Get ready for fireworks?

Council's first meeting of the year is now over. A rather tame affair except for the issue of garbage. Oh there were concerns expressed about the impending deal between McMaster University and the Hamilton and District Board of Education re the Board of Education Centre and the City of Hamilton's amalgamation of the Board of Health's various offices possibly in the Robert Thompson Tower. That debate was fun because the Mayor suggested if the City didn't go through with it's amalgamation and consolidation then the deal between the other two might be in jeopardy. That was instantly challenged by ward 5 councillor Chad Collins who asked pointed questions of City staff about the relationship or linkage between the two deals. The answers he received which clearly suggested as far as staff were concerned the two were not linked led to an uncomfortable attempt at explanation from the Mayor. After lengthy discussion a proposed amendment to the committee recommendation from ward 2's Councillor Farr was defeated. More on this one to follow obviously.
Now to garbage. As passionate as I've ever seen him the Councillor for Ward 6 Tom Jackson launched into a passionate defence of an interim policy to provide 12 additional amnesty days for extra garbage bags calling it the minimum we can do to stop what seems to be an orgy of dumping. He quoted some frightening numbers; a 3 hundred per cent increase in illegal dumping as reported by bylaw enforcement since Hamilton went to a one bag per week policy. Coincidence he wondered? On Monday the 16th the Public Works Committee will review proposals for garbage collection beginning in 2013 and running for who knows how long. Certainly one of the concerns expressed at council was the fact that Hamilton's garbage collection has changed so many times since amalgamation that people can barely keep up, indeed councillor Collins suggested the current garbage calendar looked like a Mayan calendar with all the intricate symbols. The interim plan for garbage collection was passed but Monday could be one of the most interesting Public Works Committee meetings in a long time as the new plan is debated for presentation to council. Thursday, the new Animal Control Bylaw is before Planning. We'll be there.