Show threadMatt ElliottMay 22, 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?

Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024

Council will start day two of their meeting soon. We may be a bit delayed getting started as Mayor Olivia Chow is currently on stage at an announcement for Toronto’s WNBA Team. (Personal note: We’re getting season tix)

When it starts, stream will be here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2y0JAgEtA

City Council - May 23, 2024

YouTube
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Your starting five.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Meanwhile, back at home court, Council votes 13-3 to APPROVE a 12-storey project on Sheppard West. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.NY13.3
Agenda Item History 2024.NY13.3

Agenda Item History 2024.NY13.3

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
On an item about King Street transit, Councillor Chris Moise passes a quick motion requesting a report on automated enforcement. That CARRIES via show of hands, as does the item. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.IE13.3
Agenda Item History 2024.IE13.3

Agenda Item History 2024.IE13.3

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Up now: e-scooters. The city has legalized other forms of “micromobility.” Staff are recommending legalizing “low-speed vehicles” (tiny electric cars) today. But e-scooters are recommended to remain banned. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.IE13.1
Agenda Item History 2024.IE13.1

Agenda Item History 2024.IE13.1

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024

Staff confirm to Councillor Pasternak that it’s legal to sell and own e-scooters in Toronto but not legal to use them anywhere on public streets.

But is there any enforcement? Staff say there were 89 tickets issued for sidewalk scooter riding in 2023. “Not a lot,” staff admit.

Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Per the staff report, city staff do believe the current ban on e-scooters is succeeding in limiting their use: “Although some people are riding e-scooters illegally in Toronto, it is thought that the prohibition has kept the number lower than if they were permitted.”
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
I’m a bit skeptical of this. I have trouble imagining a person who’s like, “damn I’d love to ride my e-scooter but I have too much respect for generally-unenforced City of Toronto bylaws.”
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Moise asks if police have the power to confiscate e-scooters from people riding illegally? Staff say no, because it’s legal to own an e-scooter.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Transportation Services GM Barbara Gray says if there were better federal and provincial standards/regulations for e-scooter design (especially re: safety, batteries, speed governors) her division would potentially be more likely to support legalizing e-scooters.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
On to speakers. Councillor Amber Morley moves for the transportation department to conduct a count of micro-mobility users (including e-scooters) this fall.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Showing several videos of low-speed vehicle crash tests, Councillor Stephen Holyday moves to delete the staff recommendation that these tiny electric vehicles be permitted to operate in Toronto. “I have grave concerns,” he says.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Chris Moise says he’ll vote against the continued ban on e-scooters, pointing out there’s already thousands of people using e-scooters in the city. “Putting our heads in the sand is not really going to change this.”
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Dianne Saxe moves to request the provincial government allow the city to license courier and transportation businesses and the micro-mobility vehicles they use.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Anthony Perruzza moves for staff to look at installing signage in parks and along trails letting people know which micro-mobility devices are permitted.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Jennifer McKelvie has a motion to give the police a “briefing note” explaining which micro-mobility devices are allowed and which are banned.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024

Time to vote on micro-mobility and e-scooters.

Councillor Holyday’s motion to NOT allow low-speed vehicles (tiny electric cars) to operate in Toronto FAILS 4-18.

Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Perruzza’s motion to look at installing more signage in parks and along trails letting people which micro-mobility vehicles are allowed CARRIES 13-9.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Recommendation to continue to ban the use of e-scooters on public streets in Toronto CARRIES 19-3.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Recommendation to allow the use of low-speed vehicles (tiny electric cars) on Toronto streets CARRIES 19-3.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Recommendation to request the provincial government allow Toronto to license courier businesses and their vehicles CARRIES 21-1.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
All other motions carried via show of hands. Remainder of micro-mobility recommendations as amended CARRIES 22-0.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Council has moved on to an item from Councillor Mike Colle recommending the city embark on a program to paint 1,000 new street murals. Councillor Lily Cheng moves to have Mayor Olivia Chow help paint the first mural at Mel Lastman Square. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.IE13.9
Agenda Item History 2024.IE13.9

Agenda Item History 2024.IE13.9

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Cheng’s motion CARRIES via show of hands. Colle’s graffiti item as amended CARRIES 22-0.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024

That takes council to lunch. There are 53 items left on this council agenda, including 34 member motions. Those member motions will be dealt with after lunch break. The debate on allowing more dense housing on major streets will follow.

