Good morning, Hamilton City Council meets today to ratify their committee work from the past three weeks. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and can be watched on YouTube.
Today’s agenda package includes two items that were close votes at committee:
- Heritage designation for 711 Concession Street, the former Mount Hamilton Hospital maternity wing: This was a 5 to 4 vote at Planning Committee in favour of designation.
- Vacant Unit Tax 2026 enacting by-law: The Council voting pattern on the VUT is 9 to 7 in favour. If two of the pro-side council members are absent, or one switches position, the VUT could be defeated. There is a separate motion on the floor to remove the VUT appeal fee.
At the end of today’s meeting, the City Council will be releasing at least part of auditors review of the City’s human resources department. The City recently ended its employment of the now-former Executive Director of Human Resources and the Director of Diversity & Talent.
Follow along live below:
Live Updates
Live coverage is in progress. The following are my (Joey Coleman) live posts so far — 7 updates in order from earliest to most recent; times are Eastern. This page updates as the event continues.
Good morning,
City Council is about to begin. At 9:28 a.m., there are 9 of 16 council members in the room.
Ward 10 Councillor Jeff Beattie enters the Chamber, takes his seat, and either Councillor Matt Francis or Mark Tadeson noted this could “potentially be your last meeting.”
Beattie is running for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario as their candidate in Hamilton East – Stoney Creek.
9:30 a.m. Roll Call:
On Time: 1,2,4,5,8,9,10,11,12,14,15
Not present at 9:30 a.m.: Mayor, 3,6,7,13
Note: graphics and social media posts for Roll Call will follow after the National Anthem.
Mayor Andrea Horwath arrived shortly after 9:30 a.m. and is chairing the meeting.
Ward 6 Councillor Tom Jackson arrived during the national anthem.
The first item today is a resolution to support a resolution from Puslinch Township backing Halton Hills’ call for Ontario to modernize invasive-plant rules. The City of Hamilton, like all municipalities, is spending significant sums annually managing invasive species.
The problem the resolution seeks to address is that garden centres and greenhouses are permitted to sell invasive plants. The resolution calls for a phasing out of sales in Ontario, and federal regulations to regulate the shipping and sale of invasive plants.
Council is now debating the heritage designation of the former Mount Hamilton Hospital maternity wing at 711 Concession, part of the hospital complex.
Ward 2 Councillor Cameron Kroetsch plans to move an alternative motion to preserve some of the heritage features.
Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark states the the Province does not provide funding to the hospitals for the increased costs of heritage maintenance and operating in an old facility. Says that the hospital may come back to Council asking for that funding going forward.
Ward 12 Councillor Craig Cassar speaks about the need to have modern health care facilities, the hospital needs to be able to do its project, saying that yes it is “a beautiful building” and the “balance here” is that the City needs to permit the hospital plan. Cassar notes he wants to preserve heritage as a starting position. He will vote against designation, and is supportive of Kroetsch’s pending motion.
Discussion
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