Item - 2012.BU34.1

The Budget Committee:

1.         Referred the Item to the Budget Wrap-Up meeting on December 12 and 17, 2012, along with the following motions:

Motion 6 by Councillor Del Grande

“Arena Boards, Association of Community Centres, and Yonge-Dundas Square – Operating Budgets:

That funding for wages will be equal to but not greater than the City's wage guidelines.”

Motion 19 by Councillor Del Grande

“That the Deputy City Manager, Cluster A, as part of the process to implement the new Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) to consider:

a.         opportunities for client-centred service integration and streamlining of the City's housing, homelessness prevention and related programs, including TCHC; and

b.         the directions and targets in the City's long-term affordable housing strategy, Housing Opportunities Toronto.”

                        Motion 43 by Councillor Del Grande

“That the City Solicitor provide to Council a quarterly score sheet on Council driven legal actions, which includes:

                                     a.       advice given

b.         outcome of the decision

c.         any related costs”

                        Motion 46 by Councillor Parker

“Request the City Manager to consult with Councillors on the proposed Counter Service Review recommendations and report to Government Management Committee early in 2013 with any recommended changes.”

                        Motion 53 by Councillor Del Grande

“That the City work with all City agencies to establish service standards and service levels in time for the 2014 Budget process.”

                        Motion 56 by Councillor Del Grande

                        “Request the CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to undertake a review of the Victoria Park Subway Station redevelopment capital project to examine options and costs for making the station accessible at the eastern (Teesdale) end of the station, and report to the Commission through the 2014 budget process on implementing such changes.”

2.         Requested the following staff to provide Briefing Notes to the wrap-up meeting on December 12 and 17, 2012:

            General:

a.         The City Manager - briefing note that states the "best guess" surplus year by year and all other sources of the $1.189 Billion "Financing Strategy" described in slide 27 of the capital presentation by the City Manager on November 29, 2012.

b.         The City Manager - briefing note on budgeted and actual staffing by division for 2012 and 2013 including vacancies projected at year end.

c.         The City Manager - briefing note which contains a summary of the service efficiency study recommendations that are reflected in the staff recommended 2013 Budget.

d.         The City Manager - briefing note with a breakdown of the $12 million of new user fee revenue.

e.         The City Manager and the City Clerk - briefing note on any cost associated with allowing people with disabilities to participate as deputants through video conferencing at all Standing Committees.

Children's Services:

f.          The General Manager, Children's Services - briefing note that summarizes financing of Children's Services over the past five years including Provincial/City cost-sharing, draws from the provincially funded reserves, and City contributions to services and reserves.

g.         The General Manager, Children's Services - briefing note on the number of new subsidy spaces required to achieve 1% increase in the equity target ratio for infants, toddlers and preschool.

Economic Development and Culture:

h.         The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture - briefing note for the wrap-up budget meeting outlining social and economic benefits of increasing to $25 per capita funding for arts and culture.

i.          The City Manager - briefing note outlining the history of the Billboard Tax since its approval in 2009, including all income generated since its inception, as well as any monies being held in escrow and income projections for the next five years.

j.          The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture - briefing note on options for investing the sign tax revenue to achieve the objectives of the Capital Gains report, including targeting funds to Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOs) community arts and youth programs.

k.         The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture - briefing note on funding for Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOs) across the City and the funding per capita in each of the four districts, and that the briefing note provide options for equitable funding for local arts without decreasing funding to existing LASOs.

l.          The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture - briefing note itemizing the $188,900 reduction in "other expenditures" and the $307,300 increase in "other revenues".

m.        The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture - briefing note by December 31, 2012 which includes a full accounting of below cost rent included in the per capita calculation.

Parks, Forestry and Recreation:

n.         The General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation - briefing note to the Budget Wrap-up on the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation and its work.

o.         That the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation provide a briefing note on which waterfront Parks are being considered for contracting out of maintenance work.

p.         The General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation - briefing note on the impact of Section 37 on Parks, Forestry and Recreation's ability to accommodate growth and state of good repair in transit node areas.

q.         The General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation - briefing note on turf maintenance standards for parks and sports fields and the number of staff allocated, by district, to achieve these standards.

City Planning:

r.          The Chief Planner - briefing note describing the budget impacts of providing adequate staff to that we can:

i.          have robust planning reviews of Employment Lands Conversion requests;

ii.         comment all Committee of Adjustment applications which have larger Zoning or Policy implications;

iii.        conduct planning studies in a more timely fashion; and

iv.        clear the backlog of heritage study requests.

