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February 20th, 2012
Aerotropolis Update – We are VERY close to the 200 signature point for the Aerotropolis petition. Please take a few moments from your Family Day to forward this email to family, friends and colleagues and ask them to sign the petition today. With your help, we will continue to build awareness and momentum to direct Council to abandon the 500 million dollar Aerotropolis. Approximately 40 people recently registered as participants for the Aerotropolis OMB hearings and the deadline to do so has been extended to mid April. An opportunity to learn more about taking on participant status will be offered soon.
A campaign for a Flouride-Free Hamilton is now underway. Please visit the website for details.
The Hamilton Civic League meets 7 pm, Tuesday, February 21st at Homegrown Hamilton, 27 King William St, Hamilton. LetsCallCityHall.ca lawn signs are now available at our meetings. They can also be picked up at Volunteer Hamilton at 267 King St East.
The following message is from our friends at Environment Hamilton.
Let Your City Councillors Know How You Feel About the Garbage Issue!
Before February 21st, we need YOU to call or email the mayor and your ward councillor to let them know that you want a ’2 bags every 2 weeks’ waste collection system for Hamilton! Note that we are talking about a ’2 bags every 2 weeks’ approach for waste (the stuff that can’t be recycled or composted) and that we support weekly pick-up of recycling and organic waste via the blue box and green bin.
At Environment Hamilton, we are concerned about the direction some city councillors are trying to take our waste management system. A motion put forward by Councillor Whitehead and seconded by Councillor Jackson would see the bag limit for garbage INCREASED TO 2 BAGS EVERY WEEK and garbage collection continue on a weekly schedule.
We believe their motion will take us backwards, creating a system that is more costly to implement, won’t increase waste diversion levels, and will reduce the life of our landfill. That motion will be considered at the Tuesday, February 21st General Issues Committee meeting. Click here to read the mo tion.
So, please, take two minutes to call or email and indicate that you believe Hamilton needs a ’2 BAGS EVERY TWO WEEKS’ waste collection system. We’ve included a list below of the key reasons why this is the right thing to do. Feel free to mention any of these in your call or email to our municipal politicians. And tell your friends, family and neighbours – anyone you know in Hamilton who wants an environmentally friendly, cost efficient waste system, to do the same!
Click here for telephone numbers and email addresses for the mayor and city council members.
If you’re not sure which ward you’re in, click here to view a map showing the city’s ward boundaries.
Here’s why we need to demand the city adopt a ’2 bags every 2 weeks’ system for our non-recyclable, non-organic garbage:
- It will lead to increased diversion rates – 2 bags every 2 weeks will increase the diversion of waste from landfill by 6% or more. Other municipalities have found that picking up garbage every two weeks encourages residents to use their green bins and blue boxes – which are still picked up every week – more extensively.
- It will maximize the life of our landfill – The increased diversion rates that come with bi-weekly garbage collection will extend the life of the Glanbrook Landfill by 4 to 8 years. The costs associated with siting, securing approvals, and building a new landfill or incinerator are exorbitant and a new facility would impose new environmental impacts.
- The cost to taxpayers is less – The cost for a 2 bags every 2 weeks system is almost $1 million dollars less per year than the 2 bags every week proposal being promoted by Councillors Whitehead and Jackson. Over a 7-year contract with a private collector, this is a significant cost to taxpayers.
- It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions – 2 bags every 2 weeks means fewer garbage trucks on the road and reduced levels of emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants from these trucks.
The majority of Hamilton households are already complying with 2 bags every 2 weeks – City staff have collected information confirming that 99% of single family homes in the city are complying with the one garbage bag per week limit. Hamiltonians have demonstrated that we are ready and capable of responsibly managing our household waste! In fact, many single family residences are already achieving diversion rates of >85% through participation in the city’s green b in, blue box and yard waste diversion programs.
Let’s encourage Council to stop throwing our money into garbage. Recycling and green bin collection will continue weekly but Let’s Call City Hall to tell our Councillors to support two garbage bags every two weeks to save taxpayers millions of dollars over the next seven years. If you have contacted City Hall about this issue in the past, please make contact again to reinforce your message at this critical point in time.
