Dear Neighbours,

Happy Lunar New Year!

We hit the ground running after the holiday shut down and it has been a busy few weeks with combing through 103 resumes and conducting interviews for our new Resident Liaison position. We will have a new team member joining us on February 21st to continue towards a standard of excellence in the support my office provides Ward 3 residents. Thank you to everyone who applied and considered joining the team. In the next E-Newsletter, we will announce our new team member and remind you of who is here to serve you and in what capacity.

It has been a busy January with the 2023 Budget process well underway, resumption of regular Standing Committee and Council meetings as well. Many Ward 3 residents have been delegating to provide their opinion and requests for consideration on important issues for our neighborhoods and the City. Many have been first time delegates as well, a strong indicator of how engaged our neighbours are. The final public delegation day for the 2023 Budget is on February 6. In order to delegate, you must register in advance.

Coffee with your Councillor will resume in March and we will also be releasing a list of Ward 3 Office Pop-Ups for the Spring & Summer soon. If you don’t already, please follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay up on the day-to-day updates we post.

Yours in community,

Nrinder Nann

Snowy photo of City Hall with “Hamilton” sign illuminated purple. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates"

2023 Budget

Last week Council ratified the 2023 Tax Supported Capital Budget. This budget supports $285.7M in infrastructure projects in 2023. We have several major capital projects slated for Ward 3 which I will report in detail in upcoming e-Newletters.

The proposed 2023 Tax Supported Operating Budget as presented would result in an estimated residential property tax increase of 5.4%.

We received presentations from each Division and it is clear, this year is facing some incredible financial pressures with inflation, supply chain impacts, labour challenges of recruitment and retention, rising interest rates, ongoing COVID-19 recovery impacts, and cost-share agreements with higher levels of government on many necessary social impact programs.

I take my responsibility as a Councillor to ensure we balance providing robust and equitable services to all residents against the backdrop of rising costs of living that are becoming unmanageable for more and more neighbours.

You can find more information on the 2023 Budget here.

Truck Routes

Last week, Council also ratified the new truck routes bylaw. This means staff will begin implementing new signage with an emphasis on the permissive route in the lower city. This should be completed by Spring 2023. Staff are working with Hamilton Police on what enforcement of the new bylaw will look like and have been asked to put together a proactive mechanism by which residents can submit violation concerns should they witness a truck on an incorrect route. This will most likely be in the form of an app or an interactive interface. There will be an update on that component in the spring. This is an exciting step forward for road safety and I will keep you posted as both enforcement and compliance concerns will be updated to a spring Public Works Committee meeting.

New Short-Term Rental Regulations

Council ratified a new by-law to apply to short term rentals. This action was a necessary response to the loss of units in the long term rental market, the ongoing affordable housing crisis and skyrocketing rents.

A similar by-law to the one approved at Council last week in Toronto resulted in a 61% decrease in short-term rental units. It is my hope that this by-law will have a similar effect locally and free up housing stock for longer-term rental units for our residents. Emily Power, a local renter and urban planning graduate student who delegated at the Planning Committee estimates the regulation could return upwards of 650 family-sized apartments to long-term rental stock.

This by-law will ban commercial operators with multiple properties listed on sites like Airbnb while still enabling those homeowners who rent out a portion of their property for short-term can still do so with a license and proof of principal residence. The by-law will come into effect in June.

Vacant Homes Tax Ratified

The Vacant Homes Tax has officially been ratified by Council for implementation. This is part of a suite of policies Council is taking to ensure that we are addressing the affordable housing crisis by encouraging vacant homes to be occupied.

This policy will charge 1% to vacant properties that don’t qualify as exempted and will start being charged in 2024. It is a key measure in advance of a surge of development we can anticipate along the LRT corridor and other parts of the city. It is also the final step of a new tax policy I have championed since 2019.

Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters

Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelter (HATS) came before the Emergency and Community Services (ECS) Committee with an update as Councillors considered staff recommendations to restart the site selection process for city lands and proper community consultation. During the delegation, we learned that the location that had already undergone community consultation (Sir John A. MacDonald School) was no longer being considered as a preferred site by HATS. They clarified that they instead prefer Cathedral park, a portion of the Barton/Tiffany lands, or a portion of the future Brightside Park lands in the current state. None of which have seen community consultation or discussion. And so, ECS Committee members voted to approve the staff recommendations.

In the days between Committee and Council, it was clear that there remained other concerns and information my Council colleagues wished to see in order to make the most informed decision on the initiative. There has been an over-emphasis on site location and not enough emphasis on outcomes for the residents that HATS aims to serve.

What will the intake process be? How is equity being accounted for in that process?
What is the operational plan, who is the provider, is an agreement signed?
What is the community consultation framework and timeline?
And finally, what is the site selection process?

So, with Councillor Hwang, I moved a new direction to have staff work with HATS to clarify in certain terms the questions above and provide the group with the best practices and accountability frameworks of the homeless serving sector to consider integrating into their initiative. Staff will then report back to ECS Committee with recommendations on how to proceed with implementation.

Left: Picture of City worker in an orange work vest doing work in a sewer. Right: Picture of plants inside Gage Park Greenhouse. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Service Update"

Rutherford/Myrtle and Kinrade Ave Sewage Spills

Hamilton Water staff, as part of the proactive sewer inspection pilot program, discovered two issues in Ward 3 this month. The first was a sewage spill due to cross connected sewers at Rutherford and Myrtle in Ward 3. Unfortunately, this cross connection meant that approximately 59 million litres of sewage has been going into Hamilton Harbour from this location since 1996.

The second was the discovery of an issue on Kinrade Avenue. The issue was with a single sanitary sewer lateral connection from a home on Kinrade Avenue. In this instance the sewer lateral was connected to the proper sewer (a combined sewer), but staff found that there was a design issue at this location that allowed some of the sanitary sewage from this home to impact a storm sewer. At this location there is a designed overflow connection from the combined sewer to the storm sewer that can be active during wet weather. Based on staff’s preliminary investigation it appears that some quantity of the sanitary sewage from the home in question has been impacting the storm sewer since 1982 when that storm sewer and overflow connection were constructed.

In both cases, the City of Hamilton quickly made the repairs and reported the issues to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) Spills Action Centre.

Hamilton Water will continue to inspect the City’s sewer system looking for these types of issues at the same time that we implement actions to respond to the MECP Order resulting from the Burlington Street and Rutherford Avenue sewage spills, which was received this month. To date the Proactive Sewer Inspection Pilot Program has completed inspections for 173 of 292 maintenance holes. Unfortunately it is clear that we will continue to find these types of issues. A part of the February 13th PWC report that staff are preparing will be recommendations for an ongoing communications process, including the creation of a registry that will be publicly accessible on the City’s website to report the findings.

Gage Park Greenhouse

Due to wind damage to the roof of the greenhouse on Dec 24, 2022, the Gage Park Greenhouse was, unfortunately, closed until last week. The temporary repairs to the damage were completed quickly, however the permanent fix took longer than anticipated. We are happy to share that the greenhouse reopened on January 25. If you visit, you may notice that some work is still required, however, staff are able to facilitate repairs safely while open to the public at this stage of the work.

Especially in the cold weather, the greenhouse is a City-wide destination for residents and staff are committed to maintaining the hours of the greenhouse any time it is safe to do so.

CityApp

The 5-year contract with the vendor of CityApp is ending and, due to low uptake and the City’s ability to perform this work in a similar way on the new website, CityApp is being discontinued as of February 1, 2023. As of February 2, 2023, the app will no longer be available for download and the City will no longer maintain or push content.

CityApp users are also invited to sign up to receive the City of Hamilton’s e-newsletter here.

Three City of Hamilton apps remain available for download for residents. HSRNow can be downloaded from iOS and Google Play, Recycle Coach is available from iOS and Google Play, and finally Passport Parking can be downloaded from iOS and Google Play.

