Bill 23, 2023 Budget and Delegation Opportunities, Free Parking, Volunteer Opportunities & Events in Ward 3
Dear Neighbour,
It is an honour to be writing to you again as your Ward 3 City Councillor! Thank you so much for your support. We accomplished so much together in my first term and I am looking forward to more community and city building with you over the next 4 years.
Since inauguration on November 16th, Council has approved the Rate Budget, toured each ward across the city to better inform the decisions we will make together as a Council, and had our first round of Committee and Council meetings. After spending a month working together, I am encouraged by the collaborative approach and look forward to a productive term of Council.
With the holidays upon us, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a joyous, restful and happy holiday season. May you enjoy gathering with family and friends and find some downtime to rest and relax after a busy few years. I wish you all health and happiness for 2023!
Our Ward 3 office staff are also taking some much-needed time to relax and enjoy family over the holidays. The office will be closed Dec 23, 2022 to Jan 2, 2023. We will reopen rested and excited to serve #OurWard3 at 9am on Jan 3, 2023. If you have any urgent municipal needs during that time, please call 905-546-2489 (CITY).
Yours in Community,
Councillor Nrinder Nann
Snowy photo of City Hall with “Hamilton” sign illuminated purple. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates"
I have been nominated and appointed as Chair of Public Works Committee and President of City Housing Hamilton. I will continue serving on the Emergency Community Services Committee and have joined the Planning Committee. We are selecting the remainder of our Council duties for sub-committees in the new year. I will provide a publicly accessible listing of them all in the new year at nrinder.ca
Below are some key updates I wanted to share from our first round of committee and Council meetings.
Bill 23
Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 was passed by the Government of Ontario on November 28th and received royal assent. Unfortunately, the Conservative government chose to use the transitionary period between municipal elections and inauguration of Councils across this province to table and pass a piece of legislation that will have never before seen impacts to environment, local planning decision making, housing affordability, and the ability of cities to cover the cost of development without passing it directly on to residents.
Despite the timing, staff provided sound comments and recommendations in opposition to Bill 23 ahead of consultation deadlines. Finance staff have estimated that the More Homes Built Faster Act could cost the city between $14 million and $25 million a year in foregone development fees. So, on December 7th, Council asked the province to walk back the legislation, enable the city to maintain a firm urban boundary and continue city building in a more sustainable, inclusive way.
One quarter of the Greenbelt the provincial government proposes to develop is located in Hamilton, enabling private development on prime agricultural soil and environmentally sensitive land. The impact will be substantive on the local ecosystem.
Hamilton is facing a housing crisis, however Bill 23 does little to assist with addressing this. There is nothing in the Bill that obligates developers to ensure the homes are affordable or attainable. The legislation also takes away protections for maintaining existing affordable housing units and will weaken municipal levers that work to protect tenants from renoviction and demoviction. Inclusionary zoning, a progressive housing approach that encourages more mixed income development, is also now limited to only 5% of total units built in any new development along transit oriented corridors.
In addition to Council’s vote to oppose Bill 23, Council also approved asking MPPs Lumsden and Skelly to appear before Council at a future GIC meeting to answer questions about this bill.
2023 Budgets
Budgets are how governments put what is valued most into action. It is our opportunity to invest in a city that is a great place to live and work now and for future generations.
That said, we are facing increased costs to the city due to inflationary pressures, labour shortages and supply chain issues. Council will need to ensure we invest in asset management and support our infrastructure needs as a city while facing a lot of uncertainty about how we will pay for new infrastructure now that the province has changed the development charges framework through Bill 23. There are also service level impacts locally from the decision by the provincial government to surplus billions of dollars while both the education and health care systems remain underfunded. It is going to be critical to explore revenue generation through a Land Transfer Tax and other fees for service so we can balance the tax rate while also investing in what our city needs and the excellence our residents deserve.
The City of Hamilton has the second oldest water system in Canada, and one of the oldest sewage systems in the nation. Council approved a Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Rate budget for 2023, which supports a 6.49 per cent combined rate increase. This will enable the city to meet our targets infrastructure renewal, regulatory compliance and investment in the future of the water, wastewater and stormwater systems.
We will be deliberating on the Capital Budget recommendations we have received and will be hearing from each division of the City as to the Operating Budget in the new year. A final public delegation date is set for Feb 6, if you are interested in more information, please follow this link. To register for an in person or virtual delegation, or to submit a video delegation please email clerk@hamilton.ca. For a video delegation the deadline is noon on Feb 2, 2023, and for virtual or in person delegation requests, they must be received by noon on Feb 3, 2023.
Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters
At Emergency Community Services Committee on December 1, we received delegations, a staff report, and a request from HATS (Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters) for $100,000 per year for 3 years for their housing proposal. HATS is proposing to set up a tiny shelter community composed of 10 private huts with communal washrooms and cooking facilities as a housing option for folks who are currently unhoused with the goal of moving them from the huts into permanent housing. You can find more about them here.
The staff recommendation for funding included Housing Services surplus dollars that would otherwise annually go toward keeping people housed. I could not ethically reallocate funds that would keep people housed to any other initiative. And, it is my hope that my Council colleagues agree in the new year to find an appropriate funding source for this pilot.
