General Issues Committee

That the agenda for the June 11, 2025 General Issues Committee meeting, be approved, as presented.

The minutes of the May 21, 2025 (Item 5.1) meeting of the General Issues Committee, be adopted, as presented.

That the delegation from Tanner Bergsma, respecting the housing crisis in the region and the need for unity in the city to prioritize the people and citizens, be received.

That the Delegation from Andrew Selman, respecting the collapsing building at 1057 Barton Street East, and the danger it poses to the public, be received.

That the Delegation from Shelley Falconer, Gary Graham, and Scott Galbraith, Art Gallery of Hamilton, be permitted to address the Committee for an additional 5 minutes. Result: MOTION,

That the following delegations respecting Report PED25148, Art Gallery of Hamilton (Item 8.3), be received: 6.3(a) David Hudson, Hamilton Arts Council (In-Person) 6.3(b) Gail Lord, Lord Cultural Resources (Pre-Recorded) 6.3(c) Shelley Falconer, Gary Graham, and Scott Galbraith, Art Gallery of Hamilton (In-Person) 6.3(d) Laine Groeneweg, Smokestack Studio (In-Person) 6.3(e) Kierstyn Beattie and Amanda Ottilino, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (Pre-Recorded) 6.3(f) Tom Wilson (In-Person)

That the following delegations respecting Motion 9.1 - Feasibility of the Development of a New HSR Fare Program to Assist Disabled Riders from Accessibility Committee for Persons with Disabilities Minutes ACPD 25-005 - May 13, 2025 (Item 8.5), be received: 6.4(a) Karl Andrus, HCBN (In-Person) 6.4(b) Tim Nolan, Accessibility Hamilton Alliance (Virtually) 6.4(c) Marnie Schurter, ACORN Hamilton (Pre-Recorded) 6.4(d) Rachel Moore, ACORN Hamilton (Pre-Recorded) 6.4(e) Hojay Byfield, ACORN Hamilton (In-Person) 6.4(f) Kayla Leet, ACORN Hamilton (In-Person) 6.4(g) David Antunes (In-Person) 6.4(h) Mary Love, Council of Canadians, Hamilton Chapter (In-Person) 6.4(i) Brad Evoy, Disability Justice Network of Ontario (In-Person) 6.4(j) James Kemp (Virtually)

That the General Issues Committee recess meeting for 41 minutes until 12:30 p.m.

That Report PED14117(e), respecting the Bayfront Industrial Area Strategy Action Plan – 2024 Update (City Wide), be received.

That the Business Improvement Area Sub-Committee Minutes BIAC 25-005 - May 30, 2025, be received.

That Report PW25035, respecting 2025 Proposed Levels of Services Asset Management Plan be amended by adding an additional sub- section, as follows: (f) That Report PW25035, respecting 2025 Proposed Levels of Services Asset Management Plan be brought forward to a Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 6 of 27 Special General Issues Committee meeting for information purposes only and for additional discussions with staff. Result: AMENDMENT,

That Report PED25167, dated June 11, 2025, respecting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Grant Application (LGP-25-01) 1518 (1540) Upper Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 7 of 27 Wentworth Street, Hamilton (Ward 7), be received, and the following recommendations be approved: (a) That Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Grant Application LGP-25-01, submitted by Hamilton East Kiwanis non-Profit Homes Inc., owner of the property 1518 (1540) Upper Wentworth Street, Hamilton BE APPROVED for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Grant not to exceed $1,139,630.00 for estimated construction costs to be provided over a maximum of five (5) years, in accordance with the terms and conditions of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Grant Agreement; (b) That the General Manager of the Planning and Economic Development Department BE AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED to execute a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Grant Agreement together with any ancillary documentation required, to give effect to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Grant for Hamilton East Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes Inc., owner of the property 1540 Upper Wentworth Street, Hamilton in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor; and, (c) That the General Manager of the Planning and Economic Development Department BE AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED to administer th

That Shelley Falconer, Art Gallery of Hamilton, be permitted to answer questions of Committee respecting Report PED25148, respecting the Art Gallery of Hamilton (City Wide).

