Economic and Community Development Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 6 items in the clerk’s order. Each carries the city’s own words: the staff recommendation, what the body decided, and its status. Nothing below is written by us.
EC15.1adopted
Toronto Arts Council 2019 Annual Allocations Report
This report provides a quantitative and qualitative review of Toronto Arts Council's activities and allocations for the period January 1 to December 31, 2019, to illustrate the City's investment in its arts community for this period. This report is submitted annually to the Economic and Community Development Committee, per the terms of the Grant Agreement between the City of Toronto and Toronto Arts Council.
The Economic and Community Development Committee: 1. Received the report (August 24, 2020) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, for information.
Staff recommendation as filed
The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, recommends that: 1. The Economic and Community Development Committee receive this report for information.
EC15.2adopted
Emergency Funding Plan for the Cabbagetown Youth Centre
Cabbagetown Youth Centre informed the City in late fall 2019 that they were experiencing a funding crisis that would result in the closure of the organization in early 2020 and requested emergency operating funding to continue operations throughout the year. Council approved one-time funding of $160,900 gross and $0 net, fully funded from the Tax Rate Stabilization reserve. This report provides the Council-directed update on the organization's use of these funds and the result of funding-related conditions to complete a program and financial audit and a transition plan. Cabbagetown Youth Centre worked to compile with all City funding requirements. The Neighbourhood Group provided trusteeship support and retained the services of a reputable consultant. The consultant's analyses confirmed that Cabbagetown Youth Centre's programming and finances are both precarious and unsustainable. Since receiving approval for emergency operational funding, an engineering assessment reported that Cabbagetown Youth Centre's main asset, their building on 2 Lancaster Ave., sustained significant structural damage due to termites and is currently uninhabitable. The impacts of COVID-19 further forced Cabbagetown Youth Centre to close and cease all programming since March 2020. Cabbagetown Youth Centre is in the midst of finalizing a merger with the Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club in order to maximize resources and overall impact by December 2020. Furthermore, Cabbagetown Youth Centre is no longer reviewing the feasibility of a transfer of ownership to the City to establish an Association of Community Centres.
The Economic and Community Development Committee: 1. Received the report (August 24, 2020) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance, and Administration, for information.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Executive Director, Social Development, Finance, and Administration, recommends that: 1. The Economic and Community Development Committee receive this report for information.
EC15.3adopted
The purpose of this report is to request authority to amend Blanket Contract 47020330 awarded to Sani Gear Incorporated, as a result of the Request for Quotation (RFQ) 0105-16-0062for the non-exclusive provision of a care and maintenance program for Firefighting Structural Bunker Suits for the City of Toronto's Fire Services. The total amendment being requested is for an additional $1,306,958 net of all applicable taxes and charges, ($1,329,961 net of HST recoveries) for the third option year period (January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020), and for the fourth and final option renewal year period commencing on January 1, 2021, and ending on December 31, 2021, revising the total current Blanket Contract value from $1,458,183 to $2,765,141 net of all applicable taxes and charges. The requested contract amendment is required to address the current contract shortfall due to the underestimated and increased frequency in additional cleaning and maintenance of Firefighting Structural Bunker Suits (Bunker Suits), and to address the additional advanced cleaning requirements that are now required in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851-2020 - Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting (NFPA 1851-2020). Toronto Fire Services (TFS) will request the additional funds required in order to implement the requirements contained in NFPA 1851-2020, which include expanded advanced cleaning protocols, as part of the 2021 operating budgeting submission.
The Economic and Community Development Committee: 1. In accordance with Section 71-11.1C of the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 71 - Financial Control By-law, granted authority to amend Contract 47020330 with Sani Gear Incorporated, for the non-exclusive provision of a care and maintenance program for Firefighting Structural Bunker Suits for the City of Toronto's Fire Services, by an additional amount of $1,306,958 net of all taxes and charges, ($1,329,961 net of HST recoveries), revising the current contract value from $1,458,183 net of all taxes and charges, ($1,483,847 net of HST recoveries) to $2,765,141 net all taxes and charges ($2,813,807 net of HST recoveries).
Staff recommendation as filed
The Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that: 1. The Economic and Community Development Committee, in accordance with Section 71-11.1C of the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 71 - Financial Control By-law, grant authority to amend Contract 47020330 with Sani Gear Incorporated, for the non-exclusive provision of a care and maintenance program for Firefighting Structural Bunker Suits for the City of Toronto's Fire Services, by an additional amount of $1,306,958 net of all taxes and charges, ($1,329,961 net of HST recoveries), revising the current contract value from $1,458,183 net of all taxes and charges, ($1,483,847 net of HST recoveries) to $2,765,141 net all taxes and charges ($2,813,807 net of HST recoveries).
