Council thinks their settlement means maintenance of the status-quo; instead their self-dealing has created the conditions for their defeat at the OMB.

Hamilton City Hall: Public Meeting Videos Do Not Have to Be Made Public
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The Public Record is exploring what steps can be taken regarding the destruction of public meeting video. There are no similar instances in case law, this appears to be the first time a municipal City Clerk has destroyed this type of public record.

Upcoming IMFG Talks on Municipal Finance
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This Wednesday, the executive directors of municipal and government financial officers associations in both Ontario and BC will discuss COVID’s impacts upon the health of Canada’s municipalities, to be followed by a panel of international experts in two weeks discussing the impact upon cities around the world.

COLEMAN: So When Did Council Change The Rules to Use the IC against LGBTQ Chair?
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A tweet is drawing attention because it highlights one of the questions that have not been answered by Hamilton City Council and Hamilton City Clerk Andrea Holland – when exactly did Council change policy in order to direct their Integrity Commissioner to investigate the Chair of the LGBTQ Advisory Committee Cameron Kroetsch.
On Integrity Commissioners: Guelph Podcast With Robert Swayze
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Swayze sat down in early 2019 with Adam Donaldson for his Guelph Politico podcast, it is an insightful interview on the role of the Integrity Commissioner and the boundaries of the position.

Joey's Notepad: Municipal Councils as Quasi-Judicial Decision Makers
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This is a rare instance of Council entering into quasi-judicial decision making – they are sitting in judgment of an individual, must determine guilt, and render a decision which complies with both the Municipal Act, common law, and natural justice.
Coleman's Column: Without Coverage, Municipal Elections Are Noncompetitive
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Study after study after study proves the value of local journalism to local democracy. They confirm the decline in coverage of local elections, caused by decreasing number of local journalists as daily newspapers close, is making local elections less competitive and voter turnout is declining more rapidly in communities that have lost daily news coverage. The result is increased corruption in local government resulting from lower accountability.
Joey's Notepad: Federal By-Elections and Voting During COVID
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The first COVID elections are worth watching.

Joey's Notepad: Transparency in Transportation Design Decisions at the Jolley Cut and Concession
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Creating a safe intersection for pedestrians and traffic at the top of the Jolley Cut is uniquely difficult for many reasons. The consultants who worked on this problem share the designs which do not work – and we get the chance to learn in the process.
Joey's Notepad: Mask Littering Mentioned in Staff Report
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I was asking myself today if Hamilton Spectator cartoonist Graeme Mackay is already drafting an updated version of his class “Sighs of Spring” Tim Hortons cup litter cartoon.
Joey's Notepad: Interesting things I don't have time to cover (i)
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The owner of Odeon Fitness wrote Hamilton City Council this week asking them to expand the City’s mandatory masking bylaw to include indoor fitness facilities.