General Issues Committee

That the agenda for the October 22, 2025 General Issues Committee meeting, be approved, as presented.

The minutes of the October 1, 2025 (Item 5.1) meeting of the General Issues Committee, be adopted, as presented.

That the delegate be provided with an additional 2 minutes to complete their delegation. Result: MOTION,

That the delegate be provided with an additional 2.5 minutes to complete their delegation. Result: MOTION,

That the following Delegate be provided an opportunity to speak to Committee on the matter as they were unable to submit their form online: 6.1(f) Khalid Malik (In-Person) Result: MOTION,

That the following delegations respecting Report FCS25044, Vacant Unit Tax - 2024 Interim Report and 2025 By-Law (City Wide) (Item 8.5), be received: 6.1(a) Kelly Oucharek (In-Person) 6.1(c) Gabrielle Di Francesco (In-Person) 6.1(d) Kevin Raposo (In-Person) 6.1(e) Brian Chesla (In-Person) 6.1(f) Khalid Malik (In-Person)

That the delegation from PJ Mercanti, HUPEG, Carmen’s Group, respecting Report PED25216, Entertainment District Annual Update (Ward 2) (Item 7.3), be received.

That the following Items for Information, be received: 7.1 CM25004 Connected Communities Strategy (City Wide) 7.2 Climate Change Advisory Committee Minutes CCAC 25-006 - June 17, 2025 7.3 PED25216 Entertainment District Annual Update (Ward 2)

That Report PED25232, dated October 22, 2025, respecting Revitalizing Hamilton Tax Increment Grant Program Application – 173 Jackson Street East and 46 Ferguson Avenue South, Hamilton (Ward 2), be received and the following recommendations be approved: (a) That a Revitalizing Hamilton Tax Increment Grant Program Application submitted by Ferguson Jackson Inc. for the property at 173 Jackson Street East and 46 Ferguson Avenue South, Hamilton, estimated to total $2,304,510 over a maximum of four years based on the incremental tax increase attributable to the redevelopment of 173 Jackson Street East and 46 Ferguson Avenue South, Hamilton, BE APPROVED in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Revitalizing Hamilton Tax Increment Grant Program; (b) That the General Manager of the Planning and Economic Development Department BE AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED to execute a Grant Agreement together with any ancillary documentation required, to give effect to the Revitalizing Hamilton Tax Increment Grant for Ferguson Jackson Inc. for the property at 173 Jackson Street East and 46 Ferguson Avenue South, Hamilton, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor; (c) That the General Manager of the Planning and Economic Development Department BE AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED to administer the Grant and Grant Agreement including, but not limited to, deciding on actions to take in respect of events of default and executing any Grant Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the dispos

That Items 8.2(a) and 8.2(b), be approved, and Item 8.2(c), be received, as follows: (i) PED25186 International Village Business Improvement Area 2026 Budget and Schedule of Payments (Wards 2 and 3) (Item 8.2(a)) That Report PED25186, dated October 22, 2025, respecting International Village Business Improvement Area 2026 Budget and Schedule of Payments (Wards 2 and 3), be received and the following recommendations be approved: (a) That the 2026 proposed budget of the International Village Business Improvement Area, attached as Appendix A to Report PED25186, in the amount of $300,000 BE APPROVED; (b) That the levy portion of the 2026 proposed budget of the International Village Business Improvement Area, in the amount of $275,000, BE APPROVED; Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 7 of 24 (c) That the General Manager of Finance and Corporate Services be hereby authorized and directed to prepare the requisite By-law pursuant to Section 208, the Municipal Act, 2001 (the “Act”), to authorize the levy on qualifying properties within the International Village Business Improvement Area, as referenced in Recommendation of Report PED25186; (d) That the following schedule of payments to the International Village Business Improvement Area, representing the levy amount for 2026 BE APPROVED: (i) January: $; 137,500; (ii) June: $137,500. (ii) PED25014 Hess Village Busine

That the Facility Naming Sub-Committee Minutes FSCN25-003 - October 9, 2025, be received and the recommendations contained therein, be approved. Result: MOTION,

That the Business Improvement Area Sub-Committee Minutes BIAC 25-009 - October 14, 2025, be received and the recommendations contained therein, be approved. Result: MOTION,

That the General Issues Committee recess at 12:00 p.m. until 12:30 p.m. Result: MOTION,

That staff be granted an additional five minutes speaking time to complete their presentation. Result: MOTION,

That Appendix “B” to Report FCS25044, respecting Vacant Unit Tax - 2024 Interim Report and 2025 By-Law (City Wide), be amended, as follows: Exemptions (b) Death of an Owner: The Residential Unit was unoccupied for more than 183 days because of the death of the Owner. This exemption only applies to the year of death plus one subsequent year after the year of death, or until the estate of the deceased owner is settled with the courts. Result: AMENDMENT,

