Hall Marks

Back to the tap

There's an interesting debate brewing about bottled water just down the highway. London city council is voting tonight on a proposal to stop the sale of bottled water in all city-run facilities, including arenas and community centres. The mayor expects the plan will pass, despite push back from bottling companies. The Globe and Mail featured a story today about the proposed ban, stating "water bottles are the new faux pas."

Supporters of ban say it will cut down on plastic bottle waste and encourage the consumption of high-quality municipal drinking water. Critics says removing water from vending machines will drive consumers to less healthy alternatives. Plus, they argue, it's costly for municipalities to install water fountains at all its facilities.

I've heard no talk of Hamilton adopting the same policy, but would you support the move?

A backhander

I'll popped into the city's print shop this week to grab some old agendas. I wish I'd gone sooner as I found a little news nugget in an old HECFI agenda.

In the May report, the organization reported an incident between a senior catering supervisor and a server. Apparently the female server refused to carry out an order from the female supervisor, who then "struck the wait staff out of frustration." The incident was witnessed by several staff who said the assault was unprovoked. The report says the Ministry of Labour investigated, the supervisor voluntarily resigned and the waitress was disciplined for insubordination.

I spoke to Duncan Gillespie, HECFI's CEO, today about the incident. He described the the assault as a backhanded slap. He said the ministry found HECFI handled the incident appropriately. Both parties were happy with the resolution and the server still works for the city.

McHattie returns

Drama alert: Brian McHattie is back. The Ward 1 councillor returned from vacation today after learning about yesterday's 8-7 area-rating vote. He plans to vote against the postponement at council this afternoon. That would bring the vote to 8-8, a losing tie. That may mean the area rating debate will happen this fall for next year's taxes. I hear another motion is in the works to find a compromise. Stay tuned.

Update: Sorry for not updating this post sooner. You'll know by now that council came together to find a compromise at the last minute. Now council will decide a new area rating model by the election. It will be implemented in 2011. Yesterday's unanimous vote was a first for council on the contentious issue of area rating, but keep watching to see if council can remain united when it comes to picking a new model.

“Harmony overrides fairness"

Council’s debate today on area-rating was well worth the price of admission. Staff recently reviewed how the city’s taxes are divided and found fault with the current model. Joe Rinaldo, acting city manager, was prepared to come back with options for a new system in the fall, which could be implemented for next year.
As expected, many suburban councillors are loath to approve the review that could see some of their residents paying more — a tough sell for taxpayers who already feel they’re paying more than their fair share since amalgamation.

In the end, council spent two hours debating when the city should debate changing the tax policies.
Councillor Tom Jackson opened the discussion with a motion to maintain the status quo for two years — essentially to let the next council deal with it. He reminded his colleagues of the unpleasant Flamborough tax debacle, which he said he doubted left a pleasant taste in anyone’s mouth.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger agreed, stating: “Harmony overrides fairness.”

Other councillors argued delaying the decision until after the election wasn’t showing leadership. Stoney Creek Councillor Brad Clark was the lone suburban councillor to argue council needed to address the policy sooner than later.
“We need to start the ball rolling at some point,” he said, noting the current system has clear “disconnects.”

In the end, the status quo option passed 8-7, another split vote for this council. If Councillor Brian McHattie wasn’t away, the vote may have lost on a tie forcing the debate this fall.
In the meantime, council asked staff to prepare a report on tax options that can be circulated for public input.

So I want to hear your thoughts. Is council right to let the Flamborough situation cool before starting a new tax debate? Does the delay show leadership or duck it? Is it time for the city to call in a third party (Bob Bratina’s suggestion) to solve this issue?

Alarm bells

The fire alarm went off at the start of today’s marathon city hall meeting. It was a false alarm, but it may have been foreshadowing for the fireworks expected later today. Area rating is on the agenda. Sounds boring, but trust me it’s an issue that will have councillors ready to rumble.

The staff report says the current way the city divides its taxes for culture, recreation, transit and fire isn't fair because it follows the old suburban boundary lines...and services don't. That means some residents are getting a break when they are getting services just as good as the old city. The report also questions why there is area rating for cultural sites that can be enjoyed by everyone. Did you know only the residents of the old city pay for Dundurn Castle? Is that fair?

Staff plan to review new options for area rating and report back. Two options on the table are eliminating area rating completely or making the split urban/rural. Either option would likely mean tax increases for some suburban residents…hence the brewing battle.
I’ll update after the debate.

News from the mayor

Mayor Fred Eisenberger just sent out this email announcing changes to his office.

