CITY CLERK

Clause embodied in Report No. 12 of the Administration Committee, as adopted by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on October 1, 2 and 3, 2002.

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Establishment of the Toronto of Merit to Acknowledge Outstanding Citizen Achievement

(City Council on October 1, 2 and 3, 2002, adopted this Clause, without amendment.)

The Administration Committee recommends the adoption of the following joint report (August 6, 2002) from the Chief Administrative Officer and the Commissioner of Corporate Services:

Purpose:

To create a civic called the Toronto and to establish the terms of reference governing the nomination and selection process and the administration of the award program.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There is no current year financial impact, however, approval of the recommendations contained in this report will result in a $30,000.00 annual increase in the City Clerk’s Office, Protocol Operating Budget. This report does not have a financial impact in other departments or agencies, or on reserves/reserve funds or current and future liabilities. There is no impact on staffing levels.

As funding is not available in the 2002 Operating Budget, this report will be referred to the 2003 Operating Budget process for consideration.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and concurs with the financial impact statement.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) the Terms of Reference for the Toronto Order of Merit award program set out in Appendix 1 be adopted for implementation in 2003;

(2) the Chief of Protocol, City Clerk’s Office be designated as the lead official for the administration of the award program; Toronto City Council 2 Administration Committee October 1, 2 and 3, 2002 Report No. 12, Clause No. 3

(3) the City Clerk be authorized to follow the process outlined in Appendix 1 to appoint citizen members to a Toronto Order of Merit Advisory Committee, which will make recommendations to Council on award recipients;

(4) the Chief of Protocol undertake a process to develop a design that reflects the importance of this award;

(5) the City Clerk establish and conduct the annual Toronto Order of Merit award program, subject to funds in the amount of $30,000.00 being added to the City Clerk’s annual operating budget, and this request be referred to the 2003 Operating Budget process for consideration; and

(6) the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Background:

At its meeting of November 6, 7, and 8, 2001, City Council requested staff to report to the Administration Committee regarding the restoration of a civic award of merit, such report to take into consideration the given by the former municipalities prior to amalgamation.

Many categories of citizen award programs were in place prior to amalgamation including both program-directed awards and City-wide awards for individual achievement. Many of the program-driven awards have continued and developed since amalgamation, e.g., the Toronto Book Award, Urban Design Awards, University of Toronto scholarships and the Constance E. Hamilton Award, among others. This report does not relate to the program-driven category of awards. This report also does not relate to staff-directed recognition programs which are being reviewed in a separate process (many staff-directed recognition programs continue to be delivered corporately and within operating departments).

This report does set out recommendations and the terms of reference for the creation of a prestigious, City-wide, citizen-directed award program based on the principles embodied in the individual merit programs of the former municipalities.

Comments:

The former municipalities recognized outstanding achievement by citizens through a variety of civic awards programs. Several examples are outlined below (as noted above, these programs were discontinued following amalgamation):

(1) Etobicoke Awards of Excellence: Awards established to recognize outstanding citizens in the following categories: volunteers, youth, business, business support to the arts, individual distinction, as well as awards for Citizen of the Year (one person who made a special contribution to Etobicoke) and Hall of Fame (residents who brought special honour to Etobicoke); Toronto City Council 3 Administration Committee October 1, 2 and 3, 2002 Report No. 12, Clause No. 3

(2) Scarborough Civic Awards of Merit: Awards established to honour individuals for outstanding contributions and achievements in the following categories: culture, business, commerce and industry, the humanities, sports, media, labour; (3) Toronto Civic Award of Merit: Award established to recognize individuals who had attained distinction in various fields and who helped improve the City’s quality of life in one of the following fields of endeavour: the arts, community, government/politics, labour, religion, sports, business, education, media, science, or in other fields of endeavour; (4) Metro Toronto - Gardiner Award: Award established to recognize three volunteers annually who contributed significantly to the development and well-being of the community based upon academic, athletic or cultural achievement and leadership; and (5) North York Outstanding Achievement Award: Award established to honour outstanding achievements and/or contributions to the community, including life saving achievements. Recipients presented with the Mayor’s Award of Excellence.

