Item - 2020.EX17.1

City Council on October 27, 28 and 30, 2020, adopted the following:

1.  City Council formally re-iterate its request for COVID-19 funding support from Phase 2 of the Provincial Safe Restart Program to offset the City's COVID-19 financial impacts to the City, following offsets generated by the City primarily through cost mitigation strategies.
 

2.  City Council direct the City Manager and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to engage with the Federal and Provincial Governments to obtain funding commitments to fully address remaining COVID-19 related financial impacts anticipated in 2021 to avoid reductions to transit service, service levels across all City operations and programs.

3. City Council direct the City Manager to initiate dialogue with Federal, Provincial and Regional Officials to convene a strategic Federal-Provincial-Municipal Intergovernmental Table on recovery and renewal, to take a whole of governments approach to addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and social determinants of health.

4.  City Council request the Minister of Finance to amend the Assessment Act to create a main street retail class to support the health and prosperity of small businesses on retail main streets in Toronto and across the Province. 

5.  City Council request the Federal and Provincial Governments to review regulations around business insurance to mitigate the impacts of rising insurance premiums for small businesses following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

6.  City Council request the Provincial Government to review the Commercial Tenancies Act based on lessons learned under the COVID-19 pandemic, to support main street businesses and minimize vacancies on Toronto’s main streets. 

7. City Council direct the City Manager to create a public information campaign using City advertising locations, including the Toronto Transit Commission, to inform Torontonians of the COVID-19 related financial impacts, and the requests made to the Federal and Provincial Governments related fulfilling the City’s recovery and rebuild recommendations in the event that the City is unsuccessful in securing Federal and Provincial Government support for City of Toronto needs and to report back to City Council as part of the regular report backs.

8. City Council direct the City Manager to report through the Executive Committee to the December 16 and 17, 2020 meeting of City Council to provide an update, and starting in the beginning of 2021, to report on a quarterly basis, providing in-depth reports on the progress to deliver a streamlined, coordinated, and renewed intergovernmental strategy, including an examination of existing intergovernmental requests, tables, relationships and partnerships, roles and responsibilities, Toronto’s priorities, progress towards achieving all of the recommendations in Attachment 1 to the report (October 6, 2020) from the City Manager, relationships with Indigenous communities, and methods for regular updates to advance shared priorities with governmental and regional partners for a strong recovery.

9. City Council request the Medical Officer of Health to review the recommendations and findings in the COVID-19: Impacts and Opportunities report from the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild in Attachment 1 to the report (October 6, 2020) from the City Manager and bring forward to the Board of Health any recommendations as appropriate.

10. City Council direct the Chief People Officer, the Director Indigenous Affairs Office and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to report to the Executive Committee on options to strengthen the City's equity and reconciliation infrastructure in order to support City Divisions with the additional tools required to deliver on the unique needs of Toronto’s diverse residents, including those who are part of Black, Indigenous and equity-seeking communities, given the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on these communities.

11.  City Council direct the City Manager and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, in preparation of the 2021 Budget, to focus investments in Toronto’s equity, opportunity, resilience and health focussed on core areas of vulnerability that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

12. City Council direct City Officials to provide advice to City Council through the 2021 Budget process on options to prioritize identified needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and reallocate resources from services that can be modified or reduced to meet public health requirements.

13. City Council direct the City Manager to report to City Council as part of the 2021 Budget process, on an approach to respond to recommendations in the COVID-19: Impact and Opportunities report from the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild in Attachment 1 to the report (October 6, 2020) from the City Manager related to improvements to public engagement, by developing an engagement strategy that promotes meaningful engagement with racialized communities and Indigenous peoples, and improved data and research coordination.

14. City Council request the City Manager, as part of the report requested in Part 13 above, to include consultation opportunities and input from groups such as: 

a. a citizen reference panel;

b. Black, Indigenous, people of colour and equity-seeking communities;

c. emerging women and youth leaders programs;

d. existing multi-sectoral partnerships and networks, such as with CivicAction, as outlined in Recommendation 49 in Attachment 3 to the report (October 6, 2020) from the City Manager; and

e. local community and neighbourhood organizations.

