Interesting start to Hamilton's General Issues Committee budget discussions this day. The Mayor's Executive Assistant Peggy Chapman had a quiet conversation with Councillor Brad Clark who is in the chair for the month of March. As the meeting got underway a piece of paper was circulated for discussion, receipt or whatever council wished to do with it. What was in the piece of paper you wonder? It was the opinion of ex city clerk Kevin Christensen recently hired by Mayor Bob Bratina as his Municipal Adviser that on the issue of decorum at last Friday's meeting of the GIC (perhaps better known now as "gavel gate") that the Chair, Brad Clark had done nothing wrong, that even his very loud use of the gavel was appropriate. When Clark asked what anyone wanted to do with the opinion from the Mayor's office he received this opening salvo from Sam Merulla, "I'm not willing to accept it, it usurps the position of the clerk's office. Ward 5's Chad Collins joined 4's Merulla pointing out that going down this road could be very dangerous. Around the table it went to the point a motion was put forth by Merulla to "not receive" the advice. It passed unanimously. One wonders what the Mayor or his office was thinking by putting this opinion forward. Clearly the clerk of the committee is in charge of decisions regarding what is in order and what is not. It is their opinion that matters under law and no one else's. Clearly the Mayor who ought to know better or someone else in his office who should know better interjected themselves into council business and pretty much got smacked up the side of the head for sticking their nose where it wasn't wanted.
Onto other business now. Just what is going on with the controversial "swing space" that McMaster University claims is integral to their three way deal with the city and the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. As you know the University has given its other two erstwhile partners an ultimatum to either get this issue resolved by the end of the week or else "Mac" is walking away from the deal. The latest events went something like this; withdrawn from today's agenda was the entire issue of "swing space" since it now appears according to representatives of the Right House where Public Health currently leases space that the City Centre is now part of ongoing talks. And we also know that the Right House itself has been in discussions with city staff and will be allowed to make a more formal presentation to the GIC either Thursday or Friday of this week. We are well beyond the 11th hour on this one.
As for the budget discussions we are told now that city wide the current preliminary budget increase has dropped to 1.3 %. However because of reassessment and area rating Glanbrook this year will see a 4.4 % increase Flamborough 3.5, Dundas 3.1, Stoney Creek 2.8 and Ancaster 2 %. But the budget is still not done and will not be completed until at least two more budget meetings take place after the March break for presentation to council on March 28th.
Oh, and one final note and you can see the sides lining up on this issue GIC did today authorise the General Manager of Public Works to move forward on the Accessible Transportation Services program enhancement to the tune of 850 thousand dollars in 2012. I'll back up and explain. This enhancement becomes law Province wide in 2017. It allows those people who are cognitively disabled and unable to get on a DARTS bus without a companion to qualify. In total the program implementation could cost 5.7 million dollars to comply. Councillors were quite happy to provide the funds and applauded staff on their prudent planning but then those dividing lines started to appear. Several councillors are questioning some of those who currently qualify with Russ Powers of Dundas suggesting everyone around council knows of individuals who abuse the current system. Others namely Merulla and Jackson have stated clearly during past discussions on this that they do not require any review of current qualifications because they don't want to see "that can of worms opened up". Tomorrow evening a full city council beginning at 5pm with a tape delay broadcast on Cable 14 at 7, and I'll be there arming myself for a chat with Councillor Clark on Thursday's "For the Record, Council Edition".
No comments:
Post a Comment