TABLE OF CONTENTS

REPORTS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES

AND OTHER COMMITTEES

As Considered by

The Council of the City of Toronto

on April 13, 14 and 15, 1999

ETOBICOKE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

REPORT No. 4

1 Item Considered by the Community Council

City of Toronto

REPORT No. 4

OF THE ETOBICOKE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

(from its Special Meeting on March 29, 1999,

submitted by Councillor Elizabeth Brown, Chair)

As Considered by

The Council of the City of Toronto

on April 13, 14 and 15, 1999

1

Item Considered by the Community Council

(City Council on April 13, 14 and 15, 1999, received this Clause, for information.)

(a) Etobicoke Community Council Recommendations

Pertaining to the 1999 Operating Budget.

The Etobicoke Community Council reports having:

(A) recommended to the Budget Committee that:

(1) Public Health programs be expanded in the following areas:

(i) Dental Treatment program;

(ii) Food Access program;

(iii) Food Safety program;

(iv) Tuberculosis program; and

(v) AIDS/HIV Needle Exchange program;

(2) the Montgomery's Inn budget be reinstated in the original amount of $399.0 thousand to provide for the continuation of the education component of the programs offered at Montgomery's Inn; and

(3) of the $1.3 million required to maintain a flat-line consolidated grants budget, the amount $898.6 thousand be retained and that this amount be applied on a pro rata basis across the City.

(B) requested the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to submit a report directly to the Budget Committee on:

(1) the impact of accelerating the conversion of flat rate accounts to metered service City-wide;

(2) the geographical areas in which flat rate accounts are located; and

(3) the rationale for a no-phase in policy respecting changes in the water rate and water rate structures as a result of harmonization; and

(C) requested the Director, Parks and Recreation - West District, to submit a report to the Etobicoke Community Council respecting the facilities available in the parks located in the area of Rexdale-Thistletown and the condition of the existing amenities.

(i) (March 5, 1999) from the City Clerk advising that the Budget Committee has completed its preliminary review of the 1999 Operating Budget; forwarding the 1999 Operating Budget, together with a communication (March 5,1999) from Councillor Tom Jakobek, Chair, Budget Committee, and the preliminary recommendations of the Budget Committee for the information of the Etobicoke Community Council; and requesting that the Etobicoke Community Council forward its recommendations pertaining to the 1999 Operating Budget to the Budget Committee prior to the commencement of the "wrap-up" meetings on April 6, 1999;

(ii) (March 18, 1999) addressed to the Budget Committee from the Chief Administrative Officer and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, summarizing, by former municipality, the financial impact:

(a) of the various service harmonization proposals outlined in the report dated February 19, 1999, addressed to the Budget Committee from the Chief Administrative Officer, as well as other options described in various reports that have been presented to Standing Committees; and

(b) arising from the proposed water and approved hydro rate harmonization initiatives, tax rate harmonization, Current Value Assessment, and the net financial and fixed assets brought into the amalgamated City by each former municipality, as requested by the Budget Committee, the Works and Utilities Committee and the Urban Environment and Development Committee; and

(iii) (March 22, 1999) addressed to the Budget Committee from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, presenting a review of the current practices and rate structure respecting the water and wastewater program; and recommending a strategy towards a harmonized rate structure across the new City.

(iv) (March 29, 1999) from Ms. Ruth Kottas, Etobicoke Supervisors Network, regarding the operation of Child Care Centres in Wards 3 and 5, and requesting that the City adopt the principle of paying actual costs to operators and increasing the rates to home child care providers;

(v) (March 29, 1999) from Ms. Susan Ezeard, Community Outreach, Youth Without Shelter, submitting comments in support of publicly funded dental services;

(vi) (March 26, 1999) from Dr. Abdullahi Berih, Etobicoke, expressing grave concern regarding the cut-backs in the public health programs and, in particular, the tuberculosis programs;

(vii) (March 26, 1999) from the Board of Directors, Rexdale Home Child Care Agency, requesting an increase in the 1999 Budget for Children's Services to accommodate the need for both increased rates for Home Child Care Providers and actual costs to agencies;

(viii) (March 25, 1999) from Ms. Gracia Brockenshire, Counselor/Advocate for Children, Ernestine's Women's Shelter, submitting comments in support of the Rexdale Community Health Centre and the collective concern from the Etobicoke community about cuts to dental services for children, seniors and other economically disadvantaged groups;

(ix) (March 22, 1999) from Ms. Anne Dubas, President, Local 79, C.U.P.E., expressing concern regarding the impact of the continuing loss of City staff and urging Councillors to make the preservation of services and staff a key theme of the budget debate; and

(x) (March 1999) from Ms. Diane Weinwurm, Co-Chair, The Lung Association Tuberculosis Committee, stressing the importance of providing adequate resources for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.

__________

Ms. Brenda Glover, Executive Director, Human Resources Division, Corporate Services, made an overhead presentation to the Etobicoke Community Council, on the format of the 1999 Operating Budget, the Recommendations of the Chief Administrative Officer and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer as a result of the harmonization of service levels respecting hydro rates and tax rates in the new City, and filed a copy of her presentation with respect thereto.

The following persons appeared before the Etobicoke Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter:

- Mr. V. Jeevaratham, Sri Lankan-Tamil Seniors Association, North Kipling, and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Ms. Amy Casipullai, Board of Directors, Rexdale Community Health Centre, and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Ms. Lisa Tjernstrom, Etobicoke Childcare Supervisors, Wards 2 & 4, and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Mr. Terry Reardon, Etobicoke Federation of Ratepayers' & Residents' Associations (EFRRA), and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Mr. Earl Jarvis, Chair, Etobicoke Historical Board;

- Mr. Ahmed Yusuf, Somali Seniors Community Services;

- Mr. David Greig, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, on behalf of Workers Information and Action Centre;

- Ms. Sarah Shartal, on behalf of Workers Information and Action Centre, and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Ms. Theresa MacKinnon, C.U.P.E. Local No. 79;

- Mr. Crawford Murphy, Member, Toronto Cycling Committee;

- Ms. Karen Savage, Equally Healthy Kids, and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Mr. Sam Singh, Concerned Citizens of Etobicoke North;

- Mr. Hans Gupta, Democratic South Asian Seniors;

- Mrs. Dorothy Wheeler, Etobicoke, and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Mr. R. Summers, Etobicoke;

- Mrs. Ruth Grier, Etobicoke;

- Ms. Jane Fader, Etobicoke General Hospital, Public Health Tuberculosis Program;

- Mr. Joe Leonard, L.A.M.P., and submitted a motion for consideration by Council;

- Mr. Peter Clutterbuck, C.S.P.C., and filed a submission with respect thereto;

- Ms. Suzanne Sutherland, Central & Northern Etobicoke Home Support Services;

- Mr. Boris Waschtschuk, Etobicoke;

- Mr. Klaas Vangraft, Etobicoke;

- Ms. Sara Dearing, Rexdale Partners, and filed a submission with respect thereto; and

- Ms. Barb Rundle, Rexdale Partners.

Respectfully submitted,

ELIZABETH BROWN

Chair

Toronto, March 29, 1999

(Report No. 4 of The Etobicoke Community Council was received, for information, by City Council on April 13, 14 and 15, 1999.)