Main St. Two Way Conversion, Litter Management, Housing Accelerator Fund & More (Copy)
Dear Neighbours,
It has been busy year-end at City Hall with our final committee and Council meetings taking place last week. As such, this issue of the e-newsletter is very full of important updates deliberated on this month which I encourage you to scroll down to read.
After an extensive search for an inspiring and experienced leader, I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Marnie Cluckie as our next City Manager. Ms. Cluckie is currently the Chief Administrative Officer for Niagara-on-the-Lake, where she led many transformative initiatives including service modernization, a redesigned budget process and a customer-centric organizational restructuring, which resulted in a 34 per cent increase in resident satisfaction. I had the privilege of serving on the interview and selection panel with Mayor Horwath, and each of the Chairs of the Standing Committees and Governance Committee and I look forward to Ms. Cluckie joining us on January 15, 2024.
The Ward 3 Office Team has put the final touches on the 2023 Ward 3 Community Impact Report and it is off to the printers and will be delivered to your mailboxes in January. Please keep an eye out for it. We are also finalizing the details for the annual Ward 3 Townhall - hold the date of January 31st, 2024.
Please note, the Ward 3 office will be closed for the holiday season effective Friday December 22nd to Tuesday, January 2nd. We will not be receiving or responding to phone calls or emails during this time. You can receive immediate support on City related matters by calling (905) 546-2489.
Yours in community,
Councillor Nrinder Nann
Image of the 2nd floor mural in City Hall. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates".
MAIN ST TWO-WAY CONVERSION
Staff provided a fulsome presentation on the Main St two-way conversion plan at Public Works Committee on December 4th which was a response to the input received during the public input stage this summer. The area of highest confusion for residents related to the addition of one lane going west bound, which would also serve as a bus route, and whether this was the best alternative to be considered.
The report and recommendations were deferred to the February 5th meeting of the Public Works Committee to enable the following:
Quantify the core capital investment required to convert Main Street to two way traffic, exclusive of necessary and already programmed capital works, AODA compliance upgrades, any other necessary or contemplated upgrades, reconstruction and rehabilitation capital works and residual lifecycle infrastructure renewal costs.
Provide further quantification of the assessment of the Main Street two-way evaluation criteria versus prioritizing eastbound vehicular traffic capacity in the recommended option
Provide options to implement Council’s direction of Main Street two way traffic conversion within two years and/or prior to the initiation of LRT corridor construction by prioritizing core two-way conversion lane re-alignments, intersection and signal upgrades, and corridor upgrades necessary for implementation with further corridor upgrades, resurfacing and other capital rehabilitation work phased over the following four to six years.
Meet with impacted and interested Ward Councillors with Public Works staff and consulting engineering team.
I remain committed to ensuring this corridor becomes safer by design and helps facilitate thriving neighbourhoods along the entire stretch. I also will advocate for the inclusion of this critical infrastructure work in the 2024 and subsequent budget years to ensure it is completed.
LITTER MANAGEMENT
Complaints about litter are among the top three issues residents contact my office about. Neighbours may recall from my updates in the Spring that city staff were directed to review the current service level related to proactive and reactive litter management city-wide and to bring forward to Public Works Committee budgetary enhancements for consideration. This report was also presented at the December 4th meeting.
The first step of the litter management service review was to compile the activities and service levels associated with proactive and reactive litter management within the public realm. Then, staff embarked on a public engagement initiative with the goal to better understand the concerns from stakeholders such as city residents, businesses, and Council regarding litter. Several methods were used to gain insight including one-on-one interviews and a public survey available through Engage Hamilton. The survey was available to the public on the city’s website for three weeks, which received 1,358 responses.
Chart 1 below provides data outlining the distribution of survey respondents throughout the Wards:
It was not surprising to see that Ward 3 residents participated at a higher rate than any other ward in providing feedback on the city’s current litter management as I have been trying to push for better litter service City-wide.
Staff identified what enhancements to city-wide litter management services would best benefit the community and have the best value for dollar. The recommendations include:
$150,000 for the Environmental Services Division to enhance litter prevention community engagement, and enhance materials required for both manual litter removal and litter container collection within parks and trails. This would include four Summer Student positions and enhancements to promote and grow community environmental initiatives such as Team Up to Clean Up and Adopt-a-Park.
