Latest news with #Matlow
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
In Tallahassee town hall, progressives talk of concerns over TMH sale talks
A panel of Democrats, including the progressive wing of local elected officials and the county commission's longest-serving member, gathered in a "town hall" to ruminate on the future of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. A small crowd of about 30 people braved a downpour the evening of June 5 to listen to Tallahassee City Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter and Leon County Commissioners David O'Keefe and Bill Proctor, with Leon County Democratic Party chair Ryan Ray moderating. Ray is also Matlow's commission aide. After city leaders recently signaled they might consider a sale of TMH and all its assets, Florida State University immediately made its interest in purchasing the hospital known, hoping to put it under the FSU Health umbrella and get one step closer to creating an academic medical center. The possibility of the sale of the community-owned hospital has many displeased: "What we're looking at is a few hot headed men, some at Florida State, some at the City of Tallahassee, (who are) in a power struggle to meet their individual goals," Matlow told the audience at the American Legion hall at Lake Ella. "... What we're trying to say is, we need to be having a broader conversation about community goals, because what we would like to do is work with Florida State to see how we can expand academic medicine in our community," he added. The town hall was the latest in an ongoing citywide debate, sparked by a city commission agenda item that in part said "... staff will also explore the feasibility and potential advantages of a possible sale of the property, considering all available options and approaches." After the agenda item, FSU dropped a letter declaring interest in seeing TMH become an academic medical center, commonly referred to as a "teaching hospital," presumably under the FSU Health banner. For his part, Ray said he invited others from City Hall, TMH and FSU to join the forum. They didn't show. O'Keefe likened the TMH/City/FSU drama to a family argument among elected officials: "If we have a major issue with a family member, doesn't mean we throw them out. We agree with them on one thing; we don't agree with another. But that doesn't mean we just give up and do everything that 'Uncle FSU' wants to do." One person in the audience asked Porter which city commissioners voted to put up TMH for sale. She quickly provided clarification. "Technically, the hospital is not for sale," she said. "As far as I know, part of the problem with this process is that a lot of it has been happening behind the scenes without commissioners' or the public's awareness. "But that has not come to us for a vote, to initiate a sale, though it does seem that those conversations have been happening behind the scenes between the city, the city manager and the mayor and FSU," she added. City Manager Reese Goad wasn't immediately available for comment. Proctor, first elected in 1996 to represent the county's south-side District 1, suggested that if the discussion does go the way of a teaching hospital, FAMU should be included as well. So far, a partnership among the three entities hasn't been brought up. Discussion wound up veering in different directions later in the town hall, encompassing goings-on in state government, the new Florida A&M president-elect, even Blueprint's portion of funds for the remodeling of Doak Campbell Stadium to be finished this summer. And while a TMH discussion is not on the agenda, the city commission is still scheduled to meet June 11 at City Hall. This story contains previously published material. Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@ and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 'Uncle FSU' and TMH: Local Democrats resist idea of hospital takeover
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
TTC board looks at what to do when extreme weather hits
When Toronto experiences record breaking amounts of snow and rain, the TTC is affected in a major way, and on Wednesday its board approved a report aimed at minimizing disruptions when extreme weather hits. After heavy rain in July last year and heavy snow in February this year, the board decided it will plan for extreme weather based on the latest climate projections for Toronto. The board also decided the TTC will work with city staff on a review of winter maintenance operations to ensure that the "resilience of TTC operations" remains a top priority. Coun. Jamaal Myers, chair of the TTC board, said the board will look at "technologies and innovations" of other cities to see how they have coped with extreme weather. "Everybody recognizes that this is coming. We all saw what happened last summer when the stations were flooded due to extreme rain," Myers said. "If the system is shut down, it's of no use to anyone." Coun. Josh Matlow, a member of the board, said the city and the TTC need to accept current realities of climate change. "Precipitation has a big impact on the functionality and the reliability of our system and I want to see the TTC move on this as quickly as possible," Matlow said. "I don't want to go through another winter like this where, because we have open cut areas of our tracks, the