General Issues Committee

WHEREAS, in 2019 the Federal government has enshrined housing as a human right in legislation under the National Housing Strategy Act, and in 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that municipalities need to have places for people experiencing homelessness to go – such as shelters or other housing solutions – before asking individuals to leave encampments. WHEREAS, Hamilton’s active homeless population has consistently remained over 1,500 since December 2021 and currently sits at 1,615 as of April 2023. WHEREAS, the City of Hamilton remains committed to the long-term goal of permanent housing for all, and protecting the dignity of unsheltered individuals, ensuring homeless and unhoused individuals receive the supports they need in the short-term, acknowledging that the long-term solution – safe and supportive housing – is one which Hamilton, and cities across Canada, cannot respond to quickly enough given the growing, immediate needs of the unhoused in our community. WHEREAS, the City of Hamilton developed and enacted an Encampment Protocol to help manage and provide a framework of where unhoused people could stay in the event that they have no other shelter option. General Issues Committee July 8, 2024 Minutes 24-012 Page 2 of 31 WHEREAS, several City of Hamilton parks and otherwise compliant encampment locations are scheduled for construction or reconstruction projects as municipal capital investments that benefit the whole city. WHEREAS, several projects have b

That the Cleanliness and Security in the Downtown Core Task Force - Clerk's Report 24-003 of June 13, 2024, be received. Result: MOTION,

That Report FCS24012, respecting the 2023 Municipal Tax Competitiveness Study, be received. Result: MOTION,

(a) Stoney Creek Village Business Improvement Area Changes to Board of Management (PED24111) (Ward 5) (Item 9.3(a)) (a) That the following individual be removed from the Stoney Creek Village Business Improvement Area Board of Management: General Issues Committee July 8, 2024 Minutes 24-012 Page 4 of 31 (1) Natasha Guidi (Trinity Natural Health); (2) Suzanne Glinka (The Lucky Gem); (b) That the following individuals be appointed to the Stoney Creek Village Street Business Improvement Area Board of Management: (1) Anita Sharma (Building New Paths); (2) Kyle O’Connor (Stoney Creek Physiotherapy); (3) Paulina Yousef (Village Creek Property Management); (4) Roman Marcone (Halo Music); (5) Nick Goomber (Capital Gate Development); (6) Lana Flinn (StoHo). (b) Westdale Village Business Improvement Area Changes to Board of Management (PED24119) (Ward 1) (Item 9.3(b)) (a) That the following individuals be removed from the Westdale Village Business Improvement Area Board of Management: (1) Isha Soni (Pizzaiolo Westdale); (2) Biyao Hu (Second Cup Westdale); (b) That the following individual be appointed to the Westdale Village Street Business Improvement Area Board of Management: (1) Mohammad Emami (Nannaa Persian Eatery). Result: MOTION,

That Report FCS24033, respecting Attaining Efficiencies Through the Review of the Use of Consultants, be received. Result: MOTION,

That Report PW24034, respecting O. Reg 25/23 Conservation and Demand Management Plan 2024, be received. Result: MOTION,

(a) That a contribution to an upset limit of $500 K from the Conventions/Sports/Events Reserve No. 112231 be authorized and allocated towards funding any hosting fees and City of Hamilton and/or or third-party in-kind goods and/or services associated with hosting the JUNO Awards in either 2026 or 2027; (b) That a contribution to an upset limit of $500 K from the Conventions/Sports/Events Reserve No. 112231 be allocated towards funding any hosting fees and City of Hamilton and/or or third-party in-kind goods and/or services associated with hosting the 2026 Brier Canadian Men’s Curling Championship; (c) That upon allocating the remaining balance of funds in the Conventions/Sports/Events Reserve No. 112231 towards hosting fees and City of Hamilton and/or or third-party in-kind goods and/or services associated with hosting the 2026 or 2027 JUNO Awards and the 2026 Brier Canadian Men’s Curling Championship, Reserve No. 112231 be closed; (d) That upon closing the Conventions/Sports/Events Reserve No. 112231, staff be authorized and directed to allocate, on an annual basis, any unspent funds from the Tourism Operations DeptID 362238/Grant Account 58201 to the City of Hamilton’s Municipal Accommodation Tax Reserve No. 108072; (e) That the Mayor and City Clerk, or their designates, be authorized and directed to execute all required agreements and associated documents, on behalf of the City of Hamilton, with the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to host the 2026 or 2027 J

