 gross and net, with the source for this funding to be determined through the 1999 budget process;

(2)the municipality provide benefits to non-social assistance recipients on a limited basis as outlined in this report;

(3)this report be referred to the Budget Committee; and

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

(g)Corporate Sponsorship Program.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having received the following report:

(February 18, 1999) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, updating Council on efforts to develop a Corporate Sponsorship Program; advising that the Corporate Sponsorship Program is intended to optimize the City's sponsorship benefits, ensure competitive access to City contracts, and promote the City's public image; that a six month development study funded by the transition project for amalgamation and service rationalization will be followed by reports to Council proposing a corporate policy and seeking authority to award a sales/marketing/program management contract; that Corporate sponsorship agreements may begin to impact the Operating Budget in the year 2000 if the project proceeds on schedule; that in the meantime, an interim corporate guideline has been established to direct sponsorship activities in 1999; and recommending that this report be received for information.

Respectfully submitted,

MAYOR MEL LASTMAN,

Chair

Toronto, February 23, 1999

Patsy Morris

Tel. (416) 392-9151