That Report FCS25044, respecting Vacant Unit Tax - 2024 Interim Report and 2025 By-Law (City Wide), be amended, by adding an additional sub-section (e), as follows: (e) That staff BE DIRECTED to extend the Vacant Unit Tax – 2024 Occupancy Year Notice of Compliant / Appeals process to November 30, 2025. Result: AMENDMENT,

WHEREAS the City can consider graduated VUT rates as a further incentive for property owners to sell or rent vacant units that would otherwise be vacant for an extended continuous period; and, WHEREAS, the City of Ottawa has a graduated tax rate to further incentivize property owners to sell or rent vacant units whereby the first year the property is vacant is 1%. For each consecutive year the rate goes up 1% up to a maximum of 5%. The rate resets to 1% after one year of occupancy. Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 13 of 24 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That Part 2 subsection 4 of Appendix “B” to Report FCS25044, respecting Vacant Unit Tax - 2024 Interim Report and 2025 By-Law (City Wide), be amended to read as follows: (a) Vacant Unit Tax 4. The Tax shall be levied at a rate of one percent (1 %) of the CVA for each Vacancy Year, as follows: (i) The rate of the Vacant Unit Tax for the 2025 Occupancy Year shall be 1% of the CVA of a vacant residential unit; (ii) For each consecutive year in which a unit is vacant, the rate shall increase by 1% per consecutive Occupancy Year up to a maximum of 5% of the CVA; (iii) For the 2026 Occupancy Year, any consecutive vacancies shall be deemed a second consecutive vacancy and charged the 2% rate; and, (iv) The rate will be charged on the CVA of a vacant eligible residential unit. Councillor T. McMeekin WITHDREW the ab

That the following correspondence respecting Report FCS25044, Vacant Unit Tax - 2024 Interim Report and 2025 By-Law (City Wide) (Item 8.5), be received: 8.5(a)(i) Mary Love 8.5(a)(ii) Judy Plantinga 8.5(a)(iii) Ethan Patterson 8.5(a)(iv) Rose Janson 8.5(a)(v) Richard Johnson 8.5(a)(vi) Richard Carter 8.5(a)(vii) Miriam Sager 8.5(a)(viii) Ron Merpaw 8.5(a)(ix) Susan Wortman 8.5(a)(x) Deborah Peace Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 15 of 24 8.5(a)(xi) Rachelle Sender 8.5(a)(xii) Rita Bailey 8.5(a)(xiii) JC Marr 8.5(a)(xiv) Marko Buha 8.5(a)(xv) Lyn & Rick Folkes; Jim & Naomi Folkes; and Brian Folkes 8.5(a)(xvi) Marcia Kash 8.5(a)(xvii) Edda Engel 8.5(a)(xviii) Rhonda Spector 8.5(a)(xix) Elizabeth Gray 8.5(a)(xx) David Hitchcock 8.5(a)(xxi) Suzanne Cooper 8.5(a)(xxii) Dr. Patty Haardeng 8.5(a)(xxiii) David Lloyd 8.5(a)(xxiv) Don Brown 8.5(a)(xxv) Neal Bonnor 8.5(a)(xxvi) Hilary Lyttle 8.5(a)(xxvii) Fay Suthons 8.5(a)(xxviii) Robin Cameron 8.5(a)(xxix) Robert Miller 8.5(a)(xxx) Kevin Raposo 8.5(a)(xxxi) Brian Ross 8.5(a)(xxxii) Josie Matesa 8.5(a)(xxxiii) Maria-Ines Arratia 8.5(a)(xxxiv) Brenda Ginn 8.5(a)(xxxv) Barbara McDonald 8.5(a)(xxxvi) Megan Saunders

That the Amendments to the Outstanding Business List, be approved, as follows: 8.6(a) Items Requiring a New Due Date: (i) Public Access to Hamilton Piers (PW24061) (Ward 5) Added: 10/16/2024 at GIC (Item 10.1(e)) Current Due Date: Q4 2025 Proposed New Due Date: April 2026 (ii) Investigation of Possible Future Public Use for 175 Lawrence Rd (Former Hamilton Pressed Brick Company Site) (Ward 3) Added: 09/18/2024 at GIC Current Due Date: Q3 2025 Proposed New Due Date: Q3 2026 Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 16 of 24 Result: MOTION,