Snow Removal

With a snowstorm behind us and the possibility of more snow on the way, I wanted to take the opportunity to remind residents that the City is now clearing sidewalks on all Priority 1 roadways as well as Priority 2A roadways where transit operates and all transit stops. If you want more information on the City’s sidewalk clearing service levels and to see a map of roadway classifications, you can go here.

For residents who have to clear their own sidewalks, you have 24 hours to do so from the end of the snowstorm or declaration of a Significant Weather Event. If you or your neighbour needs assistance with removal, you can contact the Snow Angels program to be added to their waitlist for support.

During storms, our office receives a high volume of snow-related complaints and we are unable to respond to each one. We will, however, ensure each concern is sent to the Roads Department to be actioned. You can also contact the City’s Contact Centre at 905-546-2489 to report an issue or complaint.

Left: Picture of podium in City of Hamilton Council Chambers where delegates stand to present to Committee. Middle: Graphic for Keep Hamilton Clean and Green. Right: Photo of Tim Horton’s Field. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Opportunities for Engagement"

Public Delegation Opportunity - Budget 2023 - Feb 6th

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.

Good Neighbours Meeting - Tim Horton’s Field - Feb 9th, 6:30pm

A Good Neighbours Meeting will be held on February 9, 2023, from 6:30pm-8:00pm for residents who live adjacent to the stadium at Tim Horton’s Field.

The meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format.

You can attend in person: Tim Horton’s Filed, 64 Melrose Ave, Gate 3 Premium Entrance, 2nd floor in the City Lounge.

Or register to join online here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lUfyyvQERj-FcovS5euOsw

If you have any questions or concerns you wish to raise ahead of the event, please contact my office at ward3@hamilton.ca or 905-546-2107.

Meeting with Hamilton Water - Eva Rothwell Centre - Feb 28th, 6:30pm

Hamilton Water is hosting a meeting with the Ward 3 Office to discuss the recently discovered sewage spills and to answer questions residents may have about what occurred. Hamilton Water will be sharing information on the sewer system, historical odour issues, and will be able to answer questions about the cross connections. All residents are welcome to join.

The meeting is on Feb 28 from 6:30-8pm at the Eva Rothwell Centre at 460 Wentworth St. N.

Clean and Green Neighbourhood Grant

Keep Hamilton Clean & Green Committee offers a Clean & Green Neighbourhood Grant of up to $1000 for community green projects and initiatives including those that address litter, illegal dumping, graffiti, beautification and environmental stewardship. Grant applications will remain open until February 17, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.

Community groups can apply by visiting: www.hamilton.ca/cleanandgreengrants

Graphic from Harlo Capital showing plans for development at the former Studebaker Lands. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community & Development Updates"

Harlo Capital and the Former Studebaker Lands

Many of you, especially our neighbours living in Keith, have been curious to know what is upcoming and planned on the former Studebaker lands near Victoria St. N and Ferrie Street. The new owners are Harlo Capital, the same group who will be re-developing the Hamilton City Centre site.

The first part of the news is that the City has received the areas labelled “Park Expansion Area” in the image below which will be turned into passive greenspace by the City’s Landscape team and joined with the North Central Community Park.

The current applications submitted are for a self-storage facility (see A on the image) to be operated by Green Storage and two industrial/warehouse spaces (see F on the image) operated by Harlo. They are aiming to begin construction this Spring and opening both buildings in early Fall 2024. To learn more about the plans as laid out by the owners, Harlo Capital contact them directly Geoff Nelles, Senior Vice-President, Real Estate and Operations, Harlo Capital gnelles@harlocap.com or visit www.harlocapital.com or www.greenstorage.ca

Graphic from Harlo Capital showing plans for development at the former Studebaker Lands.

832 King St E - Building Demolition

The apartment building at 832 King St E (at Holton) purchased by Metrolinx for the Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) project will be demolished this winter. A final timeline for demolition will be shared by Metrolinx at a later date and we will share it as soon as we get it.

In the coming weeks demolition contractor, Budget Demolition, will be undertaking precondition surveys at several properties in the adjacent neighbourhood. Pre-construction surveys are generally required for documenting the existing condition of properties located in close proximity to a construction site.