(a) That staff be authorized to negotiate, complete and finalize any disposition, easements, conveyances, interface and other requisite agreements with Waterfront Shores Corporation, in whole or part of Blocks 12, 13 and 14 identified as the Greenway, as shown on Appendix “A” to Report PED23039(a), consistent with the key terms and conditions as outlined in General Issues Committee July 8, 2024 Minutes 24-012 Page 8 of 31 this Report PED23039(a) in order to dispose the sub-strata portion of the Greenway and to preserve the City’s ownership of the above grade portion of Blocks 12, 13 and 14 that includes both the surface portion to a defined depth and the air portion, to be more specifically defined and more particularly described in reference plans, and on such terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager of the Planning and Economic Development Department or designate, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor; (b) That staff be directed to credit Account No. 4411806107 with the net disposition proceeds from any sub-strata sale to Waterfront Shores Corporation; (c) That staff be directed and authorized to fund all costs associated with the agreements outlined in Recommendation (a) of Report PED23039(a) including any real estate and legal costs for each transaction from Account No. 4411806107, with real estate and legal costs credited to Account No. 55778- 812036 (Real Estate – Admin Recovery); (d) That staff be authorized and directed to complete and finalize

(a) That the creation of a Capital Project (7642441111), to be funded to a maximum of $82.5 M, be approved for a new paramedic facility – Central reporting station; (b) That Capital Project # 7642441111 be funded first from the transfer of $13.5 M previously approved for Capital Project #7642250001 – RE2202, through Council Report (PED22035/HSC22011), and that Capital Project #7642250001 be closed; (c) That the remaining $69.0 M be funded from the following sources: (i) $48.9 M from development charge supported debt; (ii) $20.1 M from tax supported debt; (d) That the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, be authorized and directed to negotiate and confirm the terms for the placement and issuance of all debenture issue(s), in either a public or private market and / or bank loan agreements and debenture issue(s), in and / or variable interest General Issues Committee July 8, 2024 Minutes 24-012 Page 10 of 31 rate bank loan agreement and debenture issue(s), in an amount not to exceed $69.0 M Canadian currency, which includes $20.1 M in Tax Supported municipal debt and $48.9 M in Development Charges municipal debt; (e) That the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, be authorized to engage the services of all required professionals to secure the terms and issuance of the debenture issue(s) described in recommendation (c) including, but not limited to, external legal counsel and fiscal agents; (f) That the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, be au

(a) That the Investment Plan, attached as Appendix “A” to Report FCS24039, be approved and submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for ministry approval as required to receive the $17,587,390 in total funding for the 2024 Building Faster Fund program year; (b) That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized to execute all necessary documentation, including Funding Agreements to receive funding under the Building Faster Fund with content satisfactory to the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor; (c) That the City Solicitor be authorized and directed to prepare any necessary by laws for Council approval, for the purpose of giving effect to the City’s acceptance of funding from the Building Faster Fund; and (d) That the General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, be delegated authority to submit all future reporting requirements to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing under the Building Faster Fund including Investment Plans for subsequent years of the program and reallocation of funds as required. Result: MOTION,

WHEREAS, the City of Hamilton acknowledges that the challenges of affordability can be precursors to poor physical and mental health outcomes, barriers to higher learning, facilitating addictions, participating in crime, homelessness, and often resulting in an inability to escape cycles of poverty; WHEREAS, the City of Hamilton acknowledges that the challenges of affordability arise from the increased cost of living, inflation, and various taxes from the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government; WHEREAS, Mayor Andrea Horwath, in her Mayoral Directive to Staff on August 31, 2023, recognized the high cost of living in an inflationary time; WHEREAS, Tax Freedom Day 2024 was even later this year, on Monday, June 19; WHEREAS, according to the Bank of Canada, Ontario CPI (Total) recently peaked at 8.1% in June 2022 – representing a 39-year high dating back to 1983 – and is currently now at 2.7%; WHEREAS, according to the Economic Research Institute, the cost of living in Hamilton is 9% higher than the provincial average, and 14% higher than the national average; WHEREAS, according to the Hamilton Family Health Team, nearly 12% of Hamilton households report food insecurities with nearly 20,000 Hamiltonians accessing a food bank every month, including 6,000 children; General Issues Committee July 8, 2024 Minutes 24-012 Page 13 of 31 WHEREAS, according to Hamilton Food Share, the number of Hamilton households accessing food banks and hunger relief programs increased by

That staff be directed to follow up with both senior levels of government respecting City of Hamilton’s motion “Municipal Resolution in Support of Basic Income for the City of Hamilton” that was passed with unanimous endorsement on June 7, 2023 at Council, requesting the implementation of a universal basic income program and report back to the General Issues Committee. Result: MOTION,

That Report LS23027(b), respecting General Litigation Update, be received and remain confidential. Result: MOTION,

(a) That the direction provided to staff in Closed Session respecting the Verbal Update on the Delsey Pond Litigation matter, be approved and remain confidential; and, (b) That the Confidential Verbal Update on the Delsey Pond Litigation matter, be received and remain confidential. Result: MOTION,

That the agenda for the July 8, 2024 General Issues Committee meeting, be approved, as amended. Result: MOTION,

That the minutes of the June 19, 2024 General Issues Committee, be approved, as presented. Result: MOTION,