That Report PED25148, respecting the Art Gallery of Hamilton (City Wide) (Item 8.3) and the related Correspondence (Item 8.3(a)), be

That Report FCS25031, dated June 11, 2025, respecting Method of Filling the Ward 8 Vacancy on City Council (Ward 8), be amended, as follows: (a) That Report FCS25031, dated June 11, 2025, respecting Method of Filling the Ward 8 Vacancy on City Council (Ward 8), be received; (b) That the City Clerk BE DIRECTED to fill the vacancy for the Office of Councillor Ward 8, by Option B: Through By- election. (c) That Council APPROVE the funding method for filling the vacancy from the Tax Stabilization Reserve 110046. Result: MAIN MOTION, As Amended,

That the Accessibility Committee for Persons with Disabilities Minutes ACPD 25-005 - May 13, 2025 BE RECEIVED and

That the following correspondence respecting Accessibility Committee for Persons with Disabilities Minutes ACPD 25-005 - May 13, 2025 (Item 8.5), be received: (i) Medora Uppal, YWCA Hamilton (ii) Tim Nolan, Accessibility Hamilton Alliance (iii) Miriam Sager

WHEREAS, the referral of Report LS25012 respecting Insurance Renewal (City Wide) to Council would reduce the length of the General Issues Committee meeting; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That Report LS25012, respecting Insurance Renewal (City Wide), be

WHEREAS, the deferral of LS23027(d), respecting General Litigation Update (City Wide) to the July 9, 2025 General Issues Committee meeting would reduce the length of the General Issues Committee meeting; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That Report LS23027(d), respecting General Litigation Update (City Wide), be

That Report HSC25026, dated June 11, 2025, respecting Commemorating September 30th National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (City Wide), be received, and the following recommendation be approved: (a) That a representative(s) of the Mayor and Council be requested participate in the City’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Event to speak about the meaning of the day and the City’s reconciliation efforts; (b) That no other City events or Committee of Council meetings be held on September 30th; (c) That staff be directed to lower City flags to half-mast on September 30th in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; and, (d) That People Leaders allow and encourage staff to attend the City’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event, where operationally feasible, without requiring the use of personal time. Result: MOTION,

That the Amendments to the Outstanding Business List, be approved, as follows: 8.8(a) Items Requiring a New Due Date: Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap 2024 Annual Update and 2025 Objective Setting (HSC23028(f) / FCS23055(d) / PED23099(g)) (City Wide) OBL Item: GIC-11/20/24-8.1(d) Added: November 20, 2024 (Item 8.1) Original Due Date: July 30, 2025 (as amended February 5, 2025) Proposed New Due Date: Q3 2025 Section 447.1 Against GFL Stoney Creek Regional Facility OBL Item: GIC-02/26/25-9.3 Added: February 26, 2025 (Item 9.3) Original Due Date: End of Q2 2025 Proposed New Due Date: July 2025 Result: MOTION,

WHEREAS, the City of Hamilton must take urgent steps to restore fiscal discipline and demonstrate responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars; Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 15 of 27 WHEREAS, significant year-over-year spending increases, including the addition of 746 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions during this term of Council, have contributed to escalating operating costs; WHEREAS, the continued expansion of the City’s workforce is unsustainable and adds to the growing financial pressure on residents, many of whom are already facing affordability challenges; and, WHEREAS, it is essential that the City begin to operate within its means and maximize the effectiveness of existing resources. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: (a) That Council request the Mayor to include the 2026 budget directive a requirement that no additional Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions be added in the 2026 operating budget, and that existing FTEs be repurposed and reprioritized to align with and support Council’s 2026 strategic direction and priorities; and, (b) That this only relates to FTEs that are non-legislative positions (excluding Hamilton Police Services, Fire, Paramedics and Macassa & Wentworth Lodges). Result: MOTION,

That the General Issues Committee meeting of June 11, 2025, be permitted to extend past the 5:30 p.m. curfew, up to 6:30 p.m. Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 16 of 27 Result: MOTION,

WHEREAS, Section 10 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended provides that a municipality may pass by-laws respecting the health, safety and well-being of persons; and the protection of persons and property; WHEREAS, Bear Spray or similar Animal Deterrent Sprays that contain capsaicin or its compounds as the active ingredient (collectively “Deterrent Sprays”) are intended for personal protection from wildlife or aggressive animals; WHEREAS, Deterrent Sprays are legal products in Canada and are regulated by the Federal Pest Control Products Act and Ontario’s Pesticides Act but do not require a license to sell or otherwise limit the sale of Deterrent Sprays; WHEREAS, the Hamilton Police Services have reported an increase in incidents within the city of Hamilton involving the use of Deterrent Sprays for other than its intended purpose; WHEREAS, this increase in the use of Deterrent Sprays is particularly among children and youth between the ages of 10 and 19 years of age, raising significant public safety concerns for the community; and, WHEREAS, other municipalities in Canada have enacted local By-laws to further regulate the sale of Deterrent Sprays within their jurisdictions to address similar public safety concerns. Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 17 of 27 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That staff be directed to investigate the feasibility of d