See you back here at 2 p.m.

Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Council is back. Councillor Lily Cheng announces that May is Asian Heritage Month. Mayor Olivia Chow echos that, and announces that today is Newcomers Day. She shouts out 167 city staffers volunteering their time today to help out with festivities at Nathan Phillips Square.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Before they get to member motions, Chow says she’s concerned that some of these motions are coming on-the-fly and staff haven’t been given a chance to review them and write reports. She says she’ll be reluctant to vote to waive referral unless a matter is really urgent.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Brad Bradford’s motion to report on if there are any ways to speed up Gardiner construction gets added to the agenda via a show-of-hands vote. Bradford holds it for debate. They’ll come back to it. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.5
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.5

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.5

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Chris Moise had brought a motion requesting a $2.7 million budget increase for the Lower Don Trail project. Chow says she thinks items like this should go to Executive Committee. It doesn’t end up mattering — Moise moves to withdraw it. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.9
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.9

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.9

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Bradford’s motion to request the province create “safety zones” around places of worship gets added to the agenda on show-of-hands vote. Matlow holds for debate. Bradford is mad because he wanted to hold it. But Matlow’s hold stands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.16
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.16

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.16

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Lily Cheng’s motion for a report on whether the city should require more visitor parking in suburban development FAILS to make the agenda. Vote was 15-9. It needed two-thirds. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.17
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.17

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.17

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Cheng’s motion for a report on “equitable funding and distribution of Canada Day Events” across the city is ADDED to the agenda on an 18-6 vote. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.18
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.18

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.18

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Cheng’s Canada Day event motion CARRIES via show of hands. A similar Cheng motion for a “report on the current distribution of City-funded cultural events” across the city also makes the agenda on an 18-6 vote. Carroll holds this one for debate. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.19
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.19

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.19

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Moise’s motion for a report on the merits of “transitioning the governance and operations of Moss Park Arena from a Board of Management to a City-operated arena” CARRIES 21-3. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.20
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.20

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.20

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Matlow’s motion to request the province implement commercial rent control for small businesses and develop standardized commercial leases gets ADDED to the agenda on a 20-4 vote. Bradford holds this one. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.24
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.24

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.24

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Paula Fletcher’s motion for a report on building more housing and affordable housing on Villier’s Island in the port lands CARRIES via show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.26
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.26

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.26

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Mayor Olivia Chow’s motion to give staff authority to open the Jameson on-ramp gate on the Gardiner when it’ll help traffic CARRIES via show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.MM18.33
Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.33

Agenda Item History 2024.MM18.33

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024

Wake up, planning nerds.

Council is about to debate the EHON report that would allow six-storey buildings and townhouses on major streets across the city. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.PH12.3