$86,600 for an additional full-time Waste Collections and Parks Bylaw Officer. This Officer will focus mainly on Wards 1, 2 and 3 since 60% of all files related to waste on public property are in these Wards.
17 full-time Roadway Operator positions at an annual cost of $1.373 million be added to the Transportation Division’s 2024 staffing complement to be used to enhance roadway sweeping on transit routes, Business Improvement Areas and in cycle lanes and to create dedicated proactive and reactive litter removal services city-wide;
That two full-time Waste Operator positions, two full-time Supervisor positions, four Seasonal Labourers and four Summer Students, which works out to 3.64 full-time equivalent employees at an annual cost of $543,000 be added to the Waste Management Division’s 2024 staffing complement to be used to enhance litter removal and sidewalk sweeping, within the downtown core to a seven day per week service level including the creation of a night shift;
$1.78 million to purchase equipment to support the enhanced litter management including four electric roadway sweepers, four support vehicles and four portable litter vacuums; And, an additional $175,000 to be used to purchase two support vehicles to support enhanced litter management within the downtown core;
Strategically install litter containers in locations that will provide value, and ensure that all open top litter containers are converted to closed top litter containers to reduce windblown litter (83% are currently closed top containers, with the remaining 17% being open metal or concrete containers. Staff will continue to replace open containers with an expected completion of 2025).
Members of Council are aware of the significant impact approving all the recommendations would have on the 2024 tax budget. As Chair of Public Works Committee, I recommended the committee members work between now and the budget process in the new year to find a compromise solution that enables incremental progress on litter management that help address those areas, like in Ward 3, where the needs are highest.
VACANT UNIT TAX
After Council voted down the enabling by-laws in November on a tie vote, this month, I directed staff to provide an information update at the January 17th General Issues Committee so all of my colleagues and the public can better understand key aspects of the Vacant Unity Tax (VUT) policy.
The report back will focus on:
Implications, financial, staffing, legal, resident outreach and otherwise, of voting against the 2023 Hamilton Vacant Residential Unit Tax By-law;
The ease of use and options that were planned for completing a declaration online or on printed paper to be mailed or dropped-off at select Hamilton locations;
The communication and public education plan developed on the Vacant Residential Unit Tax for residential property owners; and
Opportunities and limitations of using information from utility bills to assist in determining if residential units are vacant including but not limited to risk management practices and requirements from the Municipal Act, the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other legislation.
As well as, clarify how the exemptions apply to non-profit housing providers.
This information will be key in determining our next steps and I remain confident we will be able to implement the VUT early in the new year. The misinformation circulating around that this is a negative billing situation is false. And, when the VUT is implemented, my office will be available to assist residents in completing the declaration forms. City staff will be working in a supportive way to ensure all question are responded to prior to collection of the tax.
HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
On October 25, 2023, Council approved a number of the City’s Housing Action Plan initiatives using funds from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) allocation of $93.5 million Housing Accelerator Fund.
This funding is intended to facilitate 2,675 net new residential units above the city’s five-year historical building permit average for housing units by December 2026.
Based on this, Council approved the creation of three new Housing Accelerator Fund supported incentive programs:
Accessory Dwelling Unit and Multi-Plex Housing IncentiveProgram
Rapid Transit Multi-Residential Rental Housing Incentive Program
Housing Acceleration Incentive Program
Collectively, these programs are intended to incentivize new housing through:
Supporting the development of accessory dwelling units in new and existing homes
Development of ‘missing middle’ multi-plex’s containing six or less units
Multi-residential rental units developed on, or in close proximity to, rapid transit corridors containing seven or more units
Development on sites which have been the subject of a city-led planning exercise to remove barriers to new housing creation containing seven or more units
These programs will assist with the creation of new affordable housing units, minimize financial barriers to and stimulate private sector investment in the creation of a wider range and choice of housing to meet the needs of Hamilton’s residents. In addition, forgivable loans of $25K will be provided for eligible units with rents not exceeding 100% of the Average Market Rent. Each program will require that the above affordability threshold be maintained for a period of 15 years in order to be eligible for loan forgiveness.
All financial incentives to be provided through the proposed programs, as well all new staffing required to administer the proposed programs, will be funded directly from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund allocation to the City with no impact to the City levy. To learn more about the available programs, please email housing.secretariat@hamilton.ca.
