Review and Replay of October 7, 2013 Public Works Meeting

Hamilton’s Public Works Committee approved all items on their agenda today. Most items were approved without debate.

A presentation by Lake Avenue Drive resident John Vesprini regarding poor drainage on the Stoney Creek street without storm sewers was referred to the Acting General Manager of Planning to visit the site and determine what is needed to prevent the large pools of water that form on the street after rain storms.

The annual report of the Hamilton Cycling Committee focused on the ward-by-ward problems of some Councillors not giving permission for the installation of the bike lanes Council unanimously passed in the cycling master plan.

The presentation on the City’s work order system HANSON revealed that departments are not sharing data with each other, that they are currently no plans for public works to make data on work such as pothole available as open data, and that the City’s plans to buy a proprietary mobile application for citizen reporting of potholes. This will not be open data either.

The app’s company says of the app: “Crowdsourcing can turn municipal data gathering from an expensive chore to a game that everyone can play.”  The app will be available for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone.

Replay

Full Agenda

Items of Note
Hamilton Cycling Committee Annual Report | Stoney Creek Pond Trail at Confederation Park – Tree Removal ( of 76 living trees)

Minutes from Previous Meeting
3.1   September 16, 2013

Public Hearings and Delegations

6.1    Proposed Permanent Closure and Sale of a Portion of Public Unassumed Alleyway Abutting 609-615 Upper James Street, Hamilton (PW13072) (Ward 7) 
6.2    Delegation by John Vesprini respecting Report PW13065, Poor Drainage on Lake Avenue Drive

Delegation requests
4.1    Delegation request by Jack Gibbons Chair, Ontario Clean Air Alliance to recommend that the City of Hamilton request the Government of Ontario to enter into an electricity supply contract with Hydro Quebec

Staff and Committee Presentations
7.1   HANSEN Update (No Copy)
7.2   Hamilton Cycling Committee – Annual Update (No Copy)

**Consent Items
**5.1    Minutes of Various Sub-Committees (FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY)
(a)     Clean City Liaison Committee – July 16, 2013 
5.2   Halton-Hamilton Source Protection Committee – December 4, 2012 Halton-Hamilton Source Protection Committee – December 4, 2012 
5.3    Intersection Control List (PW13001(c)) (Wards 7 & 8)
5.4    Outdoor Lighting Implementation (PW13075) (City Wide)
5.5   Municipal Services and Property Taxation on Condominium Properties (PW12011a) (City Wide)
5.6   Bull’s Lane – Authorization to Perform Works on Private Lands (PW13074) (Ward 7)

Discussion Items

8.1    Poor Drainage on Lake Avenue Drive (PW13065) (Ward 9) (Outstanding Business List Item) (Referred from September 16, 2013 meeting)
8.2   Stoney Creek Pond Trail at Confederation Park – Tree Removal (PW13070) (City Wide) 
8.3   Standardization of Traffic Signal Control Equipment and Materials (PW13071) (City Wide)
8.4   Single Source Dump Truck Sander Bodies and New Sander Body Technology Trial (PW13073) (City Wide)

Motions

9.1    Name Change Clean City Liaison Committee
9.2   Installation of an All-Way Stop Control at the intersection of Winterberry Drive and Glenhollow Drive (Ward 9)

Closed Session
None

Source: City of Hamilton Agendas Site

Items (Consent Agenda):

Intersection Controls | Outdoor Lighting | Municipal Services and Property Taxation on Condominium Properties | Bull’s Lane

**Intersection Controls
**

• New all-way stop for East 12th and Brucedale where they is currently a EB/WB stop sign.
• New Stop Sign at Eldorado Court and and Montcalm Drive for eastbound traffic. There is no stop sign presently****

**Outdoor Lighting
**

• The City is moving to LED street lights, and not a moment too soon. Most of our existing street lights are past their life cycles and failure rates are increasing. All new street lights will be LED, and staff will bring a report in the first quarter of 2014 on the benefits and risks of converting existing lights to LEDs

Bull’s Lane – Authorization to Perform Works on Private Lands

• Bull’s Lane is a private access road that was created when the Claremont Access was built. The City maintains the access road which replaces a previous municipal road that was removed for the Access.
• Maintenance of the road requires Council approval. In this case, there is flooding problems that require work to fix.

Public Hearings and Delegations:

609-615 Upper James | Delegation by John Vesprini respecting Report PW13065, Poor Drainage on Lake Avenue Drive

Proposed Permanent Closure and Sale of a Portion of Public Unassumed Alleyway Abutting 609-615 Upper James Street

• The applicant has identified vandalism, illegal parking, noise and dumping as some ofthe reasons for requesting the closure of a small alley way off of Upper James
• Staff recommend approving the sale****

Delegation by John Vesprini respecting Report PW13065, Poor Drainage on Lake Avenue Drive

• John Vesprini is unhappy with the work of a company the City hired to sod his lawn and those of his neighbours.
• The City originally hired the company in 2010 when road and sidewalk was done.
• Vesprini say they did a poor job “The contractor, Oakridge, had laid sod without leveling the area, sodded over gravel, rocks, and clay; and added no top soil. They also just dropped the sod and   did not roll the lawn, leaving the lawns with hills and valleys.”
• The City paid the contractor to re-sod the lawns. Vesprini says they’ve done a poor job again and wishes to speak to Committee today.
• This is related to the discussion agenda item “Poor Drainage on Lake Avenue Drive”

Items (Discussion Agenda):

Poor Drainage on Lake Avenue Drive (PW13065) (Ward 9) (Outstanding Business List Item) (Referred from September 16, 2013 meeting)  | Stoney Creek Pond Trail at Confederation Park – Tree Removal (PW13070) (City Wide) | Standardization of Traffic Signal Control Equipment and Materials (PW13071) (City Wide) | Single Source Dump Truck Sander Bodies and New Sander Body Technology Trial (PW13073) (City Wide)

Poor Drainage on Lake Avenue Drive (PW13065) (Ward 9) (Outstanding Business List Item) (Referred from September 16, 2013 meeting)

• Staff say Mr. John Vesprini’s complaint about puddles on the roadway after a major storm on April 10, 2013 is true. Staff say the storm caused temporary puddles across the City and are not recommending any action on the complaint.**[]()**

Stoney Creek Pond Trail at Confederation Park – Tree Removal (PW13070) (City Wide)

• The City is looking to cut down 76 living trees for the creation of a recreation trail at Confederation Park’s Stoney Creek Pond facility at the foot of Centennial Parkway
• An additional 28 trees “in poor condition or undesirable species will be removed”
• 56 new trees will be planted
• The trail rerouting is to allow for the expansion of recreation sports park in the former camping area

Standardization of Traffic Signal Control Equipment and Materials (PW13071) (City Wide)

• Routine changes to supplies for traffic signal controls and materials. Council approval required as they are ongoing sole-source contracts.

Single Source Dump Truck Sander Bodies and New Sander Body Technology Trial (PW13073) (City Wide)

• City Staff went to change the current truck that we most often see salting and plowing our streets in the winter. Council approval required for sole-source supplier.

Motions

Name Change for Clean City Liaison Committee

• It will now be known as the Keep Hamilton Clean and Green Committee

Installation of an All-Way Stop Control at the intersection of Winterberry Drive and Glenhollow Drive (Ward 9)

• Self-Explanatory