January Ward 2 Community Council – Meeting Minutes

WARD 2 COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

JANUARY 20, 2014 @6:00pm

CITY HALL ROOM 264

Next meeting:

May 5^th / 2014    Agenda/Chair – Corktown                 Secretary/Recorder – Stinson

Sept. 8^th /2014    Agenda/Chair – Stinson                   Secretary/Recorder – Beasley

All meetings are open to the public.

Present:

Janice Brown, (Chair) Francis Murray, Melanie DeWildt, Nicholas  Kevlahan, Dave Cherkewski, Jeanette Eby, Mike Borelli, Mary Hudecki (Secretary), Dan Page, Dave Stephens, Sandra Hudson, Peggyann Mansfield, Ralph Meiers, Matt Graham, Joey Mleczko, Jason Farr, Brian McHattie, Joey Coleman.

Regrets: Sheri Selway

1. Meeting opened by chair Janice Brown and introductions were made around the table.

2. No additions to the agenda

3. PBW1 presentation by Councillor Brian McHattie for 2012/2013:

1. He initially setup an advisory committee via interviews/forms for his three neighbourhoods paying particular attention to include diverse ages and cultures.  A website was arranged, projects were invited and submitted which were narrowed down by the advisory committee from 200 to 50 in 2012 and 400 to 85 in 2013.  The final choices were posted .  The final choices were posted on the website, people voted either on_line or at libraries, schools or rec centres.  Ballots were monitored by postal codes to assess for eligibility.  Councillor McHattie worked with City staff to figure costs and the proposals had to be capital  projects to qualify.  Communication and promotion of the processes were better handled the second year via ideas from the new community members.   $300,000 was put aside each year to add to some larger projects in the future.  Paul Shaker did the digital website and promotions and was paid out of Councillor McHattie’s $100,000 discretionary fund.  Several of the successful projects were highlighted for us including school food programmes, bike lanes, traffic calming, garden beds, pedestrian crossings and recycling bins.  Since the 2015 City budget has to be in before May, he is trying to get the 2014 PBW budget moving ASAP to qualify for discussion   prior to that deadline.  Some $ gets re-allocated when a project becomes unviable.  PBW1 was publicized in social media and direct mail twice in the process: a) to submit a proposal and b) to vote.

4. Jason Farr PBW2 2014 update:

1. PBW2 is going a different route this year, Norm Kearney is not involved but Councillor Farr is still making this a “citizen_lead” process with full  involvement by the neighbourhood associations and City staff.  There was some discussion about the difficulty last year separating the NA’s and those  involved in the PBW process and the conflicts that resulted.

2. Motion: moved by Jason Farr seconded by Joey Mleczko to sole source Paul Shaker to facilitate the online component of the 2014 PB process.  Carried

3. New “Startup Committee PBW2 2014”: Jason Farr (chair), Dave Stephens  (NE), Mike Borelli (Beasley), Matt Graham (Central), Joey Mleczko  (Corktown), Dave Cherkewski (Durand), Stinson rep to be announced.  This group is in effect until the first public meeting and will work to establish the criteria and deadline for finding a Ward 2 Facilitator.  Jason will email this  committee with a date for their first meeting

4. There was more discussion around the process this year:

• More diversity in the eventual PB action committee
• Use the hired outreach workers from last year’s vote to help teach people about PB
• Focus on capital spending projects for the $1.0 million dollars
• Mail outs and emails are handy but fact-to-face meetings are of great value too when starting out with new people.

