Council's Strategic Plan - Part II

(City Council on August 1, 2, 3 and 4, 2000, amended this Clause, by inserting in Recommendation No. (5) embodied in the report dated July 10, 2000, from the Council Reference Group on the Strategic Plan after the word “Commissioners”, the words “and the Executive Lead, Telecommunications”, and after the words “Environmental Plan”, the words “Telecommunication Strategy”, so that such recommendation shall now read as follows:

“(5) the Chief Administrative Officer and the respective Commissioners, and the Executive Lead, Telecommunications, ensure that other City planning initiatives, including the Official Plan, Social Development Strategy, Economic Development Strategy, Environmental Plan, Telecommunications Strategy, Culture Plan and Fiscal Sustainability Plan are developed and implemented in a manner that is consistent with and aligns with Council’s City Directions; and”.)

The Policy and Finance Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (July 10, 2000) from the Council Reference Group for the Strategic Plan:

Purpose:

City Council approved the development of Council's Strategic Plan on October 1 and 2, 1998, as the foundation document of the Corporate Management Framework approved by Council on May 13 and 14, 1998. Council adopted Part I of the Strategic Plan on November 23, 24 and 25, 1999. Part II of Council's Strategic Plan has been drafted and, together with a process for revisiting the Plan in each new term of Council, is being submitted by Council’s Strategic Plan Reference Group for Council's consideration and approval.

Impact Statement:

The City Directions in Part II of Council’s Strategic Plan identify how the City can contribute towards the social development, economic vitality, environmental sustainability, good governance and city building goals for Toronto. Part II of Council’s Strategic Plan provides the framework for other City planning initiatives.

There are no direct financial implications resulting from the adoption of the recommendations in this report. The City Directions provide a roadmap to assist Council and staff in establishing multi-year program plans and long range financial priorities.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) City Council adopt Part II of Council’s Strategic Plan, as set out in the Appendix to this report; (2) the Chief Administrative Officer include Council’s Strategic Plan as a foundation document in the briefing process for the incoming Council;

(3) the incoming Council review and confirm the City Directions in the first six months of its term and establish a Strategic Planning Committee to guide this process, with an understanding that Council’s Strategic Plan be revisited each new term of Council;

(4) the Chief Administrative Officer prepare Part II of Council’s Strategic Plan for public distribution and coordinate this process during 2000, and develop a Council-led public consultation process with the Strategic Planning Committee early next year;

(5) the Chief Administrative Officer and the respective Commissioners ensure that other City planning initiatives, including the Official Plan, Social Development Strategy, Economic Development Strategy, Environmental Plan, culture plan and fiscal sustainability plan are developed and implemented in a manner that is consistent with and aligns with Council’s City Directions; and

(6) the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to undertake any necessary actions to give effect thereto.

Comments:

Council’s Strategic Plan is a key Council leadership document and guides other planning initiatives undertaken by the City. Part I of the Plan sets out Council’s collective vision for the city, a mission statement about the broad role and purpose of the City Government, and Council’s goals for the community – the outcomes important to quality of life in the city.

Part II of Council’s Strategic Plan sets out a series of City Directions that describe how the City Government can contribute to the achievement of the goals. Each City Direction contains a general strategy with several specific commitments. The Council Reference Group held a series of meetings with senior staff during the first half of the year to jointly develop these City Directions.

City Directions represent priorities or choices about the directions to pursue as a City Government. This will assist City programs and agencies in preparing their multi-year program plans and annual operating budgets. The City Directions will guide the future budget process and serve as a framework for planning and decision-making during the next term of Council. It is timely for Council to adopt the City Directions, as set out in the Appendix to this report.

The development of a first Strategic Plan for the new City of Toronto has been a challenge for Councillors and staff. Council’s Strategic Plan is a work in progress, a first attempt. The Plan is to be treated as a working document that is revisited in each term of Council, assisting both Council and staff to reset the directional compass. We are therefore recommending that the incoming Council use the foundation work undertaken by the City’s first Council as a starting point for the new term. We propose that the incoming Council review and confirm the City Directions in the first six months of its term, and establish a Strategic Planning Committee supported by the Chief Administrative Officer to guide this process. Council’s Strategic Plan should be included as a foundation document in the briefing process for each incoming Council.