LINEAR STREET PARK EXPANSION
On June 18, 2023, #OurWard3 and the City of Hamilton experienced our first Open Streets Temporary Linear Urban Park on King Street. Based on the success of the event as well as the overwhelmingly positive feedback received from residents,it was recommended at General Issues Committee on December 6, 2023, that the King Street Open Streets Temporary Linear Urban Park be established as an annual program with a minimum of two events per calendar year.
Image of the Ward from the Escarpment. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates".
OTTAWA & CANNON INTERSECTION TRAFFIC SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS
As many of #OurWard3 residents know, the intersection at Ottawa and Cannon is a location that hundreds of residents have flagged for the implementation of stricter traffic safety measures with my office.
2023 in particular saw two vehicular accidents that occurred 9 weeks apart. The first being at The Cannon on the south-east corner and the second being at Poke Co. on the north-west corner.
This intersection is a shared responsibility with Ward 4. As such, Councillor Hwang and I have been providing updates to local neighbours, impacted businesses and the Ottawa St. BIA on the phased improvements.
City Staff have made progress on the changes to the intersection, and most enhancements are completed. Currently, the only outstanding item is the installation of crash protection bollards on the north-west and south-east corners. The bollards will be installed on Tuesday December 19.
The following is an updated list of the actions that have been taken at the intersection of Ottawa and Cannon:
Completed an operational review of the intersection of Ottawa St and Cannon St, including an assessment of past collision data (Q3 2023).
Installed enhanced markings in October for the Cannon bike lanes as well as the replacement of all existing pavement markings within the intersection and roadway segments leading to the intersection
Designed and pre-tested signal operation changes to improve the function of the intersection and reduce vehicle/vehicle, vehicle/pedestrian and vehicle/cyclist conflicts.
Adjusted signal operations scheduled to be implemented on Wednesday November 8, 2023.
Completed geometric changes to the intersection with the aid of a roadway safety specialist to reduce the possibility of vehicles striking buildings or driving up and onto sidewalks
This included:
Precast curbing and knock-down bollards placed at the north-west and south-east quadrants (establishing temporary bump-outs)
Realigned the pedestrian crossings on Ottawa St with temporary ramps
Implemented no-right-turn-on-red restrictions on the Ottawa St
Installed advanced advisory signage for the curb lane reductions (as a result of the temporary bump-outs)
Crash protection bollards on the north-west and south-east corners (installation pending as noted above)
My office will continue to provide updates on this work as we receive them.
STEVEN STREET ROAD CLOSURE: DEC 11, 2023 - JAN 6, 2024
Steven Street between King William St. and King St. E is to be closed from Monday December 11, 2023 until Saturday January 6, 2024 for sewer and water installation work. The road will be closed daily from 7:30am - 6:00pm, and will be reopened at the end of each working day, as well as on weekends and holidays.
Neighbours should be advised that the roadway will be closed in front of 16 and 26 Steven St. which will result in residents not being able to park in front of these addresses on either side of the street for the duration of the work.
Every effort will be made to expedite the work where possible, and that all work is completed within a timely manner. Thank you in advance to neighbours for their patience and understanding during this work. If you have any concerns during the closure, please call the contractor lead contact Will Groves at (905) 545-1117 or email will@wmgroves.com.
NEW WARD 3 TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES
Traffic calming remains among the top three issues Ward 3 neighbours contact my office about. I remain committed to traffic calming improvements and safety in all neighbourhoods. The Ward 3 Complete Streets Implementation Plan is due back from staff in Q1 of 2024. Anticipating the hundreds of recommendations on that list, I tabled a motion to advance some specific measures in the draft report at the Public Works Committee on December 4th.
This motion directs staff to review and assess the following roadways to identify traffic calming opportunities, including but not limited to speed cushions:
Cumberland Avenue between Sanford Avenue South and Wentworth Street South;
St. Matthew Street and Cheever Street between Barton Street and Birge Street;
Balsam Avenue between Maplewood Avenue and Cumberland Avenue;
East Avenue between King Street and Barton Street;
Kensington Street North between Cannon Street and Roxborough Avenue;
Spadina Avenue between Dunsmure Road to King Street; and
Intersection and adjacent roads on all sides of Bishop Park.