system just stops working when it snows. That's not acceptable," he said. "We live in a Canadian city. We have to predict that it's going to snow once in a while and we need to be prepared." Coun. Josh Matlow, who sits on the TTC board, speaks to reporters before the board met on Wednesday. (Saeed Dehghani/CBC) Matlow said Toronto is expected to see more severe storms due to climate change and it needs to prepare accordingly. "When the infrastructure can't handle the weather, then the system shuts down. We need to make sure that we're prepared for virtually anything because even when it's really bad outside, people still need to get to work in school." Matlow also said the provincial and federal governments need to commit to funding the capital needs of Toronto's transit system as part of extreme weather planning. TTC board needs to step up, advocate says Chloe Tangpongprush, spokesperson for transit advocacy group TTCriders, asked the board for winter clearing standards for surface transit stops. The current standard is that there will be an attempt to clear bus and streetcar stops within 48 hours after a major snowfall. "That's just not good enough," Tangpongprush said. Chloe Tangpongprush, spokesperson for transit advocacy group TTCriders, told the board, 'Transit riders in these events cannot be stranded and abandoned for days after a major snowfall like what we saw in February of this year.' (Saeed Dehghani/CBC) Tangpongprush said the TTC needs to find money to find clear bus and streetcar stops more quickly. "The conditions that Torontonians had to face in February were unacceptable," she said. Tangpongprush told the board that it needs to step up on the issue. "As your report before you outlines today, climate change will continue to wreak havoc on the transit system and on our infrastructure in general. Transit riders in these events cannot be stranded and abandoned for days after a major snowfall like what we saw in February of this year," she said. "Just because the city is snowed in, just because the city is frozen, doesn't mean that riders don't have anywhere to go." She said many transit riders are essential workers, such as doctors, nurses, care workers, and they need to get work regardless of the weather. "They can't choose to work from home. We need to make sure that the transit system remains operating in inclement weather." Drivers are pictured here after they were stranded due to flood waters blocking the Don Valley Parkway following heavy rain in Toronto, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press) According to report, Toronto experienced its highest annual precipitation levels last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2008 by nine per cent and exceeding the 30-year average by more than 30 per cent. On July 15 and 16 of last year, when the city received more than 115 millimetres of rain within 24 hours, there was flooding at 15 subway stations. Nine streetcar routes were disrupted, causing delays ranging from 38 to 59 minutes per route. Fifty-five per cent of affected routes experienced water pooling along the right of way, 22 per cent experienced leakage into vehicles, and 22 per cent were indirectly impacted due to flood-stranded vehicles obstructing their routes. There were also power outages at the TTC's Mount Dennis, Queensway and McNicoll garages. Thirty-four bus routes were disrupted, causing an average delay of 1.5 hours across all affected routes. A person with a walker is shown here after a major snowfall in Toronto in February left many sidewalks impassable. (Eduardo Lima/The Canadian Press) During the extreme snowfall from Feb. 13 to 17, subway service stopped for 18 hours on Line 1 from Lawrence to Bloor, primarily due to loss of traction power from excessive accumulation of snow. Delays continued on Line 1 for an another eight hours after the snow stopped falling due to blowing snow from an open field at Wilson Yard. Service on Line 2 was halted between Woodbine to Kennedy for 18 hours. Thirteen streetcar routes were affected, with an average delay of about 30 minutes across all affected streetcar routes. The snow disrupted 100 bus routes, resulting in an average delay of about one hour across all affected bus routes. Forty per cent of delays were attributed to buses stuck in snow. An additional 30 per cent of delays were due to bus collisions, while 20 per cent were a result of bus diversions caused by blocked roadways. After already seeing record precipitation levels last year, the amount of rain the city could see in a single day is expected increase by 27 percent by the end of the century, the report says.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
TTC board looks at what to do when extreme weather hits
