Yesterday, history repeated itself – with one major exception: this time Hamilton was divided. In almost equal numbers, local residents expressed their support for both the East Mountain and West Harbour locations.

Council was also divided in part because all of us did not get the same information at the same time and because the Mayor was not forthcoming with accurate details from our funding partners. I was shocked when at the Hamilton Economic Summit we found out that the Mayor had not even met one-on-one with Bob Young and the Tiger Cats. At the Summit, I made the suggestion that a back-up plan was needed.

For this, (or any future Council) to be functional, open, transparent and act like a team, every member of the team must have the same information at the same time. Members of Council should not have to go online or sign-up on Twitter to find out what is going on.

The local decision making process on the stadium has been seriously flawed. From the beginning the process created an “us and them” “win-lose” situation that reinforced divisions in this community created by amalgamation. It certainly hasn’t helped having the Mayor say that city building only takes place if the stadium is built in the West Harbour.

The province through Michael Fenn, Metrolinx and the Ontario Realty Corporation tried to point us in the right direction when they broke the stalemate by proposing the East Mountain. The fingerprints of our upper level governments were evident then, though the Mayor refused to see it.

This was never just about a stadium for Hamilton. It was about a stadium for the Pan Am Games and our role in the GTA hosted games. No other city has had the problems selecting facility locations that we’ve had – and it’s embarrassing. It’s unfortunate that upper levels of government felt they had to step in to prevent us from squandering an opportunity we last had over 80 years ago when Ivor Wynne was built.

We need the Stadium and we need federal and provincial funding to redevelop the West Harbour as detailed by the City’s official plan. In the days ahead, Council can behave like spoiled children and stomp our feet, scream, yell and blame other governments, or we can work with our funding partners to get a new stadium AND redevelop the West Harbour in an affordable manner. Whether we like it or not, the decision has been made. Now lets get on with building the stadium on the East Mountain.

“We’re establishing this volunteer citizens committee in order to ensure the City maintains strong links with the community and other important stakeholders throughout the planning and implementation of a rapid transit system in Hamilton,” said Jill Stephen, Director of Rapid Transit.

The City is seeking up to 25 members for the committee including diverse representation from Hamilton residents, property owners, businesses and other key stakeholders. The commitment to the RTCAC will involve monthly evening meetings, led by City staff, beginning September 2010, as well as attendance at various public events (with a minimum of one year commitment).

Interested stakeholders are invited to pick up an application online at www.hamilton.ca/rapid-transit or in person at the City of Hamilton, Public Works Department, 77 James Street North, Suite 320. Applications must be completed and returned by Friday, July 30, 2010.

A one-year rapid transit study funded by Metrolinx is currently ongoing with a focus on the preliminary design for the B-line and the feasibility for the A-line.  It will outline how the rapid transit system will look and function along the B-line, analyze traffic impacts and develop solutions to address challenges.  In addition to the RTCAC, the City will continue to provide traditional community participation opportunities through public meetings, open houses and surveys.

Marydale Park is a $5-million dollar capital campaign project to build the province’s first completely barrier free, outdoor recreation centre – right here in Ward 11, City of Hamilton. Not only will the park serve the 91,440 people in our community who have disabilities, but it will also be the new home of Catholic Youth Organization’s very successful inner-city day-camp program – Camp Marydale.

Marydale Park will be located on a 35 acre piece of property in Glanbrook, next to the Binbrook Conservation Area, along the eastern shore of Lake Niapenco. The park will be accessible by D.A.R.T.S. transportation.

Marydale Park is for everyone! In addition to offering a host of standard athletic amenities and playing fields, the park will also offer visitors the following barrier-free enhancements:

• A 25 x 9 metre pool with a sloped entry to accommodate wheelchairs
• A therapeutic pool with a sloped entry
• Accessible fishing platform, canoeing, sailing and pedal boats
• Hard-surface paths and trails through open and wooded areas
• Fully accessible washrooms, roll-in shower and elevator
• Preferential barrier-free parking at entrance
• A Snoezelen Room for children with developmental disabilities

Marydale Park – Coming Soon:

Since September of 2007, the Marydale Park capital campaign, thanks to the commitment and dedication of our volunteer Campaign Committee members, has secured $4.5 million of our $5-million dollar goal in support for Marydale Park. The committee is preparing to launch our fundraising campaign publicly in 2011 to raise the final $500,000 dollars required to make this project a reality and something our community can be proud of. Our goal is have the park operational by summer 2011 and open to the public soon afterwards.

For more information, please visit our website:
www.marydalepark.ca.

From May 1, 2009 – Sept 31, 2009 Officers from Municipal Law Enforcement section investigated 1341 complaints for long grass and weeds. Both the property owner(s) and occupant(s) are responsible if there is a violation of the Yard Waste & Maintenance By-Law (#10-118) such as long grass and weeds exceeding 8” or 20 cm in height.

If there is a violation the Officer investigating will;
• Immediately post an “Order to Comply” which lists the violation(s) and provides a deadline date for the work to be completed.
• Re-inspect after deadline date, if no action has been taken the Officer may issue a ticket to either the property owner(s) or occupant(s).
• Issue a “Fee for Inspection” ($238.00) which is the responsibility of the property owner. The costs will be added to the property taxes.
• Send in a contractor working on behalf of the City to complete the necessary work. The costs will be added to the property taxes.

Alternative Grass Options to Consider:
If you or your occupants are having problems maintaining the lawn there are several options to investigate and consider:
• Low growing plants grown in Ontario (native) can be a suitable ground cover replacement for turf grass. Some varieties of plants require less watering than others and some will stay green through the seasons. Using native plants as ground cover will reduce mowing, fertilizing, watering, and possibly erosion. The City of Hamilton recommends the use of native ground cover where possible and not using non-native ground cover that will spread, take over the garden and interfere with other plants. It is important to remember to maintain all plants.
If you have questions regarding options for ground cover, please contact the Hamilton-Halton Watershed Stewardship Program at 905-525-2181 x 181.
• Rock gardens and stone landscaping are becoming very popular because they are generally easy to create and provide the “natural” look that many people enjoy. If you want a low maintenance landscape design, rocks and stones may be just what you are looking for.
Taking the time to look after your lawn would assist in promoting the City as a great place to live, work and play.

In accordance with the authority delegated to the Manager of the Hamilton Municipal Parking System by City Council, please be advised that the following changes to parking regulations in your Ward will be presented to City Council on June 9, 2010 in the form of a by-law.

Floria Nordoff, Principal of the recently opened St. Matthew’s School located at 200 Windwood Drive, has requested that a full-time “No Stopping” regulation be implemented on the north side Windwood, along the frontage of the school property, and a “No Parking, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday” general provision regulation on the east side of Bradley Avenue, between Windwood Drive and Magnificent Way. In addition, staff is recommending that a “No Parking, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday” general provision regulation be implemented along the frontage of the unfenced park adjacent to the school on the north side of Windwood, and on the west side of Great Oak Trail.

If you have any objections, concerns or require further information, please contact Ted Arnold at your earliest convenience.

R.C. Tyler Shepherd, Dipl. T.,
Parking Operations Technologist
Hamilton Municipal Parking System
Phone: 905.546.2424 ext 5958 Fax: 905.540.6001