The Strategic Plan serves as Council’s leadership document for City programs and agencies. It is also important that Council’s Plan be communicated and distributed to the public. We propose that the Chief Administrative Officer prepare Part II of Council’s Strategic Plan for public distribution and coordinate this process during 2000. Feedback from the public, and key groups such as the Sustainability Roundtable, will also be of interest to the incoming Council as it revisits the City Directions. We also propose that the Chief Administrative Officer develop a Council-led consultation process with the Strategic Planning Committee early next year.

Council’s Strategic Plan provides a framework for guiding other City planning initiatives. In particular, the City is developing strategies and plans in the area of social, economic and urban development. An Environmental Plan has already been completed and other plans, such as a culture plan and fiscal sustainability plan, have been initiated. All of these plans must be consistent with Council’s Strategic Plan. Therefore, the Council Reference Group proposes that the Chief Administrative Officer and the respective Commissioners ensure that other City planning initiatives are developed and implemented in a manner that is consistent with and aligns with Council’s City Directions.

These other planning initiatives include the Official Plan, Social Development Strategy, Economic Development Strategy, Environmental Plan, culture plan and fiscal sustainability plan. As companion documents to Council’s Strategic Plan, they provide the opportunity to develop strategies in greater scope and detail for their respective policy fields.

Conclusions:

The City Directions in Part II of Council’s Strategic Plan identify how the City can contribute towards the social development, economic vitality, environmental sustainability, good governance and city building goals for Toronto. Council adoption of the City Directions will provide a framework for other City planning initiatives and will guide City programs and agencies in preparing multi-year program plans and annual operating budgets.

Members of the Council Reference Group for the Strategic Plan:

Councillor Gerry Altobello Councillor Joan King

Councillor Brian Ashton Councillor Jack Layton

Councillor Gordon Chong Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby

Councillor Brad Duguid Councillor Pam McConnell

Councillor Anne Johnston Councillor David Miller

Councillor Irene Jones Councillor David Soknacki ______

(Toronto City Council’s Strategic Plan -Part II as Recommended by the Council Reference Group for the Strategic Plan, to the Policy and Finance Committee on July 20, 2000 Strategic and Corporate Policy Division Chief Administrator’s Office July 2000)

Mayor Mel Lastman

Councillors John Adams Ward 23 Midtown Gerry Altobello Ward 13 Scarborough Bluffs Brian Ashton Ward 13 Scarborough Bluffs Maria Augimeri Ward 7 Black Creek Bas Balkissoon Ward 18 Scarborough Malvern Lorenzo Berardinetti Ward 15 Scarborough City Centre Milton Berger Ward 9 North York Centre South Ila Bossons Ward 23 Midtown Elizabeth Brown Ward 5 Rexdale Thistletown Sandra Bussin Ward 26 East Toronto Raymond Cho Ward 18 Scarborough Malvern Gordon Chong Ward 11 Don Parkway Olivia Chow Ward 24 Downtown Rob Davis Ward 28 York Eglinton Betty Disero Ward 21 Davenport Brad Duguid Ward 15 Scarborough City Centre Michael Feldman Ward 8 North York Spadina John Filion Ward 10 North York Centre Joanne Flint Ward 9 North York Centre South Norm Gardner Ward 10 North York Centre Mario Giansante Ward 3 Kingsway Humber Doug Holyday Ward 4 Markland Centennial Tom Jakobek Ward 26 East Toronto Anne Johnston Ward 22 North Toronto Irene Jones Ward 2 Lakeshore Queensway Norm Kelly Ward 14 Scarborough Wexford Blake Kinahan Ward 2 Lakeshore Queensway Joan King Ward 12 Seneca Heights Chris Korwin-Kuczynski Ward 19 High Park Jack Layton Ward 25 Don River Gloria Lindsay Luby Ward 3 Kingsway Humber Peter Li Preti Ward 7 Black Creek Doug Mahood Ward 17 Scarborough Agincourt George Mammoliti Ward 6 North York Humber Pam McConnell Ward 25 Don River Joe Mihevc Ward 28 York Eglinton David Miller Ward 19 High Park Denzil Minnan-Wong Ward 11 Don Parkway Ron Moeser Ward 16 Scarb. Highland Creek Howard Moscoe Ward 8 North York Spadina Frances Nunziata Ward 27 York Humber Dick O’Brien Ward 4 Markland Centennial Case Ootes Ward 1 East York Cesar Palacio Ward 21 Davenport Joe Pantalone Ward 20 Trinity Niagara Jane Pitfield Ward 1 EastYork Michael Prue Ward 1 East York Kyle Rae Ward 24 Downtown Bill Saundercook Ward 27 York Humber Sherene Shaw Ward 17 Scarborough Agincourt David Shiner Ward 12 Seneca Heights Mario Silva Ward 20 Trinity Niagara Bruce Sinclair Ward 5 Rexdale Thistletown David Soknacki Ward 16 Scarb. Highland Creek Mike Tzekas Ward 14 Scarborough Wexford Paul Valenti Ward 6 North York Humber Michael Walker Ward 22 North Toronto

