This is a regular CATCH summary of votes at committee and council meetings. This report covers the month of April 2014. The first line of each entry identifies the issue, followed by a brief description. This is followed by the location of the vote in the third line. 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.
Heritage grants
Staff recommended establishing the Hamilton Heritage Conservation Grant Program to provide matching grants of $1000 to $5000 to supplement the existing Hamilton Heritage Property Grant Program that is only applicable to downtown properties. Committee approved the program 8-1.
At Planning Committee, April 1 Minutes p1, 10-11 (8-1)
For: Clark, Collins, Farr, Johnson, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Whitehead
Against: Ferguson
Heritage designation – Canadian Tire Gas Bar
Staff recommended designating the curved canopy of the Canadian Tire gas bar on Main Street East at Victoria as a “property of cultural heritage value or interest”. Committee heard from a representative of the property owner who opposed the designation, and subsequently voted 8-1 to receive (not approve) the staff recommendation.
At Planning Committee, April 1 Minutes p12 (8-1)
For: Clark, Collins, Ferguson, Johnson, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Whitehead
Against: Farr
Dundas York Road development
Staff recommended rezoning 231 York Road in Dundas to permit 12 semi-detached condominium units (6 buildings). Committee heard from one resident opposed to the development. A motion to approve the staff recommendation was defeated 4-5, and a subsequent motion to deny the rezoning application was approved 5-4.
At Planning Committee, April 1 Minutes p7-8, 16-18 (4-5) (5-4)
For approval: Farr, Ferguson, Pasuta, Pearson
Against: Clark, Collins, Johnson, Partridge, Whitehead
For denial: Clark, Collins, Johnson, Partridge, Whitehead
Against: Farr, Ferguson, Pasuta, Pearson
Renaming Trinity Church Road Extension
A motion by Clark to rename the proposed Trinity Church Road Extension to the Upper Red Hill Valley Parkway was approved by an 8-1 vote.
At Planning Committee, April 1 Minutes p16 (8-1)
For: Clark, Farr, Ferguson, Johnson, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Whitehead
Against: Collins
Lobbyist registry
After hearing from a citizen member of the Accountability and Transparency subcommittee, a motion by McHattie to approve a lobbyist registry pending a 45-day public consultation and a report to a June meeting of the General Issues Committee was endorsed 11-0.
At General Issues Committee, April 2 Minutes p10-12 (11-0)
For: Clark, Duvall, Farr, Ferguson, Jackson, McHattie, Merulla, Morrow, Partridge, Pasuta, Whitehead
Against: none
Absent: Bratina, Collins, Johnson, Pearson, Powers
Lobbyist registry presentation
A motion by Farr to invite provincial and Toronto lobbyist registry officers to present to the June meeting on the lobbyist registry was approved 10-1.
At General Issues Committee, April 2 Minutes p12 (10-1)
For: Collins, Duvall, Farr, Jackson, McHattie, Merulla, Morrow, Partridge, Pasuta, Whitehead
Against: Clark
Absent: Bratina, Ferguson, Johnson, Pearson, Powers
Citizen engagement on two-way/complete streets conversion
In March staff recommended spending $95,000 for a citizen engagement process in updating the Transportation Master Plan. The item was deferred to the April meeting of the General Issues Committee where it was approved 7-5. It was subsequently defeated 4-9 at city council.
At General Issues Committee, April 2 Minutes p14 (7-5)
For: Duvall, Farr, Ferguson, McHattie, Merulla, Morrow, Whitehead
Against: Clark, Collins, Jackson, Pasuta, Pearson
Absent: Bratina, Johnson, Partridge, Powers
At City Council, April 9 Minutes p8 (4-9)
For: Farr, Ferguson, McHattie, Merulla
Against: Bratina, Clark, Collins, Jackson, Johnson, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Powers
Absent: Duvall, Morrow, Whitehead
Festival of Friends
The March 20 meeting of the general issues committee voted 9-2 to withhold a portion of the grant to Festival of Friends pending receipt of audited financial statements from 2012. The recorded vote was omitted from the minutes and this was corrected at the April 16 meeting of the committee. At city council, an amendment was made changing that to 2013 statements. It was approved 12-2.
At General Issues Committee, March 20 Minutes p5-6 (9-2)
For: Clark, Collins, Farr, Jackson, McHattie, Morrow, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson
Against: Duvall, Whitehead
Absent: Bratina, Ferguson, Johnson, Merulla, Powers
At City Council, April 9 Minutes p5 (12-2)
For: Bratina, Clark, Collins, Farr, Ferguson, Jackson, Johnson, McHattie, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Powers
Against: Merulla, Morrow
Absent: Duvall, Whitehead
Reduced HSR improvements
The March 20 meeting of the general issues committee rejected 20 minute service on HSR route 44 (Rymal) proposed by staff but approved more limited enhancements. At city council, an amendment by Ferguson further reduced these improvements to hourly service on evenings and weekends. The amendment was approved 8-5.
At City Council, April 9 Minutes p5-7 (8-5)
For: Clark, Ferguson, Jackson, Johnson, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Powers
Against: Bratina, Collins, Farr, McHattie, Merulla
Absent: Duvall, Morrow, Whitehead
2014 operating budget
City council unanimously adopted the 2014 budget (as amended above) on April 9.
At City Council, April 9 Minutes p5-7 (8-5)
For: Bratina, Clark, Collins, Farr, Ferguson, Jackson, Johnson, McHattie, Merulla, Partridge, Pasuta, Pearson, Powers
Against: none
Absent: Duvall, Morrow, Whitehead
Fruitland-Winona secondary plan
Staff recommended re-approval of the Fruitland Winona secondary plan and official plan amendment. Committee received nine pieces of correspondence and heard from 14 delegations. An amendment by Johnson to reduce the density to 50 jobs/person per hectare was defeated 6-2. An amendment by Johnson to limit building height to three storeys was defeated on a 4-4 tie vote. An amendment by Collins to limit building height to 3.5 storeys was adopted 5-3. The amended proposal was approved 6-2. At city council an amendment by Collins was adopted adding three more sections to the report. Two councillors asked to be recorded as opposed to both the amendment and the amended motion. Both councillors also asked to be recorded to the entire planning committee report 14-006 that included the Fruitland-Winona decisions.
At Planning Committee, April 15 Minutes p6-9, 18-24 (6-2) (4-4) (5-3) (6-2)
For lower density: Johnson, Pasuta
Against: Clark, Collins, Farr, Ferguson, Partridge, Pearson
Absent: Whitehead
For 3 storey maximum: Clark, Ferguson, Johnson, Pasuta
Against: Collins, Farr, Partridge, Pearson
Absent: Whitehead
For 3.5 storey maximum: Collins, Farr, Ferguson, Partridge, Pearson
Against: Clark, Johnson, Pasuta
Absent: Whitehead
For the amended proposal: Clark, Collins, Farr, Ferguson, Partridge, Pearson
Against: Johnson, Pasuta
Absent: Whitehead
At City Council, April 23 Minutes p9-10
Recorded opposed: Johnson, Pasuta
Recorded opposed to entire planning report 14-006: Johnson, Pasuta