Item - 2011.PW7.6

City Council on September 21 and 22, 2011, adopted the following:

1.         City Council direct that the prioritization of Basement Flooding Protection Program projects be consistent with the principle that the greatest number of properties are protected as soon as possible within approved funding envelopes and coordinated with other City capital programs.

2.         City Council direct that projects identified through completed Environmental Assessments in the 32 identified Chronic Basement Flooding Study Areas,  proceed to detailed design and construction, if the cost to benefiting property, as determined during the preliminary design phase, is less than or equal to $32,000.

3.         City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Water to submit an updated five year list of projects, through the annual Capital Budget submission process, where Class Environmental Assessment studies have been completed, and the projects be prioritized in conformance with Parts 1 and 2 above, and where the first two years of projects will be identified for construction and the following three years of projects will be subject to confirmation for implementation through the preliminary design phases where cost estimates will be refined, and the project scheduling will be coordinated with Transportation Services and other utilities.

4.         City Council approve the following changes to the coordination of Transportation Services’ Program within Basement Flooding Study Areas:

a.         Road resurfacing and reconstruction works that are not coincident with projects on the projected five year Basement Flooding Protection Program list, may proceed in accordance with Transportation Services' standard project prioritization process; and

b.         Road resurfacing and reconstruction works that are coincident with projects on the projected five year list should be deferred.

5.         City Council direct that existing sanitary and storm sewer design criteria continue to apply to road and sewer reconstruction projects outside of currently identified basement flooding study areas, but be consistent with the Wet Weather Flow Policy adopted by Council in 2003.

6.         City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water, to finalize the Environmental Study Report for the Don River and Central Waterfront Class EA and submit it to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for the obligatory 30 day public review period under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process.

7.         City Council direct that subject to receiving approval of the Don River and Central Waterfront  Project Environmental Assessment from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the General Manager, Toronto Water:

a.         proceed to undertake the detailed design of the first phase of the Project, which represents the twinning of the Coxwell Sanitary Trunk Sewer and associated pumping station;  and

b.         the Chief Financial Officer report back, through the 2013 Capital Budget process, on an implementation schedule and a long term funding model for the remaining elements of the plan.

8.         City Council direct that the Eligibility Criteria: Financial Assistance for Low Income Property Owners previously approved under the Mandatory Downspout Disconnection Program be revised  as outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (August 12, 2011) from the General Manager, Toronto Water including, without limitation, the following revisions:

a.         Eligibility limited to low-income disabled or senior citizen property owners;

b.         The financial assistance available limited to a maximum upset limit of $500, payable in the form of a cheque; and

c.         Revised conditions for financial assistance and eligible work.

9.         City Council authorize the General Manager of Toronto Water, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to prescribe any application form and other forms which the General Manager deems necessary to implement the financial assistance provisions set out in Part 10 above and to revise and amend those forms as the General Manager considers appropriate from time to time.

10.       City Council authorize the General Manager of Toronto Water to amend or revise the eligibility criteria with respect to low-income seniors and low-income disabled persons from time to time to reflect any future changes to the Municipal Code, Chapters 681 and 849.

11.       City Council authorize the discontinuance, effective 2012, of the Community Program for Stormwater Management and the funds in the amount of $250,000 be redirected to support the development and dissemination of public education and communication program to inform homeowners and contractors about:

a.         climate change impacts, associated with intense storms, related to basement flooding;

b.         the importance of downspout disconnection and “home isolation” consisting of the installation of sewer backwater valves and the capping off of storm sewer laterals with the installation of a sump pump to help prevent basement flooding;

c.         the importance of other lot level controls (e.g. proper lot grading); and

d.         the City’s Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program.

12.       City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water, in collaboration with the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, to report back in 2012 on the feasibility and costs of carrying out an Environmental Assessment for a Humber Bay Islands Land Form to improve water quality at Sunnyside Beach and protect the shoreline from erosion.

13.       City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water, to examine the possibility of including additional storm water ponds or other innovative "green" solutions to storm water management as part of the Don River and Central Waterfront Project.

14.       City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water, to reinstate the annual report to Council on Toronto Water activities, including Sewer-use By-law compliance and the Outfall Monitoring Program.