City council concludes December session

Toronto city council finished its monthly meeting with a marathon session at city hall on Wednesday.

There were 57 items remaining on the agenda, including changes to rental housing costs, an LGBTQ-focused sports and recreation centre, tree removal and what the city should do with old or decommissioned street signs.

Council began its day at 9:30 a.m. and finally wrapped up around 10 p.m. with Coun. Francis Nunziata wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

This comes after a day of apologies and dancing.

On Tuesday, Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti and Mayor Rob Ford said sorry — or in Ford’s case, that he was “super, super, super, super sorry” — for their behaviour on Monday. Ford also apologized to Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale, saying he didn’t intend to insinuate that Dale was a pedophile when he accused him of taking pictures of his children.

Dale said he would be proceeding with his lawsuit.

However, on Wednesday evening Ford released a letter of apology to Dale retracting his previous statements. Following the publication of the letter Dale tweeted that he would not be perusing legal action against the mayor.

During the first two days of its meeting, council approved the following:

• 10-minute grace period for pay-and-display parking after the time expires
• Higher permit fees for sports fields
• Council approved, with amendments, a plan for water rate hikes
• Renewed its agreement with the Toronto Arts Council from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2018
• Motion against human trafficking

On Wednesday city council approved a three-per-cent hike in solid waste fees for 2014.

Public works chair Denzil Minnan-Wong says this is the first rate increase since 2009.

“The solid waste department continues to find efficiencies and that’s why we haven’t had a solid waste increase since 2009, but you can’t avoid these increases in perpetuity,” he explained. “Cost goes up; gasoline goes up; trucks go up. All those things go up so at some point in time we’re going to have to have a modest increase and that’s what we saw today.”

The increase will add between $7 and $13 for the average homeowner depending on the size of the garbage bin.

Toronto Parking Authority capital budget

Council approved the 2014 recommended capital and operating budgets for the Toronto Parking Authority with an amendment.

Coun. Gord Perks made a motion that council request the president of the Toronto Parking Authority report to the Government Management Committee prior to the 2015 budget with a strategy for applying the council-mandated Green Parking Lot standards to existing parking lots. The motion passed 27 to two.

The TPA’s capital budget has a project cost of $49.6 million and a cash flow of $57 million for 2014. Its operating budget is $76.1 million gross ($62.3 million net).

LGBTQ-focused sports and recreation centre

Council voted in favour of the 519 Church Street Community Centre partnering with a “major” donor to build the first-ever LGBTQ-focused sports and recreation centre in Toronto.

Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong said the recreation centre will be open to the entire community and provide programming for everyone.

The item passed 28-2 with only Mayor Ford and Coun. James Pasternak voting against it.

Council requested the Executive Director of Social Development, Finance and Administration work with the donor, The 519 as well as Waterfront Toronto, real estate services and city planning to come up with a proposal. It would be built in the West Don Lands community and managed by the city.