I am pleased to announce organizational changes within the Mayor's Office which includes establishing the role of Chief of Staff. Drina Omazic will begin as my new Chief of Staff, effective July 30, 2008 . Drina has 13 years experience working in politics at both the Provincial and Federal levels and has spent her career supporting and lobbying for the City of Hamilton. As the former Chief of Staff to Dr. Marie Bountrogianni at the Ministry of Inter-governmental Affairs and Democratic Renewal and the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Drina brings a wealth of experience to this new position. I know Hamilton will be well served with the addition of Drina to our team.

At the same time, it is with mixed emotions that I formally announce the departure of my Senior Advisor , Ken Audziss. Ken has been a pivotal part of my team and instrumental during my campaign. His skills, advice and technical abilities have been a tremendous asset. Ken has decided it is time to move to other opportunities and I know he will continue to pave new paths with the same enthusiasm he brought to the Mayor’s office. I am grateful for his hard work and commitment to both me and the City Of Hamilton.

As well, Mary Devorski, who plays a key role in inter-governmental affairs, remains in her position as Senior Advisor. I am proud of what we have accomplished and am pleased to continue to receive Mary’s expertise and counsel.
Paul Shaker continues as my Policy Advisor Urban and Rural Affairs.
Sofia Mavumba as Communications Advisor.
Lynn Martinello, Scheduler and Office Manager.
Alison Morrison, Administrative Assistant.
Jim Shaw, Special Assistant.
I am looking forward to the next phase of our mandate and working with you towards achieving our vision . I remain committed to Hamilton as the best City in Canada to raise a child, promote innovation, engage citizens and provide diverse economic opportunity to all. I look forward to your continued support and know you will join us as we welcome Drina to her new role.

Blah, Blah, Blah

The July edition of H Magazine takes a swipe at Councillor Terry Whitehead. Check out page 3 of the independent media source that's available for free around the city. There's a drawing of Whitehead with a text bubble filled with "blah, blah, blah, blah..."
Here's the cutline: "Councillor Terry Whitehead sure says a lot without saying anything. His insisting questions, droll comments and length debates gets the eyes rolling at City Council. One only has to watch the meetings on Cable 14 to experience Terry going on and on..."

The plot thickens...

There's finally word from the mayor's former media advisor Ian Dovey about so-called "tape-gate." His lawyer released this statement to media today:

PRESS RELEASE

July 28, 2008.

On February 15, 2008, my client, Ian Dovey, filed a claim against the City of Hamilton for wrongful dismissal.

On June 25, 2008, without contacting Mr. Dovey or me, the Mayor of Hamilton, Fred Eisenberger, held a press conference, in which he admitted to breaching the council’s code of conduct. Mayor Eisenberger stated that an audio tape from May 2007 that exposed this breach of conduct was stolen from his office, and that he contacted the police to investigate. He also stated that he did not believe anyone from his current staff stole the tape, and he confirmed that Ian Dovey was his communication manager at the time the audio tape was made.

Clearly, Mayor Eisenberger has insinuated that Mr. Dovey was the individual who stole the audio tape; that is confirmed by the fact that immediately after the press conference the media contacted my office asking for comment from Mr. Dovey about the alleged theft. His name was also linked to the alleged theft in the newspaper and on the internet.

Mr. Dovey has instructed me to state that he categorically denies stealing an audio tape, or any other City of Hamilton property, from Mayor Eisenberger’s office, and that the allegation is without foundation. Mr. Dovey has no information regarding why Mayor Eisenberger would make such an ill-founded allegation, and he is willing to cooperate fully with any police investigation regarding the alleged theft.

To date the City of Hamilton and the Mayor’s office have refused to retract this allegation of theft against Mr. Dovey. The allegation has had a devastating affect on Mr. Dovey and on his family. As a result, Mr. Dovey has further instructed me to amend his claim against the City of Hamilton to include a claim for defamation.

Mr. Dovey is currently in Afghanistan working as an international civilian consultant for the International Security Assistance Force/NATO-ISAF.

The mayor denied Dovey's allegations today, but declined to comment specifically because of the ongoing police investigation. He did say he plans to vigorously defend any legal action from Dovey.

A summer break

City Hall is quiet in the dog days of summer, so I'm heading off for vacation. Hope you're enjoying the summer. See you in a couple weeks!

Nicole

Mayoral office movements

Changes are coming to Mayor Fred Eisenberger's office. Just spoke to Ken Audziss, a senior adviser, who confirmed he's leaving. His final day is August 29. Audziss, who helped run Eisenberger's winning campaign, said he doesn't have another job yet, but is very close to a new position. So why is he leaving? "I just think it's time to move on to new challenges."