This is a regular CATCH summary of votes at committee and council meetings. This report covers the month of September 2016. 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.
Greenbelt and growth plan response
Staff recommended multiple comments be submitted to the province on the Greenbelt and Growth Plan proposals released in June. These included reiteration of council’s earlier push for various lands to be removed from the Greenbelt. An amendment by Green endorsing the province’s proposed addition of the Book Road lands to the Greenbelt was approved, and the overall recommendations were also approved with two opposed.
At Planning Committee, September 6 Minutes p4-12, 20-21
Recorded opposed (except amendment): Green, B Johnson
Wi-fi in parks
A motion directing staff to investigate installation of Wi-fi in Gage Park and funded from revenues from cell phone towers in ward three was presented by Green and approved. An amendment by Partridge extended this to “parks and rural areas, city-wide” was also approved.
At General Issues Committee, September 7 Minutes p15-16
Recorded opposed to the amendment: Merulla
Greenbelt growth area
A new motion by Pearson at the September 14 council meeting directed staff to “initiate the identification” of a ten-acre parcel of the Greenbelt “north of Barton Street and East of Fifty Road” as a “strategic growth area for the future development of urban uses”. The city has so far unsuccessfully sought the removal of these lands from the Greenbelt. The motion was approved. An amended motion clarifying the location of the lands was approved at the subsequent council meeting on September 28.
At City Council, September 14 Minutes p12
Recorded opposed: Eisenberger, Green
At City Council, September 28 Minutes p10-11
Recorded opposed: Green
Legalizing cannabis
In response to federal initiatives, public health staff recommended support for ten positions of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Cannabis Policy Framework. The Board of Health approved the recommendation with two councillors opposed to the inclusion of “establish a government monopoly on sales”.
At Board of Health, September 19 Minutes p2, 8
Recorded opposed to government monopoly: Green, Skelly
Supervised injection sites
Public health staff recommended a 2017 budget allocation for a “needs assessment and feasibility study for one or more supervised injection sites in Hamilton” including conducting a survey of residents, especially those near potential sites. Board of Health approved the recommendation.
At Board of Health, September 19 Minutes p3, 9
Recorded opposed: Ferguson
At City Council, September 28 Minutes p6
Recorded opposed: Ferguson
Naloxone expansion
Public health staff recommended adding two outreach workers and a nurse to provide expanded access to Naloxone at more program sites with costs to be decided during the 2017 budget process. Board of Health approved the recommendation.
At Board of Health, September 19 Minutes p3, 9
Recorded opposed: Skelly
Police forensic building
The police services board recommended moving ahead with a $24.3 million forensic building. Green’s motion that the funding request be referred to the 2017 budget was defeated 4-11, and the recommendation was then approved 11-4.
At General Issues Committee, September 21 Minutes p2, 14-19 (4-11) (11-4)
For referral: Collins, Conley, Green, B Johnson
Against: Farr, Ferguson, Jackson, A Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Skelly, Whitehead, Vanderbeek
Absent: Eisenberger,
For approval: Farr, Ferguson, Jackson, A Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Skelly, Whitehead, Vanderbeek
Against: Collins, Conley, Green, B Johnson
Absent: Eisenberger
At City Council, September 28 Minutes p7
Recorded opposed: Collins, Conley, Green, B Johnson
Budget guidelines
2017 budget guidelines of no more than a 2 percent increase were recommended by staff. Collins moved the guideline be 1.8 percent instead.
At General Issues Committee, September 21 Minutes p2, 21-22
Recorded opposed to the amendment: Whitehead
Condemning Islamphobia
In response to the recent arson at the Ibrahim Jam-E Mosque, a motion by Eisenberger for the city to endorse the Charter for Inclusive Communities was unanimously endorsed.
At City Council, September 28 Minutes p4 (16-0)
For: Collins, Conley, Eisenberger, Farr, Ferguson, Green, Jackson, A Johnson, B Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Skelly, Whitehead, Vanderbeek
Against: none
Stoney Creek dump
In a standing recorded vote, Council approved sending a letter of comment to the environmental assessment process of the Terrapure Stoney Creek Regional Facility (formerly the Taro dump).
At City Council, September 28 Minutes p4 (15-0)
For: Collins, Conley, Farr, Ferguson, Green, Jackson, A Johnson, B Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Skelly, Whitehead, Vanderbeek
Against: none
Absent: Eisenberger
Habitat conference
A motion by Merulla to send Green as the city’s representative to the Habitat III Conference in Quito, Ecuador from October 17-20 was approved.
At City Council, September 28 Minutes p11
Recorded opposed: Ferguson, Skelly