Monday, February 15, 2010

First By-Law Crawl Says it All

It was cold, it was nippy but the first By-Law Crawl, organized by Matt Jelly, was successful.  About a hundred or so Hamiltonians braved the weather, to take to the streets and make note of by-law infractions related to the conditions of buildings/properties. Noteably, no representatives from city council were in attendance. When a participant yelled out "Is the Mayor coming?", there was a shrug from Matt.


 Despite the paucity of presence from city councillors, the crawl crew went ahead undeterred and energized. We broke up into teams and above, is a  picture of our team- one of many. Team members included Meredith Broughton, Will Rosart, Ed Thomas,Cathy Swenson, myself, Trevor Shaw, Michelle Bates, Darcy Michael and Teresa DiFalco, who took this photo. There were many other teams on the ground with vested Hamiltonians doing inspections.

The journey was full of noteable and significant infractions, carefully recorded. We stuck to Matt's instructions- we focussed on properties that were in dire disarray, and not on property owners who were making an honest effort to keep their properties maintained.

Beyond the stark examples of terribly kept  buildings and properties, were other stark eyesores, some in prominent vantage points for visitors to our city. Like this one:

or this



The By Law Crawl certainly is putting a spot light on what is stark and apparant to anyone who tours Hamilton. But what is going to be done about it? Is there political will or is this considered an irrtant? Where is the enforcement? I'll be interested in seeing the list that Matt compiles as well as updates as to whether any of the issues have been rectified. Or will the final results come in the same way The Century met its unfortunate demise?

104 comments:

  1. Cathy Swenson

    Hi Cal, thanks for posting. Great meeting and participating with you today in the 1st Bylaw Crawl. It was a great success.
    ReplyDelete
  2. hey Cal
    it was great meeting you.
    your doing a great job.
    til next time!

    - michelle b
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  3. Did Councillor Bratina show up for this event. He should be invited to answer 10 questions. The first question should be. "What has changed in regards to properties and business improvements downtown since he was first elected 6 years ago?"
    All I have seen are more vacant lots.
    ReplyDelete
  4. Michelle HruschkaFeb 6, 2010 10:01 PM
    Wow the picture of stairs and porch is pretty nasty. Someone could break a leg if they fell through it.

    So where were all our politicians, why the no show from them. I guess in the big picture, it shows that they do not care really.
    ReplyDelete
  5. In fact there was a rep for Bob Bratina there, a very quiet and reserved man in the back. I would like to see his comments here.

    Cal you should have come up and said something to me, I did not recognize you, but I am easy to spot. with the chair.

    Too a real chance going out in that cold. The chair doesn't want to work, nor the cameras and other recorders.

    Maggie Hughes
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  6. Update: The infractions we observed have now been uploaded to the website.

    Michelle and Cathy- thank-you for the kind comments. I hope you will make The Hamiltonian a frequent place to visit.

    Maggie- We've not met in person (I don't think), so I too did not know it was you. Sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you. I'm sure there will be other opportunities. I look forward to it.

    Tom- Bob knows that he is welcome on this blog, and on 10TQ at any time.

    Thanks again. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

    Cal
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  7. One other thought:

    I am sure Matt will be having a running list of the infractions. It may also be good to sort these according to Status and Severity. For example:

    Status variables may be : No Change, In Progress, Resolved

    Severity variables may be: Unsafe/severe, Moderate, Minimal

    In that way, you can sort and present the most severe infractions that are yet to be addressed, and showcase these.

    Cal
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  8. Mr. DiFalco first I would like to congratulate you on this great blog. Secondly you would make a great Mayor for our City.

    I think its time the City of Hamilton takes inventory of how many rental properties are owned by landlords who live out of our city and do not maintain their properties. I am aware that many landlords live outside of Hamilton and rent their properties to clients of services like Ontario works ect. Many times these properties are not safe for anyone to live in. The landlords are guaranteed their monthly rent but fail to maintain their properties accordinly and safely. It would be great if we could take inventory of these properties and see how many are owned by landlords who do not reside in the City of Hamilton. They should be fined. Something to think about.

    Keep up the great job with this blog.
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  9. Maybe The Hamiltonian could contact Councillor Bratina to remind him of his open invitation for 10 questions and report to us his response if he tries to dodge the bullet
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  10. Just to clarify, Maggie, I looked into it, and that "very quiet reserved man" was not a representative of Councillor Bratina's office. Bob has confirmed that his office was in no way present at the event.
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  11. Hi Cal,

    In regards to your comment about indexing the infractions, this is already in the works. I'm currently working with Matt to develop a system to plot the submitted buildings on a Google Map, using different coloured markers to indicate which buildings the city has taken action against, the ones the city knows about and has taken no action, and the ones the city has not been made aware of. (And in the cases of the last 2 a link is generated on the map to allow users to email the city's building department regarding those buildings.) I also hope to be able to include photos of these buildings along with the text description.