That Report PED25253, dated October 22, 2025, respecting Administrative Amendment to the Revitalizing Hamilton Tax Increment Grant Program and Barton/Kenilworth Tax Increment Grant Program Terms Respecting the Disposition of Condominium Developments (City Wide), be received and the following recommendations be approved: (a) That the amended program description for the Revitalizing Hamilton Tax Increment Grant Program, being Appendix E to the Revitalizing Hamilton’s Commercial Districts Community Improvement Plan, BE APPROVED as contained in Appendix A to Report PED25253; (b) That the amended program description for the Barton/Kenilworth Tax Increment Grant Program, being Appendix F to the Revitalizing Hamilton’s Commercial Districts Community Improvement Plan, BE APPROVED as contained in Appendix B to Report PED25253; (c) That for any previously executed grant agreements under the Revitalizing Hamilton Tax Increment Grant Program , the predecessor Hamilton Tax Increment Grant and Enterprise Zone – Municipal Realty Tax Incentive Grant Programs, and the Barton/Kenilworth Tax Increment Grant Program, the General Manager of Planning and Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 17 of 24 Economic Development BE DIRECTED to waive any provision of the applicable and executed grant agreement which would restrict the payment of the grant to an approved applicant as a re

WHEREAS, in June 2023, Council approved a dedicated stormwater fee structure where a property will be charged based on the load (or use) it places on the stormwater system; WHEREAS, approximately 9,500 residential homes in Rural Hamilton are not connected to the built stormwater management system; WHEREAS, most rainwater on these rural properties is absorbed onsite and place little load on the built stormwater system or the natural stormwater system; WHEREAS, Hamilton's stormwater fee is currently tiered, with all residential households, whether urban or rural, paying a standard "unit" charge Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 18 of 24 regardless of whether they are connected to municipal water or sewer services; WHEREAS, Hamilton Urban residents will receive a reduction on their water and sewer bills of approximately $160 that offsets the new $201 Stormwater Fee Amounts to an amount approximating $40; WHEREAS, this fee structure does not recognize that rural households, which are not connected to the built water and sewer system, pay the full $201 stormwater charge as fully serviced urban households despite having no reliance on City water, sewer or stormwater infrastructure, have no offset to their private water and sewer costs; WHEREAS, rural residents not connected to the City's built stormwater system bear significant additional private expenses not

WHEREAS, the City of Hamilton experienced a significant cyber incident that has resulted in substantial costs to rebuild information technology infrastructure and services; WHEREAS, despite considerable investments made to date, additional effort and resources are still required to restore and modernize the City’s information technology environment to meet operational and security needs; and, WHEREAS, Council has a responsibility, through the annual budget process, to ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are being used in the most efficient and effective manner to deliver critical services, including IT services that support the entire organization; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: (a) That staff be directed to bring forward a report, as part of the 2026 budget process, providing a full analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing the City’s Information Technology (IT) services, either in whole or in part; and Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 20 of 24 (b) That the report include, but not be limited to: (i) A financial analysis comparing in-house delivery versus outsourcing models, including potential cost savings, asset/technology ownership, transition costs, and long-term sustainability; (ii) An assessment of service quality, flexibility, and capacity to meet the City’s evolving needs; (iii) An analysis of software replacement that could facilitate

That the General Issues Committee meeting of October 22, 2025, be permitted to extend past the 5:30 p.m. curfew, up to 7:00 p.m. Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 21 of 24 Result: MOTION,

WHEREAS, the Hess Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) was established by Council on September 17, 2025 as per By-Law 14-253. WHEREAS, the Downtown Sub-Committee’s mandate is to identify issues related to the perception of the cleanliness and security of the Downtown Core and recommend appropriate action and strategies to rectify the perception and to create short-term action plans for immediate implementation and long-term action plans involving partnerships and associated funding implications; and WHEREAS, the composition of Voting Members of the Downtown Sub- Committee includes one representative from the Downtown BIA and one representative of the International Village BIA. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Terms of Reference for the Downtown Sub-Committee be amended to include the Hess Village Business Improvement Area. Result: MOTION,

That the Closed Session Minutes of the October 1, 2025 General Issues Committee meeting, be adopted and remain confidential.

That Committee move into Closed Session for Item 11.2 at 5:39 p.m. pursuant to Section 9.3, Sub-Section (c) of the City's Procedural By-law 21-021, as amended, and Section 239(2), Sub-section (c) of the Ontario Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, as the subject matter pertains to a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for City or a local board purpose. Result: MOTION,

(a) That the directions provided to staff in Closed Session respecting “Redevelopment of Property in the City of Hamilton (Ward 3)”, BE APPROVED and REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. Please refer to the October 29, 2025 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. General Issues Committee October 22, 2025 Minutes – GIC 25-015 Page 24 of 24 Result: MOTION,