Call 905-546-CITY (2489) during regular business hours. (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm).
Call 905-546-2730 outside regular business hours. (Councillors’ reception).
You can also tweet “Two bags every two weeks. Don’t throw our money into garbage! LetsCallCityHall” to individual Councillors.
You can also send an email to: mayor@hamilton.ca, Brian.McHattie@hamilton.ca, Jason.Farr@hamilton.ca, Bernie.Morelli@hamilton.ca, Sam.Merulla@hamilton.ca, Chad.Collins@hamilton.ca, Tom.Jackson@hamilton.ca, Scott.Duvall@hamilton.ca, Terry.Whitehead@hamilton.ca, Brad.Clark@hamilton.ca, Maria.Pearson@hamilton.ca, Brenda.Johnson@hamilton.ca, Lloyd.Ferguson@hamilton.ca, Russ.Powers@hamilton.ca, Robert.Pasuta@hamilton.ca, Judi.Partridge@hamilton.ca.
Send an email to HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com to confirm you contacted City Hall. We will update the LetsCallCityHall website with the number of calls confirmed. The Hamilton Civic League welcomes proposals for future Let’s Call City Hall campaigns. Pick up a free LetsCallCityHall.ca lawn sign at Volunteer Hamilton or at an upcoming Hamilton Civic League meeting.
Join / re-join the Hamilton Civic League to guarantee receipt of future updates and please forward this email to extend our invitation of free 2012 membership to your family and friends.
Best regards,
Larry Pomerantz
HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com
February 1st, 2012
LetsCallCityHall.ca lawn signs are now available at our meetings. They can also be picked up at Volunteer Hamilton at 267 King St East beginning February 1st. The signs are free however donations to help cover the cost of the signs can be made online or in person at our meetings. Donations for lawn signs will not be accepted at Volunteer Hamilton. Please help grow the LetsCallCityHall.ca communications campaign with a lawn sign of your own. Downloadable posters are also available. Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 6th at 7 pm at Homegrown Hamilton/Skydragon. It will deal exclusively with the Aerotropolis / AEGD issue.
On the issue of Urban Chickens, my conversation with Ms. Emily Litella follows.
Ms. Litella: “What’s all this fuss I keep hearing about urban chickens? Who are these urban chickens anyway and why are they ONLY interested in crossing roads? What about poverty reduction, infrastructure repairs, City budgets and deficits? What about LRT, overflowing sewers, jobs and preservation of farmland? What about food security, climate change, ward realignment, accountability, recycling and GARBAGE collection? These urban chickens; I suppose they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are very, very quiet and really, how does that help? Others are like roosters, always going off and writing to the editor, calling local radio talk-shows, or commenting on blogs from behind the safety of their keyboards and computer monitors. When will ALL the urban chickens learn that if they want to improve OUR City, they have to become very, very brave and also direct their communication toward City Hall. So, today I am calling upon all urban, suburban and rural chickens to join the LetsCallCityHall.ca campaign. Your participation will make a difference. In fact, it is the only thing that will make a difference, so continue to call, tweet or email City Hall to share your opinions on EVERY issue. Together we can shape the future of our City. Thank you very much.”
Hamilton Civic League: “Excuse me, Ms. Litella, the urban chicken issue is about city dwellers maintaining the right to keep backyard chickens.”
Ms Litella: “Oh, …. well that’s very different. NEVERMIND!”
I thank the few people who reported having called City Hall during our last campaign. Many who have called about the garbage issue before may have decided there was no need to call again. Advertisers know very well that they must deliver the same message over and over again to have an impact. The same goes for civic engagement. To ensure appropriate actions are taken at City Hall, we must constantly reinforce our messages through frequent and sometimes repetitive communication. The garbage issue comes up for discussion at City Hall again on Monday, February 6th. Please take this opportunity to tell City Hall how your tax dollars should be used with respect to recycling and waste collection.
