Retiring city manager Joe Pennachetti thanked Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly for handling a difficult role with “tact, diplomacy and fairness” as the final meeting of this term of council began its third day at city hall Wednesday.

Pennachetti, who will step aside at the end of November after 13 years with the City of Toronto, singled out Kelly for his “support over the last year” in an emotional speech in which he reflected on his time as Toronto’s top bureaucrat and delivered a myriad of gratitude to the politicians and civil servants he has worked alongside.

“I want to recognize Deputy Mayor Kelly for your support personally and to all of management over the past year,” Pennachetti said. “Mr. Deputy your leadership, diplomacy and cooperation assisted in expediting many key initiatives to executive committee and council.”

During his hour-long speech, Pennachetti also took the time to thank former Mayor David Miller, all five budget chiefs he has worked with and Mayor Ford, who he said allowed him to carry out the role of city manager “for the most part.”

Pennachetti and Ford have butted heads in the past as the city manager was reportedly the one who took Ford to task for allegedly making threatening remarks about a city hall security guard who filed a report about a raucous St. Patrick’s Day party held in his office. Pennachetti also held a news conference two weeks ago to dismiss the the mayor’s claims that he saved the city from “the edge of a fiscal cliff”

"Obviously we have had our trials and tribulations," Ford said when asked about being largely ignored in Pennachetti's speech. "The deputy mayor had to fill in after they stripped my powers and I know they worked closely over the last year. Joe had to adapt to different situations presented to him and he has done exactly that."

67 items remain on agenda

There are a total of 67 items remaining on the 428-item agenda for today, including similar motions from Coun. Josh Matlow and Coun. Frances Nunziata concerning the affordability of fares for the yet-to-be-completed Pearson rail link, which will reportedly be between $20 and $30 each way.

Matlow’s motion asks Metrolinx to set the fare at a rate that is “competitive with other forms of transportation to the airport” and to scrap a $1.85 fee required by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to make up for lost parking revenue. Meanwhile, Nunziata’s motion asks Metrolinx to set the fare at a “rate comparable to GO Transit.”

“Now is the time to reiterate the position previously held by City Council that the UP Express can and should serve citizens of Toronto in a way that is both accessible and affordable,” the council speaker writes in a letter accompanying her motion. “By setting the fare at an amount of $20-$30, many residents of Toronto will not be able to afford this new connection to downtown Toronto and to the airport.”

In addition to the rail link fare, council will also consider a motion from Mayor Rob Ford that asks the city manager and chief financial officer to report to council in the first quarter of 2015 on ways to ensure city staff “present more accurate capital budget estimates” for infrastructure projects and adhere to the capital project budgets set by council.

Other highlights include a plan to complete traffic signal coordination at an additional 500 intersections across the city and enhanced regulations for lobbyists.

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