15. City Council request the Executive Director, Transit Expansion, in consultation with the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, to utilize the latest available public health and ridership data, and the actions proposed in the Toronto COVID-19 Response Equity Action Plan, and to report through the 2021 Budget process on measures to prioritize transit equity, including steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in areas that have experienced a disproportionate impact.

16.  City Council request the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, in consultation with the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to report to City Council through the 2021 Budget process with options for updating the existing $1,000,000.00 threshold between Residual Commercial tax bands and adding an additional band to support main street businesses. 

17.  City Council request the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, in consultation with the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to report to City Council through the 2021 Budget process with an update on the City’s work with Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and the Ministry of Finance to reduce the volatility of commercial property assessments and support main street businesses.

18 . City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with City Officials, to report to City Council in first quarter of 2021 on the feasibility of a pop-up business licensing framework to encourage entrepreneurship and small business incubation through the City’s COVID-19 recovery. 

19.  City Council direct the City Manager, in consultation with the Environment and Energy Division and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, to develop recommendations for Toronto Hydro to achieve greater outcomes for energy efficiency, demand management and renewable energy within the service area, and report back to City Council by the end of 2020 on the proposed recommendations and how to implement them.

20.  City Council direct the City Manager, in consultation with the Environment and Energy Division, to publicly communicate with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and all major mortgage lending institutions, on the current challenges of mortgage lender consent to rolling out the Home Energy Loan Program, and report back on their response by the end of the first quarter of 2021. 

21.  City Council reiterate its commitment to addressing the climate emergency and request the Environment and Energy Division to expedite work on the climate emergency declaration commitments so that all promised commitments (including the net-zero plan and the 2021-2023 TransformTO implementation plan and associated climate emergency declaration commitments) are delivered to City Council and to report back during the budget process if staff are unable to achieve the target of second quarter of 2021. 

22.  City Council commit to prioritizing the creation of pathways for a green local economy by directing the City Manager to begin developing a low-carbon jobs strategy, which includes employment and training opportunities for Indigenous, Black and other equity-seeking communities, and report back to the Executive Committee, and put forward infrastructure and other stimulus proposals to other orders of government that clearly align with this strategy.

23.  City Council request the City Manager to consider putting forward a COVID-19 Resilience Funding Stream proposal that fast tracks:

a.  critical building repairs and retrofits in priority housing buildings (City-owned long term care homes, shelters, and Indigenous housing); and

b. critical building repairs, upgrades and retrofits in priority buildings (COVID-19 impacted areas, City-owned community spaces, schools) and helps to protect at-risk neighbourhoods from flooding, extreme heat and air pollution through green infrastructure projects.

24.  City Council direct the City Manager to put forward a COVID-19 Resilience Funding Stream proposal, in consultation with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, that fast tracks implementation of the Ravine Strategy and recognizes the ravine's important role as natural infrastructure that provides accessible greenspace, active transportation corridors and ecosystem benefits that make us more resilient to climate change and pandemics; such a proposal should also recognize the direct and indirect jobs that will be supported by building such natural infrastructure.

25.  City Council request the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, in consultation with the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services, to report to City Council through Executive Committee on the feasibility of financial incentives, including eliminating or reducing development charges, for non-profit long term care homes.

26.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to develop and expedite Planning and City building guidelines that would effectively give direction to and encourage the private sector to create and expand senior housing and senior complete communities/villages, while committing to the provision of affordable rental and affordable ownership units as well as accessible retail, wrap-around and primary medical care services.

27.  City Council direct the City Manager to work with Toronto Fire Services, the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Paramedic Services, and stakeholders to seek ways to reimagine, reform, and improve the preparedness of the City of Toronto's Office of Emergency Management.

28. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, the Chief Technology Officer and the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to explore opportunities to adjust park permit fees and noise exemption permit fees, and create partnerships with Toronto businesses to support physically distant outdoor activities through the winter of 2020-2021.