This work will be funded from the existing remaining available funds from the Ward 3 Complete Streets Capital Project and topped off, as required, from the Ward 3 Minor Maintenance Fund Account to a combined upset limit of $350,000.
Once the review is complete, the Transportation Division will determine the implementation and scheduling details through consultation with the Ward 3 office. My office will provide updates once those details are set.
ARCELOR MITTAL DOFASCO LETTER UPDATE
Following the October 28th emissions incident at Arcelor Mittal Dofasco (AMD), Councillor Hwang and I reached out to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and AMD with some inquiries and asked them to provide us with a fulsome update.
The event lasted approximately 20 minutes and was characterized by a visible orange plume from the KOBM (oxygen steelmaking furnace) located at AMD’s Bayfront Plant on Burlington St.
According to AMD, the spill was the result of a malfunction in the process of blowing oxygen at the KOBM vessel, and the emissions would have been comprised primarily of iron oxide.
The MECP is conducting an ongoing inspection as a follow-up to the incident that AMD is cooperating with.
A review of the air monitoring data during the event and at least 3 hours following the event from three of the Hamilton Air Monitoring Network’s (HAMN) stations that are downwind of the facility did not reveal any evidence of a related significant increase in measured concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 or total reduced sulphur.
Samples are collected by HAMN every 6th day and analyzed for metals including iron. However, the sampling day for that week did not coincide with the event date and therefore data on iron concentrations downwind of the event are unavailable.
The subsequent scheduled sampling date for iron samples following the event occurred on October 30th, 2023. Once the results from these samples are received, the MECP will review the iron concentrations in comparison to historical results and provide an update if the findings prove noteworthy.
We have requested further information as to how many community complaints were received about the incident, and MECP have expressed that they will follow up with our office.
A photo of people in a shelter. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Services Update".
HOMELESSNESS WINTER RESPONSE STRATEGY
In an effort to ensure unhoused residents are able to access warm and safe spaces this winter season, the City has developed enhanced services with multiple partners. The strategy invests in emergency level enhancements from December 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 to meet the increasing need across our city.
The strategy currently includes:
100 additional daytime drop-in spaces
50 Spaces operated through Living Rock - serving youth up to age 25
50 Spaces operated through St. Matthew’s House - serving all populations
85 additional overnight warming spaces
45 Spaces operated through Mission Services Willow’s Place - serving women
40 Space overnight drop-in spaces operated at YWCA Carole Anne’s Place - serving women, trans-and non-binary people, and enhanced hours of operation overall at YWCA Carole Anne’s Place (adding 4 additional hours per day, 6:00pm-10:00pm)
45 additional emergency shelter beds (serving men)
35 beds operated through Mission Services Men’s Centre
10 beds operated through Salvation Army Booth Centre
Warming Bus through Hamilton Transit operating nightly from 10pm to 6am, including onboard support through social service staff (all populations)
Enhanced hours of operation at 3 designated Recreation Centres
Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre - 192 Wentworth St. N
Westmount Recreation Centre - 35 Lynbrook Dr.
Valley Park Recreation Centre - 970 Paramount Dr.
Extended hours of operation at the Hamilton Public Library Central location to act as a warming space (all populations)
My office received an update from Housing Services staff after the Stinson Neighbourhood Townhall that Good Shepherd is working toward a plan to reopen the former Cathedral School as a temporary overnight warming space to meet the ever growing needs.
I have advised staff that should the City proceed with this enhancement, previous community input must inform the baseline agreement of operations to include security monitoring, waste management, and a community hotline to ensure neighbours can work with the facility for any emerging concerns. I have also shared previous inquiries about the possibility of this facility being used to house families and/or refugees and asylum seekers.
If you have ideas to enable a successful 4 month operation, please connect directly with Good Shepherd Program Director, Mike Troskot at (905)528-5877 Ext. 2227 or mtroskot@gsch.ca
As the winter season progresses, Housing Services Division staff will continue to explore options that can further support pressures across the shelter and homelessness serving system. Our office will continue to provide updates as the strategy evolves.
HAMILTON ANIMAL SERVICES PAPERLESS LICENCE RENEWAL UPDATE
Beginning in 2024, Hamilton Animal Services Licence Renewals will be administered electronically, when pet owners have provided staff email addresses.