    It's still a work in progress but I hope to have it go live on Matt's bylawcrawl.ca page in the next few days.

    -Ryan
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  12. Hi Matt, I read Bratina's lengthy election style stump speech you linked to, no doubt his election flyer will list all his achievements, ad nauseum, as if he was the only one who voted on council.

    Don't let his political sniping get to you, he's a legend in his own mind, that's for sure.

    At least he isn't throwing pens anymore.
    ReplyDelete
  13. with all of that being said. I live next to those condemned stairs. I myself, almost want to go and take care of it on my own. Maybe clean the backyard?

    I'd mentioned the other day. There are Mayan Ruins STILL standing in Mexico. Not damaged or fixed up in anyway. It blows my mind, that building thousands of years old are still standing. But the people that run this town, cant do the things to maintain the history that WE have left here. ..its frusterating ..really.

    -michelle b.

    oh. Cal. I never vote, I've never voted a day in my life, by choice. But for you my friend, I'd have to change my mind, I think your a great man, and would be perfect as Mayor.

    Most go on just living their day to day life, taking care of themselves, and spending town money on new things that are beneficial to them. While the town itself gets put on the back burner.
    ReplyDelete
  14. Brian Henley +Feb 7, 2010 01:38 PM
    I understand that the crawl was probably mainly in Ward 2 but infractions of the Property Standards By-law are far from only being in that ward. So, Councillor Bratina is not the only elected representative who should have shown some interest in the crawl. I'm sure that most parts of the city have issues in this regard. Here in Ward 1, that vacant eyesore on Dundurn Street South opposite the Beer Store makes me angry everytime I pass it. It's been derelict, and usually open to the elements and other intrusions for more years than I can remember offhand. I am also thankful that Matt Jelly has pointed out that it is not only so-called "heritage" buildings that are problematic. It is the owners of the properties that are problematic. Also, these vacant eyesores cost a lot of time, money and even danger for the police and fire people who have to enter them because of situations that arise.
    I cannot understand why the Property Standards By-law is not enforced stringently - if the legislation is too weak, change/update the legislation. This is issue should be a priority for the city (staff and politicians.)
    ReplyDelete
  15. Michelle HruschkaFeb 7, 2010 01:59 PM
    Hi Matt: Keep up the great work you are doing. Anyways I thought I would comment on Mr Bratinas post or email, since he specifically mentioned my name.

    I was not just targeting him but all the councillors. So, City Housing is one of the worst landlords in the city. The conditions people have to live in are horrible, but since most of the tenants are those that are marginalized, their voices go unheard, for the most part.

    Maybe Mr Bratina should be informing the public about the push the city is doing to privatize the social housing. Could be some conflict of interest there, with the appointment of the new CEO. Anyways, those who advocate for housing, should be keeping a close eye on this.

    The best way for the tenants to gain a voice would be to form a tenants union. A group of voices is much louder and stronger, then if one person is doing the complaining.
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  16. Hi Cal

    It was a pleasure meeting you and your wife on the bylaw crawl. It was inspiring to see so many people energized to do something about this problem. And a big thanks to Matt Jelly for making it happen.

    I agree with the other comments.... you'd make a great, and effective mayor.

    TreyS
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  17. The crawl is cool. Keep going guys and gals! They aint gonna solve it for ya, so take it to the streets man. Hey Cal, you got a following man. Keep going bro. You havent said one wayu or another whether your gonna run but if you do, i'm in. I'll put up signs, work phones, get coffee, whatecver it takes man.

    Elvis P.
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  18. Where do I find the link to Mr. Bratina's comments
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  19. Michelle HruschkaFeb 7, 2010 03:02 PM
    Tom: Here is the link you requested to Mr Bratinas response.

    Councillor Bratina.
    ReplyDelete
  20. I am just seeing Bob's message to The Hamiltonian now. I did not receive it. My guess is that Bob may have responded to a list server message entitled In The Hamiltonian. Responses to the list server do not make it to my mailbox. In any event, here it is: I have to post it as two posts as it exceeded the word length.

