STRATEGIC POLICIES AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE

A G E N D A

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST PURSUANT TO

THE MUNICIPAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ACT

COMMUNICATIONS/REPORTS.

1.SUMMARY OF THE CITY OF TORONTO'S RESPONSE

TO THE MAYOR'S HOMELESSNESS ACTION TASK

FORCE REPORT AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

Mayor Mel Lastman

Chief Administrative Officer

(May 18, 1999)

Recommending that:

(1)Council thank the chair and members of the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes for their work over the past year in fulfilling the mandate of the committee, and further, that future decision making on implementation of the City's homeless action plan occur through the standing committees of Council;

(2)the Chief Administrative Officer and the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services convene a meeting of the chairs of the Capital Revolving Fund Reference Group, the Property Management Committee, the Advisory Committee for Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons and the Alternative Housing and Services Committee to ensure coordination of the implementation activities outlined in this report; and

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

2.RESOURCES FOR ACCESS AND EQUITY FUNCTION.

Chief Administrative Officer.

(May 19, 1999)

Recommending that:

(1) the corporate Access and Equity Unit work with each commissioner to define the functions and reporting relationships for the assignment of dedicated corporate access and equity staff resources to assist individual departments in meeting access and equity objectives;

(2) the staff positions that were reassigned from the pool of corporate access and equity resources to the human resources business units in 1998 be explicitly defined and function as employment equity and human rights consultants, and the Executive Director of Human Resources report to the Administration Committee on how the expertise and skills of these employment equity and human rights consultants are being used to enhance the activities of the human resources business units;

(3) the 1999 approved budget of $1,501,000 total gross expenditures ($1,471,000.00 total net expenditures) and 21.3 equivalent funded staff positions for Access and Equity services be transferred from the Human Resources Division in the Corporate Services Department to the Strategic and Corporate Policy Division in the Chief Administrator's Office to facilitate the transfer of program management and administration of the corporate Access and Equity Unit from the Corporate Services Department to the Chief Administrator's Office, and the 1999 Operating Budget be adjusted accordingly;

(4) once in each term of Council, the City Auditor oversee an internal audit of the performance by the corporation as a whole in achieving its access, equity and human rights goals;

(5) in order to ensure that there is an external community perspective on the City's progress towards access, equity and human rights goals, the City organize an annual community consultation on access, equity and human rights issues that will provide input to planning, policy and program development in subsequent years;

(6) the Task Force on Community Access and Equity be requested to take this report into consideration during the preparation of its final report to Council; and

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

2(a).City Clerk

(February 23, 1999)

Advising that the York Community Council on February 17, 1999, endorsed, in principle, the Draft Report of the Task Force on Community Access and Equity.

(NOTE:A COPY OF THE DRAFT REPORT DATED JANUARY, 1999, FROM THE TASK FORCE ON COMMUNITY ACCESS AND EQUITY ENTITLED "DIVERSITY OUR STRENGTH - ACCESS AND EQUITY OUR GOAL", WAS FORWARDED TO ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND SELECT OFFICIALS ONLY.)

3.SMOG PREVENTION AND REDUCTION:

STATUS REPORT AND WORK PLAN.

Chief Administrative Officer

(May 18, 1999)

Recommending that:

(1) the appropriate departments, under the coordination of the Toronto Inter-Departmental Environment (TIE) Team, explore opportunities for funding from the National Climate Change Fund to assist the City in meeting its smog reduction targets;

(2) City Council request the Toronto Transit Commission to provide distribution and marketing services for the TTC Annual Metropass Discount Program to City of Toronto employees as an incentive to encourage reduction of employee automobile use;

(3) City Council request the Toronto Transit Commission and the Finance Department to make TTC Metropasses available to City employees using a monthly payroll deduction program;

(4) in support of this Employee Trip Reduction Program, City Council actively request that the Federal Minister of Finance make employer-provided transit passes an income tax-exempt benefit for employees;

(5) the City join the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program (PCP) in order to help the City monitor its progress in meeting its adopted greenhouse gas targets;

(6) the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services and the Chief Administrative Officer, as the co-chairs of the Toronto Inter-Departmental Environment (TIE) Team, report annually on the City's progress in achieving the milestones of the Partners for Climate Protection Program (PCP);

(7) City Council endorse, in principle, the installation of the proposed natural gas capacity at the Lakeview Generating Station with the intention of an eventual full conversion from coal to natural gas;

(8) City Council request Ontario Hydro to adopt emergency measures which would provide for the reduction of power generation at the Lakeview Generating Station during smog alert days;

(9) the Chief Administrative Officer explore with federal and provincial officials ways and means available to ensure that transboundary air pollution issues affecting the City are addressed; and

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

4.REVIEW AND HARMONIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE PROCUREMENT.

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

(April 26, 1999)

Recommending that:

(1) the City of Toronto adopt the Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy attached as AppendixA; and

(2) Interim Purchasing By-Law No. 57-1998 be revised to include the new City of Toronto Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy.

5.BIG CITY MAYORS CAUCUS OF THE FCM

APRIL 29, 1999, SASKATOON

MEETING REPORT.

Councillor Jack Layton, Don River

(May 1, 1999)

Recommending that:

(1) the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes consider the Saskatoon SHIP initiative and that the Chair convene a meeting with key stakeholders to investigate the feasibility of implementing such a programme in Toronto;

(2) the City of Toronto endorse, in principle, the introduction of a new by-law to make it an offense to possess a knife of other similar weapon in a public place, street, park or public transit, without a reasonable excuse. This offence would be punishable by a fine; and

(3) the City Solicitor bring forward a by-law, modeled on the Montreal / Mount Royal / Lachine By-Law, for consideration by the appropriate Committees of Council.

