Item - 2019.EX7.3

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council direct the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building and the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to implement the recommendations contained in the Internal Audit Report, "Crescent Town Pedestrian Bridge Review" by the end of 2019.
 

2.  City Council direct the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building and the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to identify any additional areas where roles and responsibilities overlap, and revise any associated policies and procedures, in order to mitigate against future exposures.

 
3.  City Council direct the Director, Internal Audit, and the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to hold a City-sponsored public meeting in Crescent Town in the third quarter of 2019 to:

a. share the findings and recommendations of the Crescent Town Bridge Internal Audit Review;

b. provide an update on Toronto Building and Municipal Licensing and Standards' implementation of the Internal Audit recommendations; and

c. request the Toronto District School Board and Bleeman Holdings/Pinedale Properties to provide an update on the replacement plans for the bridge.

 
4.  City Council request the Director, Internal Audit to review any additional documents or information provided by Janet Davis, former Member of Toronto City Council.

On November 17, 2018, a privately-owned, publicly-accessible bridge, in the City's Crescent Town neighbourhood, partially collapsed.  Councillors and the public expressed concern that there had been a lack of timely action on the part of the City and property owners in response to complaints, investigations and enforcement related to the bridge, prior to the collapse. 

At its meeting of December 4, 2018, City Council adopted a Member's Motion directing the City Manager to examine the circumstances and actions of City staff related to the Crescent Town bridge and identify areas for improving public safety related to privately-owned, publicly-accessible bridges. This report responds to that City Council direction.

Attached to this staff report is Internal Audit's review of how the City carried out its responsibilities related to the Crescent Town bridge. The review concluded that a number of factors contributed to the lack of timely action on the part of the City and property owners. The Internal Audit resulted in four recommendations; however, the report did not identify any misconduct. Toronto Building and Municipal Licensing and Standards are in agreement with and supports all of the recommendations resulting from the Internal Audit review. Toronto Building and Municipal Licensing and Standards are moving quickly to implement the Internal Audit recommendations and an implementation plan is outlined in this report. All of the recommendations are either complete or underway with full completion expected by the end of the year, in advance of the Internal Audit timeline. 

This report also responds to City Council's direction to consider options for an independent third-party review of the circumstances leading to the collapse of the bridge. Based on research and consideration of risks, costs, potential scope and efficacy, an independent third-party review is not recommended. The Internal Audit review recommendations will strengthen the safety of publicly-accessible, privately-owned bridges. It is not expected that a municipal judicial investigation would provide any further lessons than those which emerged from the Internal Audit review.  Further, research suggests that municipal judicial investigations tend to be costly and time-consuming.

This report has been prepared in consultation with the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, City Solicitor, Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards and Director, Internal Audit.