This is a regular CATCH summary of votes at committee and council meetings. This report covers the month of July 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.
Address information management system
Staff recommended approval of a single-source contract to Angus Geosolutions Inc for $1.2 million to establish an address information management system to provide “an authoritative respository for property and address information that is accessible to all city departments”. An amendment by Jackson clarified the amount is the “upset” limit and requires staff to provide a quarterly report to the committee on the implementation.
At General Issues Committee, July 4 Minutes p2, 15-16
Recorded opposed to the amendment: Green
Recorded opposed to amended motion: Green, Skelly
At City Council, July 8 Minutes, p6 (10-3)
For: Collins, Conley, Farr, Ferguson, Jackson, A Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Pearson, Vanderbeek
Against: Green, Skelly, Whitehead
Absent: Eisenberger, B Johnson, Pasuta
Office assistance to Hamilton Health Sciences
Staff recommended that Hamilton Health Sciences be given $700,000 forgivable loan under the Office Tenancy Assistance Program to relocate 350 staff from other parts of Hamilton to 100 King Street East. Committee reduced the amount to $450,000 before approving it.
At General Issues Committee, July 4 Minutes p8-9, 17-18
Recorded opposed to the amendment: B Johnson, Skelly
Recorded opposed to amended motion: B Johnson, Skelly, Whitehead
At City Council, July 8 Minutes, p6
Recorded opposed: Skelly, Whitehead
Police budget surplus
A motion by Green challenged the decision of the police services board to transfer a $3.1 million year-end operating surplus to the budget of a proposed police investigative services building. It asked (a) for the monies to be transferred back to the reserves, and (b) for a report for next year’s budget on the status of funding requests to the federal and provincial governments for the building. At City Council, an amendment instructed staff to report on the difference between renovating the existing building and constructing a new one.
At General Issues Committee, July 4 Minutes p10-11, 19 (11-3) (14-2)
For part (a): Collins, Conley, Farr, Green, Jackson, A Johnson, B Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Skelly, Vanderbeek
Against: Ferguson, Pearson, Whitehead
Absent: Eisenberger, Pasuta
For part (b): Collins, Conley, Farr, Ferguson, Green, Jackson, A Johnson, B Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Pearson, Skelly, Vanderbeek. Whitehead
Against: none
Absent: Eisenberger, Pasuta
At City Council, July 8 Minutes, p7
Recorded opposed to part (a): Ferguson, Pearson, Whitehead
Outdoor entertainment on patios
Staff recommended holding a formal public meeting in October to hear delegations about Hamilton’s by-law that prohibits live or recorded music and dancing on commercial patios. It was approved by committee.
At Planning Committee, July 6 Minutes p9, 18-19
Recorded opposed: Collins, B Johnson
Mountain urgent care facility
A motion by Whitehead asked Hamilton Health Sciences to build an urgent care facility on the south mountain and use funds from the sale of the Chedoke properties for that purpose. It was approved unanimously.
At City Council, July 8 Minutes, p9-10 (13-0)
For: Collins, Conley, Farr, Ferguson, Green, Jackson, A Johnson, Merulla, Partridge, Pearson, Skelly, Vanderbeek, Whitehead
Against: none
Absent:Eisenberger, B Johnson, Pasuta