Agenda

This meeting of the Economic and Community Development Committee will be conducted with members participating in person and remotely.

Members of Council, City Officials, and members of the public who register to speak will be provided with the video conference details closer to the meeting date.

To provide comments or make a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee:

The public may submit written comments or register to speak to the Committee on any item on the agenda. The public may speak to the Committee in person or by video conference.

Written comments may be submitted by writing to ecdc@toronto.ca.

To speak to the Committee, please register by e-mail to ecdc@toronto.ca or by phone at 416-397-4579. Members of the public who register to speak will be provided with instructions on how to participate in the meeting.
 

Special Assistance for Members of the Public: City staff can arrange for special assistance with some advance notice. If you need special assistance, please call 416-397-4579, TTY 416-338-0889 or e-mail ecdc@toronto.ca.

Closed Meeting Requirements: If the Economic and Community Development Committee wants to meet in closed session (privately), a member of the Committee must make a motion to do so and give the reason why the Committee has to meet privately (City of Toronto Act, 2006).

Notice to People Writing or Making Presentations to the Economic and Community Development Committee: The City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its Committees and Boards. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City's website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it - such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address - available to the public, unless you expressly request the City to remove it.

Many Committee, Board, and Advisory Body meetings are broadcast live over the internet for the public to view. If you speak at the meeting you will appear in the video broadcast. Video broadcasts are archived and continue to be publicly available.

If you want to learn more about why and how the City collects your information, write to the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto ON M5H 2N2 or call 416-397-4579.

toronto.ca/council

This agenda and any supplementary materials submitted to the City Clerk can be found online at toronto.ca/council. Visit the website for access to all agendas, reports, decisions, and minutes of City Council and its Committees and Boards.

Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act

Confirmation of Minutes – January 11, 2024

Speakers/Presentations – The speakers list will be posted online at 8:30 a.m. on February 20, 2024

Communications/Reports

The Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture recommend that:

1. City Council request that the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture work with City Planning, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Toronto Children’s Services, Transportation Services, Toronto Employment and Social Services, Environment and Climate, Housing Secretariat and other relevant City divisions to form an interdivisional team to ensure ongoing collaboration, for the implementation of the Jane Finch Community Development Plan (Appendix A - Jane Finch Community Development Plan Vision & Actions).

2. City Council request that the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture and other relevant City divisions, in partnership with community groups, organizations, local businesses, institutions, foundations and other private sector partners, implement and monitor the Jane Finch Community Development Plan, beginning with the following key implementation actions for year one of a 10-year plan:  

a. Form a Community Partnership Circle, including a Resident Leadership Circle, that includes residents, businesses, and other community partners to ensure continual engagement, skill development and collaboration for the implementation of the Community Development Plan.

b. Design and implement an Engagement and Communication Strategy working with the members of the Resident Leadership Circle to ensure ongoing resident participation and engagement throughout the implementation of the Community Development Plan.

c. Develop a Community Impact Table in collaboration with foundations, funders, City divisions, business partners and other institutional partners to support the resourcing of actions identified in the Community Development Plan.

3.  City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to work with Jane Finch community partners and groups to design and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the ongoing monitoring of the Community Development Plan actions and to provide regular reports to the Jane Finch Community.

4.  City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to report through the 2025 Budget Process on the resources, staff and program operations required to ensure ongoing engagement and capacity-building of residents, with a priority focus on Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups and inclusive of grassroots groups, youth groups, community organizations and local businesses in Jane Finch throughout the lifetime of the Jane Finch Community Development Plan.

The opening of the Finch West Light Rail Transit line stands to bring intensive and long-term change to the Jane Finch Area. Jane Finch is an area shaped by a history of underinvestment but also a history of community organizing and action responding to community needs. Growing evidence suggests that without focused investments in Reconciliation, equity and systems-wide strategies and supports, neighbourhoods with a history of underinvestment can experience increased levels of disruption and harm as a result of increased development pressure. For new investments to positively impact existing and new Jane Finch residents, holistic supports and policy frameworks must be put in place that reflect the diverse visions of Jane Finch residents, grassroots groups, local organizations, artists, and local businesses. New policies, programs and partnerships must focus where the need is greatest and address the inequities that shape the lives of residents, with priority given to Indigenous, Black, and equity-deserving groups in Jane Finch.

