Board of Directors Meeting - September 27, 2018

Agenda

10:00 - Chair’s Remarks

Action: Information

Pre-read: Verbal Report

Presenter: Chair

10:05 - Consent agenda

a. Approval of Public Meeting Agenda

Action: Approval

Pre-read: Agenda

Presenter: Chair

b. Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

Action: Declaration

Pre-read: Agenda and Conflict of Interest Policy

Presenter: Chair

c. Confirmation of Board of Directors’ Public Meeting Minutes of July 31, 2018

Action: Approval

Pre-read: Minutes

Presenter: Chair

d. Business Arising from the Public Meeting Minutes and Action Items Update of July 31, 2018

Action: Information

Pre-read: Action Item List

Presenter: Chair

e. Revisions to Board-Related Policies

Action: Approval

Pre-read: TCHC:2018-41

Presenter: General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

10:10 - President and Chief Executive Officer’s Remarks

Action: Information

Pre-read: Verbal Report

Presenter: President and Chief Executive Officer

a. President and CEO's Report - August 2018

Action: Information

Pre-read: TCHC:2018-44

Presenter: President and Chief Executive Officer

10:35 - 2018-2019 TCHC Insurance Renewal

Action: Approval

Pre-read: TCHC:2018-47

Presenter: General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

10:50 - BIFAC Chair’s Report

Action: Information

Pre-read: Verbal Report

Presenter: BIFAC Chair

10:55 - GCHRC Chair’s Report

Action: Information

Pre-read: Verbal Report

Presenter: GCHRCC Chair

11:05 -TSC Chair's Report

Action: Information

Pre-read: Verbal Report

Presenter: TSC Chair

TERMINATION

Minutes

The Board of Directors (“Board”) of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (“TCHC”) held a public meeting on September 27, 2018 at 10:10 a.m. in in the Main Floor Conference Room at 931 Yonge Street, Toronto and via teleconference. 

Directors in Attendance: 

Kevin Marshman (Chair) 

Councillor Frank Di Giorgio (by teleconference) 

Debbie Douglas  

Ubah Farah 

Linda Jackson (by teleconference) 

Wendy Kelley 

Brian Smith 

Kevin Marshman (Chair) 

Directors Absent: 

Councillor Ana Bailão  

Amanda Coombs (Leave of Absence) 

Councillor Joe Cressy 

Councillor Michael Ford  

Colin Lynch  

Nick Macrae 

Management present: 

Luisa Andrews, Vice-President of Information Technology  

Marta Asturi, Legal Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary 

Angela Cooke, Vice President, Tenant & Community Services 

Hugh Lawson, Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder  Relations 

Graham Leah, Vice President, Asset Management 

Rose-Ann Lee, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer 

Bruce Malloch, Director, Strategic Communications  

Kathy Milsom, President & Chief Executive Officer 

Allen Murray, Senior Director, Operations 

Yi-Mei Ting, Junior Legal Counsel 

Vincent Tong, Chief Development Officer 

Joan White, Interim General Manager, Senior Housing Unit 

Also present: 

Lily Yu, Marsh Canada Limited 

Brian Laur, Housing Services Corporation 

A quorum being present, Mr. Marshman, the Chair, called the meeting to order and Ms. Fung served as recording secretary.  

Item 1 - Chair's Remarks

The Chair welcomed everyone to the Board meeting, noted the Acknowledgement of the Land and provided the Board with the following highlights since the last Board meeting.   

Combating Gun Violence and Crime in our City 

Safety is of great concern at TCHC. Members of the Board are deeply troubled by the level of violence in our communities, for example, three separate incidents occurred on a single day, September 25, 2018, including a fatal shooting of a 15 year old boy in Regent Park. The Chair expressed on behalf of the Board sincere condolences to the families and their loved ones, the communities, and the members affected by these senseless crimes.  

TCHC works with the Toronto Police Service (“TPS”), the City of Toronto community partners and agencies, and tenants to address safety matters and implement measures and preventative strategies. This year, TCHC is investing more in cameras and lighting in our communities in an attempt to deter crime. TCHC is also increasing patrols and partnering with TPS on neighbourhood policing. TCHC is hiring more special constables to provide an increased presence in TCHC communities.  

TCHC will continue to work with TPS, the City of Toronto and community partners to defer crimes and violence in its communities and ensure safety remains high priority.  

TCHC encourages tenants and the public to report any information to TPS that may assist with the investigation of the crimes that happened on TCHC properties, or anonymously through TPS, Crime Stoppers or TCHC’s Community Safety Unit as appropriate. 

Deputations

The Chair polled for any deputations to be heard at the meeting.  The following deputations were presented: 

• Item 2D – Business Arising from the Public Meeting Minutes and Action Items Update of September 27, 2018 (Deputed by Liban Mohamed) 
• Item 2E – Revisions to Board-Related Policies (Deputed by Clive Williams and Cheryl Duggan); 
• Item 3A – President and CEO’s Report – August 2018 (Deputed by Lena Valenzuela, Jason Owusu and Cheryl Duggan). 