Currently there are approximately 55,000 pets registered within the City. This means that 55,000 paper copies of Licence Renewals are mailed out annually to pet owners. Animal Services determined that implementing a paperless renewal option, would reduce the sections carbon footprint by going paperless, improve process efficiency, save money spent on paper, envelopes, printers, ink, postage, office space for files, as well as reduce employee time spent managing the paperwork.
Implementing this process improvement will allow the renewals to go out electronically via email to coincide with the online payment portal. If Animal Services does not have an email address from a pet owner, a Licence Renewal mailout will be provided. Animal Services has set a target to be 80% paperless with Licence Renewals by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
PROTECT YOURSELF & OTHERS AGAINST ILLNESS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Hamilton Public Health Services is urging Hamiltonians to protect themselves and others to reduce the spread of respiratory illness over the holiday season.
Getting the seasonal flu shot as well as an updated COVID-19 XBB vaccine provides important protection against respiratory viruses and can prevent illness and spread. The COVID-19 XBB vaccine available this season is updated to more closely match currently circulating sub-variants of COVID-19.
Hamilton residents six months of age and older can access flu and COVID-19 vaccines through participating local pharmacies, primary care and community partners, and Hamilton Public Health Services vaccine clinics.
In addition to getting the flu shot and staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, Hamiltonians are encouraged to take further, everyday precautions, including:
Screening for respiratory symptoms daily and staying home if you’re not feeling well.
Wearing a tight-fitting, well-constructed mask in indoor public settings.
Practicing good respiratory hygiene including frequent handwashing and covering your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing.
Optimizing the ventilation of the spaces you are gathering in, either by gathering outdoors, or increasing the amount of fresh air that is flowing into a space.
Speaking with a professional healthcare provider about treatments for COVID-19, influenza and RSV, and a plan to access them should you become ill.
Through these preventive measures and by working together, we can ease pressure on our healthcare system and help protect those who are most at risk. A list of pharmacies providing flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines can be found at ontario.ca/vaccine-locations/. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines and to book an appointment at a Hamilton Public Health Services vaccine clinic, visit hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine.
A blurry photo of a holiday market with lights. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Events & Opportunities".
NEW URBAN GARDEN CLUB
Green Venture has a new initiative to help take care of six gardens and greenspaces along Barton St. Their Urban Gardening Club was inspired by other groups around the city and the goal is to create a robust volunteer maintenance system and have regular meet-ups and creative workshops on urban gardening. The Garden Club will meet bi-weekly at local bakery and flower shop Pinch (Sherman and Barton St).
If you are interested in joining the group, learn more about it here.
STEELTOWN ATHLETIC CLUB COMMUNITY BASKETBALL GAME - DECEMBER 18
Tonight, Monday December 18th, the Steeltown Athletic Club (STAC) will be hosting their 2nd Annual Community Game Night at Bernie Custis Secondary School from 6-9pm.
This night will be filled with high school rep teams playing and prizes for the U12, U14 and U18 youth!
Doors will open at 6pm and STAC is asking all those attending to bring non perishable items for the Eva Rothwell pantry. Items will be collected at the event and dropped off to the centre the next day.
Sliding scale donations for STAC Basketball’s first academic program will be accepted at the door as well, with proceeds will go towards offering a career training program.
GAME 1 - Girls Rep Team vs Girls Rep Team
6:15pm-7:15pm
DUNK COMPETITION - Hosted by Pigskin Pete from the Hamilton Tiger Cats!
7:15pm-8pm
Dunk Competition and prizes for kids! This will be a fun and hype event watching STAC high school players displaying some amazing dunks! There will be lots of STAC Basketball apparel to give away such as special edition 2023 jerseys, sweaters and more!
GAME 2 - Boys Rep Team vs. STAC Coaches
8pm-9pm
We hope to see you there to support youth programming in #OurWard3!
ENGAGE HAMILTON MEETING - DECEMBER 21
Are you interested in providing your input on the future of engagement in #HamOnt? Join Engage Hamilton next Thursday, December 21 from 1:00pm – 2:30pm at the City Hall forecourt to learn more about where we're headed and to share your thoughts. Please visit http://engage.hamilton.ca to find out more!
WARD 3 ADVENT WINDOWS
Join in on the community art project here in #OurWard3 that celebrates a new holiday window reveal each night of December.
A full list of windows and addresses can be found by following @ward3advent on Instagram!