From Goals to Directions:

Council’s Strategic Plan serves as a framework document and guides other major planning initiatives in the City. Council’s goals reflect the scope and breadth of a sustainability framework and include social equity and inclusion, economic vitality, environmental sustainability, good governance and city building themes. These goals represent the type of city we envision in the future. They are a further expression of the outcomes that are important to a high quality of life and a sustainable community. The directions that the City takes in pursuing these goals must strike a balance to ensure that progress is made in all goal areas.

City Directions represent the roads to be travelled – the directions that the City Government should take in pursuing Council’s goals. All of the goals are essential aspects of what constitutes a successful city, and to varying degrees all are interrelated. City Directions are broad strategies that support the achievement of more than one of the interrelated goals.

The City Government performs a catalytic and leadership role in defining and shaping our city. This highlights the value of Council articulating its collective vision of the city and its future. Council’s vision and goals provide a leadership statement about Toronto as a caring, dynamic and sustainable city. The City Directions speak to how Council sees the City Government contributing to these goals. City Directions are about the specific roles and actions that the municipality can take within its spheres of jurisdiction. The goals articulated by Council are not solely the domain of the City Government. The City cannot do it all, and it cannot do it alone. Inherent in these goals is the notion that all sectors of society have a contribution to make to the achievement of a sustainable city. Individuals, groups, voluntary organizations, businesses, health and education sectors, and other governments, all have a stake in the future of Toronto. Their actions, commitments, investments and creativity are critical to achieving our collective goals and a high quality of life in the city.

There are many opportunities within the City Government’s jurisdiction and fiscal capacity to contribute to the achievement of the goals:

(i) the City can use its role as a provider and funder of public services;

(ii) the City has important policy and regulatory functions; and

(iii) the City can establish partnerships and influence and facilitate contributions by others.

City Government has a diversity of roles. The City’s taxation and spending powers are important levers, but they are also limited. Significant, positive contributions towards the goals are possible through innovative and creative ways of using the many opportunities and tools that are available to the City. The roles the City plays, and how it can best contribute, vary considerably and are determined in the context of specific City Directions.

The City Directions are about setting priorities – priorities to guide choices about which directions to pursue as a City Government. This provides a context for considering further priorities around City programs and services and around resource allocations. The City Directions together reflect a set of choices and strategies that Council deems important but are not ranked in any particular order.

Towards City Directions:

The Government of the City of Toronto is a civic institution that facilitates the continued expression of the democratic rights and obligations of its citizenry. Goals related to democratic principles, community identity and well-being are all furthered by Council’s pursuit of open government processes, a high level of public awareness about opportunities for participation, and a capacity within the community to represent its interests and be actively involved.