6.1999 ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN CONSOLIDATED GRANTS.

Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services

(April 28, 1999)

Recommending that the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee formally approve the recommendations put forth from Budget Committee on December 8, 1998, including the following:

(a) available funds in the 1998 consolidated grants budget be used to address one-time financial adjustments required in the AIDS Prevention Grants Program up to $526.4 thousand; and

(b) $288.9 thousand be used to address one-time financial adjustments required in the Arts and Culture Grants Program.

7.MINOR RECREATION GRANTS - ELIGIBILITY

ASSESSMENT OF NEW APPLICANTS.

City Clerk

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Municipal Grants Review Committee on May 10, 1999:

(1) recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee the adoption of the report (April 28, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism respecting Minor Recreation Grants - Eligibility Assessment of New Applicants, subject to amending Recommendation No.(3) to read as follows:

"(3) Alexandra Park Community Centre secure an incorporated community organization that has submitted a 1999 Minor Recreation application to act as trustee in order that the application/program be reviewed."; and

(2) requested the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with appropriate Grants staff, to report to the new Grants Sub-Committee of the Policy and Finance Committee on setting allocation priorities beginning in the year 2000 for all high risk groups, i.e., youth, seniors etc.

8.TORONTO HERITAGE FUND GRANTS PROGRAM.

City Clerk

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Municipal Grants Review Committee on May 10, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee the adoption of the report (April 30, 1999) from the Managing Director, Toronto Historical Board, wherein it is recommended that:

"to successfully provide grant funding from the Toronto Heritage Fund, Council top up the base fund by $100,000.00".

9.GRAFFITI TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM -

1999 RECOMMENDED ALLOCATIONS.

City Clerk

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Municipal Grants Review Committee on May 10, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee the adoption of the report (April 22, 1999) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services recommending that:

(1) grants be provided to community groups to engage in Graffiti Transformation as shown in Appendix A; such Grants are deemed to be in the interest of the Municipality;

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

(3) early in 2000, the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services report on the evaluation of the Graffiti Transformation Program in 1999 with particular emphasis on the first year progress of new groups in former municipalities where the program was not previously available;

subject to amending the Appendix A referred to in Recommendation No. (1) above to provide that the grant allocation to "Homo Air Ectus" be increased by $1,958.00 for a total 1999 allocation of $26,000.00.

10.COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANTS PROGRAM -

ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT OF NEW APPLICANTS.

City Clerk

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Municipal Grants Review Committee on May 10, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee the adoption of the attached report (May 4, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services respecting the Community Services Grants Program - Eligibility Assessment of New Applicants, with the exception of the recommendations pertaining to the following applicants, referred to in Appendix "A":

-Association for Caribbean Advancement;

-Bloor Jewish Community Centre;

-Cypriot Community of Toronto;

-Down Syndrome Association of Scarborough; and

-North York Safety Village.

11.1999 RECOMMENDED GRANTS CONTINGENCY BUDGET.

City Clerk

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Municipal Grants Review Committee on May 10, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee the adoption of the report (April 30, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services wherein it is recommended that:

(1) the allocation criteria as defined in this report be applied for the 1999 Consolidated Grants Budget to all ad hoc requests presented for funding; and

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

12.DISTRIBUTION OF THE REALLOCATED GRANTS FUNDING.

City Clerk

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Municipal Grants Review Committee on May 10, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee the adoption of the report (April 30, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services wherein it is recommended that:

(1) the reallocation amounts within the 1999 approved Consolidated Grants budget be allocated to specific grants programs as described in this report; and

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

13.ALLOCATION CRITERIA FOR A FOOD

RELATED CAPITAL GRANTS PROGRAM.

City Clerk

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Municipal Grants Review Committee on May 10, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee the adoption of the report (April 29, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services respecting the allocation criteria for a Food Related Capital Grants Program subject to amending section B. (2) of the Appendix A by adding thereto the following:

"(I) The geographic location of the activities."

14.PREPAYMENT INTEREST AND DISCOUNT

ON ADVANCE PAYMENT OF REALTY TAXES.

City Clerk

(May 7, 1999)

Advising that the Assessment and Tax Policy Task Force on May 3, 1999:

(1) adopted the report (March 29, 1999) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer recommending that no discount or prepayment interest be offered on taxes paid in advance of the due dates; and

(2) thanked staff of the Finance Department and also requested the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to report on the potential for administrative savings if the City collected permit parking and other fees in a like manner as property taxes and to report on whether any savings should be passed on to the affected ratepayer.

15.GREATER TORONTO SERVICES BOARD

1999 BUDGET AND BUSINESS PLAN.

Executive Director

Greater Toronto Services Board

(May 10, 1999)

Advising that the Greater Toronto Services Board on May 7, 1999, adopted:

(1) the "Greater Toronto Services Board 1999 Budget and Business Plan", as amended; and

(2) a report (May 5, 1999) from the joint meeting of Interim Budget Advisory Working Group and the Interim Personnel Working and referring the following recommendations contained therein to the City Council for approval:

"1. i)recommended expenditure for the annual external audit be eliminated, and the budget accordingly reduced by $5,000; and

3.the annual external Audit responsibility be conducted each year, at no cost to the Board, by the external auditor for the Regions of Durham, Halton, Peel and York, and the City of Toronto on a rotating basis, commencing with the City of Toronto for the 1999 Budget and the Region of Peel for the 2000 Budget."

IN CAMERA

16.INCORPORATION OF THE TORONTO HYDRO CORPORATION.

Chief Administrative Officer

(May 20, 1999)

Confidential report respecting the incorporation of the Toronto Hydro Corporation.

ANY OTHER MATTERS.