Agenda Item History 2024.PH12.3

Agenda Item History 2024.PH12.3

toronto.ca
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
In a nutshell, if this item passes it’ll enable denser residential development in areas along major streets currently zoned as Neighbourhoods. Staff say it’ll unlock development on more than 31,000 lots.
Show threadMatt Elliott
If you want to really drill down on how this might affect your neck of the woods, staff have created 25 maps showing affected areas in each ward. (I don’t know why the map titles & legends are in morse code.) https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-245964.pdf (PDF)
May 23, 2024 at 7:06pmIvory for Mac
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
I’m expecting motions from councillors trying to remove streets in their wards from the “major street” designation. To try to pre-empt that, planners reviewed 22 streets highlighted by resident associations and found they were not “significantly different” from other streets.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Nick Mantas is attending virtually and trying to ask staff questions, but there’s a ridiculous echo. “Do you have a headset?” Nunziata asks. Mantas does not. Should have saved one from that flight. They try a few times but the echo persists. Nunziata moves on.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Mayor Olivia Chow is the first speaker on the housing-on-major-streets item. She moves the new staff recommendation to allow up to 60 units in the six-storey buildings. She also moves to have staff pursue opportunities to make some of these projects affordable housing.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Mayor Olivia Chow: “By building this way, we’re saying yes to more neighbours and we’re saying yes to newcomer families … We’re building their dreams because we’re building homes. If we don’t do that, it’s very difficult for people to stay in Toronto.”
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Nick Mantas moves to have staff conduct community consultations on intensification and allowed heights along Huntingwood Drive in Scarborough. He says this doesn’t remove the street from the Major Street designation, but he wants the consultation.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Jon Burnside moves to remove the Major Street designation from Sloane Avenue in his ward.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Paul Ainslie moves to remove the Major Street designation from Guildwood Parkway to allow for more review. He’s concerned about drainage and the impact on the Scarborough Bluffs.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Vince Crisanti submits a list of streets in his Etobicoke North ward he’d like to remove from the Major Streets designation. He says his constituents have told him they don’t like the impacts of densification and don’t want it.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
“The biggest concern I have with this policy is the risk to the character of the established communities,” Crisanti says of allowing six-storey buildings and townhouses. He says this policy would allow developers to change the “core characteristics” of neighbourhoods.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Stephen Holyday stands and asks Crisanti a bunch of questions designed to make it clear that Etobicoke North residents have poor transit access. The point, I think, is that council shouldn’t allow more housing there because there’s not enough transit service.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Shelley Carroll is using the overhead projector to display photos of small apartment buildings that have existed in suburban neighbourhoods for decades. “This is not something new. This is not terrifying weird science. This is not the end of the world.”
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Stephen Holyday is next to speak, but instead leaves the chamber in a hurry. Councillors joke that he needs to go get his props. Maybe it’s true? I am not sure. Anyway, they move on. He’ll get his turn later.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Councillor Dianne Saxe moves to remove part of True Davidson Drive from the Major Street Designation. She says it’s a technical amendment related to the steep topography of the area. She’s very supportive of the report otherwise. “It’s a long time coming,” she says.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024

Holyday is up now. “Make no mistake, council — people are talking about this. People see this in Etobicoke Centre as DESPICABLE. They see this as insensitive. They hold council in contempt. They use words I can’t even say because they’re unparliamentary.”

I think he’s opposed.

Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Holyday has a photo of himself standing next to a six-storey building. “Spot the councillor! Oops, there he is! That’s what six storeys is! Imagine that next to a bungalow where there’s been nothing before — that’s deplorable.”
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Holyday has also again brought his framed photo of Doug Ford giving Mayor Chow a giant novelty cheque for hitting the 2023 housing target. He decries what he calls a panicked “housing, housing, housing” approach, saying it is not necessary.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024

Holyday has three motions:

1) Defer the item to December
2) Delete recommendations, replace with new model where public can give input on every development application
3) Delete eligibility of “through-lots” that have frontage on major and local streets.

Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Because Holyday moved deferral, all other debate stops and Council debates the deferral. Speaking on the matter, Perks calls deferral “cowardly.” Holyday gets MAD. Nunziata asks Perks to apologize. Perks eventually says, sure, okay, and says he doesn’t think Holyday is a coward.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Holyday’s motion to defer the housing-on-major-streets item to December FAILS 4-20. Blaze it.
Show threadMatt ElliottMay 23, 2024
Back to the debate. Councillor Parthi Kandavel has a motion similar to the Mantas motion, requesting some community consultation with residents on Pharmacy Avenue, Brimley Road and McCowan Road. Doesn’t change the designation, but lets people give feedback.
Show threadLyle Solla-YatesMay 23, 2024
@GraphicMatt No coward would sing right now
Show threadLyle Solla-YatesMay 23, 2024
@GraphicMatt I hope he sings
Show threadLyle Solla-YatesMay 23, 2024
@GraphicMatt Important to interrogate what is meant by "neighborhood character" https://www.tpt.org/post/discussions-neighborhood-character-reinforce-structural-racism/
Show threadLyle Solla-YatesMay 23, 2024
@GraphicMatt The more pieces are chipped away the less effective the overall package will be, and the more disruption the remaining areas will bear proportionally
Show threadJérômeMay 23, 2024
@GraphicMatt lol likely an issue with the embedded font in the pdf
Show threadSteve EasterbrookMay 23, 2024
@jerome @GraphicMatt Weirdly, ward 14 (my local) is the only one that isn't in morse code!!
BB will have nothing to complain about for once.