Wikipedia defines amnesty as “An official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offences.” The City of Hamilton currently has garbage amnesty days following New Years, Victoria Day and Thanksgiving. A December 12th, 2011, Public Works report recommends adding an additional amnesty day at the end of each month when residential moving typically takes place. The new amnesty days will begin in April 2012 and continue through to the end of March 2013 when a new recycling and waste contract will begin. The same report clearly states that household waste does not account for much of the illegal dumping that takes place. Illegal dumping is primarily comprised of construction waste, leaf and yard waste and bulk items. Why are we adding additional household garbage capacity at the end of each month when facts suggest it is not required? Amnesty may be required for the political decision makers on this issue, but definitely not for additional household garbage capacity days.
In 2010, 2900 tonnes of illegal dumping cost taxpayers approximately $700,000, while minimum fees collected at waste transfer stations totaled about $756,000. Past increases in minimum fees have not deterred visits to the transfer station however increases to minimum fees are not being considered. There is a program in place for “free” bulk item collection. City Staff proposed a fine of $297.25 for property owners who illegally dispose of bulk items by setting items curbside rather than calling in for a scheduled pickup. No doubt that a fine of that amount will “curb” behavior.
At a rate of $100 per tonne, the 2900 tonnes that were illegally dumped in 2010 would have cost $290,000, if taken to transfer stations. The 2013 to 2020 proposed waste/recycling contract includes more frequent pickup of bulk items which, in theory, should significantly reduce illegal dumping of bulk items. If we had similar carrot and stick programs available to address illegally dumped construction waste and leaf and yard waste then we could seriously reduce the $700,000 spent on clean up at a cost of no more than $290,000. The City has recently updated internal systems to better track illegal dumping which will provide the data required to develop strategies to address the illegal dumping issue based on FACTS.
Not everyone has a vehicle to take excess waste to transfer stations. Convenient and economical waste disposal solutions are required for home renovation projects that improve our community but generate excess waste. Perhaps a bag tag or some other form of pay-for-service could be implemented in these situations. Additional assistance may be required for low income households. Let’s consider carrot and stick economic tools to address illegal dumping behavior and avoid one size fits all policies that come at a cost to all taxpayers.
Once again, Councillors will address waste and recycling issues on Monday February 6th. We have one last opportunity to inform Council that we don’t want blanket waste management policies that penalize all residents in an effort to eliminate the illegal dumping actions carried out by a very small minority.
This week I will contact City Hall with the following message:
“Hello, my name is Larry Pomerantz with the Hamilton Civic League. I am calling from 1## Main St West in Hamilton, my phone number is 905-545-#### and my email address is HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com. This message is for the Mayor and all Councillors. I support programs designed to eliminate illegal dumping of construction waste and leaf and yard waste through education, enforcement and financial means. I oppose blanket policy initiatives such as additional monthly garbage amnesty days. Thank you.”
Let’s Call City Hall and let them know we do not support an increase in garbage amnesty days as an acceptable solution for illegal dumping.
Call 905-546-CITY (2489) during regular business hours. (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm).
Call 905-546-2730 outside regular business hours. (Councillors’ reception).
You can also tweet “I support education and enforcement strategies over increasing garbage amnesty days to address illegal dumping. LetsCallCityHall” to individual Councillors.
Send an email to HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com to confirm you made a call to City Hall. We will update the LetsCallCityHall website with the number of calls confirmed. The Hamilton Civic League welcomes proposals for future Let’s Call City Hall campaigns.
Join / re-join the Hamilton Civic League to guarantee receipt of future updates and please forward this email to extend our invitation of free 2012 membership to your family and friends.
Best regards,
Larry Pomerantz
January 23rd, 2012
Last Monday, City Staff presented a recommendation to move forward with a garbage and recycling contract that included a six garbage container limit. Several delegations, including the Hamilton Civic League, also made presentations.
