Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon finishes her "embarrassed" speech

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At the start of last week's council meeting -- the first real working session with Mayor Rob Ford and the new council -- the ever-chipper Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon stood up and released a blast that surprised many of her colleagues.

“I was embarrassed to be a Toronto councillor that day,” McMahon said, reflecting on a one-day session the previous week where council took care of some housekeeping itms . “We had three small items on our agenda, one being whether to have sandwiches at our meeting or not. It took us five hours, that is ridiculous.

“It was a complete and utter waste of our time, money and effort,” she said. “That is not why I ran for council.”

McMahon had more to say but was ruled out of order by Speaker Frances Nunziata, amid a chorus of grumbling from the veterans. McMahon, who calls herself one of council's "neutral newbies", now says she should have spoken to Nunziata earlier, to let her know her plans and make sure it was done in the appropriate way.

On Dec. 23, we visited McMahon's City Hall office and gave her a chance to complete her thoughts. Click the link at the top of this post to hear it in Quick Time format. If you don't have the free software, you can download it here: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

 

Audit shows busy subway stations still need attention

The Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area released its December TTC scorecard this week. It identifies mostly routine maintenance issues at the south end of the Yonge-University subway line.

Although the scorecard notes there has been continuous improvement since last year, the actual score suggests that there's a way to go.

There is nothing to suggest that the introduction of station managers at the Queen and King stations has enhanced the stations' appearance.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross suggested that many of the issues identified in the audit are longer-term problems. Here's his email response:

"The TTC has an ongoing program to keep on top of litter and other issues, such as water leaks, brake dust and the removal of gum. Many of the observations in the report cited do require longer-term fixes and staff resources, particularly leak remediation. Light fixtures and lenses that were noted as missing is something we’re working to address with another supplier, as some of the parts are no longer available. Missing ceiling slats are a result of other work that is being carried out that requires us to remove the slats until that other work is completed," he wrote.

"Maintaining the appearance of subway stations to a level of acceptance or better is an important part of the TTC’s commitment to customer service. The TTC recognizes that even superficial blemishes can leave a bad impression with visitors to the city. Our daily riders also want clean subway stations, as do we. The TTC looks forward to continuing work with the BIA to further improve station appearances downtown, but also across the entire system."

Beauty in the eye of the rider

 
The idea of elevated light rail has frequently been dismissed as a non-starter in Toronto. The fear is that it could create Gardiner Expressway-like scenarios around the city and interfere with above-ground utility lines.

But this photo of the Brentwood Station on Vancouver's Millennium line, sent by Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig, proves it needn't be ugly and could in fact add a little wow to the landscape. Of course this picture is shot from above, not the view most people would enjoy. Other photos online, however, show that the station is still arresting from the rider's perspective.

Metrolinx and the TTC are analyzing the potential impacts of above-grade trains as a way to meet Mayor Rob Ford's goal of reserving road space for cars but expanding transit. Building above ground is less expensive than burying rail lines. With automated light rail such as that used in Vancouver it's also cheaper to operate because you don't have to pay drivers and computerized signalling means you can run more trains.

The technology being used in Vancouver is the next generation of Toronto's SRT, which theoretically can also operate unstaffed.

Rob Ford weighs in on transit. Ottawa's transit.

 Toronto's new mayor is fond of pointing out that he was elected Oct. 25 with a strong mandate. The Rob Ford juggernaut shows no signs of slowing, what with his triple-play at council last week -- car registration tax scrapped, councillors' budgets cut and TTC essential service requested. Bam! indeed.

But can mere city boundaries contain Ford's bulging political biceps? Maybe not. The Ottawa Sun called Toronto's mayor and asked if the capital should ask the province to make OC Transpo an essential service. It's not a bad question, given that most Torontonians would have trouble recalling the last transit strike while Ottawans only too-well remember their 53-day transit strike two years ago.

When asked if the City of Ottawa should follow his lead, Mayor Ford said: “They should do the same thing. It’s definitely an issue. We had 13 strikes in Toronto and it cost us $50 million a day.”