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Bratina, Bob
    Sent: Sun 2/7/2010 10:31 AM
    To: The Hamiltonian
    Subject: RE: In The Hamiltonian www.thehamiltonian.net

    In 2001 the Spectator did a series called "Lament for a Downtown", with one installment entitled "Rotting in the Core". It listed the significantly challenged structures with seemingly no hope for their future. All of the buildings in the article exept one have since been dealt with and brought back to use through Ron Marini's Downtown Renewal incentives, and the hard work of his staff in seeking out developers. The one exception is the Lister Block, which was taken off Downtown Renewal's hands, and carriage taken by Mayor DiIanni and Glen Peace. The other properties have been renovated at the expense of the property owners, with some loan and grant incentives. The Lister Block will be renovated by its ownes and sold to the City for an agreed-upon price of $32 million dollars, minus a $7 million one-time special grant by the Province of Ontario.

    The most dilapidated of the properties listed by the Spectator was 66-68 King East, known as the Foster-Mackay building. 68 King East is on the National Registry of Historic Buildings as having one of the best remaining examples of hand-worked metal facades in Canada, and indeed North America. The Spectator suggested that it was near collapse and had no prospects of return to use. Gord Moodie came up with a Heritage Grant that could be applied to such buildings, found an investor in Toronto out of Shanghai, helped complete the heavy documentation required to access the small grant, and the building is now restored, the heritage features saved, and the residential units fully occupied.

    The Staybridge Suites is the repurposed and renovated former vacant postal building on Market Street. It went from a derelict crack den to an $11 million dollar hotel project, increasing taxes on the property from $40,000 to $340,000 dollars a year. It has recently changed hands for $17 million dollars. The sad little Beasley Community Centre, a 1,000 square foot concrete block building, is being replaced by a brand new 6,000 square foot community centre at Wilson and Ferguson. We were all asked to submit projects to a facilitated meeting to direct $8 million dollars in public works capital. Council unanimously approved my request to direct an unused Provincial brownfield grant to the remediation of contaminated soil in Beasley Park and the construction of a proper Community Facility (at no cost to municipal tax-payers). It became a rare collaberation between the City and the Board of Education to combine this facility with the new Dr. Davey School, to everyone's approval and delight. It opens in September. The old Monarch Vending building on Railway Street is now a busy and vital Diabetes Foot Clinic operated by Dr. Perry Meyers, who may tell you if asked how my office facilitated this project. I'm surprised your blogger wouldn't have been aware of the Terraces on King project next to Denningers, which replaced a slowly collapsing vacant building.
    ReplyDelete
  21. Part 2

    Your readers should be aware that most of the parking lots are in private hands, held by owners who seem quite happy to collect parking revenues rather than invest in development. However there are 5 parking lots which have active projects going through the approval process.

    I'm pleased that many residents took the trouble to participate in the by-law crawl, and I would be interested in learning any information gathered. As the Downtown Councillor it is incumbent upon me to do this on a regular basis, which I have, and which has led to numerous complaints by me resulting in by-law enforcement. Some of my information comes from anonymous individuals who do benign trespass into buildings and are able to tell me how they gain entrance, which I pass on to enforcement. An example is the Connaught. Although the owners have on demand done things like chain the doors shut, trespassers still enter. My information was that access could be gained through a grate on the east side of the building. I investigated, found the entry place, and reported to enforcement which was followed up by the owner in closing off the area. I also asked for the fire department to respond to information I received that the interior stand-pipe was inoperative, inviolation of code. This was attended to and repaired.

    There is a lengthy list of renovated buildings ($124 million dollars worth since 2005) generating a new Downtown net tax increase of $1.2 million dollars. There is also a file of compliance orders against many buildings, especially since 2005, and since my Proactive Property Standard Inspection by-law. Nothing is perfect and never will be.

    Michelle Hruschka should know that much of my time right now is correcting the scandalous situation in City Housing, where many residents live in fear of their criminal neighbours, afraid to even venture into the hallway at times, and having to listen to the sounds of violent confrontations late into the night. City Housing, Hess Village, Downtown disorder, transit issues and a decaying core were legacies I inherited upon becoming Ward 2 Councillor.

    Significant strides have been made on all of these files and many more. I'm particularly proud of the improvements at the GO Centre, with neww direct bus connections in the station, and huge improvements in on-time train performance with the $10 million dollar lay-over facility, paid for along with the HSR platforms by the Province. I'm not sure if your readers are aware of the James North Gateway facility about to be constructed, of which I was the lone proponent upon taking office. Despite opposition from the former Mayor, the Member of Parliament, and Via Rail, a James North Station is becoming a reality thanks to my fortunate opportunity to become a member of the GO Transit Board. I was able to help secure agreement that GO investigate this site as part of the Niagara service enhancement, and that they would accomodate VIA needs to restore their service, to which VIA has agreed.

