One of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's key political accomplishments was called into question after a councillor filed an urgent motion asking the city what steps it is taking to address the recent safety downgrading of a private garbage collection company.
Green for Life Environmental Inc. (GFL) last month was given a "conditional" safety rating by the provincial government. According to its contract with the city, the private company must make "all efforts to maintain its rating equivalent to or better than ‘satisfactory’ at all times during the term of the contract."
GFL -- which was awarded a seven-year contract in 2012 to service the city's west end -- appealed a divisional court to have the rating changed.
It said that if the rating was not changed, it will "suffer irreparable harm," and "will be in default in its contractual obligations to current municipal clients." The appeal was ultimately rejected.
On Tuesday, Coun. Gord Perks filed an urgent motion asking the deputy city manager to prepare a report on the safety downgrading, and on what steps the city is taking to address the issue. The motion was seconded by Coun. Janet Davis.
Private garbage collection was one of Ford's key campaign promises during the city's last municipal election. It was supported by Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong, who has previously said efficient private trash collection would save Toronto taxpayers millions of dollars over the course of a multi-year contract.
On Tuesday, the chair of the public works and infrastructure committee was again defending the city's decision to privatize garbage collection in the west end.
"I told Rob that that some councillors were trying to undermine our initiative to contract out garbage. He wanted to come back. #TOpoli," Minnan-Wong tweeted on Tuesday.
He later shared a link to GFL's annual report.
Here is the annual report on GFL and contracting out garbage. Indices show that contracting out a success. @ddale8 http://t.co/DM7qLnvuC1
— Denzil Minnan-Wong (@DenzilMW) May 7, 2014