Mayor Bratina Hopes Ombudsman Oversight Can Help Fix City Hall's Toxic Culture Crisis
Mayor Bob Bratina tells The Toronto Star that he is in favour of expanding the oversight of Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin to include municipalities. Bratina cites the City’s problems with openness and transparency, and the toxic culture problems that Council has been unable to address. Bratina’s statements are…
Police Services Board Goverance Cmte [July 10/14]
Hamilton’s Police Services Board’s Governance Committee will hold its first public meeting on Thursday, July 10 in room 830 of City Hall. The meeting starts at 10am, there is no agenda released in advance. I will cover the meeting, but will not be broadcasting.…
Tim Horton's Field Won't Be Ready Until At Least August
File under no surprise. Hamilton’s new football stadium won’t be ready in time for the scheduled Hamilton Tiger Cats home opener on July 26, nor will it be ready in time for the July 31st game. The Ticats will play both games at McMaster’s Ron Joyce stadium, and…
City Hall, AODA, and Accessibility to Public Meetings
City Hall was renovated in 2010, but not brought into compliance with accessibility requirements for those with physical disabilities. With the toxic culture of City Hall, it’s not a surprise that accessibility was not thought of during the lengthy renovation project. Council will be spending hundreds of thousands…
Council GIC for July 7, 2014
City Council meets as GIC today to debate the downtown ‘[parking crisis](http://joeycoleman.ca/2014/07/07/city-addressing-downtown-parking-crisis-leasing-surface-parking-on-prime-development-land/)‘, the [Highway Gateway Sign](http://joeycoleman.ca/2014/07/07/savings-of-5350-found-thus-far-for-230000-highway-sign/), [start the 2015 budget process](http://joeycoleman.ca/2014/07/07/2015-city-budget-outlook-starting-at-over-3-tax-increase/), debate civility in the downtown core, and additional funding for the Renovation of Spring Valley Arena in Ancaster. Live video starts at 9:30am Updates During Meeting: [liveblog]…
City Addressing Downtown 'Parking Crisis', Leasing Surface Parking on Prime Development Land
[](http://joeycoleman.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Clipboard01.jpg)The City Leased Parking Lot at Bay and King (RaiseTheHammer photo) City staff, concerned about the potential of higher parking rates in the downtown core, are asking Council to keep a large piece of prime downtown real estate…
Savings of $5,350 found thus far for $230,000 Highway Sign
[](http://joeycoleman.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/hamiltonhighwaysign.jpg)Concept from City of new highway sign (Handout / City of Hamilton) City staff says they’ve found $5,000 in savings towards the proposed Highway 403 Gateway Sign and raised $350 from crowdfunding since June 5th. The $5,000…
2015 City Budget Outlook: starting at over 3% tax increase
Hamilton’s new Council will start on the 2015 budget in January , and the preliminary budgetary pressures for next year add up to $22.6mil – or an over 3% tax increase. The City hopes to offset this partially with a 2% user fee increase for $2.3mil. Public delegations…
Strong Thunderstorms Arrives in Hamilton
[](http://joeycoleman.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/radar.png)US National Weather Service Radar Image at 11pm Sunday night showing strong band of thunderstorms heading towards Hamilton A strong band of thunderstorms are heading towards Hamilton and expected to hit…
Thank you Environment Hamilton
Environment Hamilton is a great asset to our community, vigilantly ensuring government lives up to its environmental commitments and calling them out when they don’t. The [“sweetheart deal”](http:// http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news/group-cries-foul-over-sweetheart-dofasco-pollution-deal/) given to ArcelorMittal Dofasco on air pollution for the next five years shows this vigilance of EH and the…