Toronto Community Housing board gone

City voted to remove housing board members
Interim director in place until new board appointed
Councillors question legality of decision
Kris Scheuer
(Written and revised March 10 for Town Crier)

THC tenant reps Catherine Wilkinson and Dan King were among board members removed by city. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Mayor Rob Ford got his wish. The four remaining members of the Toronto Community Housing’s board were removed last night after a midnight vote by city council.
It its place a single managing director has been appointed to take over the board’s duties.
It’s been confirmed former deputy mayor Case Ootes will fill that role until a new board is formed no later than mid-June.
Councillor Raymond Cho, who along with Councillor Maria Augimeri and tenant reps Catherine Wilkinson and Dan King were removed from the community housing board, said during the debate he felt the mayor was telling him to get lost by asking him to resign from the board after he was just appointed in December.
Last week, the other two councillors appointed to the board after last year’s election, John Parker and Frances Nunziata, resigned at the mayor’s request.

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Kippendavie development compromise

City, resident and developer seeks resolution
Trying to work out deal before OMB hearing
But some want area’s flooding problems fixed first
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier March 4.)

A redevelopment on Kippendavie is heading to the OMB. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

Beach residents, the city and Longo Development are frantically trying to work out a compromise on a Beach apartment proposal in advance of a scheduled Ontario Municipal Board hearing.
Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon asked for a deferral when the controversial development proposal at 66 to 76 Kippendavie Ave. came before Toronto and East York Community Council on Feb. 16.
“We will work our tails off in the next few weeks to see what we can come up with,” McMahon said.
She would not take a position on what a suitable compromise would entail for a current proposal that would see six homes demolished to construct a four-storey, 65-unit apartment building.
The city has yet to rule on the proposal one way or another as it has been deferred on more than one occasion since last summer. The city’s planning department recommends approval of the application, which is heading to the Ontario Municipal Board for a June 13 hearing.

City fires entire housing board

Kris Scheuer
(Updated story here.)

The last four remaining Toronto Community Housing board members were removed by the city in a vote 25-18 around midnight on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
In the interim one person will act as the managing director and while his name remains confidential for now it’s been widely reported as former deputy mayor Case Ootes. To read the many motions and how councillors voted, click here.
I filed my story for the  Town Crier at noon today detailing some of the next steps and concerns some councillors have over the process of removing a board that was not found to be implicated in any wrongdoing.
When that story is edited, I will post it on m blog.
The full story is done now and can be read here.