Public Notice

Toronto City Council will be considering recommendations to promote the health and safety of tenants, specifically in situations when a vital service for an apartment building is disrupted and the disruption is expected to last for an extended period of time.

It is proposed that the recommendations and by-law amendments be adopted at the Council meeting to be held on May 14, 2019 or at a subsequent meeting.

If adopted by City Council, the proposed amendments and recommendations will:

     1.         Amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings to require building owners/operators under the RentSafeTO program to maintain a voluntary contact list of tenants who may require additional assistance during periods of evacuation or temporary discontinuance of vital services, and who choose to voluntarily self-identify to the building owner/operator and City officials as needing assistance.

     2.         Amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings to require building owners/operators under the RentSafeTO program to develop an electrical maintenance plan with a Licensed Electrical Contractor certified by the Electrical Safety Authority, and maintain any information and records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the electrical safety maintenance plan, when requested.

     3.         Amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings to require building owners/operators to retain logs of service and maintenance conducted on electrical systems including the date and nature of service and name of certified tradesperson, if applicable, and maintain the logs in a secure and accessible manner.

     4.         Request that the Province of Ontario amend the Electrical Safety Code to mandate regular inspections of electrical systems in all buildings.

The proposed recommendations are outlined in the report titled "Vital Service Disruptions in Apartment Buildings".  To view or obtain a copy of the report, visit the City's website.

At its meeting to be held in Committee Room 1, 2nd Floor, Toronto City Hall on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, the Planning and Housing Committee of Toronto City Council will hear in person or by his or her counsel, agent or solicitor, any person who wishes to speak to the matter.

To submit comments or make a presentation to the Planning and Housing Committee on April 30, 2019, please contact the Committee no later than 12:00 noon on April 29, 2019:

Planning and Housing Committee

Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West

10th Floor, West Tower,

Toronto, ON  M5H 2N2

Telephone: 416-338-5089

Fax: 416-392-1879

Email: phc@toronto.ca

To ask questions regarding the content of the report, respecting the above items, contact:

Mark Sraga

Director, Investigation Services

Municipal Licensing and Standards

Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall

Floor 3, North Block 

Toronto ON, M9C 2Y2

Telephone: 416-392-7633

Email: Mark.Sraga@toronto.ca

Any comments received after the Committee meeting will be forwarded to Council.

While the staff report sets out proposed changes, the Committee and/or City Council may adopt additional or other amendments that differ from the recommendations set out in the report.  The proposed amendments are subject to the decision of the Housing and Planning Committee and the decision of Toronto City Council. 

If this matter is postponed at the Committee meeting or Council meeting or considered at a subsequent Committee or Council meeting, no additional notice will be provided other than the information on the subsequent Committee or Council agenda.  Please contact the above City officials if you require notice in these cases.

The Housing and Planning Committee will make its final recommendations on April 30, 2019 which will be forwarded to City Council on May 14, 2019.

Notice to people writing or making presentations to the Planning and Housing Committee:  The City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its committees.

The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City’s website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it – such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address – available to the public.

Many Committee, Board and Advisory Body meetings are broadcast live over the internet for the public to view.  If you speak at the meeting you will appear in the video broadcast.  Video broadcasts are archived and continue to be publicly available.

If you want to learn more about why and how the City collects your information, write to the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto ON M5H 2N2 or by calling 416-338-5089.