    Finally, I empowered no one to represent me at the recent by-law crawl.

    -Bob Bratina
    ReplyDelete
  22. For future reference, any responses meant for The Hamiltonian, should be sent to adminhamiltonian@cogeco.ca.

    I regret that we missed Bob's email. He could not have known that replying to the list server message would not get to us.

    Cal DiFalco
    Publisher
    The Hamiltonian
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  23. Mr. B.

    You don't get it. Things are terrible and getting worse. Sure some things have improved but things are still very embarassing. It is not your fault- where the heck are the other councilors? WEhjy isn't the Mayor doing anything. No offence, but I think the whole lot of you have to go.

    Sonny
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  24. I have viewed Mr.Bratina's comments. The question I had asked was regarding changes in the downtown core since he was elected in 2004. Mr. Bratina can correct me but i believe the planning and development of the Staybridge Suites was initiated while Andrea Horwath was the Ward 2 Councillor. The Terraces on King and the Foster building are residential projects not business development in the core. The Railway St. project I would not consider downtown core development. The Lister building project is being funded by taxpayers with the building being used to house the growing number of city staff that no longer fit in the renewed City Hall. The Beasley Park projects although not funded through municipal tax dollars are still funded by taxes we pay and not private development. Dr. Davey School is a taxpayer funded project and creates no business development. I would like to see a list of the buildings where 124 million dollars of renovations were done in the core and know how many were tax payer funded and how many were privately funded and what new businesses are being run out of these buildings. The GO Train, Via Rail and HSR projects are all being funded with tax dollars. If Councillor Bratina chooses to respond I would like to hear his opinion on whether a property downtown should be used to build a Mosque that will support a large congregation or to be used as a Police Dept. Warehouse?
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  25. I mentioned on a previous post that the crawl was featured on CHCH News@6. Now I see the Hamilton Spectator´s former Ti-Cat beat reporter Ken Peters has written a story [today]. The byline "Crawling for attention" is used by Mr. Peters to describe "Matt Jelly and his posse of Hamilton downtown property protectors" and that they were a gathering of 75. CHCH originally reported that number to be 50 and this blog claims there were "a hundred or so."

    The actual number in attendance is not important and Mr. Peters appears to have chosen the average of the two reports. What is important is that this crawl was a success as "Jelly, a Hamilton artist and community activist, brought citizens together Saturday for the city's first Bylaw Crawl."

    Near the end of the story, Mr. Peters remarks on Mr. Bratina's failed push "to have signs on vacant buildings with the name and phone number of the responsible party." I think that is a great idea and Mr. Bratina should push a lot harder now that this first Bylaw Crawl may possibly grow into a Stampede.

    Ken concludes, "Jelly is hoping to organize a March 6 bylaw crawl along with a cleanup event for the core." That's great news and I hope that this build's up enough momentum to spread throughout the entire city. The mere mention of the words "cleanup" ought to inspire other prominent Hamiltonians such as [Dan's Diatribe] to get on (the) board. And why not, he chairs the Clean City Liason Committee and he really should [Pitch-In] too.

    Pitch-In Week April 19-25, 2010 - IT Starts With You!
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  26. Good questions Tom, Bob wouldn't be tooting his horn if he wasn't worried about the rot and decay downtown becoming an election issue.

    As the By-law Crawl will continue to supply a steady stream of infractions to the Building Department and will continue to get coverage in the Hamilton Spectator and on popular Blogs like the Hamiltonian, Bob Bratina shouldn't be the only Alderman looking over his shoulder, Bernie Morreli and Brian McHattie take note.