That Communication Items 5.1 to 5.2, be approved, as presented, as follows: (i) Correspondence respecting Item 10.1 - Major Hosted Tourism Event Opportunities (PED23129(b)), from the following individuals: (a) The Arkells (Item 5.1(a)) Recommendation: Be received and referred to consideration of Item 10.1. (ii) Correspondence respecting Motions on Exclusion of Parks Within the Encampment Protocol, from the following individuals: (a) Kelly Oucharek (Item 5.2(a)) (b) Chad Chabot (Added Item 5.2(b)) Recommendation: Be received and referred to consideration of Items 11.3 - 11.5. Result: MOTION,

That the following Delegation Requests be approved, as follows: (1) Delegation Requests respecting Exclusion of Parks Within the Encampment Protocol, for today's meeting, from the following individuals: (a) Nicole Barron (In-Person) (Item 6.1(a)) (b) Ruth Sibma (In-Person) (Added Item 6.1(b)) (c) Sarah Brohman (In-Person) (Added Item 6.1(c)) (d) Robert Dixon (In-Person) (Added Item 6.1(d)) (e) Gessie Stearns (In-Person) (Added Item 6.1(e)) (2) Tim Potocic, Sonic Unyon Records, respecting support of the City of Hamilton Tourism Dept Juno Awards Bid for 2026 (Item 10.1) (In-Person) (For today's meeting) (Added Item 6.2) Result: MOTION,

That the delegation from Hafeez Hussain respecting Putting Taxpayers First - Navigating City Hall, be received. Result: MOTION,

That the delegate be provided with an addition 3 minutes to complete their delegation. Result: MOTION,

That the delegation from Jelena Vermilion, Sex Workers' Action Program (SWAP), respecting the City of Hamilton Integrity Commissioner’s Report Regarding Private Complaint re: Councillor Danko Tweet (Re) - DGB- HamiltonICI-2024-01 (June 12, 2024 Council Agenda Item 6.2), be received. Result: MOTION,

That the following delegations respecting Exclusion of Parks Within the Encampment Protocol, be received: (a) Nicole Barron (In-Person) (Added Item 7.3(a)) (b) Ruth Sibma (In-Person) (Item 7.3(b)) (c) Sarah Brohman (In-Person) (Added Item 7.3(c)) (d) Robert Dixon (In-Person) (Added Item 7.3(d)) (e) Gessie Stearns (In-Person) (Added Item 7.3(e)) Result: MOTION,

That the delegation from Tim Potocic, Sonic Unyon Records, respecting support of the City of Hamilton Tourism Dept Juno Awards Bid for 2026 (Item 10.1), be received. Result: MOTION,

That the Rules of Order be waived to allow for the introduction of a motion respecting City Parks with Active Construction Projects as it Relates to the Encampment Protocol. Result: MOTION,

That the General Issues Committee recess for 35 minutes until 1:15 p.m. Result: MOTION,

General Issues Committee July 8, 2024 Minutes 24-012 Page 26 of 31 WHEREAS City Council is currently made up of 15 Councillors and 1 Mayor, a total of 16 members; WHEREAS members of the urban Indigenous community, represented by the Circle of Beads, have asked the City of Hamilton to support their request for the City to ask the Province of Ontario to have changes made to the Municipal Act to permit a member of Hamilton’s urban Indigenous community to be a voting member of City Council; WHEREAS the Circle of Beads has asked, while Council awaits word from the Province about that request, that it establish an interim advisory seat (non voting) on Council for a member of Hamilton’s urban Indigenous community; WHEREAS there are governance, legal, and other implications to honouring these requests that the municipality must fully explore before Council formally considers them; WHEREAS First Nations in Canada have specific and distinct relationships with the Federal and Provincial levels of governments through the Indian Act; WHEREAS according to the National Association of Friendship Centres, as of 2021, approximately 88% of Indigenous people in Ontario live in urban settings, which means that a majority of Indigenous peoples live their lives with no direct local representation with respect to the services they access most; WHEREAS City Council approved the Urban Indigenous Strategy (UIS) presented to, endorsed, and fully supported by the General Issues Committee on July 8, 2019

That the following motions be

That the Rules of Order be waived to allow for the introduction of a motion respecting a Request for Update on City of Hamilton Motion Respecting a Municipal Resolution in Support of Basic Income for the City of Hamilton Guaranteed Livable Basic Income (Added Item 11.6). Result: MOTION,

That the Closed Session minutes of the June 19, 2024 General Issues Committee meeting, be approved and remain confidential. Result: MOTION,

That Committee move into Closes Session for Items 14.2 and 14.3 pursuant to Section 9.3, sub-sections (e) and (f) of the City's Procedural By-law 21- 021, as amended, and Section 239(2) sub-sections (e) and (f) of the Ontario Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, as the subject matter pertains to litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the City or a local board; and advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. Result: MOTION,

That there being no further business, the General Issues Committee be adjourned at 3:21 p.m. Result: MOTION,