Item - 2022.GL32.19

That City Council delete General Government and Licensing Committee Recommendation 1:

Recommendation to be deleted

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the General Manager of Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to execute a Bulk Room Accommodations Agreement, and any related ancillary agreements, with North York Park Home Hotel LP., or a related legal entity, with respect to the property known municipally as 3 Park Home Avenue generally on the terms and conditions outlined in Appendix A to the report (June 17, 2022) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, and on such other or amended terms and conditions as may be deemed appropriate by the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

and adopt instead the following recommendation in the supplementary report (July 13, 2022) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management [GL32.19a]:

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the General Manager of Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to execute a Bulk Room Accommodations Agreement, and any related ancillary agreements, with North York Park Home Hotel LP., or a related legal entity, with respect to the property known municipally as 3 Park Home Avenue generally on the terms and conditions outlined in Appendix A to GL32.19 report dated June 17, 2022, as amended by the additional terms and conditions outlined in Appendix A to this Supplemental Report, and on such other or amended terms and conditions as may be deemed appropriate by the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

That:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to:

a. adjust the food budget allocated to 3 Park Home from $22.50 per person per day to $30.00 per person per day, to account for the total value of the catering contract set out in the Supplementary Report from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, as well as additional food programing services that may be provided through the shelter provider, including external catering and at external locations;

b. redirect any unspent amount of the total food budget for 3 Park Home for the purpose of providing enhanced programming in such areas as recreation and the arts, in addition to other enhanced programming to support a variety of other needs;

c. develop, in collaboration with the service provider/operator, a flexible, robust food services program that utilizes both in-house catering and external catering and food services providers, based on the annual food budget allocated to 3 Park Home; 

d. develop, in collaboration with the service provider and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, a strategy to mitigate the loss of business, if any, from the change of use from hotel to emergency shelter at 3 Park Home Avenue while providing more opportunities for residents to have variety in their diets, including food from their own culture; and

e. assess, in collaboration with service provider and the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the feasibility of the operation of the hotel pool, either through City programming or in coordination with an external service provider.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to amend the terms of the Bulk Room Accommodations Agreement so that they provide for the following:

a. a minimum number of full day meals to be provided by North York Park Home Hotel LP set no higher than a cost of $7,800 per day;

b. in the event that the food service is terminated for any reason, that the kitchen facilities at 3 Park Home Avenue be made available to the service provider, through the City, at a cost based on fair market value;

c. provision for the number of meals ordered by the service provider to be adjusted with a minimum of 48 hours' notice in advance to accommodate unanticipated circumstances; and

d. the swimming pool inside 3 Park Home Avenue be made available for possible use by residents, at the discretion of the City, in consultation with the service provider, with operating costs being provided by the City.

That:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to hold a meeting with the local Councillor, the hotel operator, union representatives and workers from the hotel, and relevant City staff to discuss employment impacts, and options for transition plans for impacted workers should this be required.

That:

1. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to review all existing programs and initiatives that can assist to mitigate any potential financial impacts of Emergency Shelters and/or Refugee Hotels on businesses that are not in established Business Improvement Areas, and to report back to City Council in the second quarter of 2023.

That consideration of the item be deferred to Special City Council Meeting 48 on August 15, 2022.

That the General Government and Licensing Committee:

1. Direct the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate, to report directly to the July 19 and 20, 2022 meeting of City Council on revisions to the terms of the agreement to achieve the following:

a. Significantly reduced payments for food catering with no reduction in standards for quality, quantity or variety;

b. Flexibility in food choices both within and outside 3 Park Home to create greater opportunities for culturally appropriate meals and to support local business;

c. Greater flexibility to get out of the catering agreement;

d. Ensuring maximum use of non-room space at 3 Park Home to support the needs of residents of 3 Park Home;

e. Changes to the agreement to ensure that the City is not paying for 100 percent of rooms at times when it is already known that they won't be used; and

f. Protection to the City in the event that there is a significant change in the flow of refugee claimants which might impact the financial commitment by the Government of Canada.

The General Government and Licensing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration to:

a. Work co-operatively with City divisions, Boards, Agencies and facilities to maximize opportunities to support the needs of new residents of 3 Park Home, including but not limited to Toronto Public Library, Toronto Parks and Recreation (Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre), TOLive (Meridian Arts Centre), North York Arts and that appropriate funding be provided for this purpose.

b. Work co-operatively with community organizations such as the Willowdale Interfaith Council to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the residents of 3 Park Home.

c. Provide regular briefings to, and consultation with, the local Councillor on the operations at 3 Park Home, including opportunities for improvement and any issues which may arise.

2. City Council request the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration to provide appropriate assurances to the community and local Councillor that 3 Park Home is not considered an appropriate site for a single individuals experiencing homelessness and that there is no intention to convert it for this use in the future.