The purpose of this report is to present a proposed Jane Finch Community Development Plan, and to outline the interdivisional and community-led Jane Finch Initiative process that led to the proposed plan. The report also lays out immediate and longer-term next steps to implement the plan.

The Jane Finch Community Development Plan 2024-2034 is a resident-informed plan for the future of the Jane Finch Area led by Social Development, Finance and Administration and Economic Development and Culture. The Community Development Plan is a 25-year plan and commitment to Jane Finch that will be renewed every 10 years with the first 10 years beginning in 2024 and ending in 2034.  The Jane Finch Community Development Plan accompanies the Jane Finch Secondary Plan – both aim to ensure that residents, local groups, organizations and businesses are supported as the area changes over time, including with the opening of the Finch West Light Rail Transit. To this end, the Jane Finch Community Development Plan sets out a 10-year community support and resourcing framework.

While the Secondary Plan will provide consistent land use and urban design guidelines for new development, the Community Development Plan is focused on social, economic, and cultural themes. Actions to support Jane Finch communities under these themes will continue to evolve through ongoing partnerships and discussions between multiple parties including the City of Toronto, residents, community organizations and local institutions.

The focus and content of the Community Development Plan are the result of a 2-year partner-led engagement process and intensive collaboration between participating City divisions and the Jane/Finch Centre. Through the engagement process, the Jane Finch Community Development Plan has identified the following eight action areas:

• Access to Space and Mobility
• Food Justice and Sovereignty
• Community Safety and Wellbeing
• Climate Action
• Arts, Culture and Heritage
• Inclusive Employment Opportunities
• Inclusive Entrepreneurship Opportunities
• Anti-Displacement Strategy

The Community Development Plan will advance actions across the eight action areas. The actions will be guided by principles that reflect the City of Toronto's commitments to Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups and vulnerable populations through the City's Reconciliation Action Plan, Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism and broader equity-driven strategies, initiatives and programs.

In the process of developing the Jane Finch Community Development Plan, the City has established a strong interdivisional collaboration and community partnership approach to advance both the Jane Finch Community Development Plan and Secondary Plan. The lessons learned through the engagement and development process and through interdivisional collaboration will continue to inform ongoing monitoring and implementation.

Contingent on City Council’s approval of the Jane Finch Community Development Plan, Year 1 actions to be started and implemented in 2024 include the formalization of several partnership tables, an Engagement and Communications Strategy and a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. One-time funding of $0.05 million (gross and net) has been allocated within the Mayor’s proposed 2024 Operating Budget for Social Development, Finance and Administration, to fund resident engagement actions for the implementation of this Community Development Plan. 

Based on the completion of the Year 1 actions, staff will submit a business case for consideration during the 2025 Budget process to seek further funding for staffing and program resources, to advance the goals and actions of the Jane Finch Community Development Plan.

There are no known current year financial implications to Economic Development and Culture resulting from the adoption of the recommendations contained in this report. Should any immediate costs arise from implementing the Jane Finch Community Development Plan in 2024, they can be accommodated through identifying alternative funding sources, offsetting reductions or reallocations within the Mayor's proposed 2024 Operating Budget. Any future year financial implications to Economic Development and Culture will be submitted for consideration as part of future budget processes, subject to the City's financial and resource capacity against other critical City-wide operating impacts.

The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards recommends that:  

1.  City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals to include a provision that the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards is to create and maintain a public record listing information (including the dog owner’s Forward Sorting Area (first three digits of the postal code), ward number, the dog’s name, breed and colour, and the date of the dangerous act) of all served Dangerous Dog Orders, which is to be posted in a manner available to the public.

2.  City Council request the Mayor to include resources in the 2025 Budget (up to $500,000) for the Municipal Licensing and Standards Division to implement a proactive communication strategy and public education campaign to support compliance and enforcement with the goal of reducing the occurrence of dangerous dog acts.

3.  City Council request the Government of Ontario consider amendments to the Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA) to provide an expeditious process to hear DOLA proceedings, as well as an explicit mechanism for municipalities to recover costs incurred by the municipality when it holds an animal pursuant to a warrant or interim control order under DOLA.  

