The tax hike this year will be at least $39 per household after approval of the city’s 2020 capital budget.
Unequal transit taxes continue
Two decades of much lower transit taxes for most of the richest areas of Hamilton are set to continue.
Being confused is expected
You may be forgiven if you are confused about Tuesday’s downtown public consultation on whether or not to pave over more farmland. There are at least four separate sources of possible confusion.
Hamilton pipeline application submitted
Enbridge’s proposal to build a new 48-inch fracked gas pipeline across rural Hamilton now has been submitted to the Ontario Energy Board.
Less farmland or more density
Whether Hamilton will expand onto more farmland or accommodate growth with higher densities will be decided over the next four months.
Anger over quarry rule changes
City staff are fuming over a Ford government re-write of the rules governing quarrying and related aggregate transportation.
City again battling province
City staff are challenging yet another massive rewrite of planning rules by the provincial government.
Expanding bus use
Secondary school students in Burlington are getting free bus passes in that city’s latest effort to expand transit ridership.
City blocking developer proposals
In the wake of new provincial loopholes, local developers may be lining up to convert their rural properties to subdivisions, but the city says it’s determined to block them.
Welfare for developers
Additional though still incomplete information has come from the province about massive changes being made to rules on planning, community benefit agreements, parkland funding and development charges.
City rejects intervention in pipeline hearings
The city has snubbed a cooperation offer from four neighbouring municipalities and decided to do only the bare minimum in response to a proposed 63 km Imperial Oil pipeline from Hamilton to North York.
Airport pollution not included
Council’s declaration of a climate emergency apparently doesn’t extend to the operations of the city-owned airport.
City climate report
There are still no specific proposed actions but the city’s first report on tackling the climate emergency says the crisis is being taken seriously.
City planning upended by province
It “came out of nowhere”, changed thirteen statutes, and was pushed through the provincial legislature so fast that city staff could only tell councillors after the fact about the multiple problems it imposes.
Implementing the climate emergency declaration
How can Hamilton make good on its declaration of a climate emergency to drastically and quickly slash emissions of greenhouse gases in the city?
After nearly a year, Enbridge has obtained approval from the National Energy Board to sell its Line 10 pipeline to Westover Express.
The United Kingdom has become the first country to declare a climate emergency. More Ontario cities have made similar moves and Toronto is going after the oil companies who profit most from the rising levels of greenhouse gases in the global atmosphere.
Proposed reductions in exemptions to development charges are being challenged at two public meetings tomorrow of council’s Audit, Finance and Administration committee.
This is a regular CATCH summary of votes at committee and council meetings. This report covers the month of December 2018.
A proposal to construct a new fracked gas pipeline across rural Hamilton may run afoul of the city’s recently declared climate emergency.