The City Government is also a large organization that faces challenges in sustaining its services and operations, developing effective public policies, working with the public, maintaining effective relations with other governments and maintaining beneficial international linkages. This gives rise to City Directions concerning the quality of City services, commitments around City resources and assets, the City’s governance capacity and fiscal sustainability, the championing of municipal issues, and monitoring of quality of life in the city. Based on its roles as a civic institution, a corporate entity and a service provider, the City Government is an essential catalyst in initiating and facilitating improvements in the social, economic and environmental state of the city. The concept of sustainability is one of the key integrating principles that guides the City in this regard.

Progress towards the social development goals for the city will be advanced by working with and empowering communities, advocating for our most vulnerable populations, fostering social and economic inclusion within our communities, pursuing community-based safety initiatives, and actively improving social and economic well-being. City Directions that maintain and enhance the economic vitality of the city include a healthy social fabric, a vibrant cultural life, strategies that stimulate the creation of job opportunities, creating an environment where businesses can thrive, and promoting a liveable city.

The city’s social and economic capacity will be strengthened by a healthy natural environment. City Directions that further environmental quality include pursuing a green Toronto, reducing environmental health risks, improving the environmental performance of City Government operations, and establishing effective environmental partnerships with our communities and with other jurisdictions.

The City Government plays a key role in city building and is dedicated to the integration of social, economic and environmental aspects of a cohesive and well-functioning urban centre. Quality of life in the city will be supported through a focus on city liveability, protection of our environmental assets, healthy neighbourhoods, downtown vitality, good use of our infrastructure, and continued reinvestment in our city.

City Directions:

(a) Enhance city liveability and appeal:

(i) work with businesses, neighbourhoods and the development community to improve urban design, innovative architecture, public art and heritage preservation.

(ii) support the city’s role as a major centre for arts, culture, entertainment, health and education.

(iii) promote the vitality of the city’s downtown.

(iv) expand and improve the quality of the city’s open space and recreational systems.

(v) expand public amenity opportunities along the waterfront.

(vi) support strategies that increase accessibility for residents while reducing automobile dependency, e.g., further develop trail systems, improve pedestrian safety, connect bicycle paths and transit stops. (vii) implement community safety campaigns, e.g., set and monitor safety standards, include safety design in development approval, improve public education, develop partnerships.

(viii) build public pride in the city and its appearance, e.g., improve cleanliness of streets and public areas, engage public in litter and graffiti prevention campaigns.

(b) Monitor quality of life in the city:

(i) report on the “state of the city” during each term of Council, e.g., establish social/economic/environmental indicators, inform public of trends in quality of life, compare the city to other major cities.

(ii) include appropriate targets, indicators and benchmarks in major City planning initiatives, e.g., fiscal sustainability plan, environmental plan, culture plan, economic development strategy, social development strategy, official plan.

(iii) link monitoring and reporting on the Strategic Plan and other City objectives and planning initiatives to internal performance management processes.

(c) Invest in people and job creation:

(i) work with other governments, businesses, labour and educators to provide training and retraining that supports entry into the job market, e.g., include youth, immigrant communities, people with disabilities, older workers; target pockets of unemployment.

(ii) ensure the availability of a highly skilled work force to support and succeed in the knowledge economy.

(iii) create job opportunities by managing resource needs locally, e.g., process more solid waste locally, explore energy efficiency and generation initiatives.

(iv) provide leadership to other employers in ensuring equal access to employment opportunities.

(v) support residents in accessing well paying jobs and a decent standard of living, e.g., support fair wage policies including through the City’s purchasing policy, work with trade unions.

(d) Ensure the city is a desirable place for business location:

(i) develop and support our primary local economic clusters which are fundamental to economic growth.

(ii) support small businesses and promote Toronto’s entrepreneurial capacity, e.g., support neighbourhood retail, support start-up businesses. (iii) establish mechanisms for formal liaison with the business sector.

(iv) evaluate economic growth trends and plan for emerging opportunities.

(v) re-engineer City policies and programs to meet objectives though simplified regulatory requirements.

