Shelter beds, code of conduct review up for debate at city council meeting

Toronto city councillors began their two-day monthly meeting on Wednesday and while shelter beds and a homeless prevention program were at the top of the agenda, council spent most of the day discussing zoning bylaws and building a Hero Burger in Nathan Phillips Square.

The first of Mayor Rob Ford’s two key items on the agenda was the citywide zoning bylaw, which included proposed changes that would affect the city’s body rub parlours. There is currently a cap on the number of businesses that can offer sexual services, so many businesses obtain a holistic licence and offer erotic services illegally.

The changes would allow for more “body rub” parlours, as long as they were an approved distance from schools and places of worship.

Coun. Michelle Berardinetti said she was shocked to learn that the cap on these establishments is 25 and that she has at least that many in her district alone. She then requested a review of these “unique” establishments.

After heavily debating the issue of paid visitor parking in areas surrounding hospitals, in apartments and condos, and around places of worship, council requested the city planner track all rezoning applications as they relate to places of worship and report back at a later date. They also voted to reinstate prohibition on paid visitor parking in apartment buildings.

Before going to the next item on the agenda council approved the harmonized zoning bylaw.

Members then turned their attention to the second item of the day, the request for proposal of year round and seasonal food services at city hall – including a Hero Burger restaurant near the skating rink.

Both Ford and Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday encouraged council to vote in favour of the proposal, saying the company had won the bid “fair and square.”

Several members of council argued that Nathan Philips Square didn’t need another burger restaurant. Coun. Kristen Wong-Tam stated that should the restaurant be built it would make nine businesses offering “roughly the same thing.” Other councilors echoed her statement and encouraged more variety in the area.

“I just don’t feel that this is the best restaurant to reflect the city’s culinary diversity,” said Coun. Mary-Margaret McMahon, who also stated that she and other city councilors had not seen the RFP before this meeting, which did not give them the chance to introduce motions previously.

“This RFP was open to everybody in the food industry,” Coun. Norm Kelly explained. “We must be fair to the people to whom we issue an invitation to participate int he economic life of this city.”

After almost three hours of debate council voted 22-16 in favour of the Hero Burger.

The delay of the issue of shelter beds caused friction with the homeless advocates in attendance, especially when chair Francis Nunziata suggested council recess for the day. In the end, debate only lasted for just under an hour and the issue was pushed over to Thursday.

Click here for the meeting agenda.

Councillors may also consider a new code of conduct when session resumes.

The code of conduct review stems from Ford’s efforts to shut the Toronto Star out of official communications, instructing his staff not to provide the paper with any information. The Star filed a complaint, prompting the review.

Councillors will also decide whether to accept the annual report from the city’s lobbyist registrar, after a proposal to restrict after-hours lobbying was dismissed last month.

Toronto has 172 emergency shelter beds that are opened, for example, when the city is under an extreme cold weather alert. Councillors will debate keeping those 172 beds open permanently, on a short-term basis, and to track users of those shelter beds.

Anti-poverty groups have argued that the city does not have enough shelter beds, with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) holding protests at Toronto City Hall and at Metro Hall demanding the city provide more services to help the homeless.

The group claims shelters are full and last month demanded the city open an emergency shelter at Metro Hall, at King and John streets.

OCAP argues that even if beds are available, they’re not always easily accessible and, because the shelters are gender-based, many are off-limits to the neediest users.

The city is also considering increased funding to a homeless prevention program, up to $0.627 million for shelters and $0.187 million for health services.

Also on the agenda:

• Arts funding could get a $6-million boost from the sign tax, including $4 million to Toronto Arts Council grants.
• Zoning bylaws for adult entertainment venues – the city will consider changing the language that would make it easier for a manager to appoint a designate. It would also allow for more cameras.
• Coun. Karen Stintz is seeking to repeal a bylaw that requires cyclists to ride single file at all times on city streets.
• Changes to freedom-of-information requests that would open up councillors’ schedules. Currently, only the mayor’s schedule, work emails and other information can be accessed using freedom of information requests.
• Changes to condo advertising that would force developers to indicate whether or not the proposed building had been approved by the city.