The goals governing these former programs were considered in the development of this report. Generally these programs and others of this nature share a common goal: to honour people who make exceptional contributions to civic life and to publicly acknowledge individuals who, through outstanding achievements, make the City a better place to live.

Several Provincial award programs administered by the Honours and Awards Office in the Ministry of Citizenship have also been reviewed in order to gain information from established processes of comparable scope. In particular, the procedure for the Order of Ontario (the highest recognition bestowed by the Province) has provided guidance in the preparation of this report.

Civic awards provide a tangible way for City Council to recognize citizen contributions in many areas of city life such as arts and culture, business, community service, education, public service, labour, communication and media, science, sports and entertainment, or other fields of endeavour that benefit the citizens of Toronto. It is recommended that a new civic award program be established for the City of Toronto in order to restore an important practice carried out by the former municipalities and to build the new City’s legacy.

Name of Award: The title of Toronto Order of Merit is recommended because it conveys the nature of the award as one of importance and prestige based on meritorious service to the City.

Governance of the Award Program: The authority to bestow citizen awards is provided under Section 114 and 115 of the current Municipal Act. Under the Act, Council must bestow all awards and cannot delegate this authority unless the selection criteria is objective (e.g., awards made based on completed years of service). This provision has been removed from the new Municipal Act to be implemented January 1, 2003. However, it is important for Council to continue to approve all award recipients as a fundamental means of citizen recognition. Toronto City Council 4 Administration Committee October 1, 2 and 3, 2002 Report No. 12, Clause No. 3

Citizen award programs at all levels of government usually rely on a citizen advisory committee to carry out the review of nominations and to recommend award recipients to the government for approval. This report recommends an advisory committee mechanism to support City Council in making recipient selections. A proposed framework and criteria to govern the Toronto Order of Merit Advisory Committee, its selection, and role are contained in Appendix 1.

Administration of the Award Program:

The administration of awards is a matter of protocol and ceremony and shares much in common with other functions managed by the Chief of Protocol in the City Clerk’s Office such as formal presentations involving the Mayor and/or Council members, the organization of receptions and ceremonies, and the production of plaques, scrolls and other temporary or permanent memorials. Therefore, it is recommended that the Chief of Protocol, City Clerk’s Office be designated as the lead official for the Toronto Order of Merit award program.

It is also recommended that the City Clerk be authorized to carry out the citizen advisory committee appointment process as set out in Appendix 1.

As part of the ongoing administration of the program the Chief of Protocol will also develop a “Hall of Fame” record of citizens honoured by the former municipalities. This will ensure the preservation of the legacy of citizen achievement and contribution prior to amalgamation.

The Chief of Protocol has advised that the program can be supported by existing staff. However, based on experience and consultation with administrators of comparable programs, annual funding of $30,000.00, beginning in 2003, will be required to cover program costs. Program costs will include written advertising vehicles to support the nomination process, nomination forms and supporting documentation, the design, creation and purchase of awards, and delivery of the annual awards ceremony event.

Form of Award:

Several options and/or combinations of options are possible for the structural form of the award, e.g., medal, medallion, pin, certificate, trophy. It is recommended that the Chief of Protocol undertake a process to develop a design that reflects the importance of this award.

Number of Award Recipients:

The number of awards given may change from year to year based on the quality of the nominations, however, it is proposed that the number of awards not exceed twenty per year. This number reflects the cumulative total of awards given out in the former municipalities and is in keeping with the Provincial award programs reviewed as part of this study.

