Item - 2024.EC16.4

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 591, Noise as follows:

a. Add a definition of “Grassroots Cultural Organization” to mean “A small community-led organization or collective, determined in consultation with the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture or their designate, to have a defined cultural or community mandate.”

b. Amend section 591-3.2G.1 such that it reads as follows: “Despite anything contained in § 591-3.2., where an application for an exemption permit is made by a not-for-profit corporation or a grassroots cultural organization, the applicant will not be required to pay the associated exemption permit application fee in Chapter 441, Fees and Charges.”

2. City Council direct that the by-law amendment above come into effect immediately on the date a by-law is adopted.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to work with private waste collection operators and other relevant stakeholders to respond to reports regarding noise from waste collection, particularly those resulting in overnight and/or early morning disturbances, and monitor the response to noise reports.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to work with waste collection operators and other relevant stakeholders to develop and publish online guidance documents for waste collectors, property managers and residents, that may be referred to for best practices to mitigate noise from waste collection operations.

5. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to

expand the established mediation referral program to include waste collection noise issues and disputes.

6. City Council direct the Executive Director, Customer Experience, in consultation with the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to enhance the user experience related to reporting non-enforceable noise reports on the online 311 portal.

7. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to publicly monitor the effectiveness of the new collaborative approach in mitigating overnight and/or early morning disturbances from private waste collection by reporting complaint and outcome data at least quarterly and to report back to Economic and Community Development Committee in the first quarter of 2026 after evaluation of the effectiveness of this work in mitigating overnight and/or early morning disturbances from private waste collection, including consideration of whether the current exemption should be continued and on what terms.

8. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to begin working with the private waste collection industry immediately upon adoption of this report to address and work toward preventing repetition of complaints regarding overnight waste collection noise, including all complaints received in 2024.

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on outstanding directives related to the Noise By-law, including options to reduce noise from waste collection, a recommendation to provide a noise exemption permit application fee waiver for grassroots cultural organizations, and an assessment of amplified sound levels that exceed ambient levels. This report also provides an update on the status of implementation of amendments made to the Noise By-law in June and September 2024, including ongoing efforts to respond to motor vehicle noise.

Per direction from Council to explore options to reduce noise from waste collection, staff recommend keeping the waste collection noise exemption in place, given limited data available on waste collection noise sources, locations and timing, and the benefits of mitigating waste buildup, odour, safety issues, and congestion by allowing collection during non-peak hours. To address noise disturbances from waste collection, staff recommend implementing programmatic changes to aid in identifying and reducing specific sources of waste collection noise on a case-by-case basis, by working with industry to address noise reports and developing noise mitigation guidelines. MLS will monitor how private collectors respond to waste collection noise reports, and escalate cases where issues are not resolved to community mediation. This process will be monitored until the end of 2025, at which time further recommendations can be considered if the process is not effective at reducing noise reports.

Council also directed staff to explore the feasibility of waiving the noise exemption permit application fee for grassroots cultural organizations, which staff are recommending as part of this report.

This report was prepared in consultation with Economic Development and Culture and Solid Waste Management Services.