Peter Hutton with the Waste Reduction Task Force made it very clear that the City must address public misconceptions surrounding bi-weekly garbage collection. The current recommendation includes continuation of a weekly pickup schedule for blue boxes and green carts. It is the non-recyclable garbage that will move to a bi-weekly collection schedule. Multi-residential units would not be limited to one single container but would have a two container limit per residential unit to be collected bi-weekly. Many communities such as Halton have adopted the bi-weekly garbage collection schedule. One of the stated benefits of weekly recycling collection coupled with bi-weekly garbage collection is a greater effort to recycle as households prefer not to wait for garbage collection week. Peter also warned against a blanket policy that increases container limits simply to achieve a one size fits all program.
Dr. Lynda Lukasik with Environment Hamilton highlighted the six garbage container limit and suggested that education campaigns in partnership with citizen groups would be helpful. She also suggested that if a proposal allowing for a higher garbage container limit is approved, that options exist for incremental reductions throughout the seven year contract period. Lynda told me that Hamilton once had a nine container limit. We have come a long way and this is not the time to take a step backwards.
Vaughan Martin with the Flamborough Community Council supported bi-weekly collection of garbage but also recommended consideration for EFW (Energy From Waste) options. Incineration (EFW) is a complicated issue involving economic, environmental and social factors that will require a great deal of community input. Our previous LetsCallCityHall campaign mentioned incineration as it was noted that the word “DIVERSION” was recently removed from one of the guiding principles for the City’s Solid Waste Management Master Plan, thus opening the door to incineration. It is my understanding that a grant was just approved for a study to look into a Public-Private Partnership for a Sludge Incinerator.
I made a presentation, on behalf of the Hamilton Civic League, highlighting the fact that the proposed six container limit would allow 95% of Hamiltonians to opt out of the current blue box and green cart diversion programs. City Staff informed us that Halton is now proposing a reduction to 3 garbage containers collected bi-weekly. The Staff report acknowledged that most Hamiltonians already meet the one container limit per week. Based on that fact, there is no need to increase to 3 containers bi-weekly. The City has a partnership with a citizen operated Waste Watchers initiative that currently offers waste diversion programs to schools and festivals. I suggested that it could be expanded to assist households having difficulty meeting the current container limits.
Councillors asked questions about bi-weekly collection of pet waste and diapers and had concerns about potential for increased illegal dumping resulting from container limits. These appear to be among the issues of greatest concern with respect to bi-weekly collection of two garbage containers. Although pet waste is compostable (Green Venture offers related information/programs) it is not accepted in the green cart mainly due to the “yuck” factor which would reduce public acceptance of the compost generated and currently sold. Although pet waste composting is a more environmentally friendly solution, responsible pet owners should have no problem disposing of pet waste generated over a two week period by keeping it in a separate sealed bag. The pet waste bag could be discarded inside another bag/container as part of the bi-weekly collected two garbage container limit.
There is no limit on the size of a garbage bag, so as long as a container of diapers weighs less than 50 lbs, there should be no need to increase container limits. There is an existing “special consideration” process through which households may apply for additional waste disposal capacity, so once again, diaper disposal should not cloud the container limit issue.
Councillors also asked Staff to report on the cause and effect relationships between illegal dumping, container limits and minimum fees at local waste transfer stations. It will be interesting to learn if minimum fees collected at transfer stations exceed the cost of cleaning up illegal dumping sites. In either case, we need a plan to deal with illegal dumping, a problem which will likely continue with or without transfer station fees and regardless of container limits. I recommmended Waste Watchers conduct waste audits at illegal dumping sites in an effort to identify the source of the problem. This is a very good time to recall Peter Hutton’s warning about implementing blanket policies such as increasing container limits to solve illegal dumping.
Last week, eight people CONFIRMED calls to City Hall and many commented on the container limit issue on Raise The Hammer.
This week I will contact City Hall with the following message:
“Hello, my name is Larry Pomerantz with the Hamilton Civic League. I am calling from 1## Main St West in Hamilton, my phone number is 905-545-#### and my email address is HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com. This message is for the Mayor and all Councillors. I support waste audit and enforcement strategies to deal with illegal dumping issues and oppose blanket policy initiatives that would increase garbage container limits for everyone. Thank you.”
Let’s Call City Hall and let them know we do not support an increase to garbage container limits as an acceptable solution for illegal dumping.
