Resident Services Committee (RSC) Meeting - November 26, 2014

Public Agenda

1. Approval of Public Meeting Agenda and Review of Agenda Order

Action: Committee Approval

Pre-read: Agenda

Presenter: Chair

2. Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

Action: Declaration

Pre-read

• Agenda
• Conflict of Interest Policy

Presenter: Chair

3. Confirmation of the Public Meeting Minutes of June 16, 2014

Action: Committee Approval

Pre-read: Minutes

Presenter: Chair

4. Business Arising from the Minutes and Committee Action Items Update

Action: Discussion

Pre-read: Action Item List

Presenter: Chair

Reports from the Resident Services Committee Chair

5. Chair’s Report and Remarks

Action: Information

Pre-read: -

Presenter: Chair

6. 2015 Work Plan, Review of 2014 Work Plan and Review of RSC Terms of Reference

Action: Discussion

Pre-read:

• Work plans
• RSC:2014-31

Presenter: Chair/ Corporate Secretary/ VP of Resident and Community Services

Reports from Management: Consent Agenda

7. Youth Initiatives Quarterly Report Q2-2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-18*

Presenter: VP of Resident and Community Services

8. Youth Initiatives Quarterly Report Q3-2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-32

Presenter: VP Resident and Community Services

9. Participatory Budgeting Quarterly Progress Report (Q2 – 2014)

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-19*

Presenter: VP Resident and Community Services

10. Participatory Budgeting Quarterly Progress Report Q3-2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-33

Presenter: VP Resident and Community Services

11. 2014 Mental Health and Seniors Strategy Q2-2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-26*

Presenter: VP Resident and Community Services

12. 2014 Mental Health and Seniors Strategy Q3-2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-34

Presenter: VP Resident and Community Services

13. Business in a Box (Q3-2014)

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-35

Presenter: VP Resident and Community Services

14. Update on Resident Survey Q3-2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-36

Presenter: Director of Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations

15. Resident Complaint and Education

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-22*

Presenter: VP, Asset Management

16. Update on Implementation of the Ombudsman’s Housing at Risk Recommendations (Q2-2014)

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-17*

Presenter: Director of Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations

Reports from Management

17. Update on Implementation of the Ombudsman’s Housing at Risk Recommendations (Q3-2014)

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-37

Presenter: Director of Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations

18. Definition of Vulnerability

Action: Information

Pre-read: Oral update

Presenter: VP, Resident and Community Services

19. Appliance Service Strategy

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-23*

Presenter: VP, Asset Management

20. Tenant Chargeback

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-38*

Presenter: VP, Asset Management

21. Elections for Resident Board Members – Background on Current Process

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-21R

Presenter: Director of Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations

22. Resident Engagement System Update (Q3-2014)

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2014-39

Presenter: VP of Resident and Community Services

TERMINATION

Closed Meeting Agenda

A. Approval of Agenda and Review of Agenda Order

Action: Committee Approval

Pre-read: Agenda

Presenter: Chair

B. Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

Action: Declaration

Pre-read

• Agenda
• Conflict of Interest Policy

Presenter: Chair

C. Confirmation of Closed Meeting Minutes of June 16, 2014

Action: Committee Approval

Pre-read: Minutes

Presenter: Chair

D. Business Arising from the Minutes and Committee Action Items Update

Action: Discussion

Pre-read: Action Item List

Presenter: Chair

Reports from the Resident Services Committee Chair

E. Chair’s Report and Remarks

Action: Information

Pre-read: -

Presenter: Chair

Reports from Management

F-i. Confidential report respecting matters that are or may be the subject of litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the corporation – Q3 2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:C2014-40

Presenter: Director of Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations

F-ii. Confidential report respecting matters that are or may be the subject of litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the corporation – Q2 2014

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:C2014-28*

Presenter: Director of Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations

G. Confidential report respecting:

1. Human resource issues and employment matters, including labour relations or employee negotiations; and
2. Matters that are or may be the subject of litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the corporation

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:C2014-41

Presenter: VP, Asset Management

H. Confidential report respecting matters that are not required to be disclosed under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, including but not limited to personal matters about identifiable individuals, a proposed or pending transaction with a third party, and recommendations of proposed policy or processes

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:C2014-29*

Presenter: Senior Manager, Commercial & Business Development

I. Confidential report respecting:

1. Matters that are not required to be disclosed under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), including but not limited to personal matters about identifiable individuals, a proposed or pending transaction with a third party, and recommendations of proposed policy or processes; and
2. Matters related to an investigation by the Ombudsman and there is a requirement from the Ombudsman to keep matters confidential

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:C2014-42

Presenter: Director of Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations

TERMINATION

Public Meeting Minutes

The Resident Services Committee (“RSC”) of Toronto Community Housing Corporation (“TCHC”) held a public meeting on November 26, 2014 via teleconference and in the Main Floor Conference Room, 931 Yonge Street, Toronto, commencing at 12:10 p.m.