On September 21, 2023, the Economic and Community Development Committee adopted EC6.9 - Incident and Operational Review of Serious Dog Attacks. The item included a letter from Councillor Paula Fletcher in response to a serious dog attack occurring on July 30, 2023. Staff were directed to review the specific incident, as well as procedures and processes of Toronto Animal Services (TAS) for the compliance and enforcement of Dangerous Dog Orders, including in the immediate aftermath of a serious dog attack. The Committee also requested staff review relevant Toronto Public Health (TPH) processes and procedures, as well as options to make dangerous dog charges known to the public.

TAS within Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) investigates dangerous acts committed by a dog. TAS enforces requirements under Chapter 349, Animals (the Animals By-law), which requires owners to take reasonable precautions to prevent their dog from engaging in a dangerous act. The By-law also sets out criteria for when a Dangerous Dog Order may be issued and outlines associated conditions a dog owner must comply with. TAS may also commence proceedings under the provincial Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA), which states that dog owners are liable for any damages resulting from a bite or attack by their dog.

TPH investigates dog bites or attacks that could be conducive to the transmission of rabies to people. Investigation processes are dictated by the Health Protection and Promotion Act, its regulations, guidelines, and protocols from the Ministry of Health specific to the prevention of rabies.

This report summarizes results of operational reviews undertaken by MLS and TPH, as well as actions staff have completed and work that is currently underway to improve processes to support effective and timely dog investigations and enhance public safety.

This report was developed in consultation with TPH, Legal Services, and Strategic Public and Employee Communications. Legal Services is preparing a supplementary report for this item.

There is no financial impact resulting from this report.

Staff are proposing that MLS request funds up to $500,000 as part of the 2025 budget for a proactive communication strategy and public education campaign to support compliance and enforcement with the goal of reducing the occurrence of dangerous dog acts. There is a need to change public behaviour and increase awareness of why dogs need to be leashed, how owners can prevent dangerous dog acts and how people and children can safely interact with dogs. Staff will consider opportunities to partially offset costs through an expected increase in pet licensing revenues as part of the request, if approved.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial implications as identified in the Financial Impact section.

The Economic and Community Development Committee requested the City Solicitor to report on options to make charges under dangerous dog legislation known to the public as well as public.

This supplementary report describes the legal considerations in making information about dangerous dog orders to comply publicly available on the City's website.

There are no financial implications to the City arising from the recommendation in this report.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards recommends that:

1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 591, Noise to replace 591-2.5C with the following: “No person shall emit or cause or permit the emission of any sound from a stationary motor vehicle exceeding the following when measured at least 50 cm from the exhaust outlet using a sound level meter: (a) 92 dB(A) at idle; or (b) 96 dB(A) at any engine speed greater than idle.”

2. City Council direct that the amendment come into force on June 1, 2024.

On January 11, 2024, the Economic and Community Development Committee adopted, with amendments, 2024.EC9.5: Implementation Review of the Noise By-law.

A key recommendation in the staff report was to implement Council direction to add a noise decibel limit for stationary motor vehicles, in addition to limits currently in place for motorcycles at idle. The proposed limits align with industry standards and associated test procedures and were recommended in consultation with an acoustical engineering firm. The Committee referred this specific change back to Committee and requested staff report back to the February 20, 2024, Economic and Community Development Committee meeting on options for reduced decibel levels for motorcycles and motor vehicles.

This supplementary report provides the Committee with further information regarding proposed motorcycle and motor vehicle noise decibel limits, including additional details on how decibel limits are measured and the importance of the distance a measurement is taken (as sound levels vary depending on one’s distance from the noise source).  

After additional consideration, staff recommend keeping the decibel limits as proposed in 2024.EC9.5. The proposed limits are the lowest decibel limit range identified for implementation by the acoustical engineer, respond to Council direction to implement a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard, and are consistent with those that have been implemented and enforced in other Ontario municipalities. In addition, the proposed approach has been endorsed by Toronto Police Service (TPS) staff, whose Board requested that MLS consider enforceable decibel limits above idle. If and when updated limits are approved, TPS staff have confirmed their support in conducting periodic joint enforcement initiatives with MLS to address excessive vehicle noise and illegally modified vehicles.

The goal of implementing decibel limits for motorcycles and motor vehicles is to target excessively noisy vehicles with modified emissions systems, not to inadvertently capture the use of normally operating motorcycles or other motor vehicles in the City. Introducing decibel limits as proposed in 2024.EC9.5 would accomplish this policy goal.

There are no financial implications resulting from this report. The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial implications as identified in the Financial Impact section.