Call 905-546-CITY (2489) during regular business hours. (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm).
Call 905-546-2730 outside regular business hours. (Councillors’ reception).
You can also tweet “ I support enforcement strategies over increasing container limits to address illegal dumping. LetsCallCityHall ” to individual Councillors.
Send an email to HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com to confirm you made a call to City Hall. We will update the LetsCallCityHall website with the number of calls confirmed. The Hamilton Civic League welcomes proposals for future Let’s Call City Hall campaigns.
Join / re-join the Hamilton Civic League to guarantee receipt of future updates and please forward this email to extend our invitation of free 2012 membership to your family and friends.
Best regards,
Larry Pomerantz
January 16th, 2012
If all goes as planned, I will deliver the presentation noted well below to City Council on this Monday morning. I believe Council can save taxpayers upwards of $2 million dollars on the proposed 2013 to 2020 garbage and recycling collection contract by maintaining the current household rate of one garbage container per week. The proposed contract recommends up to six garbage containers per household, to be collected every second week. One very knowledgeable person told me that my presentation won’t make a difference because the proposed contract has already been approved by Committee and Council will automatically accept and approve the Committee’s recommendation. I’m fairly new at interacting with local government, so I am going to give it a try, but I could use your support.
Last week, approximately 15 people confirmed their participation in our second Lets’ Call City Hall campaign to show support for a one garbage bag limit. A few people retweeted the message and a few commented on Facebook. Thank you to everyone who made an effort to engage City Hall. We experienced the exponential participation growth that we were seeking but this will be the week we find out if people really believe that civic engagement can produce positive results. Even if you called last week, it would be helpful if you call again and for everyone who did not call, please do so on Monday morning or whenever you can. It would be REALLY nice if you would also tweet individual Council members before or during my presentation. Unfortunately, I don’t know exactly when I am up to make my presentation, but I will be there by 9:30 am. If you receive this message later than I had hoped, then please still call and tweet.
Some people have asked me what they should say when they call City Hall. The following script may be helpful and you are welcome to add or delete any information to meet your needs. Leaving your name, phone number, home address and email address will provide Councillors a better opportunity to respond and to determine if you live in their Wards. The following represents the message that I will leave tonight.
“Hello, my name is Larry Pomerantz with the Hamilton Civic League. I am calling from 1## Main St West in Hamilton, my phone number is 905-545-#### and my email address is HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com. This message is for the Mayor and all Councillors. I am calling to register my support for the current limit of one garbage container per household per week. Please do not accept a waste and recycling contract that permits increases to the current limit. Thank you.
Let’s Call City Hall and let them know we support a one garbage container limit.
Call 905-546-CITY (2489) during regular business hours. (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm).
Call 905-546-2730 outside regular business hours. (Councillors’ reception).
You can also tweet “ I support a one container limit. LetsCallCityHall ” to individual Councillors if you have their account info. I don’t have the information at my fingertips this time. Does anyone else have it?
Send an email to HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com to confirm you made a call to City Hall. We will update the LetsCallCityHall website with the number of calls confirmed. The Hamilton Civic League welcomes proposals for future Let’s Call City Hall campaigns.
Join / re-join the Hamilton Civic League to guarantee receipt of future updates and please forward this email to extend our invitation of free 2012 membership to your family and friends.
Here is Part of my Presentation to Council.
It is garbage day in my neighbourhood today. I placed two blue boxes, a green cart and a mostly empty garbage can curbside. It required two trips to the curb; the first carrying two stacked blue boxes and the second dragging both the wheeled green cart and the wheeled garbage can. When I arrive home later today, I will stack the two empty blue boxes and take them back to my house with the garbage container and green cart, in a single trip. Two trips to the curb, one trip back to the house.
When I think about it, I could just make one trip to and back from the curb using only one container. Everything inside the blue boxes and the green cart could have fit into the one garbage container along with my garbage.
