Stewardship principles

Suggested direction by Council regarding the principles that guide the city's stewardship and care of public amenities such as parks, community centres, libraries, pools, public squares and throughways.  

1) public amenities have been paid for and are held in trust for the people of Toronto

2) the city will focus on making the most of the facilities we have

- make existing amenities as widely available as possible

- keep public amenities in good repair, with a focus on fixing what is broken and ongoing maintenance

3) New building projects will not be considered until adaptations of existing amenities nearby or at the same location have been considered in detail.

4) informed public discussion and ongoing involvement in key decisions about public amenities are a cornerstone of civic democracy in Toronto

- all background information and opinions together with all existing hard data re: liability, insurance concerns, etc will be made publicly available and easily accessible at no charge

5) the key priority for city staffing is to make public amenities welcoming and inviting to all patrons

6) public amenities are social common spaces, not to be used for commercial purposes

7) amenities are to be run in collaboration with the local neighbourhoods, wherever local interest exists.  This collaboration includes:

- setting the schedules for public use of amenities

- local oversight of the use, availability and maintenance of public amenities

- identification and scheduling of necessary repairs and maintenance - identification of any proposed new capital projects including renovations

8) enforcement is a tool to be used for priority issues as determined by existing by-laws (e.g. illegal signs) or future public direction.  Where it involves the enjoyment of public amenities, enforcement is to be used as a last resort, when all other remedies have been attempted.