5.  Illegal Parking Beasley:

1. Several illegal parking lots are springing up in Beasley and all over the  downtown area.  Mike Borelli is encouraging the City to create a by_law  where any new surface parking equates with an equal decrease in city lot  parking and that there should be stringent punitive action on all illegal  parking.  Jason Farr has been speaking with the legal department and action  is forthcoming.  The following is a list of illegal parking lots they are dealing with:

2. The following 2 parking lots were given notice for operating without a license:
   • 20 Jackson Street West
   • 70 Cannon Street West
3. The following 12 parking lots were given notice and follow up is pending, based on workload:

• 75 Hunter Street West
• 141 Park Street North
• 48 Ferguson Avenue South
• 205 Hunter Street West
• 157 Hunter Street West
• 307 John Street South
• Main/Bay – Board of Education property – to be further investigated after construction

6. Financial Record Keeping by NA’s:

1. Ralph Meiers (Stinson) was looking for feedback from other NA’s as to their practices regarding financial reporting.  Most associations give an annual financial report at a general meeting and offer more details upon request at that time.  Beasley and Durand are registered as not for profit and file income tax.

7. Leadership Program:

1. Paul Johnson from the Neighbourhood Development Project has agreed to invite NA’s that are not part of the 11 Priority Neighbourhoods to attend the Leadership program beginning next semester.

8. Ward 2 Community Event

1. Janice announced that Allan Stacey who restored the Hamilton’Club windows  would be happy to organize a free workshop about what to do and not to do  when restoring heritage homes.  The idea was well received and will be done  in March/April before garden season begins, possibly at Workers Art and  Heritage.

9. Councillor Farr Update:

1. Bingo Hall on King at Hughson is closing down.  Ralph Frasina (owner) has said he has no plans for a gaming facility to go in there.

2. 18-20 King Blanchard is appealing and the City is following it.

3. Focus Groups are very active for the James North Hub, West Harbour and Barton/Kenilworth area.

4. Building (800) with heritage interest will be heading to council in February 2014

5. The building at James N and Cannon on the SW corner has been sold.

6. The unsightly, painted grey wall on the new Hotel built by Mr. Vranich at Bay/Main was approved by the City on paper but is disappointing now that it is completed.  There are no plans for the legal parking lot beside it.

10. NA Updates:

1. Beasely: Working on a Community Land Trust with the help of some McMaster poli_sci students where the NA owns the land then leases it back to the community.

2. Stinson: New acclaimed President – Joanna Millions.  Stinson Lofts have several tenants moved in and progress is very good.

3. Central:  Casino debate is quiet but ongoing. Sir John A is closing, no definite plans for that space yet. Ongoing planning around the West Harbour and GO Station.  New condos proposed for Bay at Murray St. Bertozzi roofing building may be purchased by the city and repurposed.

4. North End: A couple of projects are underway under the support of the Naturalists Club with financing from the Future Fund and Arcelor Mital including a butterfly garden at the old glassworks factory at Burlington and Guise Sts.

5. Corktown: Currently have no president so are running everything by committee with elections planned in April.  They have a large ice rink in Corktown Park managed by Dan Page with help from a few volunteers.  With enough skating days hopefully, all associations receive a $300 rebate from  the City. McMaster History students did a video project on Ferguson Ave.  which will be posted on the Corktown Facebook page and eventual website.  Discussion around their need for developing a web site.  The City has a $1.2  million budget for a new web framework which may include $ for NA’s.  Each  NA needs a web master, try using high school students to run a blog, this can  help them with their volunteer hours for graduation.  WIX offers free templates.  Kirkendall has a site sponsored by the Kinsmen Club.

6. Durand: McMaster History students completed a booklet on the History of St. Marks Church from its beginning to 1989.  Round 2 has started and will be an oral video history of the church from 1989 to the present.  Durand is hosting a public meeting with city staff to undertake a traffic review.  Board Members are meeting January 25 to re_working their Vision/Mission Statement.  Durand Park is being upgraded. Year 1 will see a budget of $300.000 for construction costs.  They have a busy ice rink with a lot of volunteer help.  James St. Baptist Church is being 2/3 demolished but the City has determined it is an alteration vs. a partial demolition.  The demolition will proceed if all the conditions set by the Permit Review Board are met.   Durand is following this closely

11. Joey Coleman gave a brief update on several issues he is watching and blogging about including James St. Baptist Church and some parking lots at 307 John St, 108 James N, 383 Main E, 467 Charlton E.