Item - 2020.EX19.1

That City Council direct the City Manager to work with the business community, the Canadian Urban Institute, Business Improvement Areas, Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Parliament and City Councillors in the TOcore catchment area to develop a Downtown Economic Recovery Action Plan and to report the outcomes in the next quarterly update, on proposed intergovernmental programs that provide immediate to short-term proportional supports to the businesses hardest hit by COVID-19, including but not be limited to the following:

a.  enhanced wage subsidies;

b.  fixed cost relief;

c.  addressing liquidity challenges;

d.  accelerating high-impact public realm investments;

e.  improving visitor experience through safe and inclusive initiatives; and

f.  localized public procurement to support Buy Local campaigns.

That Councillor Wong-Tam be permitted to withdraw her motion 1.

That City Council request the Director, Environment and Energy, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Hydro and the Tower Renewal Office, to report back to City Council in the first quarter of 2021, in conjunction with any planned reports on options accelerating retrofit of existing buildings, regarding how the City and its agencies and corporations can leverage the new energy efficiency funding and financing programs outlined in the Federal Government 2020 Fall Economic Statement and the Climate Action Plan to accelerate deep retrofits of all building types in the city, to maximize the uptake of Federal funds to provide value for Toronto citizens and businesses, and to maximize the carbon reduction achieved, such report should include but not be limited to:

a. an expanded role for the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building related to requirements for renovation permits, promoting the funding and financing, and collecting data;

b. providing market-development and support services, for instance the energy coach program in British Colombia, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund Multiple-unit Residential Building-focused Retrofit Delivery Centre, the Toronto Environment and Energy Navigator program and the Green Will Initiative;

c. local utility functions that would increase value and uptake of efficiency programs;

d. linking distributed renewable energy with retrofit programs in a seamless and supported manner;

e. mechanisms to drive cost efficiencies from economies of scale and ensure community benefits; and

f. requests to the Federal and Provincial Governments regarding program design and delivery of programs, regulatory changes to mortgage lender consent for the Home Energy Loan program, and other factors needed to allow streamlined and effective implementation.