I am sure there are Hamiltonians who don’t bother to recycle because the current one garbage container limit meets all their weekly waste disposal needs. I believe it is safe to say that there are many more households that could not get by with a single garbage container. Maybe they would need two or three to handle all of their weekly waste, and recycling. If a single garbage container provides enough weekly capacity for me to avoid recycling today, a two or three weekly garbage container limit would make it easy for almost all Hamilton households to opt-out of recycling in the future.
City Staff state, “most households already meet the current one garbage container limit.” Today, garbage day, most households in my neighbourhood will abide by the bylaw and only put one garbage container curbside. There is no need to increase the limit to two or three containers when the garbage trucks already pickup all of Hamilton’s garbage under a one container limit. We could offer to pay the garbage contractors more to accept additional garbage, but we only generate one garbage container of waste per household each week, so why would we offer to pay more, when we don’t generate more garbage?
The proposed waste and recycling contract calls for an increase to allow up to six (6) containers per household to be collected every second week at an additional cost to taxpayers of $250,000 annually or $1.75 million over the duration of the contract. Based on current levels of garbage generated, most households will require no more than (2) containers and City Staff state “many households may continue to set out a minimum amount of garbage on the proposed bi-weekly schedule.” I represent one of the households that will continue to set out only one garbage container bi-weekly.
With respect to the issue of illegal dumping, the following has been taken directly from the City’s website.
Municipalities who implement container limits do not experience a sustained increase in illegal dumping. For example, Kingston experienced a small increase in illegal dumping at first, but it was nothing like what they were told would happen. As quoted in The Hamilton Spectator on November 22, 2007, Kingston’s solid waste manager John Giles notes “It is a perceived problem, but in reality it is not.”
Source : http://www.hamilton.ca/CityDepartments/PublicWorks/WasteManagement/ONE+Container+Limit+Answers.htm
Illegal dumping cited by City Staff refers to “bulk items and leaf and yard waste”. The new contract provides weekly leaf and yard waste collection so this particular dumping issue should be resolved. Increased garbage container limits will not affect illegal bulk item dumping, however eliminating transfer station fees for bulk items only may reduce dumping incidents. Clearly, illegal dumping cannot justify a proposed increase to the number of garbage containers permitted per household.
With respect to the issue of “special consideration and grace weeks”, where heightened volumes of waste may be generated at individual properties or City-wide, the City currently has a process in place to accommodate such circumstances. Staff report the related administrative cost to taxpayers to be minimal at approximately ¼ of a full-time employee’s wages.
Waste Watchers (WW) is an Earth Day Hamilton (EDH) program in partnership with the City, Waste Reduction Task Force and the Clean City Liaison Committee. WW provides waste diversion education, assistance and training at festivals, schools and other public spaces. EDH is prepared to expand its WW program to households in need of assistance to achieve the current one container limit.
In conclusion, acceptance of the proposed contract while maintaining the current limit of one garbage container per household per week (or two garbage containers bi-weekly), will result in the following benefits:
- Save taxpayers $1.75 million on the proposed contract
- Reduce potential for households opting-out of waste diversion/recycling initiatives
- Heighten diversion rates
- Increase City revenues through the sale of additional recyclable material
- Assist more households to achieve the current container limit
- Reduce incidences of illegal dumping
It should also be noted that the proposed contract ends in the year 2020. Maintaining the current garbage container limit will greatly increase our community’s ability to achieve the waste diversion and minimization goals stated and endorsed by Council in the Vision2020 document.
Presentation ends here!
Is there great meaning in a single word? I just learned late tonight that the newly proposed Solid Waste Management Master Plan (SWMMP) is missing the word “DIVERSION” from the following guiding principle:
Principle #3: The City of Hamilton must maintain responsibility for the residual wastes generated within its boundaries. Inter-regional DIVERSION facilities will be considered.
Incineration becomes an option when the word DIVERSION is removed. Incineration facilities require large ongoing quantities of waste materials and diversion initiatives such as one garbage container limits significantly reduce available quantities of waste. A six garbage container limit would result in more available waste for an incinerator. Once again, I have stayed up way too late. I’m sure the missing word is simply a typo otherwise it could become a future issue for a Let’s Call City Hall campaign.
