Citizens being left out of city's 25-year plan
November 29, 2005

City staff are finalizing plans for Hamilton's next quarter century, but some councillors fear the public is unaware of what's happening or its significance. Chad Collins told the manager of the city's Growth Related Integrated Development Strategy (GRIDS) last week that the public consultation has attracted the attention of developers and environmentalists "but the average citizen, by and large, hasn't taken part" in the process.

He suggested that the city will end recommending development based on the GRIDS policies and concerned residents will be told: "'Well folks, we had our GRIDS process two years ago. We didn't receive any public input in that regard.' And [the citizens] are going to be saying: 'What? Had I known that I would have come forward at that time'."

Collins' concerns were echoed by Tom Jackson who pointedly asked GRIDS manager Steve Robichaud: "Steve, are you satisfied that the everyday citizen is understanding what GRIDS is?" Robichaud responded with hopes for improvement.

"I think that as it moves from a less conceptual to a more on-the-ground kind of thing that we're actually getting more public engagement. When we were just on the broad growth concept that was very difficult for people to engage in, but now it starts moving into mapped growth options and to understand where we're going to grow, and how much, and the magnitude, then it's making it easier to facilitate public consultation in this process."

Six GRIDS growth options were unveiled at a public meeting at the end of May attended by 57 people. An invitation-only session held earlier that day attracted only 28 out of 160 invitees. A total of 23 people from the two events provided written comments on the growth options. Three options were dropped from the list as a result of that consultation.

A summary of the meetings prepared by city staff admits that many of the comments received challenged various aspects of the process and the proposed growth plans, including the fact that all six options included the controversial 3100 acre aerotropolis boundary expansion.

Dundas councillor Art Samson told Robichaud at last Thursday's committee of the whole meeting that if the city is going to promise community involvement "then we have to make it meaningful community involvement". He asked if the open houses taking place this week and next will include any detailed presentations or just allow people to look at displays "and then there'll be a comment sheet at the end".

An open house is set for tomorrow evening at St. Mary's High School on Whitney Avenue in west Hamilton from 6 to 9 pm. A final one is scheduled for next Monday evening at the Dundas Town Hall. Citizens will be shown three growth options - including three variations on one of them. They focus on whether and how much to increase the urban boundary to facilitate residential growth, and also present the first information on how the city might accommodate 40% of new housing within the existing built-up area.

Flamborough councillor Dave Braden pleaded with Robichaud not to ask the public to evaluate the remaining options until staff could explain at least the broad financial implications for the taxpayers. "I don't want to let this go to the public, until we get some costs." Braden declared, suggesting that there may be billions of dollars difference between plans that expand the urban boundary and those that focus on re-development of the older city.

Robichaud argued that it was not possible to calculate costs until a single preferred option is selected. "Rather than consultants generating, you know, umpteen scenarios and umpteen costs, we really want to narrow it down", he told Braden. "At the open houses, the advantages, generally what's good and not good about each of the options, will be presented."

Staff intend to select the preferred option after the current set of open houses, and present that to council by February, before holding another consultation on the implications of the choice.

The city's website on GRIDS says "the consultation program includes opportunities for informal meetings with stakeholder organizations. These meetings will be arranged with the business community, environmental interests, developers, social service providers, neighborhood groups and others as necessary during the project. A list of the meetings held and the input received at these meetings will be maintained on the GRIDS website."

However, no meetings are listed on the website, which doesn't appear to have been updated recently. For example, it does not announce the dates and times of the second round of public events taking place this week and next. Instead we are informed these events are scheduled for last September.

The results of the May public consultation are provided in a report posted on the city website at
http://www.myhamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/AA18C567-44C0-4034
-A5D0-3107F98C3461/0/may302005event.pdf.