Today’s meetings and hearings

City Hall meetings
9:30 am: Governance Committee Agenda City Livestream
1:30 pm: Public Works Committee Agenda City Livestream

The Governance Committee will respond to the Ontario Ombudsman calling them out regarding the $100 fee to file complaints to the “Integrity Commissioner” regarding potential violations of Council’s Code of Conduct.

Governance will also look at launching a review of the future of the Hamilton Future Fund which is sitting drained after being used by Council for various short-term initiatives and spending.

The Public Works Committee will decide if the City’s free Downtown to West Harbour Waterfront shuttle will continue to go to Pier 8 or instead go to Bayfront Park starting in 2023.

Red Hill Inquiry
Beginning at 9:30 am. There will be two witnesses on the virtual stand on Monday.

Retired General Manager Gerry Davis will be the morning witness.

Brian Malone will begin his first day on the stand in the afternoon. Malone is a Partner and Vice-President Transportation Engineering at CIMA Canada Inc. He is scheduled to be on the stand four days this week, and then will return to the stand for a second round of testimony later in the Inquiry.

Malone knew about the “buried” friction report in 2015, yet he did not include it in his 2015 comprehensive safety review of the Parkway. Malone agreed to a request by Director of Engineering Gary Moore to not reproduce the friction reports. Why? these questions and more will likely be asked of Malone. Preview story here.

The Inquiry will livestream on YouTube.

Ontario Land Tribunal

The OLT will conduct its hearing for a multiplex application at 130 Wellington Street South this week. The hearing will begin each day, Monday to Friday, at 10:00 am. [Details on how to observe here.]

Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr opposes the application, voting it down in February 2021. (TPR story on the denial here)

The property owner is appealing the denial. City Council will defend its denial, alongside nearby resident Jesse Razaqpur who has Party status in opposition to the multiplex.

The City has hired an outside lawyer and experts. The City’s planning staff recommended approval of the multiplex.