January 11th, 2012
This week, City Council will deal with limits on the number of garbage bags that can be placed curbside. Our City’s waste diversion initiatives include the Blue Box recycling program and the Green Cart organics/food composting program. These programs accommodate most of the waste discarded by households. Additional waste diversion initiatives such as white goods (appliance recycling), electronics recycling, household hazardous waste collection and others are also available to residents.
Garbage and recycling collection services are paid for through our rents and property taxes. The resale of City-collected recyclable/compostable materials may generate revenue to offset the related collection costs. Garbage bags, however, consume even more of our taxes when they end up in expensive landfill sites. Households not recycling or generating more than one bag of garbage per week reduce the lifespan of existing landfill sites and are likely sending revenue-generating recyclable materials to landfill at an additional cost to everyone.
Let’s Call City Hall and let them know we support a one garbage bag limit.
Call 905-546-CITY (2489) during regular business hours. (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm).
Call 905-546-2730 outside regular business hours. (Councillors’ reception).
Send an email to HamiltonCivicLeague@gmail.com to confirm you made a call to City Hall. We will update the HamiltonCivicLeague.org website with the number of calls confirmed. The Hamilton Civic League welcomes proposals for future Let’s Call City Hall campaigns.
Our previous Let’s Call City Hall campaign, which is detailed below, resulted in two CONFIRMED phone calls. Exponential growth is what we are seeking each and every week, so make a call to City Hall this week and encourage your contacts to do the same.
Please join / re-join the Hamilton Civic League to guarantee receipt of future updates and forward this email to extend our invitation of free 2012 membership to your family and friends.
December 29th, 2011
Local Mayan calendar followers, consider 2012 your final call to contribute to this community we all call home. With 930+ facebook friends, 330+ twitter followers and 450+ email contacts, the Hamilton Civic League has tremendous potential to mobilize our community to take action towards building the inclusive, equitable, sustainable and prosperous city we all desire. If we hope to achieve our goals, we must accept responsibility to continuously direct our locally elected officials and the approximate 6000 City staff to attend to our needs, as we prioritize them.
The Hamilton Civic League is committed to working with our members and partner organizations to identify and prioritize widely held community values and to clearly communicate with local government to ensure our priorities are acted upon. The Hamilton Civic League will conduct a 2012 Values and Priorities Survey from which the results will be used to assess current City priorities. Our Let’s Call City Hall communications campaign encourages the community to maintain an ongoing connection to City Hall. We will applaud local government when decisions are made in support of widely held values, and alert the community to take action when government actions are at odds with our priorities. Finances are a critical component to the overall success of every community but not the only factor determining our quality of life. It is however extremely important to monitor if and how our tax dollars are being used to improve quality of life for all residents. The Hamilton Civic League invites members and partner organizations with financial expertise to contribute to our Let’s Follow Our Money project team.
Make 2012 the year we unify our voices to assist local government to build the City we desire. Please invite your family and friends to join the Hamilton Civic League today.
September 16th, 2011
Please join us as the Hamilton Civic League meets on Monday September 26th, 7 to 9 pm at Volunteer Hamilton, 267 King St East.
If you are new to the Hamilton Civic League then please begin by reviewing our website at www.hamiltoncivicleague.org
We will review current promotional activities related to the upcoming election and discuss action plans for the future.
August 29th, 2011
Please join us as the Hamilton Civic League meets on Monday August 29th, 7 to 9 pm at Volunteer Hamilton, 267 King St East.
If you are new to the Hamilton Civic League then please begin by reviewing our website at www.WeVote.ca.
Draft Agenda For Monday August 29th, 2011.
- Introductions
- Our History
- Past and Present Challenges
- 2011 – 2012 Goals/Plans – Communication Strategies, Partnerships, Membership, Action Items
- Recent/Upcoming Elections – 2010 municipal, 2011 federal, 2011 provincial
Join us and be a part of the positive change we all seek. Share your experiences and ideas. Listen, ask, comment, learn and share.
April 6th, 2011
What do you think about a municipally elected official seeking higher office? Should it be permitted? Who should be responsible for the cost of the resulting by-election?
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