When Toronto experiences record breaking amounts of snow and rain, the TTC is affected in a major way, and on Wednesday its board approved a report aimed at minimizing disruptions when extreme weather hits. After heavy rain in July last year and heavy snow in February this year, the board decided it will plan for extreme weather based on the latest climate projections for Toronto. The board also decided the TTC will work with city staff on a review of winter maintenance operations to ensure that the "resilience of TTC operations" remains a top priority. Coun. Jamaal Myers, chair of the TTC board, said the board will look at "technologies and innovations" of other cities to see how they have coped with extreme weather. "Everybody recognizes that this is coming. We all saw what happened last summer when the stations were flooded due to extreme rain," Myers said. "If the system is shut down, it's of no use to anyone." Coun. Josh Matlow, a member of the board, said the city and the TTC need to accept current realities of climate change. "Precipitation has a big impact on the functionality and the reliability of our system and I want to see the TTC move on this as quickly as possible," Matlow said. "I don't want to go through another winter like this where, because we have open cut areas of our tracks, the system just stops working when it snows. That's not acceptable," he said. "We live in a Canadian city. We have to predict that it's going to snow once in a while and we need to be prepared." Coun. Josh Matlow, who sits on the TTC board, speaks to reporters before the board met on Wednesday. (Saeed Dehghani/CBC) Matlow said Toronto is expected to see more severe storms due to climate change and it needs to prepare accordingly. "When the infrastructure can't handle the weather, then the system shuts down. We need to make sure that we're prepared for virtually anything because even when it's really bad outside, people still need to get to work in school." Matlow also said the provincial and federal governments need to commit to funding the capital needs of Toronto's transit system as part of extreme weather planning. TTC board needs to step up, advocate says Chloe Tangpongprush, spokesperson for transit advocacy group TTCriders, asked the board for winter clearing standards for surface transit stops. The current standard is that there will be an attempt to clear bus and streetcar stops within 48 hours after a major snowfall. "That's just not good enough," Tangpongprush said. Chloe Tangpongprush, spokesperson for transit advocacy group TTCriders, told the board, 'Transit riders in these events cannot be stranded and abandoned for days after a major snowfall like what we saw in February of this year.' (Saeed Dehghani/CBC) Tangpongprush said the TTC needs to find money to find clear bus and streetcar stops more quickly. "The conditions that Torontonians had to face in February were unacceptable," she said. Tangpongprush told the board that it needs to step up on the issue. "As your report before you outlines today, climate change will continue to wreak havoc on the transit system and on our infrastructure in general. Transit riders in these events cannot be stranded and abandoned for days after a major snowfall like what we saw in February of this year," she said. "Just because the city is snowed in, just because the city is frozen, doesn't mean that riders don't have anywhere to go." She said many transit riders are essential workers, such as doctors, nurses, care workers, and they need to get work regardless of the weather. "They can't choose to work from home. We need to make sure that the transit system remains operating in inclement weather." Drivers are pictured here after they were stranded due to flood waters blocking the Don Valley Parkway following heavy rain in Toronto, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press) According to report, Toronto experienced its highest annual precipitation levels last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2008 by nine per cent and exceeding the 30-year average by more than 30 per cent. On July 15 and 16 of last year, when the city received more than 115 millimetres of rain within 24 hours, there was flooding at 15 subway stations. Nine streetcar routes were disrupted, causing delays ranging from 38 to 59 minutes per route. Fifty-five per cent of affected routes experienced water pooling along the right of way, 22 per cent experienced leakage into vehicles, and 22 per cent were indirectly impacted due to flood-stranded vehicles obstructing their routes. There were also power outages at the TTC's Mount Dennis, Queensway and McNicoll garages. Thirty-four bus routes were disrupted, causing an average delay of 1.5 hours across all affected routes. A person with a walker is shown here after a major snowfall in Toronto in February left many sidewalks impassable. (Eduardo Lima/The Canadian Press) During the extreme snowfall from Feb. 13 to 17, subway service stopped for 18 hours on Line 1 from Lawrence to Bloor, primarily due to loss of traction power from excessive accumulation of snow. Delays continued on Line 1 for an another eight hours after the snow stopped falling due to blowing snow from an open field at Wilson Yard. Service on Line 2 was halted between Woodbine to Kennedy for 18 hours. Thirteen streetcar routes were affected, with an average delay of about 30 minutes across all affected streetcar routes. The snow disrupted 100 bus routes, resulting in an average delay of about one hour across all affected bus routes. Forty per cent of delays were attributed to buses stuck in snow. An additional 30 per cent of delays were due to bus collisions, while 20 per cent were a result of bus diversions caused by blocked roadways. After already seeing record precipitation levels last year, the amount of rain the city could see in a single day is expected increase by 27 percent by the end of the century, the report says.