Item 2A - Approval of Public Meeting Agenda

The agenda was approved as circulated. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Smith, seconded by Ms. Kelley and carried, the Board approved the agenda. 

Item 2B - Chair's Poll re: Conflict of Interest

The Chair requested members of the Board to indicate any agenda item in which they have a conflict of interest, together with the nature of the interest.  No conflicts were declared. 

Item 2C - Confirmation of Board of Directors' Public Meeting Minutes of July 31, 2018

The Board had before it the draft public meeting minutes for July 31, 2018. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Kelley, seconded by Ms. Farah and carried, the Board confirmed the above-captioned minutes without amendments. 

Item 2D - Business Arising from the Public Meeting Minutes and Action Items Update of July 31, 2018

Deputation by Liban Mohamed was received with respect to this item. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Douglas, seconded by Councillor Di Giorgio and carried, the Board received the report for information. 

Item 2E - Revisions to Board-related Policies, TCHC:2018-41 

The Board had before it the above-captioned report (TCHC:2018-41) from GCHRC. 

The following deputations were received with respect to this report: 

1. Clive Williams; and 
2. Cheryl Duggan. 

The GCHRC Chair noted that the policies were amended to address complaints against directors and were submitted to GCHRC at its September 14, 2018 meeting.  

Ms. Kelley also noted that GCHRC received the amended policies and believe that these were properly amended to reflect the above-noted matter and recommended that the amended policies be approved by the Board. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Farah, seconded by Mr. Smith and carried, the Board approved the following amended policies: 

1. Fraud Prevention Policy (Attachment 1 to Report:TCHC: 2018-41); and  
2. Whistleblower Policy (Attachment 2 Report:TCHC:2018-41). 

Item 3A - President and Chief Executive Officer's Report – June 2018, TCHC:2018-44 

The Board had before it the above-captioned report (TCHC:2018-44) from the President and Chief Executive Officer.   

The following deputations were received with respect to this report: 

1. Lena Valenzuela; 
2. Jason Owusu; and 
3. Cheryl Duggan. 

Ms. Milsom highlighted the following results and key trends from the report for August 2018, including:  

• Safety and security in communities: This is a big concern and top priority for TCHC. Management is redirecting savings through operation efficiencies for more resources to support the Community Safety Unit.  
• The broader Dan Harrison community pilot. The pilot program is being expanded to ten other communities. 
• Youth services programs: TCHC and continues to work with youth in its communities. 
• Tenant engagement refresh process: TCHC has taken measures to keep the process on track. 

Ms. Milsom answered questions and accepted feedback from the Board.  

A request was made for Management to summarize the suggested changes to legislation and present to the Board at the December 6th meeting. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Kelley, seconded by Mr. Smith and carried, the Board received the report for information.  

Item 4 - 2018-2019 TCHC Insurance Renewal, TCHC:2018-47 

The General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and the Senior Director, Fire Life Safety & Risk Management introduced the above-captioned report.  

Overall the recommendation is for an annual program for $5,637,712, an increase of approximately 4.8%. 

It was noted that under the Housing Services Act, TCHC is mandated to obtain its insurance from Housing Services Corporation, a provincial entity that goes worldwide in search of insurance companies regarding social housing insurances.  

Further discussion on this item was deferred to the confidential session.  

Item 5 - Building Investment, Finance and Audit Committee ("BIFAC") Chair's Report

In the absence of the BIFAC Chair, the Board Chair provided a verbal update on the activities of BIFAC. 

Mr. Marshman outlined key initiatives at BIFAC, including: 

• a BIFAC meeting was held on September 12, 2018; 
• review and awarding of a number of contracts that were above the CEO’s threshold for approval; and 
• the draft 2019 capital and development budgets were reviewed, with the operating budget to be reviewed at the October 10, 2018 BIFAC meeting. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Smith, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the Board received the verbal report for information.  

Item 6 - Governance, Communications and Human Resources Committee ("GCHRC") Chair's Report

The GCHRC Chair provided a verbal update on the activities of GCHRC.

Ms. Kelley outlined key initiatives at GCHRC, including: 

• a GCHRC meeting was held on September 14, 2018; 
• review of the Committee charters and suggested amendments; and 
• receipt of the results of the employee engagement survey and associated next steps. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Smith, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the Board received the verbal report for information.  

Item 7 - Tenant Services Committee ("TSC") Chair's Report

The TSC Chair provided a verbal update on the activities of TSC.   

Ms. Jackson outlined key initiatives at TSC, including: 

• a TSC meeting was held on September 6, 2018; 
• receipt of a significant number of deputations from tenants regarding concerns with progress of the tenant engagement system at the September 6, 2018 TSC meeting; and 
• acknowledging that people should be living in safe and well maintained communities, and that people should be free to speak and be treated in respectful manners. 

Motion carried 

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Smith, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the Board received the verbal report for information.  

TERMINATION 

The public meeting terminated at 11:44 a.m.