This is a regular CATCH summary of votes at committee and council meetings. This report covers the month of November 2015. The first line of each entry identifies the issue, followed by a brief description. This is followed by the location of the vote. Multiple votes on the same issue are reported together. Absentees are only listed where reported in the minutes and where the missing councillors are members of that committee or decision-making body. Links are provided to source documents. Note that the vast majority of council decisions are unanimous and the votes are not officially recorded.
Changes to the city’s website mean it is no longer possible to provide direct links to motions and staff reports. Links are instead provided to the agenda where the documents can be accessed. Note that Scott Duvall resigned from council at its October 28 meeting after being elected the MP for Hamilton Mountain.
Expressway expansion
A motion by Conley directed staff to (a) examine the costs and feasibility of expanding the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and the Red Hill Valley Parkway to six lanes each; (b) make the report part of the transportation master plan; and (c) ask the province help with the expansion costs. Subsequent amendment replaced (c) with referral to the priority setting process for city funding requests. The amended motion was then referred to the transportation master plan.
At Public Works Committee, Nov 2 Minutes p8-9
Recorded opposed to (b) and (c): Collins, Merulla
At City Council, Nov 11 Minutes p5-6
No recorded vote.
Agenda change
A motion by Merulla to change the order of the agenda to hear delegations and discuss the state of the taxi industry and Uber was defeated 10-2.
At General Issues Committee, November 4 Minutes p5 (2-11)
For: Jackson, Merulla
Against: Collins, Conley, Eisenberger, Farr, Green, A Johnson, B Johnson, Partridge, Pearson, Vanderbeek, Whitehead
Absent: Ferguson, Pasuta
Sole source
A staff recommendation to approve sole sources for several aspects of the water treatment facility was approved.
At Public Works Committee, November 16 Minutes p1-2, 5
Recorded opposed: Ferguson
Anti-racism resource centre
A three-year pilot project of an anti-racism resource centre jointly funded $200,000 per year by the city ($100k), McMaster ($70k) and the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion ($30k) was unanimously approved.
At General Issues Committee, November 18 Minutes p8-11 (12-0)
For: Collins, Conley, Eisenberger, Farr, Ferguson, Green, Jackson, A Johnson, B Johnson, Merulla, Pearson, Whitehead
Against: none
Absent: Pasuta, Partridge, Vanderbeek
Aberdeen Avenue review
A notice of motion by A Johnson was on the agenda of the November 18 General Issues Committee. However his move to waive the rules to allow the motion to be presented was defeated by a tie vote of 6-6 according to the minutes but no breakdown of the voting was provided.
At General Issues Committee, November 18 Minutes p14-15 (6-6)
Vote not recorded
Expressway truck tolls
A motion by Merulla asking staff to review “the expected impacts and costs associated with implementing a toll route program on both the Red Hill Valley Parkway and the Lincoln Alexander Parkway for the through movement of out-of-town trucks” was defeated.
At City Council, November 25 Minutes p10 (6-7)
For: Eisenberger, Farr, Green, Jackson, A Johnson, Merulla
Against: Conley, Ferguson, B Johnson, Pasuta, Partridge, Pearson, Whitehead
Absent: Collins, Vanderbeek