(vi) promote our competitive advantages, e.g., important centre for arts, culture and entertainment; benefits of district heating and cooling opportunities

(vii) ensure that the City’s business taxes are reasonable and fair.

(viii) provide leadership in rationalizing the location of business opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area to maximize regional competitive advantages.

(e) Promote strong and healthy neighbourhoods and communities: (i) ensure new development is sensitive to the surrounding neighbourhood.

(ii) use intensification to provide a mix of housing options and compatible employment opportunities to accommodate the needs of changing families and households.

(iii) distribute employment nodes across the city to reduce live-work commute time and increase discretionary time.

(iv) invest in social and physical infrastructure prior to or in concert with new development.

(v) apply environmental and energy efficiency planning in all city development, e.g., part of development approval process, explore “zero footprint” model for assessing impacts.

(f) Maximize use of infrastructure and facilitate reinvestment in the city: (i) capture a greater share of future regional population and employment growth within the city, e.g., attract a resident labour force to support economic growth.

(ii) work with our regional partners to limit sprawl and achieve compact urban form.

(iii) establish enterprise areas where more flexible zoning provisions and regulatory tools can be introduced to encourage redevelopment, reinvestment and growth.

(iv) ensure that transit, recreation and social infrastructure are located to align with and support corridors and growth areas, e.g., Provincial incentives for intensification, share of gas tax for transit. (v) develop innovative ways of providing infrastructure, e.g., facilitating fibre optics, using public infrastructure as a lever. (vi) develop initiatives, and work with the Provincial and Federal governments, businesses and industry to revitalize brownfield lands.

(g) Make prevention the cornerstone for environmental and health protection:

(i) pursue stricter stewardship legislation for environmental spills and emissions.

(ii) encourage alternatives to pesticide use on private lands.

(iii) ensure mechanisms are in place to protect the health of the public, e.g., effective testing of drinking water, health screening for children, monitoring public nutrition and food security issues.

(h) Pursue a “green” Toronto:

(i) protect and regenerate the city’s tree cover.

(ii) protect and regenerate natural habitats and enhance biodiversity.

(iii) improve water quality on the waterfront and in our rivers.

(iv) promote community action to improve environmental conditions.

(v) establish new environmental infrastructure, e.g., explore HOV parking, support car-pooling, pursue a gas-operated generating station within the region.

(vi) recognize and promote best environmental practices within business and industry sectors.

(i) Improve civic literacy and create pride in civic participation:

(i) review decision-making processes during each term of Council to ensure they are open and accessible.

(ii) develop a consistent and easily recognizable visual identity for the City.

(iii) inform the community about how “City Hall” works, e.g., issue regular City newspaper, broaden use of internet and other technology, get tenants more involved, customize communications to communities.

(iv) remove barriers that prevent access to Council decision-making processes, e.g., language barriers, physical barriers, complex Council reports. (v) encourage positive participation in civic affairs by reinforcing the relationship between local and city-wide issues.

(vi) develop strategies for increasing voter turnout in municipal elections.

(j) Build community capacity and actively involve the public in civic life:

(i) support communities to develop civic identity and community leadership

(ii) create a dialogue about community needs, how we determine priorities, and strategies to make them affordable.

(iii) involve the broader public in the process of assessing community needs.

(iv) create new forums to facilitate community involvement.

(k) Promote volunteerism and the role of the voluntary sector.

(i) connect people in need with people and organizations who have ability and time to help (e.g., partner with volunteer centres, labour and business organizations).

(ii) develop opportunities to engage and involve the voluntary sector in city initiatives.

(iii) value, recognize and support the voluntary sector’s role in delivering services.

(iv) develop mechanisms for the recognition, reward and evaluation of volunteers.

(l) Advocate on behalf of the people of Toronto, particularly our most vulnerable populations:

(i) reinforce the role of the Provincial and Federal governments in ensuring social and economic well-being.

(ii) advocate for the Provincial and Federal governments to provide more appropriate funding sources for income redistribution programs than the property tax (e.g., for social assistance, social housing, child care subsidies).

