Toronto Council meets today! Mayor Olivia Chow has designated an item about the not-so-great condition of Toronto’s infrastructure assets as her first key matter, so that’ll be up first.
Meeting is streaming here. I’ll do it live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT1kzFzYcvM
I had a full preview of the agenda in a special Friday edition of my newsletter.
Other big items include allowing more dense housing on major streets (now scheduled for first-thing tomorrow), e-scooters, Eglinton bike lanes and Gardiner construction. https://toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/toronto-council-gets-set-for-major
After the tributes to Robinson, Council opts to recess until 2 p.m. to allow time for councillors to speak with Robinson’s family and attend a funeral for Councillor Shelley Carroll’s father.
I’ll see you back here at 2.
And now — at last — council starts their first debate of the day. It’s about a report on Toronto’s corporate assets.
Staff reviewed $73 billion worth of infrastructure and found ~40% is in poor condition. City is short $26 billion needed for repairs over next decade. Not ideal.
Councillor Michael Thompson gets up to ask questions about development charges. “Would I be accurate in saying this is all very complex and confusing?”
Planning staff confirm it: “You would be definitely correct on that.”
Thompson: “Thank you.”
“It’s the Great Canadian Swindle,” says Perks, of feds and province downloading infra costs to municipalities.
He quotes Hazel McCallion: “The federal government has the money, the provinces have the authority, and municipal governments have to clean up the mess.”
Other councillors are also concerned about Cheng’s motion, arguing that different parts of the city have different needs. “We have to take an approach where we meet the need where it is,” says Councillor Bravo.
Here’s the recommended allocations for 2024.
And that will wrap things up for today. Council will reconvene at 9:30 a.m. to tackle an agenda that somehow still has 61 items on it. (28 regular items and 33 member motions.)
See you back here tomorrow morning. First up: e-scooters — threat or menace?
Matt Elliott
Michael Gemar