The proposed location was a private site at 647 Barton St. E. During the presentation it became clear that the location didn’t fit all of their own identified selection criteria. I stated clearly my concerns that the site would not provide refuge and instead leave HATS residents vulnerable to harm. Instead, I proposed that City staff work with HATS to secure a public site that would be a better and safer fit for this pilot project. This will all come back to committee in January for a final decision.
I believe in providing a safe refuge as identified as being important by unhoused folks. If we are going to centre those voices, then let’s enable the best version of this project and ensure the structures can be built and occupancy supported this winter.
I remain committed to addressing the housing crisis we face here in Hamilton, and that includes ensuring that every dollar we spend toward delivers real and lasting population impacts including permanent housing and robust wrap around supports.
Left: Free pre-holiday parking graphic. Right: Photo of a child smiling on the edge of the pool with goggles pulled up on their forehead. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Updates"
Burlington St Sewer
On November 22, the City learned that there was a leak in the combined sewers at Burlington and Wentworth Streets that had been leaking sewage into the bay since 1996. Staff immediately informed Council and the public and undertook steps to stop the flow and contain the leak. The ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks have investigated the spill and we have yet to receive their final report.
In the meantime, my office is working with Hamilton Water to host a community meeting with any residents interested to learn more about the details and the plan to prevent this from occurring again. This meeting will take place in the new year and we will provide a one month meeting notice once the date is set.
Winter Recreation
The Serafini Skate Pad at the Bernie Morelli Rec Centre opened over the weekend. Staff are on site to maintain the ice and patrol the pad until 10pm each evening and access to the rink is free. In addition to the ice pad, there are weather-dependent community-led rinks that can be set up at Myrtle Park, Gage Park and Woodlands Park.
This winter, get outside and try a new winter activity like snowshoeing at King Forest Golf Course, disc golf at both city golf courses. For more details visit https://www.hamilton.ca/things-do/recreation/programs/outdoor-programs
E-billing for Property Taxes
The City of Hamilton has launched a new eBilling service for property tax bills. Residents can now enroll on the City’s website at www.hamilton.ca/tax to receive upcoming property tax bills electronically.
Once enrolled, residents will receive all future property tax bills electronically, until such time as they cancel or sell their property. To enroll, users require their property specific tax roll number and access code, as identified on their latest property tax bill.
If you wish to enroll and need your access code, you can call 905-546-2489 (CITY) or email taxsupport@hamilton.ca to get the access code sent by mail to the address on file for the property. Additional information about the new eBilling service, including the detailed FAQ attached, is available at www.hamilton.ca/tax.
Free Parking
Residents can enjoy free parking in Hamilton’s Business Improvement Areas until December 24. Park for up to 2 hours for free in any of these Ward 3 locations:
Barton Village BIA
International Village BIA
Ottawa St BIA
Many headshots of people side-by-side. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Opportunities for Engagement"
Public Budget Delegation Opportunity:
On February 6, 2023, residents will have a final opportunity to delegate to Council on the 2023 Budget. You can find more information about this opportunity here. To register for an in person or virtual delegation, or to submit a video delegation please email clerk@hamilton.ca. For a video delegation the deadline is noon on Feb 2, 2023, and for virtual or in person delegation requests, they must be received by noon on Feb 3, 2023.
Tim Horton’s Field Community Liaison Meetings
Following the Community Meeting last year, representatives from Tim Horton’s Field have agreed to regularly community liaison meetings with neighbours. They have set two dates for this in 2023 - Feb 9 and July 20, both from 6:30-8pm in a hybrid format. We will share more details on participating in these meetings once we have them from staff.
Calling Volunteers for GALA Planning Team!!
The GALA Planning Team is recruiting volunteers to help make GALA a vibrant and inclusive place to live, work, and play. If you live in the Gibson or Landsdale neighbourhoods and want to get more involved in local community building, please consider joining the team. Email gala.hub.chair@gmail.com for more information about the recruitment process or find them on Facebook here.
Left: Graphic for Queer Family Drop-In. Middle: Graphic for Eva Rothwell Pantry Needs. Right: Graphic for Shop Local Hamilton. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Support"
Queer Family Drop-Ins
Barefoot Babies hosts a queer family drop-in the first and third Tuesday of every month. The next one is December 20 from 10-11:30a at 164 Ottawa St N. Though technically in Ward 4, all queer families are welcome.
Give the gift of Local
Barton Village BIA, Ottawa St BIA, and International Village BIA shops offer so much for your holiday gifting list. Spend the holidays shopping small and supporting local.
Eva Rothwell Food Pantry
Eva Rothwell’s Food Pantry has seen a 48% increase in use this year. As you plan for gathering with family and friends this holiday season, consider a donation of food and hygiene products to help the Eva Rothwell Centre make the holiday season easier for some of our neighbours
Photo of masked people moving through an indoor space. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Public Health Updates"
Vaccines
Hamilton Public Health Services Mountain Vaccine Clinic at LimeRidge Mall (999 Upper Wentworth St., Hamilton) is now offering walk-in flu shots for all residents 6 months and older. The clinic will be offering both flu and COVID-19 vaccines until it closes on December 21, 2022.
Hamilton Public Health Services have also started offering walk-in flu shots at it’s mobile vaccine clinic sites. In addition to this, residents can access both COVID-19 and flu shots at pharmacies throughout the City.
Mask to Support our Community to Stay Healthy this Holiday Season
Healthcare systems remain strained in our City and across the Province. As we celebrate the holidays with family and friends, please keep ventilation in mind and consider masking in busy indoor space.