    They could even be considered the "three stooges" of downtown renewal, nyuk, njuk, nyuk.
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  27. I sat on that committee a number of years ago, we never focused on downtown, maybe they will start now. Better late than never.
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  28. WRCU2...The people who post unauthorized signs on buildings and utility posts throughout the city should be charged to the full extent of the law like we do with the graffiti artists now. They are just creating another eyesore. The police should encourage citizens to call when they see these signs being posted and lay appropriate charges.
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  29. I would like to ask Mr. Tom Robertson what he does for a living? Why is it that he seems to be on hall marks, draft a mayor, The Hamiltonian ect and knows quite a bit of inside information about our City. Not even convinced thats your real name. Just wondering.
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  30. Anonymous....Yes that is my real name. Why won't you tell us yours. Life can be a struggle. Waking up each morning checking the weather and deciding to maybe have an extra coffee and tackle some projects at home or going out in the city to find some adventure. Retirement is the best job I ever had.
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  31. Great to see this initiative taking place, and to bring more awareness to the issues. Though I ask why has it taken so long for citizens to be as public? I'd be interested to hear what tangible ideas the group has to make improvements and preserve these buildings, once these by-law infractions are corrected. Definitely City council takes a lot of responsibility for these problems, however, we need more action to engage the community and volunteers. Perhaps this is the first step.
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  32. Right on Tom, retirement is the best job I ever had too.
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  33. Mr. Robertson retired from what type of job?
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  34. Mr. Robertson retired from what type of job....City Employee, teacher, banker??
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  35. Why the inquisition regarding my background from people who are not willing to give us their name or share details of their own private life?
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  36. Dear Mr. T. Robertson, please re-read my post very carefully with your bi-focals on. Then re-read the Hamilton Spectator link I provided. When you are finished, come back here and re-phrase your comment appropriately.

    I am not advocating that every Tom, Harry or Dick place their homemade signs all over town like some wild wild west wanted posters. This was Mr. Bratina's initiative, to be performed in an official capacity. Oh, and please don't go running around flaming people for placing their yard sale signs on busy street corners. You'll only be hurting yourself when the neighbors start referring to you as that grumpy old fart down the block.
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  37. I don't normally interfere with discussion, but please keep it resepctful and preferably, on topic.

    Thank-you

    Margaret,
    The Hamiltonian Admin
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  38. I've been caught. While being far from grumpy I have been known to let the occasional good one rip. If Mr. Bratina wants it required that signs be posted on the neglected properties He should also along with the rest of council be required to wear signs around their neck for the years of neglect they have shown to the downtown core.
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  39. I would be impressed if Bob applied this kind of scrutiny to his pal Darko Vranich/Vrancor and the several vacant/rundown properties he owns in and around the core. Perhaps this is why he didn't show up on Saturday- embarassment?

    I will make the signs for him if he wants to get this started.
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  40. Thank you for clearing the air Mr. Robertson. I got the feeling you had a bone to pick with me for my opinion on [Guerrilla Gardeners], who like Vincent Van Gogh, would choose paint, I mean plant in a myriad of views, the magnificent sunflower on the dreary canvas of their blighted neighborhood landscapes.

    You have made some very articulate and meaningful comments Mr. Robertson but like you said, you have been known to let the occasional good one rip that inevitably clears the room. In this instance, I have no problem enduring the flatulence because I support Mr. Bratina in his effort to expose the delinquency of irresponsible land owners with clearly visible names and numbers. Property speculators are profit driven opportunists and generally not in it for the long haul. Their vision is for short-term gain.

    Have you actually been to the neighborhood in question Mr. Roberts? Have you seen the beautiful new elementary school nearby which is currently under construction? Are you aware of the massive transformation underway in the Wellington - Cathcart building or have you seen the new model suite in unit #1910? How about the renovation to the Shoppers Drug Mart? You said yourself you occasionally like "going out in the city to find some adventure." I think this neighborhood is a great place to start.

    I'd much prefer you as a friend than an adversary Tom and I would relish seeing you on TTQ.

    Thanks for sharing.
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  41. These guys still don't get it. It is about the small and the big things. Much of what Mr. Bratina mentions are larger projects and as one post already mentioned, taxpayer dollars. The cynic in me wants to say this is because those are the things that line the pockets of political supporters... but anyway. There needs to be a more holistic approach. Having a new train station or park next to a rundown rooming house or decrepit vacant building owned by an absentee landlord isn't going to solve the problem.

    The reality is someone is making money off of most the projects that Mr. Bratina mentions and the reality of the bylaw enforcement required in this particular situation is it will probably cost more money than it will recoup for some years and most politicians only have a four year view of things.

    Mix in the fact that said landlords may also be the political supporters and it is no wonder very little gets done... well that's what the cynic in me thinks anyway.

    - Kiely
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  42. Kiely, you are justified in your cynicism. That four year window you refer to is akin to a vision of short-term gain. Mr. Jelly is also correct that there is a strong hint of panderism perfume wafting through the core. I am quite sure Mr. Jelly could design some exquisite signs too.

    However, the cynicism must be regulated accordingly. At some point we must take stock in some of the good things which are happening around our city and elsewhere in the province, and use them as examples of what we can achieve when we all work together.

