Hamilton City Council spent over an hour in closed session getting ready for their fight at OMB to keep their gerrymandered wards, approved a new Scoring Criteria for the Sale of West Harbour Lands, debated – with over an hour of party political speeches – provincial legislation Bill 148, approved HD streaming by the City of Council meetings, approved a new Council agenda system, approved incentives to Union Gas for an expansion of gas service to Sheffield, approved a city-wide Land Sales Policy, heard a presentation from the Hamilton Port Authority, gave staff authority to approve fee rebates along Barton and Kenilworth, confirmed the receipt of $33-mil from higher levels of government for sewers, and received a report on reserve accounts.
Posted inAdvisory and Sub-Committees, Videos
Hamilton Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities for July 2017
The Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities met Tuesday to discuss policing matters with Hamilton Police Service Chief of Police Eric Girt and discussed the streetscape designed planned for the LRT project, with staff presenting specific plans for the International Village.
Posted inHamilton City Council
City Council Approves $294,625 for New Agenda System
The new agenda software package will include a replacement for the City’s broken by design public facing agenda documents website.
Posted inHamilton City Council
City to Start HD Streaming in August
The City will start streaming in high-quality starting with the August 9, 2017 Council LRT meeting.
Posted inHamilton City Council
Council Spends Over an Hour Behind Closed Doors Getting Ready for OMB Ward Fight
Councillors voted for their own gerrymandered wards, despite a clear warning from expert consultants that the gerrymander will be indefensible at a Ontario Municipal Board hearing.
As Council is fighting against their own experts, they’ve had to retain outside lawyers – at taxpayer expense – to fight the case.
The OMB pre-hearing is scheduled for August 3rd, 10am, at Dundas Town Hall.
Posted inPlanning and Development
Council Votes to Give Staff Delegated Authority to Spend up Barton / Kenilworth Corridor Building Fee Rebate Program
The program, approved in May 2016, gives rebates to property that require minor variance or site plan for development by waiving application fees for both those processes. The goal is to encourage development in this commercial districts which have a number of vacant storefronts, and buildings in need of renovations.
Posted inPlanning and Development
City LEED Grant for new Stryker Canada headquarters
The planned development is expected to generate $181,464.93 per year in property taxes, and the City is granting 75% of those taxes for two years; the City will continue to receive the increase in property tax, compared to when the land was vacant, in the future. The grant is to encourage better design which decreases costs on municipal services.
Posted inPlanning and Development
Council Approves Scoring Criteria for West Harbour Pier 8 Sale
Staff who created the formula says it will ensure community feedback requesting a priority on the design and community benefits of the proposals is given more weight than just the financial offer to the City.
Posted inCity Hall News
Council Passes New Proceeds of Land Sales Policy
The origin of the policy was a debate to use the sale of excess land to fund new affordable housing. The City is looking to sale under-utilized assets in order to build more affordable housing.
Posted inHamilton City Council
Council Spends Over An Hour Debating Provincial Bill 148 – Minimum Wage Increase
After debating provincial legislation and policy for over an hour, Council narrowed their discussions to the area of their jurisdiction; how the labour code changes will impact the City of Hamilton as an employer and the City budget in 2018.