How to Follow Council on December 16

Here's a short guide on how to follow items on the City Council agenda on December 16.

We are working to improve the provision of online information about City Council and its committees.

We are doing things a little differently since we put our legislative database online at toronto.ca/council on December 1. Please bear with us as we adjust our meeting routines.

Here's how to follow along:

1. Rogers TV and stream
You can watch the meeting live on Rogers Cable TV or on the stream they provide at rogerstv.com. Here's a direct link.

2. Twitter
We will be providing updates on major milestones - @torontocouncil. We will use the hashtag #tocouncil.

3. toronto.ca/council
You can follow the meeting by navigating to the agenda here.

(Wireless devices will default to a mobile view that does not contain all the features described here, but can be switched to a desktop view)

Here are some features:

Item Status
The status of the agenda items will be listed in the right hand column. (See the handy guide to item statuses below)

Item View
Click on the agenda item number to get the whole history and background of the item. The recommendations, background reports and any other related links will appear.

You can bookmark the item and revisit later if you wish. When you revisit the item, it will be updated with any new information.

This includes motions and votes, and in some cases preliminary decisions.

Map View
Check out our new map view of location-based agenda items by clicking 'Map'.

Meeting Monitor
If you prefer a self-refreshing, scrolling picture of the meeting's progress, check out the Meeting Monitor link at the top of the agenda. It will launch a new window that you can leave open on your desktop.

4. Comment on an item
When viewing the detailed agenda item, a button named "Submit Comments" appears if Council has not yet debated the item. Click the button to launch an email and send your comments to the Clerk for distribution to Members. If the button is not there, it means Council has finished with the item.

Read the disclaimers about personal information carefully - if you send an email, it becomes part of the permanent, public record.

A Word on Timing
Did we mention this is a new arrangement? We ask for your patience when it comes to updating items and releasing motions and votes in particular.

Supplementary documents
We will be uploading supplementary reports, presentations and some correspondence that are distributed to Members of Council as soon as possible after it has been distributed. We will note the additional material next to the item on the agenda.

We will not be uploading correspondence from people acting in a personal capacity, although that correspondence is public and available on request or for inspection at our offices. We have not quite resolved the privacy issues with webposting of personal correspondence.

Motions and Votes
We will be pushing out motions and votes on topical and newsworthy items as soon as we can after Council has finished considering an item. That could be 10 minutes or it could be an hour, depending on what else is going on in the meeting and how complex the motions are.

For routine, non controversial items, we may not push out the motions and votes until we publish draft minutes in the days after a meeting.

Item Statuses (Stati?)
As promised, here's what the item statuses mean on the agenda and Meeting Monitor:

• Held - The item is 'held' for debate in agenda order. The Member who held the item is listed and is entitled to question or speak first unless the Mayor or committee chairs exercises their right to speak first.
• Adopted - Council has adopted the recommendations before it without amendment.
• Adopted on Consent - Council has adopted the recommendations without debate, and without amendment
• Amended - Council amended the recommendations before adopting them.
• Deferred - Council has postponed consideration of the item to a future meeting
• Referred - Council has referred the item to a committee or official for further study or action
• Received - Council has received the recommendations for information only and will take no further action on them.

Lastly - a word on Public Wi-Fi
Many people have asked us about public wi-fi in the Council Chamber. Stay tuned: we will have an exciting announcement very soon (but not in time for the December 16 meeting though.)

Looking for Recent Council Decisions?

Starting December 1, 2010, we are no longer using this blog to update City Council decisions.

That's because we have launched toronto.ca/council, our new online portal for legislative information.

We've made it easier to browse and search meetings, agendas and decisions.

How to Follow an Item

Instead of posting motions and votes to this blog, we will be publishing motions and votes with the agenda item.

Once you browse or search your way to an agenda item, click on the item number to open the item summary.




When you check an item, it will be as current as possible. You can now bookmark and item - when you visit the page again, it will be updated to reflect the most current stage in the legislative process.



A Word on Timing

In Council Meetings we will post motions and votes for topical, high profile items in the meeting as time permits. For all other items, motions and votes will appear when the draft minutes are published in the days following the meeting.

Motions and Votes on Zoning Bylaw

The motions and votes on the Zoning Bylaw can be found here:

Item PG40.10

Motions and Votes on EX46.3

Here are the motions and votes on item EX46.3 headed "Divisional Court Decision on Payment of Legal Expenses for Compliance Audits and Defamation Actions"

1 - Motion to Amend Item moved by Mayor David Miller (Final)

1. City Council receive the following reports:

- (August 23, 2010) from the City Solicitor
- (August 11, 2010) from the City Solicitor

2. Council enact a by-law in the form of the attached Bill*.

3. City Council direct that the Confidential Attachments to the Solicitor's reports dated August 11 and 23, 2010 remain Confidential due to litigation and solicitor-client privilege.

*This is the text of the attached bill referred to in recommendation 2. Please note, this is just a bill, and will not be enacted as a by-law until the end of the meeting:

BY-LAW No.