Conclusion:

This report recommends the establishment of the Toronto Order of Merit award program for implementation in 2003, and sets out the Terms of Reference to ensure that City Council has the ability to acknowledge outstanding citizen achievement. Toronto City Council 5 Administration Committee October 1, 2 and 3, 2002 Report No. 12, Clause No. 3

Contact:

Daphne Gaby Donaldson, Chief of Protocol, Tel: 392-4273/Fax: 392-3781; e-mail: [email protected]

Lynda Taschereau, Senior Corporate Management and Policy Consultant, Tel: 392-6783/Fax: 696-3645; e-mail: [email protected]

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Appendix 1

Terms of Reference Toronto Order of Merit

(1) Name of Award: Toronto Order of Merit.

(2) Purpose of Award:

To honour those who make exceptional contributions to life in the City and to publicly acknowledge and thank individuals who, through outstanding achievements, make the City a better place to live for all of its citizens.

(3) Frequency and Number of Awards:

This is an annual award program. The number of awards may change from year to year based on the quality of the nominations but will not exceed twenty awards per year.

(4) Lead Official:

The lead official for the administration of this program is the Chief of Protocol who will report through the City Clerk and Commissioner of Corporate Services to the Administration Committee of City Council.

(5) Source of Financing for the Award:

City Clerk’s Office, Protocol Operating Budget.

(6) Award Nomination Process and Eligibility Requirement:

(a) to be eligible for consideration nominees must be residents or ratepayers of Toronto who have made a significant contribution to the life of the City in any of the following areas: arts and culture, business, community service, education, public service, labour, communication and media, science, sports and entertainment, or other fields of endeavour that benefit the citizens of Toronto; Toronto City Council 6 Administration Committee October 1, 2 and 3, 2002 Report No. 12, Clause No. 3

(b) elected municipal, provincial and federal officials are not eligible to be considered for the award while they remain in office; and

(c) elected municipal, provincial and federal officials are not eligible to submit nominations while they remain in office.

(7) Nomination and Selection Process:

The Chief of Protocol will administer the nomination and selection process, and will plan and organize the awards ceremony.

(a) Nominations will be sought from the general public;

(b) The Chief of Protocol will ensure that information about the award program and the nomination process is communicated across the entire City geographically and within all sectors of society;

(c) Self- nominations will not be accepted;

(d) Nomination forms will include a statement of authority to collect personal information; and

(e) Nomination forms will include the signature of the nominee.

(8) Posthumous Awards:

No posthumous awards will be made unless death occurs after Council has approved the person’s selection as an award recipient.

(9) Right to Rescind:

The award may be rescinded by Council at a later date if, in the opinion of City Council, any recipient engages in conduct unbecoming to a recipient of the award. Where an award is rescinded the former recipient will be required to return the award to City Council.

(10) Toronto Order of Merit Advisory Committee:

(a) the purpose and mandate of the Advisory Committee will be to objectively review award nominations, to select meritorious applicants and to recommend selections through the Administration Committee to City Council for approval. The Advisory Committee will also provide annual input to the Chief of Protocol on the operation of the award program;

(b) the Advisory Committee will be composed of nine citizen members; Toronto City Council 7 Administration Committee October 1, 2 and 3, 2002 Report No. 12, Clause No. 3

(c) term of membership in the Advisory Committee will be two years and reappointment will not be automatic. Members may not sit for more than three successive terms;

(d) the City Clerk will be responsible for appointing Advisory Committee members within the following process:

(i) Members must meet the following eligibility criteria:

(a) Resident or ratepayer of Toronto;

(b) Actively involved (including unpaid work) in Toronto in one of the eligible fields of nomination;

(c) Reflective of a balance of the eligible fields of nomination;

(d) Reflective of the cultural and social diversity of the City;

(e) The ability to work as part of a team; and

(f) Prepared to commit time and effort on an annual basis.

(ii) No sitting elected municipal, provincial or federal officials will be members of the Advisory Committee;

(iii) No active employees of the City, its Agencies, Boards and Commissions will be members of the Advisory Committee; and

(iv) Following the third year of the program at least three of the Advisory Committee members will be former award recipients; and

(e) The Advisory Committee will be responsible for selecting a chair from among its members.