EC15.4adopted
Toronto Fire Services Service Delivery Enhancements - Status Update
This report responds to the October 2, 2019 City Council request included in EC7.1 "Toronto Fire Services Transformation Plan Update", for the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services to report back to City Council, prior to the 2021 Budget Process, with recommended strategies, initiated both through the Toronto Fire Services Transformation Plan and the Commission on Fire Accreditation International review, with the view to enhance overall service delivery and to address both the emerging, and the forecasted risks and needs of the growing City. A number of initiatives arising from the Toronto Fire Services Transformation Plan are underway, including a comprehensive operational deployment review. Additionally, in March 2019, Toronto Fire Services achieved international Commission on Fire Accreditation International accreditation which included the identification of a number of opportunities for continuous quality improvement. These initiatives will inform the recommendations for service delivery enhancement strategies, particularly opportunities that will enhance staff deployment in an effective and efficient manner. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, work related to the advancement of the Transformation Plan initiatives and Commission on Fire Accreditation International recommendations was placed on hold in accordance with the COVID-19 emergency declaration in Toronto. In order for Toronto Fire Services to provide City Council with evidence-based recommendations for future service delivery improvements, along with the most effective means of addressing both current and emerging fire safety risks and trends, additional, ongoing analysis is required. Following the completion of this review, Toronto Fire Services anticipates that recommendations for future service delivery improvements will be provided prior to the 2022 budget process.
The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that: 1. City Council direct the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services to report back to City Council through the Economic and Community Development Committee in advance of the commencement of the 2022 budget process with recommended strategies as a result of the Toronto Fire Services Transformation Plan and Commission on Fire Accreditation International related review initiatives to enhance overall service delivery and address emerging and forecasted risks and needs of the growing City.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services recommends that the Economic and Community Development Committee: 1. Direct the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services to report back to City Council through the Economic and Community Development Committee in advance of the commencement of the 2022 budget process with recommended strategies as a result of the Toronto Fire Services Transformation Plan and Commission on Fire Accreditation International related review initiatives to enhance overall service delivery and address emerging and forecasted risks and needs of the growing City.
EC15.5adopted
This report responds to City Council direction related to the Auditor General's 2018 report AU13.11 "Raising the Alarm: Fraud Investigation of a Vendor Providing Life Safety Inspection Services to the City of Toronto." In response to this report, the Audit Committee, at its meeting of July 13, 2018, requested the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services, to outline operational and financial implications for options related to the assessment of fire safety and compliance with the Ontario Fire Code in buildings within Toronto. Toronto Fire Services provided three options designed to enhance annual inspection services. At its meeting of July 23, 2018, City Council endorsed Option 1 which included the assignment of 11 Full Time Employees to the Toronto Fire Services Fire Safety Quality Assurance section effective September 1, 2018. City Council further requested the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services to report back to City Council in advance of the 2020 budget process with respect to outcomes and analysis of the enhanced service levels. With the addition of 11 Full Time Employees assigned to the Toronto Fire Services Fire Safety Quality Assurance section, Toronto Fire Services estimated the completion of 80 Quality Assurance Inspection Review Audits in the fourth quarter of 2018 and 325 Quality Assurance Inspection Reviews in 2019 and annually thereafter. Quality Assurance Inspection Review Audits involve a systematic and comprehensive review of all aspects of Ontario Fire Code compliance for a given building, including the associated processes completed by third-party contractors. Toronto Fire Services investigative work on the Auditor General's 2018 report, "Raising the Alarm: Fraud Investigation of a Vendor Providing Life Safety Inspection Services to the City of Toronto," continued after the publishing of the report in the form of follow-up activities that were required to complete the overall inspection review audits. This follow-up activity resulted in unanticipated workloads impacting Toronto Fire Services' total number of originally estimated Quality Assurance Inspection Review Audits for 2019. Further, with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020, work related to the advancement of the Quality Assurance Inspection Review Audits was placed on hold in accordance with the COVID-19 emergency declaration in Toronto. The impact of unanticipated circumstances and events in 2019 and 2020 have resulted in Toronto Fire Services having insufficient data to produce the evidence-based outcomes required to adequately analyze and make recommendations on enhanced service levels. Toronto Fire Services will continue to build a comprehensive data set and to analyze the data arising from the current service levels, to determine what, if any, further enhancements would be appropriate. City Council will be provided a complete and thorough analysis of the enhanced service levels and recommendation prior to the 2022 budget process.
The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that: 1. City Council direct the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services to report back to City Council through the Economic and Community Development Committee in advance of the commencement of the 2022 budget process with recommendations for further Inspection and/or Quality Assurance Inspection Review Audit service level enhancements.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services recommends that the Economic and Community Development Committee: 1. Direct the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services to report back to City Council through the Economic and Community Development Committee in advance of the commencement of the 2022 budget process with recommendations for further Inspection and/or Quality Assurance Inspection Review Audit service level enhancements.
EC15.6amended
Trauma-Informed Land-Based Response to COVID-19
At its meeting on July 7, 2020, the Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Committee considered Item AA5.5, Trauma-Informed Land-Based Response to COVID-19.
The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that: 1. City Council request the Director, Indigenous Affairs Office, in consultation with relevant City staff and divisions, to engage with Native Child and Family Services of Toronto to explore how the land-based programs in the presentation from Siobhan McCarthy, Director, Holistic Services, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, and Mark Atanasoff, Director, Quality Assurance and Decolonization, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, can be incorporated in the City of Toronto's Indigenous place-making strategy. 2. City Council request the Director, Indigenous Affairs Office report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee by the second quarter of 2021 on the outcome of Part 1 above.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Committee recommends to the Economic and Community Development Committee that: 1. City Council request the Director, Indigenous Affairs Office, in consultation with relevant City staff and divisions, to engage with Native Child and Family Services of Toronto to explore how the land-based programs in the presentation from Siobhan McCarthy, Director, Holistic Services, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, and Mark Atanasoff, Director, Quality Assurance and Decolonization, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, can be incorporated in the City of Toronto's Indigenous place-making strategy.