    Mr. Jelly has taken the crucial first step, may there be many more to come.

    [Let's be inspired]!
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  43. WRCU2...I am beginning to suspect you are Bob Bratina in disguise. My adventures have taken me to most neighbourhoods in the city. I think I have walked every street in the downtown core including all the alleys. James St. South is a fantastic area shop and I visit there and the galleries regularly. I think the shopping at the International Village area has started to decline due to the stagnation of any business development in the area. I much prefer the Farmers Market at its present location with its close accessibility to King St. and the shoppers there who are carrying the goods they buy are closer to the transit system especially since the hub is moving to McNab. How many of these neglected buildings downtown were purchased with the owner having dreams of turning them into condos only to find out that no one is interested in buying a condo downtown because city council has neglected to stimulate business development in the core.Wasn't that the plan for the Century Theatre? One of the buildings that Mr. Bratina likes to point out is the Connaught. Was he not opposed to a plan to make it a mixed use building of condos, rental units and retail space? I wanted to be first in line to get on the list for a rental unit. This building will now lay vacant and deteriorate more for another 10 years. Mr. Bratina seems to be staking his reputation in the ward by pointing out the negative things in the ward. He should be spending that effort in going out and shopping around to business that Hamilton has plenty of affordable office and retail space ready to be moved into and affordable real estate to be developed. Any successful salesman will tell you that you have to go out and sell your product rather than sitting around to see if customers come to you. This shouldn't be just applied to the downtown core. The industrial core has an abundance of real estate available. With the cut back in the steel making industry the facilities are already in place to tap into supplies of electricity, natural gas and water. Burlington St. and Industrial Drive are easily accessible to the QEW both Niagara and Toronto,the Redhill Expressway, rail lines and shipping through the St. Lawrence Seaway. Who is out shopping that around? What business links has the city attached itself to, especially in developing countries and Asia to promote Hamilton as an affordable North American location to expand their businesses. We have a council now that would rather spend time debating and spending millions of dollars on issues like bike lanes instead of dealing with issues that are much more important to the survival of the city.
    A beautiful new school building at taxpayer expense is nice but I would rather see a beautiful new or renovated building employing 500 people. Wellington-Cathcart is just another building that will have a high vacancy rate until the rents are low enough for low income earners or people on welfare can afford. The Shoppers Drug Mart will employ less people than the Post Office that left the site. So that no one is confused I am a Mountain Resident.
    When I let out a rip at least everyone knows I did it rather than someone anonymously dropping the silent but deadly ones.
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  44. Michelle HruschkaFeb 9, 2010 03:58 AM
    Tom Writes: Wellington-Cathcart is just another building that will have a high vacancy rate until the rents are low enough for low income earners or people on welfare can afford. The Shoppers Drug Mart will employ less people than the Post Office that left the site. So that no one is confused I am a Mountain Resident.

    The amounts that people receive from welfare are not sustainable in any shape or form. The shelter portion for a single person on welfare is 349.00 per month, good luck, trying to find accommodations at that price.

    So what happens, is those on welfare spend the majority of the cheque just trying to maintain shelter, never mind food, the costs of trying to find work such as transportation, the ablility to go to school or get training.

    It costs of us more, as people are hauled into court or the housing tribunal for non payment of rent and never mind the emotional cost on individuals grappling with trying to cope with all these things and still maintain an aura of dignity.

    I watched an interesting film on the weekend, Poor No More. The one interesting point that was brought was the fact if you show people pictures of the great depression it stirs emotion when they see the pictures of those who stood in the bread ad soup line.

    Today, thoes same lines are there but it does not draw the same emotion. As a society we are bombasted with the propaganda that those who struggle are the cause of their own demise and not the fact that the social safety net is being slowly dismantled.

    So I have to ask myself the following:

    Many unionized workers voted for Mike Harris and we have seen the ensuing cuts that took place. Why is it that those who follow the right side of politics, lay claim to the left side of things when it comes to the wages, benefits and pensions that they have, while denying those that struggle an amount to live on that would allow people to live in dignity.

    Sort of an oxymoron, dont you think.
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  45. Now that´s what I meant by articulate and meaningful Mr. Robertson. I can assure you that I am not Mr. Bratina in disguise and please do not be swayed by the sheep's clothing, I have many frocks to wear.

    Your comment makes core reconstruction sound so simple and you place the sole responsibility of IT on Mr. Bratina. A project of such magnitude can never be a one man show, it takes teamwork and an entire legion of salesmen like the Chamber of Commerce for example.