WHEREAS the prospect of incurring significant compliance audit legal expenses in the absence of any wrongdoing can deter individuals of modest means from running for municipal political office;

andWHEREAS the cost of defending a compliance audit could be significant,
particularly when compared to the salary of a City Councillor in Toronto;
and

WHEREAS it is in the public interest to assist candidates in such circumstances with the payment of these expenses in order to promote political inclusivity, protect the overall democratic integrity of municipal elections and bolster overall the social well-being of the municipality;
and

WHEREAS the incurring of such expenses in the face of unfounded complaints of wrongdoing, has the potential to undermine the effectiveness of a councillor in undertaking the duties as a member of council;
and

WHEREAS making these payments to candidates is in the interests of the municipality and in the public interest; and

WHEREAS Councillor Heaps and Councillor Mammoliti incurred significant legal expenses responding to compliance audit proceedings in which the complaints were
determined to be unfounded; and

WHEREAS there is, therefore, a reasonable connection between the City's permitted objectives and the use of its powers under s. 83 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to make grants for the purpose of such assistance;

The Council of the City of Toronto HEREBY ENACTS as follows:

1. Exercising its powers under s. 83 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, and in consideration of the interests of the municipality, the City shall pay to Councillor Heaps and Councillor Mammoliti grants in the amount of the legal expenses they incurred in responding to compliance audit applications made against them in relation to their campaign finance records for the 2006 municipal election.

Vote (Amend Item)
Aug-25-2010 8:39 PM
Result: Carried
Majority Required - EX46.3 - Miller
Yes: 24
Ainslie, Ashton, Carroll, Cho, Davis, De Baeremaeker, Di Giorgio, Feldman, Filion, Fletcher, Giambrone, Grimes, McConnell, Mihevc, Miller, Moscoe, Ootes, Pantalone, Parker, Perks, Perruzza, Rae, Saundercook, Vaughan
No: 14
Del Grande, Ford, Hall, Jenkins, Kelly, Lee, Lindsay Luby (Chair), Milczyn, Moeser, Nunziata, Palacio, Stintz, Thompson, Walker
Absent: 7
Augimeri, Bussin, Heaps, Holyday, Mammoliti, Minnan-Wong, Shiner

1 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Howard Moscoe (Final)


That

1. City Council request the Province to enact amendments to Provincial legislation as set out in Appendix 1 to the report (August 23, 2010) from the City Solicitor.


Vote (Amend Item (Additional))
Aug-25-2010 8:40 PM
Result: Carried
Majority Required - EX46.3 - Moscoe
Yes: 37
Ainslie, Ashton, Carroll, Cho, Davis, De Baeremaeker, Del Grande, Di Giorgio, Feldman, Filion, Fletcher, Giambrone, Grimes, Hall, Jenkins, Kelly, Lee, Lindsay Luby (Chair), McConnell, Mihevc, Milczyn, Miller, Moeser, Moscoe, Nunziata, Ootes, Palacio, Pantalone, Parker, Perks, Perruzza, Rae, Saundercook, Stintz, Thompson, Vaughan, Walker
No: 1
Ford
Absent: 7
Augimeri, Bussin, Heaps, Holyday, Mammoliti, Minnan-Wong, Shiner

Motion to Reconsider CC52.1

Councillor Mike Del Grande moved to reconsider item CC52.1 . The motion did not carry.

8/25/2010 6:22:43 PM “CC52.1 - Reopen the Item” 10 yea+26 nay,failed,quorum
YES Ashton YES Del Grande YES Ford YES Holyday YES Jenkins YES Miller YES Moeser YES Nunziata YES Parker YES Perruzza

NO Augimeri NO Bussin [Chair] NO Carroll NO Cho NO Davis NO De Baeremaeker NO Feldman NO Filion NO Fletcher NO Grimes NO Hall NO Heaps NO Lee NO Lindsay Luby NO McConnell NO Mihevc NO Moscoe NO Palacio NO Pantalone NO Perks NO Rae NO Saundercook NO Stintz NO Thompson NO Vaughan NO Walker

Motion by Councillor Perks

Councillor Gord Perks has made the following motion on the Zoning Bylaw:



Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Gord Perks (Final)

That Recommendation 1 of the report (August 23, 2010) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning (Item PG 40.10c) be amended by adding:

"amending the zoning by-law as necessary to provide that the lands subject to By-law No. 1222-2009 (known as the Bloor-Dundas Avenue Study) be deleted from the Draft Zoning By-law."

Motions by Councillor Mihevc

Councillor Joe Mihevc has moved the following motions on the Zoning by-law:

a - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Joe Mihevc (Final)

That Recommendation 1 of the report (August 23, 2010) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning (Item PG 40.10c) be amended by deleting Committee Recommendations 1d and 1e pertaining to Drive Through Facilities, from Attachment 1 of the report (August 23, 2010) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, noting that the City's drive through by-law has been successfully defended at the Ontario Municipal Board and has become a model for similar by-laws across Ontario.

b - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Joe Mihevc (Final)
That Recommendation 1 of the report (August 23, 2010) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning (Item PG 40.10c) be amended by deleting Committee Recommendation 1i. pertaining to Day Nurseries.

c - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Joe Mihevc (Final)
That:

1. City Council approve in principle Recommendation 1i of Attachment 1 of the report (August 23, 2010) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, pertaining to Day Nurseries; and

2. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report further on matters set out in Recommendation 1i of Attachment 1 of the report (August 23, 2010) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, pertaining to Day Nurseries, the report to address standards for Day cares of various sizes.

Motion by Councillor Rae

Councillor Kyle Rae has moved the following on the Zoning By-Law

8 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Kyle Rae (Final)

That Recommendation 1 of the report (August 23, 2010) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning (Item PG 40.10c) be amended by making such amendments to the Zoning By-law as are necessary to add the following principal conditional use to Regulation 5.10.20.20 (1):

"Municipally Owned Public Parking Uses (5)"