Committee Directors Present:

Catherine Wilkinson, Chair 

Councillor Maria Augimeri (via teleconference)

Committee Directors Absent:

Munira Abukar (on a leave of a absence)

Zahir Bhaidani 

Also present:

Marta Asturi, Legal Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary

Simone Atungo, Director, Resident Engagement & Community

Lenna Bradburn, Vice President, Resident and Community Services

Graham Leah, Vice President, Asset Management

Greg Spearn, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer / Chief Development Officer

A quorum being present, Ms. Catherine Wilkinson, the RSC Chair, called the public meeting to order and Ms. Mirela Bolentiru served as recording secretary.

Item 1 - Approval of Agenda

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC approved the agenda as presented, and approved / received the following public items that were not held for discussion: Items 8 to 16 inclusive. 

Item 2 - Declaration of Conflict of Interest

The Chair requested members of the RSC to indicate any agenda item in which they had a conflict of interest, together with the nature of the interest. None were declared.

Deputations

The RSC Chair polled for any deputations to be heard at the meeting and explained the deputation process. The Chair noted that no deputations were received prior to the meeting and one request for a verbal deputation was received at the meeting with respect to the public Item 7 “Youth Initiatives Quarterly Report Q2-2014”.

Item 3 - Confirmation of Resident Services Committee Minutes - September 16, 2014

The RSC had before it the RSC minutes for the September 16, 2014 public meeting.  
The RSC received the September 16, 2014 minutes as presented.

Item 4 - Business Arising from the Minutes and Committee Action Items Update

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 5 - Chairs Reports and Remarks, Verbal

No report from the RSC Chair at this time.

Item 6 - 2015 Work Plan, Review of 2014 Work Plan and Review of RSC Terms of Reference, RSC:2014-31

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-31) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).  RSC and Management discussed the work plan, and the following was highlighted:

• Include a standing item on resident engagement.
• No standing item required in 2015 regarding the Ombudsman recommendations, which should be addressed by Q1 2015.
• Include as a standing item regular reviews of arrears on a quarterly basis.
• Include report in Q1 2015 on funding and availability of scholarships.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC resolved to:

1. Receive the proposed 2015 Work Plan (Attachment 1) and review of the RSC 2014 Wok Plan (Attachment 2) for information and discussion; and
2. Approve the proposed amendments to the RSC Terms of Reference (Attachment 3) and authorize Management to forward to the Governance, Risk and Human Resources Committee for review and approval.

Item 7 - Youth Initiatives Quarterly Report Q2-2014, RSC:2014-18

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-18) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim). 

Ms. Laura Hammond made a verbal deputation on this matter, and written copy is appended to the public minutes.

Management noted the information provided by the deputant with respect to the contract building vendor related issues raised.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Catherine Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 8 - Youth Initiatives Quarterly Report Q3-2014, RSC:2014-32

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-32) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 9 - Participatory Budgeting Quarterly Progress Report (Q2 – 2014), RSC:2014-19

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-19) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 10 - Participatory Budgeting Quarterly Progress Report Q3-2014, RSC:2014-33

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-33) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 11 - 2014 Mental Health and Seniors Strategy Q2-2014, RSC:2014-26

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-26) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 12 - 2014 Mental Health and Seniors Strategy Q3-2014, RSC:2014-34

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-34) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 13 - Business in a Box (Q3-2014), RSC:2014-35

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-35) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 14 - Update on Resident Survey, RSC:2014-36

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-36) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 15 - Resident Complaint and Education, RSC:2014-22

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-22) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 16 - Update on Implementation of the Ombudsman’s Housing at Risk Recommendations (Q2-2014), RSC:2014-17

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-17) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 17 - Update on Implementation of the Ombudsman’s Housing at Risk Recommendations (Q3-2014), RSC:2014-37

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-37) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim). 