    I want to keep my post short this morning because I have a busy day ahead of me. Think about this Tom: we have here an impetus for change in the form of a successful bylaw crawl and the social media sites have exploded with additional eyes and ears, and Although Hall Marks is a notable exception, we should try to keep the conversations upbeat because many key people are paying close attention to what is being said. Why not be that salesman yourself? I know I can.

    Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with [Mr. In-between].
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  46. True WRCU2, things do tend to get bogged down in negativity and I do believe negativity is rarely a positive thing, but the same can be said about being overly positive. Afterall being said to be wearing "rose coloured glasses" is rarely said as a compliment. What is needed is a REAL perspective. There needs to be open and honest dialogue about what is wrong in order to get things right; but the problems still need to be dealt with in a positive context, (i.e., yes it is messed up but we CAN fix it).

    Do you know where the power lies?
    And who pulls the strings
    Do you know where the power lies?
    It starts and ends with you
    - "11th Hour" by Rancid
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  47. Bernie was elected as City Councillor for Ward 3 in 1991 and was re-elected in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006. Is Hamilton better off now, or ten years ago when Bernie first got elected downtown? The rot and decay, and lost economic activity, are self evident.
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  48. It's hard to be positive on this topic when it is about a group seeking headlines by pointing out negative things. I am beginning to think of this By-law Crawl group as a form of vigilante gang taking justice into their own hands. Were there structural engineers, experts in building codes and people well versed in the by-laws in this group? When crimes are committed a civilized society calls the police department to deal with it. Will posting signs on buildings really help if someone wanting to invest in the core walks through and becomes concerned that the property he in interested could suddenly be posted with one of the signs? A business investor would probably walk past a building that is already signed rather than looking inside to see if it suits his needs. What effect will the posting of the signs have on the value of a property if the buildings on each side of it are posted with a sign? Who would want to invest in a community when they know that once a month a gang will be walking by to critique their property? If someone sees what they believe is a violation of building standards they should be contacting their elected representative and the appropriate city department for corrections. If they don't get satisfaction through their councillor regarding their concerns they can get satisfaction at the ballot box. Will the crawl posse next continue on to Gore Park and slap signs on the backs of individuals they consider "undesirables"?
    I hope Mr. Bratina will reconsider his position that the posting of signs will benefit downtown development.
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  49. Tommy. Don’t you think that needing complaints before anyone does anything is a little ridiculous. Take a look around man. A piano doesn’t have to fall on your head before you move out of the way. Bobby at least seems to gave a ____ about it. Where’s the Mayor Freddy or all the other heroes? Why don’t the enforcement people do what the crawl people are doing? Because their phones didn’t ring with a complaint? Come on man. Look around. The place is crumble city. Hamilton, The Best Place to Sink a Building

    Elvis P
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  50. Are you all right Tom?
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  51. Kiely I am fine. Except for the weather life couldn't be better.
    For Mr. Jelly and The Hamiltonian I take exception to the 2 photos you have chosen to display here. In the first one it looks to me like someone is in the process of moving. The property at the top of the stairs does not look like it has been out all winter. When you have a group all wound up to go look for infractions they can make a rush to judgment and see something where the in fact the story they are trying to depict is not totally true. This happens when a 2 minute walk by for a photo op ends with the fraction of a second required to take the photo is not followed up with a real investigation. In the second photo did anyone knock on the door to see if it was a rental property or owned by the resident. This property could be owned by a struggling family trying to make ends meet that can't afford to fix the stairway without taking away from the basic needs of their children. If this was the case maybe the 100 concerned people on the crawl could have reached into their pocket and come up with a couple of bucks each to buy the supplies necessary to repair the steps. Another scenario could be that this property could be owned by a senior or handicapped person not able to make the repairs. Within the large group on the crawl surely a few qualified people could be found to make the repair. That is certainly the most neighbourly thing that could be done and to set an example to our children that Hamilton is the best place to raise our children. In either case I am sure that either the struggling family or senior is already embarrassed about the condition of the stairs. Now they have the distinction of having it pointed out to the city by the Hamiltonian and the move is on to further heighten their embarrassment by posting a sign on the property.
    These are the things that happen when you send a vigilante gang of wannabe by-law enforcement officers out onto the streets.
    These two images should be immediately removed from the site with an apology extended to the victims of your attack.
    If these two so called infractions were the most serious found by the group I would say the crawl was no great success.
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  52. Mr. Robertson. You should ask Matt for a list of the sites. There were a lot. Why not join us next time instead of sitting at your computer watching the world go by? Rita
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  53. Wow Rita if the two so called infractions chosen to be highlighted are so extreme I can hardly wait to see the rest of the list. Did the gang find a few spots where the location of the mailbox was not up to snuff. Maybe the street numbers posted on the houses were not exactly perpendicular. Sorry Rita but I won't be joining you the next time. I don't want to get involved in anything where the herd mentality prevails. If there are more serious issues why hasn't Matt posted them here rather than sharing the photos he supplied to be posted.
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  54. Tom, I welcome your concerns and I'm glad we can engage in a good, vigorous discussion about this. Calm down a minute and let me explain and clarify some things for you.