The real test of Ford's political powers? Let's see if bus-dominated OC Transpo starts talking subways.

 

Bobby Curtola: still totally around

Remember Bobby Curtola?

I'm not in my 50s, so I don't. But he was once, in the 1960s, a big deal, topping charts with catchy pop songs like “Fortune Teller,” and, for some reason, he was at City Hall on Friday afternoon.

Chaperoned, for some reason, by councillor-turned-lobbyist Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, Curtola wandered into numerous councillors’ offices for some surprise serenading. Gloria Lindsay Luby was excited about this; she, like Curtola, is from Thunder Bay, and she remembers when Curtola was “big everywhere.” Joe Mihevc, conversely, appeared rather unimpressed. “This place is weird,” he said after Curtola left. “Rob Ford's the mayor, this guy's going into people's offices and singing songs..."

In addition to all singing, Curtola signed lots of little photos he brought – for both people who wanted them and people who didn’t.

 

 

RECAP: Toronto city council meeting

One-quarter of T.O. tenants to get an automatic rent reduction

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
==========================================

News Release

December 14, 2010

Lower rents for 25 per cent of Toronto renter households

About a quarter of Toronto tenant households are receiving notices of an automatic rent reduction this week. Tenants should check their daily mail, and act on this valuable information.

Addressed to the “Current Tenant”, clearly marked “Rent Reduction Notice Enclosed”, and in a City of Toronto envelope, these letters contain all the customized information a tenant requires to start paying a lower rent as early as December 31, 2010.

This year, 128,109 Toronto households are eligible for a rent reduction under provincial legislation because the property tax on their buildings has been lowered by more than 2.49 per cent during 2010. This compares to 128,532 in 2009 and 330 in 2008.

Municipalities are required to send notices about the tax decrease and rent reduction to landlords of affected buildings by September 15 and to tenants by December 15. Notices are based on assessment information provided by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), an independent organization established by the provincial government.

Tenants of buildings with more than six units generally pay about 20 per cent of their rent toward property taxes, so if taxes go down, they are entitled to reduce their rent by 20 per cent of the reduction. For buildings with six or fewer units, the percentage is 15. All rules are established by provincial legislation.

The rent reduction provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act apply only to private rental buildings occupied as residences before November 1, 1991. Newer apartment buildings are not covered. A number of other restrictions apply.

If a household does not receive the rent reduction notice, it is not entitled to automatically reduce the rents. Tenants in buildings with property tax reductions of 2.49 per cent or less may be eligible for a rent reduction if they make an application to the Landlord and Tenant Board. More information: http://www.toronto.ca/housing

Tenants can contact 311 with any queries, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively, tenants can contact the City-funded Tenant Hotline at 416-921-9494.

The Landlord and Tenant Board has a telephone information line (416-645-8080) for inquiries, including those about the rules for calculating rent reductions and for above-guideline rent increase applications, as well as exemptions and rent reduction procedures for people living in buildings with tax reductions of 2.49 per cent or less. The Board’s website is http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca.

Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents. For information about non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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FAQ available at http://toronto.ca/housing/rentlowerfaq.htm

Community activist Dave Meslin's open letter to T.O.'s new councillors

Dave Meslin, the guy behind the Better Ballots initiative and many others aimed at boosting community involvement in the City of Toronto's decision-making, has written an open letter to Toronto's 14 new city councillors on his Facebook page.

Here's part of it: "As you begin your career as a City Councillor, I just wanted to write this short letter to you encouraging you not to pick sides. Don't join a team. Try to build relationships with each of the other 43 Councillors, and with the Mayor. We need new heroes at City Hall. But not partisan heroes. We need consensus heroes. We need Councillors who can pull together alliances and coalitions based on trust, compromise and listening.  Listening to voters, experts, local activists, and each other."

So far, it seems, most of the newbies are doing just that. They have formed a loose-knit alliance among themselves while several, including Josh Matlow writing in the Star, have bemoaned council's left-right dynamic that leads to a winner-take-all result rather than any kind of consensus-building.