To ensure demolition activities do not affect the existing condition of neighbouring properties, Metrolinx subcontractors will be conducting visual inspections of properties. A representative from Oza Inspections LTD will be asking for access beyond the property line and in some cases may require access to the interior of your property. This will take place in the month of February, weather permitting.

The Hamilton-Niagara Community Relations team is available by phone or email 905-521-1003 / E-mail: Hamilton@metrolinx.com

83 Emerald St S Redevelopment - Community Consultation - Feb 23rd and 27th, 2023

Realty Holdings Group, the owners of the former Emerald Lodge, is hosting two community consultations to discuss their redevelopment plans for 83 Emerald St S.

They plan to redevelop this building into affordable rental housing units and intend to retain the existing building and add an addition to the rear. They are hosting two meetings to gain insight from the community and to answer questions.

The two meetings will be held at Central Memorial Recreation Centre at 93 West Ave S on Feb 23 from 2-4pm and Feb 27 from 5-7pm.

If you are not able to attend the meeting and have any questions or concerns, please contact rentals@realtyholdingsgroup.com.

Graphic Images of community events. Left to right and top to bottom the graphics are: Hamilton Winterfest, February 2-20, 2023; Frost Bites, tickets on sale now; graphic for coldest night of the year that reads '“cold hands, warm hearts”; Stipley Lions Club graphic with their name and logo and a heart; GALA Planning Team Graphic that reads “Gibson and Landsdale Area Community Planning Team:. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Events"

GALA Community Planning Team Meeting - Feb 4th, 10AM

The GALA Community Planning Team is hosting a meeting at the Powell Park Clubhouse this Saturday to begin discussions on how neighbours want to proceed with the group and future efforts. Neighours are encouraged to indicate their interest in attending via their Facebook Page Event.

Stipley Lions Club Valentines Dance - Feb 4th

The Stipley Lions Club is hosting a Valentine’s Dinner/Dance on Saturday, February 4, 2023. Doors open at 5pm and dinner is at 6:30. Tickets are $60 per person and all proceeds from the event will be going to The Hub to support their work in our community.

If you want to attend, please register by Feb 2 by contacting stipleylionsclub@gmail.com. Unfortunately, tickets at the door will not be available unless pre-arranged through the Stipley Lions gmail account.

Hamilton Winterfest - Feb 2nd-20th

Hamilton Winterfest is happening again Feb 2 to 20 at locations around the city, including in Ward 3. Winterfest will see over 60 community-led events that range from classical concerts, to exhibitions, workshops and classes, science and sports, to swing dancing and story-time. You can find more information on this festival here.

In addition to enjoying the festival, you can sign up to volunteer and help with the operation of the festival. You can find out more about volunteer opportunities here.

Frost Bites - Feb 15th-20th

The 2023 Frost Bites community-embedded festival centres on nourishment and social justice, using art as an entry point to deepen our understanding on a myriad of urgent topics. From hands-on creative workshops for kids and their grownups to welcoming theatrical offerings each evening, festivities take place in the community at the Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre (876 Cannon Street East), Theatre Aquarius Arts Centre (191 King William Street, across from Theatre Aquarius), and on the HSR transit route between them.

Featuring curated shows, live music, community discussions led by local changemakers, participatory storytelling sessions, skating lessons and demonstrations, a DJ dance party on the ice, and a handmade lantern-led procession of light in Ward 3, there is so much to keep the whole family engaged for a week in February. With a focus on low and no-cost activities, Frost Bites was developed in the community and for the community, and we invite you to join your neighbours to participate in the arts this winter!

For more information, head over to https://hftco.ca/frost-bites/

Coldest Night of the Year - Feb 25th

The Coldest Night of the Year is an annual family-friendly walk to raise money for local charities that serve residents who are facing food insecurity and homelessness. It is occurring on Feb 25 this year. You can find out more information and register to participate here.

2023 Budget and Delegation Opportunities, Truck Routes, Short-Term Rentals, Volunteer Opportunities & Events in Ward 3