Fire Services:

s.          The City Manager - briefing note on the scope, objectives and timelines of the Service Efficiency Study on Emergency Medical Services and Fire, and the Fire Underwriters survey study.

t.          The Chief, Fire Services - briefing note to wrap-up on how the proposed budget meets the recommendations in the Master Fire Plan including staffing levels, available fleet compliment and National Fire Protection Association 1710 response standards.

Waterfront Revitalization Initiative:

u.         The Deputy City Manager, Cluster B - briefing note on a possible regional Sports Complex at Hearn.

Technical Services:

v.         The Deputy City Manager, Cluster B - briefing note on actual timeframes to process, review and approve development related projects and compare these to existing service levels and identify gaps in approved service levels by application type.

Transportation Services:

w.        The General Manager, Transportation Services - briefing note to explain the change in the road repair backlog (Exclusive of the Gardiner) from the 2012-2021 Capital Plan to the 2013-2022 Capital Plan.

x.         The General Manager, Transportation Services - briefing note showing how Toronto compares to other Ontario municipalities in terms of State of Good Repair (SOGR) backlog as a percentage of asset values.

y.         The General Manager, Transportation Services - briefing note showing transportation funding by source for the 2013-2022 capital budget using the same categories shown on page 18 of the analysts notes.

z.         The General Manager, Transportation Services - briefing note on the minimum repairs and associated costs required to maintain the East end of the Gardiner for the period required to complete the Environmental Assessment on the removal of this portion of the Gardiner.

Legal Services:

aa.        The City Solicitor - briefing note charting the use of outside planners on a ward by ward basis for 2010, 2011, and 2012 that shows a breakdown of appeals with an outside planner stemming from the Committee of Adjustment, rezonings on site-specific bylaws, and the percentage of successful appeals by category.

ab.       The City Solicitor - briefing note breaking down legal cost incurred on a ward by ward basis for 2010, 2011, and 2012 due to appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) charted against the number of development applications and Committee of Adjustment applications on a ward by ward basis.

ac.        The City Solicitor - briefing note breaking down appeals generated by the applicant, City and third party, on application for Committee of Adjustment, rezoning, site-specific bylaw amendment decisions for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

ad.       The City Solicitor - briefing note on the number of appeals settled prior to a formal hearing, with a breakdown by Committee of Adjustment, rezoning and site-specific bylaws for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

ae.        The City Solicitor, in consultation with the Chief Planner - briefing note commenting on training provided to members of the Committee of Adjustment upon appointment and during their term of service with recommendations in that regard.

Facilities Management and Real Estate:

af.        The Chief Corporate Officer - briefing note with a breakdown of funding to Harbourfront Community Centre, Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club, St. Alban Boys and Girls Club, and University Settlement House for the last seven years, and a forecast of the impact of flatlining these grants of the ability of Facilities Management and Real Estate to maintain the centres in a State of Good Repair (SOGR).

Lobbyist Registrar:

ag.       The Lobbyist Registrar - briefing note on the portion of increased traffic attributable to the subject matters "OLG Modernization" and "Casino" in 2012, and a forecast of similarly attributed acts of lobbying in 2013.

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC):

ah.       The CEO of the TTC - briefing note showing the comparison between Toronto and other cities of the percentage of the cost of light rail vehicles paid for by debt.

ai.        The CEO of the TTC - briefing note covering a 5 year history of headway performance and a projection of the 2013 headway performance.

aj.        The CEO of the TTC - briefing note outlining the expected increase in customer base projected past 2015.

ak.       The CEO of the TTC - briefing note with a breakdown of revenue sources for Wheel-Trans, with adult ticket revenue identified as an amount.

al.        The CEO of the TTC - briefing note which includes a detailed breakout of costs and revenues associated with the Metrolinx projects in 2008-2013, including staffing, consultants and other expenses.

am.      The CEO of the TTC - briefing note with a list of all motions passed at the Special City Council meeting in February 2012, identifying those responded to; those pending and the timeline to receive a response to the pending motions.

3.         Requested that the Budget Committee Chair request the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Chair to schedule a briefing meeting, in accordance with any and all legislative meeting notice requirements, in order for the CEO of the TTC to fully present their 2013 63-slide Budget Presentation.