Councillor Layton wants Maclean's apology for "Too Asian?" story

The first real meeting of the new city council on Thursday will be a busy one, with thorny items including asking the province to designate the TTC an essential service, scrapping the vehicle registration tax and chopping councillors' office budgets.

Other interesting items on the agenda include:

-- Rookie Councillor Mike Layton (son of Jack, stepson of Olivia Chow) wants the City of Toronto to officially call on Maclean's magazine to apologize for its recent controversial story headlined "Too Asian?" (the headline was changed to "The Enrollment controversy" on macleans.ca) about the racial make-up of students at Canadian universities. The motion, seconded by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, calls on councillors to vote that:

1.         Toronto City Council disassociate itself from the views expressed by Maclean's in its article entitled "Too Asian?" and request that MacLean's apologize unreservedly for the negative stereotyping of the Asian-Canadian community.

 2.         City Council request the City Clerk to advise Maclean's Magazine of this decision in writing.

Layton (Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina) argues that Toronto celebrates diversity and has done much to promote equal opportunity, and the Maclean's story "suggests that students of Asian heritage may be limiting opportunities for non-Asians at Canadian universities and in particular the University of Toronto.

"Therefore, in keeping with the City's leadership role in seeking to eliminate racism and discrimination, Toronto City Council is called upon to disassociate itself from the views expressed by this article and to reinforce the rights of any student to attend post-secondary education without limitation."

Layton will need to get the support of two-thirds of council to actually get his motion voted upon by council. Otherwise, it will be referred to the executive committee.

-- Gloria Lindsay Luby is making good on her threat to try to get Toronto's fire department to scrap a policy that sees homeowners fined, usually $1,100, for their first-ever fire alarm. The fire chief suggested last winter, when the rule was approved during budget deliberations, that few if any homeowners would be affected by a rule aimed at clamping down on problematic highrises.

The Star recently revealed that the department has fined 1,100 homeowners under the rule since April 1, with 300 of them able to successfully appeal, and some homeowers are disconnecting their alarms as a result.

Lindsay Luby wants to return to the previous rule, giving homeowners "one good faith false alarm per 12 months before requiring them to pay any fees."

Like the "Too Asian" motion, it requires the consent of two-thirds of council or it will be referred to the licensing and standards committee.

-- Council will decide if a yearly option to have a box at the Rogers Centre is a gravy-train perk that must go. The option, a legacy from Metro Toronto's role in building what was then called SkyDome, only costs the city money if it buys tickets to fill the box for 16 Blue Jays games. In recent years, the city has taken a pass, allowing Rogers to sell the box to somebody else.

Odds are council will vote to end the option, but it may take the easy way out and continue the tradition of not buying tickets. The least likely scenario, and one not recommended by the clerk's office, is council opting to buy the tickets for the 2011 season at a cost of $104,500.

-- A motion by Councillor Paula Fletcher aimed at saving The Hearn mothballed generating station from the wrecking ball. The imposing 58-year-old Art Deco building in the port lands is owned by Ontario Power Generation, and leased by Studios of America. That company has applied to demolish the structure but is welcoming Councillor Adam Vaughan's proposal that the new ice rinks for downtown, currently proposed as a glittering new stacked arena on Commissioner's St., instead be put in The Hearn.

Ford's budget chief is making a list, he's checking it twice

Councillor Mike Del Grande, Mayor Rob Ford's hand-picked budget chief, sent an email to his colleagues Friday that had some scratching their heads.

"I would be curious to keep in mind when it comes to Budget what would be your one highest priority "I wish" for either capital or operating expenditure in your ward."

Only one? There are thousands of items in the budgets, many interconnected, so what value is their in asking councillors for a single item. And why not one capital and one operating budget item, since they are separate items?

"What is he, Santa, and we have to climb up on his knee to tell him what we want to keep?" grumbled one veteran councillor.

A rookie councillor waggishly suggested she was going to email back "Transit City" -- the long-planned light-rail network that subway-focused Ford says is "over."