(iii) advocate for Provincial and Federal funding to address homelessness and housing needs (e.g., new hostels, more affordable housing).

(m) Provide accessible City services that improve community well-being:

(i) decentralize service delivery where appropriate to meet community needs.

(ii) support innovative, community-based responses to unique social needs. (iii) plan for and develop integrated responses to the various social needs of individuals and communities (e.g., children, youth, seniors and families).

(iv) develop policies that facilitate access to housing for people at all income levels.

(n) Improve social and economic inclusion within our communities:

(i) work with other governments, businesses and voluntary organizations to reduce inequalities and polarization in our communities.

(ii) reflect the city’s diversity in public services and governance processes.

(iii) enhance initiatives to address violence against women.

(iv) involve youth in community initiatives and use City programs for youth leadership and personal development.

(o) Deliver high quality public services:

(i) evaluate City services to ensure they are effective, efficient and relevant (e.g., each term of Council, beyond the budget process).

(ii) make “service” the motto and establish standards of excellence and service levels in all City programs (e.g., performance measures, self-service opportunities and technology to improve access, train staff in quality service delivery).

(iii) establish a “no wrong door” policy for coordinated public access to City services and information.

(iv) enhance the environmental performance of City operations (e.g., minimize waste generation and use of resources and fossil fuels, develop policies to facilitate e-commuting for City employees).

(v) nurture innovation and best practices (e.g., learn from others and ourselves, support risk taking and testing new approaches, challenge other jurisdictions to rise to higher standards).

(p) Provide stewardship of City resources and assets through sound financial planning:

(i) demonstrate the value of City services and initiatives e.g., produce a tax bill that outlines the value of City services, communicate how user fees relate to service costs and benefits).

(ii) establish Council priorities each term of Council to guide the preparation of multi-year program plans and operating budgets. (iii) prepare multi-year operating plans subject to annual operating budget approvals prepare five to ten year capital plans subject to annual capital budget approvals.

(iv) invest in state of good repair to maintain existing City infrastructure.

(v) dispose or recycle surplus City infrastructure and assets.

(vi) publish the value of City assets on the balance sheet.

(q) Work with other governments to improve the City’s governance capacity:

(i) have the Provincial and Federal governments recognize the City as a responsible and accountable order of government with attendant rights and responsibilities.

(ii) work with the Province to provide the City with adequate decision making power and authority.

(iii) work with other cities, municipal organizations and the Province to reform and modernize municipal enabling legislation.

(r) Provide intergovernmental leadership on matters of local importance:

(i) put City issues on the Provincial and Federal government agendas.

(ii) work with other cities and the Federal government to establish a national urban issues agenda.

(iii) take a leadership role to encourage regional coordination on common urban issues in the Greater Toronto Area.

(iv) designate members of Council to lead the City’s discussions and work one on one with other levels of government on specific issues.

(v) participate in provincial, national and international organizations, and work with business and community leaders, to develop support for City strategies and intergovernmental initiatives.

(s) Establish sustainable financing mechanisms and sources:

(i) work with other cities and the Provincial and Federal governments to provide the City with sustainable revenue sources (e.g., share of gas tax).

(ii) ensure all City services and programs are on a sound financial foundation.

(iii) explore innovative financing strategies e.g., investigate revolving funds, leasing versus buying, public-private partnership opportunities for infrastructure investments.

(iv) create opportunities for people to invest in their City (e.g., explore issuance of municipal bonds on the retail market, explore mechanisms to provide tax credits for investments by residents).

(v) keep property tax increases on average to the rate of inflation or below (e.g., over five to ten year interval).

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The Policy and Finance Committee reports, for the information of Council, having also had before it a communication (July 20, 2000) from Councillor Jack Layton, recommending that Recommendation No. (4) embodied in the report (July 10, 2000) from the Chief Administrative Officer, respecting Council’s Strategic Plan – Part II, be amended by adding thereto the following words “and that the views of the Sustainability Roundtable on the Strategic Plan be sought.”