Issues & Policies
June 12, 2013
Jim Kenzie
Toronto Star
Toronto City Council voted recently to spend upwards of eleven million dollars on traffic light synchronization in the city.
Wait a minute...
When I went to university - yes, there were cars then - we ('we' because we carpooled, dontcha know...) knew instantly when the traffic light computer was down because it took way longer to get to U of T from the Bathurst-Lawrence area where I and my fellow carpoolers lived.
I also once met the computer salesperson who had just had his territory changed so he missed out on the huge commission from the sale of new traffic computer equipment to the city.
So, we had traffic light synchronization computers way back then.
What happened??
OK, so Toronto grew a little.
Councillor Cesar Palacio
Chair, Licensing and Standards Committee
10th Floor, West Tower, City Hall
100 Queen St. West
Toronto ON M5H 2N2
May 23, 2013
Re: Mitigating the negative impacts of urban wildlife
Every year, over one hundred Toronto residents each receive a painful, precautionary rabies shot following a bite from a racoon or other animal. Many hundreds of homeowners and tenants personally know the home and property damage that raccoons, skunks, and opossums can cause.
As a first step toward mitigating the negative impacts of urban wildlife, I believe it would be helpful to request the City Manager to report on the extent to which the City monitors its urban wildlife populations; to report on initiatives in other jurisdictions to reduce the adverse effects of urban wildlife, including property damage and risks to public health; and to request recommendations to adapt those initiatives to the City of Toronto.
Recommendation:
1. City Council request the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to report to the Licensing and Standards Committee by [date TBD] on the following:
a. how the City of Toronto currently monitors its urban wildlife, including but not limited to raccoons;
b. initiatives and best practices used in other jurisdictions to address the adverse effects of urban wildlife, including but not limited to property damage and risks to public health; and
c. recommended actions to reduce the effects of urban wildlife in the City of Toronto and improve public health, reduce property damage, and increase everyone's enjoyment of both private and public outdoor spaces.
Sincerely,
Josh Matlow
Toronto City Councillor
Ward 22 – St. Paul's
www.joshmatlow.ca
Dear Residents,
There has been a lot of misinformation regarding the potential conversion of the Scarborough SRT to a subway. The facts – based on land use planning, ridership projections and a cost/benefit analysis, not votes – suggest replacing the aging Scarborough SRT with an LRT, just as was agreed upon last year when Council reached an agreement. For additional background on this current transit discussion, please read my newsletter from May 1.
This is a fact sheet I distributed to my colleagues and the media last night:
On March 26, 2013, I co-hosted an event with the Green Team of First Unitarian Congregation on how to make your apartment or condo greener and more energy efficient, including strategies and resources that are available to you.
Please click on the image above to download a slide deck from the event, presented by Aderonke Akande from the City of Toronto's Tower Renewal Office.
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