The RSC inquired with respect to the status of the Ombudsman’s outstanding recommendations nos. 5 and 19 (page 3 of the report):

• Recommendation 5 – action plan for supporting vulnerable seniors, including a definition of the Community Service Coordinator role, which it was due in November 2014 for submission to the Ombudsman’s Office for review; and
• Recommendation 19 – guideline for identifying indicators of distress and potential vulnerability in seniors (and other residents), which it was due in November 2014 for submission to the Ombudsman’s Office for review.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 18 - Definition of Vulnerability, Verbal

Management reported that discussions with the City of Toronto are ongoing with respect to the development of the definition of vulnerability, and a report will be presented to the Board of Directors for final approval at its December 16, 2014 meeting.

The RSC inquired with respect to the status of the vulnerable resident files that had to be submitted to the Office of the Commissioner of Housing Equity (OCHE) for review commencing October 1, 2014. Management confirmed that the process has started. Criteria based on indicators obtained from the annual unit inspections are being used to assist in identifying potential cases of loss of subsidy for the vulnerable residents.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 19 - Appliance Service Strategy, RSC:2014-23

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-23) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).  

A discussion ensued, including the following salient points:

• Level of appliance service: emergency versus non-emergency.  The RSC raised concerns with respect to appliance service after hours and during the weekends. Management confirmed that there are only two after-hours crews that out of necessity have to use their judgment with respect to prioritizing and servicing non-functioning appliances during the weekends and after hours.
• Lost groceries due to non-functioning refrigerators and their replacement process. The RSC recommended that:
  • The recourse process for residents be posted on the external website in clear and easy-to-follow steps.
  • The residents be educated with respect to the appliance replacement strategy that is not applicable if the appliance functions partially.
  • Staff provide a short-term plan with respect to vendors available on site for appliance service requests.
  • A stock of spare working refrigerators be established on site.
• In Q1 2015, a report will be provided to the RSC on the vendor strategy to render appliance repair services during the weekends and after hours. The resident claim process will be consistent with the TCHC’s insurance policy.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 20 - Tenant Chargeback, RSC:2014-38

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-38) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).

The RSC asked Management to educate the residents by providing them with information with respect to their roles and responsibilities in relation to the maintenance of their unit and guidelines regarding wear and tear rules. Management confirmed that a re-education initiative of the residents in this respect has started.

The RSC noted that the current practice with respect to resident repayment policy for damaged property is inconsistently applied throughout portfolio and asked that resident repayment agreements be implemented.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 21 - Elections for Resident Board Members – Background on Current Process, RSC:2014-21R

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-21R) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).  

A discussion ensued, including the following highlights:

• The RSC expressed its concerns with respect to the last elections process for the resident Board members.
• The RSC Chair noted that TCHC Management should not be involved in this process due to its conflict of interest position. The RSC Chair requested that staff be removed entirely from the process and a professional consultant be retained to analyze the information from the prior elections process and provide recommendations for process improvement.
• The RSC noted that the term in office of the two resident representatives on the TCHC Board of Directors will end in June 2015 and there are time constraints to launch the elections process.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Councillor Augimeri and carried, the RSC received the report for information and recommended that the report be forwarded to the Board of Directors for discussion and approval of the election process for the Resident Board members at its December 16, 2014 meeting.

Motion carried

The RSC Chair proposed the following motion:

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Councillor Augimeri and carried, the RSC agreed that the elections process of the resident Board members should be under the RSC’s jurisdiction, versus GRHRC’s and recommended that the elections process be outsourced / managed by a third party to avoid any biased opinions.

Item 22 - Resident Engagement System Update (Q3-2014), RSC:2014-39

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2014-39) from the President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim).  

A discussion ensued, including the following highlights:

• The RSC inquired with respect to the model and costs associated to refreshing the Resident Engagement System:
  • A Resident Engagement System Refresh Framework has been developed, outlining: the guiding principles, anticipated outcomes, methodology, and a work plan including timelines to achieve the deliverables.
  • Sources of funding (subject to the budget approval process): 
    • Annual budget allocation; and
    • Available funding sources, such as renting/leasing common space within TCHC buildings. 
  • An internal, cross-divisional working group has been established, consisting of six TCHC staff members. The working group will be expanded to include six resident participants.
    • The criteria to determine the selection process for the resident participants has been developed and is being finalized.
    • The residents will be invited to attend town hall meetings that will be held across the City. The purpose of those meetings is to provide a re-orientation to the residents with respect to the Resident Engagement System Refresh and to assist the residents with a self-identification process of the individuals who want to participate on the working groups.
• The RSC requested that the new Resident Engagement System be equitable and accessible to all residents and that the new model should offer an opportunity to a resident to be engaged.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Augimeri, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

TERMINATION

The RSC resolved to terminate the public meeting at 1:19 p.m.