Hamilton Emergency & Community Services Committee for December 2014

In the lightest agenda of any Council Committee this cycle, Councillors will vote on renewing the Social Navigation Program as the only debate item.
The annual Veteran’s Committee Presentation is also on the agenda. In consent items, Councillors are being asked to approve the minute of the Youth Advisory Committee which has been unable to make quorum since April, and nearly a year prior to that.
Live video Monday at 1:30pm.

Index: Youth Advisory Committee, Social Navigator Renewal, Veteran’s Annual Presentation, Housekeeping Items (Attendance Report), Media Coverage, Consent Items
(Agenda Page on City website)

Hamilton Youth Advisory Committee

Hamilton’s Youth Advisory Committee is in crisis. It hasn’t been able to make quorum since April, wasn’t able to make quorum of almost a year prior to that, is down to a half-dozen members, and some of them believe they should be paid an honorarium for sitting on a volunteer advisory committee.
To add to YAC’s challenges, it is unclear which youth group Council is listening to as it’s official advisory committee.
There is Economic Development’s child, the Hamilton Hive, which has presented to Council in the past year and is significantly better funded. Officially, it is the City endorsed umbrella for youth professionals, but with some age overlap with YAC, it has taken many of the McMaster and Mohawk students who may have sat on YAC.
Mayor Bratina had a separate youth advisory committee, which included the student trustees.
Then there is the matter of if YAC is at the “kiddie table”. They do not meet at City Hall, do not have a member of City Council attending the committee meetings, and there are no member of City management at their meetings.
Instead, they meet in the basement of The Lister Block, almost forgot by all at 71 Main Street West.
Council can vote to receive the minutes package stating YAC hasn’t met, which will have the effect of accepting this status quo. Or, Council create a motion to address the problem.

Social Navigator Renewal

Councillors are being asked by staff to renew the Social Navigator project until June 30, 2017. The program’s annual budget cost from City coffers is $45,000.
The project uses a paramedic, Pat O’Neill, to navigate social service clients to the most appropriate social supports to assist them in overcoming health and social barriers that often result in contact with police.
The project is successfully decreasing the number of criminal offenses and mental health calls for clients of the project.