Janet has many roles and responsibilities at City Hall as Councillor for Ward 31, Beaches-East York. She is a Chair, Vice-Chair and member of numerous committees and boards, including:

• Chair, Community Development and Recreation Committee
• Chair, Occupational Health and Safety Coordinating Committee
• Chair, Children’s Services Advisory Committee
• Vice-Chair, Toronto Board of Health
• Civic Appointments Committee
• Tenant Defence Sub-Committee
• Toronto and East York Community Council
• Employee and Labour Relations Committee
• Toronto Public Library Board, Mayor’s Designate

Council gives green light to Mayor’s Tower Renewal
The City is moving forward with the Mayor’s Tower Renewal initiative designed to make the city’s aging apartment towers energy efficient and to use this as a catalyst for development to help revitalize communities.
The project provides incentives to building owners to make their buildings more energy efficient. For example, wrapping an apartment building with a layer of insulation could reduce energy use by 50 per cent or greater, ultimately reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Buildings/properties would be able to: live a greener existence by using energy-generating measures, like installing wind or solar power sources; develop green roofs and community gardens; and enact site water conservation measures and better on-site management of waste. Tower renewal would lead to the creation of local green jobs. Four pilot sites have been selected for the project. Additional details are available at www.towerrenewal.ca.

City to invest federal funds in youth gang prevention work
Council directed that $4,932,954 from the Government of Canada’s Youth Gang Prevention Fund be used to support a new pilot program for youth gang prevention. The funding is for a four-year period ending in 2012 to put in place an anti-gang strategy. Building on the City’s Community Safety Plan, the new strategy will enhance the City mandate to improve safety and will support work with parents, schools and the community, to provide intervention strategies for neighbourhood youth, increasing the ability of communities to decrease the risk factors that lead youth to join gangs.

Fiona Crean appointed Toronto’s first Ombudsperson
Council unanimously approved Fiona Crean as the City’s Ombudsperson, a position required under the City of Toronto Act. The Toronto Ombudsperson will receive, resolve and investigate public complaints related to the delivery of City services and programs. The service will be accessible to all Torontonians. Ms. Crean starts her work for the City on November 17, 2008 and has extensive Ombudsman experience. The appointment of the Toronto Ombudsperson rounds out the City’s accountability framework and continues the City’s leadership in promoting accountability and open government. The City’s other accountability positions include the Auditor General, the Integrity Commissioner and the Lobbyist Registrar.  All of the accountability positions are independent of the City administration and report to City Council.