WHEREAS transparency and accountability are essential to building and maintaining public trust in municipal governance; and, WHEREAS Council is committed to continuous improvement in the oversight and delivery of capital projects. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That staff be directed to draft or update existing policies for Council’s consideration respecting timely disclosure to Council when project budgets may be at risk of being exceeded, ensuring proactive decision-making and strengthened project oversight. The following friendly amendment was accepted by the mover and seconder of the Motion. That the Motion be amended to read as follows: Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 18 of 27 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That staff be directed to review and report back on existing policies for Council’s consideration respecting timely disclosure to Council when project budgets may be at risk of being exceeded, ensuring proactive decision-making and strengthened project oversight. Result: MOTION, As Amended,

WHEREAS, over the current term, Council has approved a significant number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions based on departmental requests and service expansion plans; WHEREAS, a substantial number of these positions have remained unfilled for extended periods of time, raising concerns about whether these roles are operationally essential or fiscally justified; and, WHEREAS, ongoing vacancies suggest a misalignment between staffing approvals and actual organizational capacity or need, contributing to unnecessary base budget increases. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: (a) That the City Manager be directed to report back to the General Issues Committee (GIC) with a comprehensive review of all Council-approved FTEs from 2022 to present, including: (i) position title, department, and year of approval; Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 19 of 27 (ii) whether the position has been filled or remains vacant; (iii) vacancy duration; (iv) impact (if any) of the unfilled position on service delivery; and, (v) budgetary impact of carrying unfilled positions in the base budget; (b) That the City Manager be directed to identify and recommend for elimination: (i) any approved FTEs that have remained vacant for more than 12 months without demonstrable service impact; and, (ii) any roles that are no longer operationally required or can be absorbed through existing resources; (

That sub-section (a) to Councillor Travel to 2025 International Children’s Games in Tallinn, Estonia, be amended, as follows: (a) That international travel for Councillor Esther Pauls BE APPROVED and that up to $3,000 be allocated from the General Legislative Budget (300100) Ward 7 Office Budget (Dept ID 300050) to cover the cost of airfare and incidentals for Councillor Esther Pauls to attend the 2025 International Children’s Games in Tallinn, Estonia, as the City Representative; and, Result: AMENDMENT,

WHEREAS, the City faces ongoing budgetary pressures and affordability concerns from residents; WHEREAS, it is prudent to review capital projects that have been approved but remain uninitiated, with no spending to date, in order to identify opportunities for deferral, cancellation, or reallocation of funds; and, WHEREAS, capital projects with open residual Work-in-Progress (WIP) balances older than two years may represent unused or underutilized funds that could be re-evaluated for more strategic use. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: (a) That staff be directed to report back to the General Issues Committee no later than the end of August 2025 with: (i) A list of all currently approved capital projects that have not yet started and/or have no spending against them, along with staff recommendations identifying: (1) projects that could be deferred or cancelled to achieve 2026 net levy savings; (2) projects where delay or cancellation would pose significant risk to the organization, operations, or service delivery; and, (3) projects in which funds spent to date are equal to, or less than, 10% of the total budget; and, Please refer to the June 18, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee June 11, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-008 Page 23 of 27 (ii) A list of all open capital projects with residual WIP balances that are more than two years old, and a corresponding review with staff recommendations on: (1) whether the remaining funds are still required; (

That the Closed Session minutes of the May 21, 2025 General Issues Committee meeting, be adopted and remain confidential.

That Committee move into Closed Session for Items 11.5 at 5:55 p.m. pursuant to Section 9.3, Sub-Section (d) of the City's Procedural By-law 21- 021, as amended, and Section 239(2), Sub-section (d) of the Ontario Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, as the subject matter pertains to labour relations or employee negotiations. Result: MOTION,

That the Confidential Presentation respecting Labour Disruption Update Hamilton Ontario Water Employees Association (HOWEA), BE RECEIVED AND REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. Result: MOTION,