CBC
17-04-2025
- Climate
- CBC
TTC board looks at what to do when extreme weather hits
When Toronto experiences record breaking amounts of snow and rain, the TTC is affected in a major way, and on Wednesday its board approved a report aimed at minimizing disruptions when extreme weather hits. After heavy rain in July last year and heavy snow in February this year, the board decided it will plan for extreme weather based on the latest climate projections for Toronto. The board also decided the TTC will work with city staff on a review of winter maintenance operations to ensure that the "resilience of TTC operations" remains a top priority. Coun. Jamaal Myers, chair of the TTC board, said the board will look at "technologies and innovations" of other cities to see how they have coped with extreme weather. "Everybody recognizes that this is coming. We all saw what happened last summer when the stations were flooded due to extreme rain," Myers said. "If the system is shut down, it's of no use to anyone." Coun. Josh Matlow, a member of the board, said the city and the TTC need to accept current realities of climate change. "Precipitation has a big impact on the functionality and the reliability of our system and I want to see the TTC move on this as quickly as possible," Matlow said. "I don't want to go through another winter like this where, because we have open cut areas of our tracks, the system just stops working when it snows. That's not acceptable," he said. "We live in a Canadian city. We have to predict that it's going to snow once in a while and we need to be prepared." Matlow said Toronto is expected to see more severe storms due to climate change and it needs to prepare accordingly. "When the infrastructure can't handle the weather, then the system shuts down. We need to make sure that we're prepared for virtually anything because even when it's really bad outside, people still need to get to work in school." Matlow also said the provincial and federal governments need to commit to funding the capital needs of Toronto's transit system as part of extreme weather planning. TTC board needs to step up, advocate says Chloe Tangpongprush, spokesperson for transit advocacy group TTCriders, asked the board for winter clearing standards for surface transit stops. The current standard is that there will be an attempt to clear bus and streetcar stops within 48 hours after a major snowfall. "That's just not good enough," Tangpongprush said. Tangpongprush said the TTC needs to find money to find clear bus and streetcar stops more quickly. "The conditions that Torontonians had to face in February were unacceptable," she said. Tangpongprush told the board that it needs to step up on the issue. "As your report before you outlines today, climate change will continue to wreak havoc on the transit system and on our infrastructure in general. Transit riders in these events cannot be stranded and abandoned for days after a major snowfall like what we saw in February of this year," she said. "Just because the city is snowed in, just because the city is frozen, doesn't mean that riders don't have anywhere to go." She said many transit riders are essential workers, such as doctors, nurses, care workers, and they need to get work regardless of the weather. "They can't choose to work from home. We need to make sure that the transit system remains operating in inclement weather." According to report, Toronto experienced its highest annual precipitation levels last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2008 by nine per cent and exceeding the 30-year average by more than 30 per cent. On July 15 and 16 of last year, when the city received more than 115 millimetres of rain within 24 hours, there was flooding at 15 subway stations. Nine streetcar routes were disrupted, causing delays ranging from 38 to 59 minutes per route. Fifty-five per cent of affected routes experienced water pooling along the right of way, 22 per cent experienced leakage into vehicles, and 22 per cent were indirectly impacted due to flood-stranded vehicles obstructing their routes. There were also power outages at the TTC's Mount Dennis, Queensway and McNicoll garages. Thirty-four bus routes were disrupted, causing an average delay of 1.5 hours across all affected routes. During the extreme snowfall from Feb. 13 to 17, subway service stopped for 18 hours on Line 1 from Lawrence to Bloor, primarily due to loss of traction power from excessive accumulation of snow. Delays continued on Line 1 for an another eight hours after the snow stopped falling due to blowing snow from an open field at Wilson Yard. Service on Line 2 was halted between Woodbine to Kennedy for 18 hours. Thirteen streetcar routes were affected, with an average delay of about 30 minutes across all affected streetcar routes. The snow disrupted 100 bus routes, resulting in an average delay of about one hour across all affected bus routes. Forty per cent of delays were attributed to buses stuck in snow. An additional 30 per cent of delays were due to bus collisions, while 20 per cent were a result of bus diversions caused by blocked roadways.
