Item - 2024.EC13.3

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1. Received the report (May 14, 2024) from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, for information.

This report responds to a directive from City Council to explore the feasibility of piloting an operational base in North York for Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) By-Law Enforcement Officers.

MLS By-Law Enforcement Officers are based out of one of three locations: 1530 Markham Road, 433 Eastern Avenue, and 399 The West Mall. Each location contains  teams of By-Law Enforcement Officers that investigate and enforce the various by-laws under MLS' jurisdiction. This includes both multi-disciplinary teams that have responsibility for a number of by-laws in a defined geographic area (known as a district), and dedicated enforcement teams, such as RentSafeTO or Noise, that provide city-wide service for a specific by-law or program. Service requests in North York are responded to by staff operating at each of these three locations, depending on the specific location and nature of the request.

In consultation with Corporate Real Estate Management, staff have not identified a site in North York that would optimally support the needs of an operational base of by-law enforcement officers, making a pilot not feasible at this time. However, MLS' growth has necessitated a review of long-term space planning needs for the division, aimed at identifying permanent solutions for increased space. MLS will continue to work closely with Corporate Real Estate Management to review MLS' space requirements city-wide, including options to locate MLS By-Law Enforcement Officers at appropriate facilities in North York.