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Leaf Pattern Design

2022 – 2023

Accountability

Report

December 20, 2023

 

To my fellow Ward 12 residents,

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As I have been in office for just over a year, and 2023 is winding down, it’s a good time to review the work that has been accomplished in our ward, and across the City.

While campaigning in 2022, my campaign consisted of the four pillars listed in this report. Each of these are topics that I am passionate about and I have been working hard to make progress on each of them. I believe I must be accountable for what I committed to, so I am providing this summary as part of my accountability report to you. This year has been a whirlwind, to say the least, so this accounting is imperfect, but it sets the stage for an improved report for 2024.

Transparent & Accountable Leadership
Ensure fiscal responsibility with your tax dollars

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  • Established a Ward 12 website to provide a central source of information for residents.

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  • Established a monthly newsletter called Craig’s Current, which has been published 18 times since taking office in November 2022. A second newsletter was published in March, May, August, and September to address timely topics.

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  • Provided detailed public statements / FAQs explaining my votes for high-profile topics such as the 2023 Operating Budget, the Police Budget, and the Encampment Protocol. 

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  • Established social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for daily communication with constituents

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  • With the Mayor’s leadership, my colleagues and Council established the Term of Council Priorities. I successfully convinced my colleagues to add ‘Reduce the Burden on Residential Taxpayers’. There are many paths to this outcome but establishing it in our term priorities helps to keep us focused on spending and investment that will produce positive outcomes for the City and reduce the burden on residential taxpayers.

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  • I chaired the Selection Committee for Boards, Agencies, and Committees which is responsible for selecting citizen members for Conservation Authority Boards, Heritage Committees, Board of Directors for City Housing Hamilton, Farmers Market, the Library and several more. We deliberated on 266 applications for 116 positions across 18 committees. We had 20 meetings from April to December 2023, spending 100 hours screening resumes, conducting interviews, and selecting members.

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  • Motion (C. Kroetsch) seconded and approved:  Waiving of Street Festival Fees for Use of On-Street Parking Spaces funded from the Economic Development Investment Reserve.

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  • Motion moved and approved: that staff provide additional options for Agricultural fees related to the approved Stormwater Rate Structure that are fair and justifiable. 

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  • Supported approval of the City’s Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap, and the hiring of a Housing Secretariat to lead our efforts addressing the Housing Crisis. 

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  • Supported short-term rental and vacant unit tax by-laws to increase the stock of housing available.

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  • The strike by Local ATU 107 (HSR operators) was resolved within one week with terms that were fair for our employees and fiscally responsible for the taxpayer.
     

Safe Streets & Inclusive Neighbourhoods

Ensure neighbourhood safety and prevent dangerous driving

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  • Initiated safety review of traffic circles in the Meadowlands.  Study completed in 2023. Recommendation to be published and work to begin in 2024.

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  • Community Road Safety map was established to capture resident input on safety concerns. Available on my website.

 

  • Traffic calming progress – speed cushions installed on ten streets.

 

  • Bike lanes installed on Stonehenge Dr (approved by the previous term of Council).

 

  • Multi-use pathway and improved sidewalks completed on Southcote Rd (approved by the previous term of Council).

 

  • Hosted two town halls (in partnership with Ward 13) to gather constituent feedback on road safety along the Old Dundas Rd /Old Ancaster Rd corridor. Safety for all road users has been a concern for many years. A road safety review has been initiated and results will be shared in 2024.

 

  • Supported the Hamilton Street Railway - HSR (Re)Envision draft plan presented by staff. Great transit is vital to helping Hamilton achieve its vision of being the best place to raise a child and age successfully. Public consultation occurred in 2023 and staff will report back on the next steps in 2024.

 

  • Motion (T. Hwang) seconded and approved: Cycling Infrastructure 2023 – Accelerating the Cycling Master Plan. Connect existing cycling infrastructure and improve the current network.

 

  • Motion supported and approved - Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) fare equity program to make transit affordable to more Hamiltonians.

 

  • Motion supported and approved - ongoing and expanded financial support to provide menstrual products in City facilities.

Climate Action & Environmental Stewardship

Build a climate-resilient city and create green jobs

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  • Supported the Biodiversity Action Plan to protect and rehabilitate Hamilton’s unique biodiversity assets and to do our part to reverse the global decline in species count and biomass.

 

  • Motion (M. Tadeson) seconded and approved: Amendment to City of Hamilton By-law 14-212, to Promote the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Woodlands on Private Property within the Urban Boundary of the City of Hamilton. Protection for trees in the forced urban expansion and Greenbelt removal areas to prevent developers from removing mature trees.

 

  • Motion moved and approved: Hamilton Urban Forest Strategy. Achieve urban canopy coverage of 40% by 2050.

 

  • Motion moved and approved: Municipal Protected Areas Project Pilot Program – Ontario Nature. I moved that The City of Hamilton and Ontario Nature work together to assess Hamilton’s natural areas for contribution towards the 30 by 30 federal target to protect 30% of Canada’s land and waters by 2030. I am pleased to confirm that Council has ratified the partnership and now Hamilton will join other local landowners recognized for protecting near-urban nature.

Responsible & Sustainable Growth

Preserve farmland, save tax dollars and address housing needs through adding gentle density inside a firm urban boundary

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  • Vocal opponent of continued suburban sprawl and supporter of the Stop Sprawl effort, promoting the enforcement of infill development within the existing urban boundary. I supported all Council motions calling on the Province to maintain our current urban boundary. Unilateral boundary expansion was reversed in October 2023.

 

  • Vocal opponent of the Province’s unilateral Greenbelt Removal for continued suburban sprawl. I supported all Council motions calling on the Province to return Greenbelt lands to their protected status. Lands were returned to protected status in September 2023.

 

  • Motion moved and defeated: that Council delay approval of the $500 million Airport Employment Growth District Transportation Master Plan (road network) pending a report on a lifecycle analysis using estimates of future lifecycle costs and property tax revenues from Airport Employment Growth District properties.

 

  • Motion supported and approved: for industrial development at 9236 and 9322 Dickenson Road West, Glanbrook – the developer must transfer ownership of natural heritage areas (wetland and woodlands) to the City of Hamilton.

 

  • Worked with developers applying for approval of projects on Southcote Rd, Fiddler's Green Rd, and Wilson St to adjust plans and preserve mature trees on, or adjacent, to their lots.

 

  • Seventeen holding provisions in place for the development proposal on the site of the Marr-Phillipo House to hold the developer accountable for preserving this historical building.

 

  • Council approved applications for more than 5,300 residential units within our urban boundary. This does not include applications that did not require approval from Council for zoning or official plan amendments. Including proposals that only required building permits from staff, Hamilton has approved ~12,000 residential units this term. We have far exceeded the official annual growth target of 3,560 units and the City’s pledge of 4,700 units per year. We now need the builders to build!

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