CBC
25-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Facing some pushback, Toronto mayor's tariff plan heads to council
City council is being asked to put the final stamp of approval on the mayor's tariff response plan this week, but some councillors on her executive committee have already raised concerns that it could cost taxpayers and doesn't do enough to help businesses. Mayor Olivia Chow wants to restrict the city's procurement from American companies, with some wiggle room if the city needs it. Chow's plan would also allow industrial property owners to have taxes deferred if they're hit hard by tariffs. The response was announced last week by Chow, as she stood under a 12-metre tall Canadian flag that dangled between two fire trucks, and was passed by her executive committee two days later. But it did not make it through that hoop without some pushback, and Coun. Josh Matlow shared several worries about the plan. "I know that every leader is being asked to fight against the United States right now. It's an emotionally charged issue," Matlow told reporters outside the meeting. "But I have concerns about how hastily this was done and really how it was put forward with how fluid the situation is." According to a CBC analysis, about 10 per cent of contracts the city awarded in the last two years, 10 per cent of contracts went to American companies. The city spent about $3.2 billion in total on suppliers in that time frame. WATCH | Mayor Olivia Chow shares details on city's response to U.S. tariffs: Chow outlines Toronto's next steps in response to U.S. tariffs 8 days ago Duration 4:46 Josh Matlow concerned taxpayers could be on the hook Matlow's main concern is that staff haven't had time to analyze how the shift in procurement strategy could impact costs for taxpayers. When questioning city staff at the meeting, Matlow raised concerns about a smaller pool of bidders driving up prices or the potential of an American company being the only supplier able to fulfill a contract at a certain price the city's looking for. Stephen Conforti, the city's chief financial officer, said the city has carve outs in the plan, meaning it can continue to deal with American suppliers if it's in the city's best interest. An exception the city manager has said could be used for contracts around important services like water. "That's vague," Matlow said in response to Conforti. "For us to vote on it, we don't really know what that will mean." Matlow asked if the decision could lead to higher taxes next year. "It really would be too early to tell," said Conforti. He added the city may have to reprioritize things in the budget, not necessarily increase taxes. Overall, Matlow says he has concerns about the response's impact. "In other words, I don't know if [our plan] will automatically change Donald Trump's opinion," Matlow told reporters. Some councillors want to see more for businesses Another plank of the mayor's tariff response plan is the tax deferral program. It would create an application-based process for industrial property owners impacted by tariffs who need more time to pay taxes. The program would grant them a six month deferral on those taxes, at which point they'd be due to the city. Coun. Vincent Crisanti asked staff if they'll work with businesses to ensure paying taxes at that point isn't a hindrance to their business. "Otherwise, I'm not sure what we're accomplishing with this deferral if they're going to have to pay it all at the end of six months regardless," he said. Crisanti added that a business that faced six months of hard times will likely still be struggling when the tax deadline hits. Conforti, the city's CFO, did not say if any additional support would be offered in the scenario Crisanti posited. He said it's "very much" a deferral program "essentially to buy [businesses'] time." But Crisanti still had concerns. "I think we need more than just this to assist companies beyond that six month point," he said. Criticism of that support has come from outside the executive committee, as well. At city council in February, Coun. Brad Bradford unsuccessfully asked for a 25 per cent tax cut for small and industrial businesses to offset tariff impacts. "While a six-month property tax deferral may help businesses with short-term cash flow, they will still have to jump through bureaucratic hoops for even this modest bit of relief," Bradford said in a statement responding to the mayor's plan.