    The first photo is definitely not the worst thing we found on the crawl. The second photo however, is of perhaps the worst property I've seen so far as a result of the crawl and the reporting that came in from multiple teams. I'll explain that in a minute, but first I feel the need to explain some very basic points about By-Law Crawl and the nature of this group, which I absolutely need you to understand before you make any wild assumptions about me or the participants of this event.

    I did not set out with this event to crack down unfairly on anyone, or to victimize little old ladies. The event was designed to target vacant and derelict properties that pose a problem to the community- not pestering residents with minor complaints, or demanding anything unreasonable. We are not a vigilante group- we are concerned citizens. We're not taking the law into our own hands- we're merely reporting visible infractions on properties and forwarding that information to relevant City staff- working directly in contact with law enforcement.

    I have prioritized the complaints based on whether a property is vacant, open to trespass, or poses some sort of risk to the public. I have been visiting properties for the last three days to follow up on each report, to see for my own eyes what the severity of the complaint is, and letting by-law staff know each time what I see. I am in daily contact with Glyn Wide, Superintendent Municipal Law Enforcement, and I've communicated to him which properties I believe are of the highest priority. The Connaught was the first property I reported, and the complaint was acted upon and the entrance sealed. 24 other complaints have been filed, and I've identified which ones I believe fall the 'high' priority category. I'm following up with each complaint I haven't witnessed with my own eyes, and the complaints found by my teams go through me to city staff, particularly to Mr. Wide.

    As for signs, that was Bob Bratina's idea, not mine. I was joking when I said I would help him in this endeavor. This is not at all my intention. Bob can do whatever he likes. If we're talking about vacant or derelict heritage buildings, I am all over the idea. I have no interest in branding residential properties with nasty signs.

    As for the question of the Crawl and it's participants, and what qualifications they have- I'll keep the answer simple: they're citizens. It's not an extreme idea for a group to have a copy of the property standards by-law, and to document infractions they see, as long as they don't take matters into their own hands, and report those infractions to the city. I was clear in my remarks to the group at the beginning of the crawl what they should and shouldn't do. I instructed the group to stay within the bounds of the law, and to focus on the worst infractions they see. The process was clear and simple, and so far it has worked. I have been responsible in ensuring this does not get out of hand.

    I'll also add that I met with Senior By-Law staff in advance of the crawl, discussed what I intended to do, and invited them to have some inspectors attend the crawl to engage with citizens, answer questions, and verify these complaints in real time. They did not send anyone, but sent kind regrets.
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  55. PART 2:

    Now let's talk about the photos that Cal attached to this post.

    The first picture is a minor infraction, but not an altogether unimportant one. I followed up on this complaint yesterday afternoon, and the porch is definitely leaning down, and is worth looking at. I'm not an inspector, but as a big burly man I know a thing or two about gravity. The photo may be from an angle that makes this less apparent, so go check it out for yourself. It is definitely out of whack, and this could be made worse by the stuff piled on it- which has not moved since Saturday's crawl.

    The second picture is a house on a downtown street, two doors down from the apartment of a young woman named Michelle that was out on the crawl, on Cal's team.

    While I am hesitant to inspect residential properties, I can't ignore what Michelle and her team found; the conditions of that house are deplorable- the addition on the back of the house is structurally unsound, the roof has absolutely caved in on it. This addition is filled with trash, the window sills on the west side of the house are filled with rotting food, and the man who lives there seems to be in desperate need of medical attention- my team who found him on Saturday told me he was laying in the trash in the backyard, and seemed unable to respond when the team tried speaking with him. These are not suitable living conditions for anyone, I hope you would agree. Michelle has spoken to her landlord about it, and he seems to believe the man lives there.

    I have contacted Glyn Wide about this house after I saw it with my own eyes yesterday, and asked that it be put in top priority. I asked that Public Health be notified and Glyn has assured me they've been informed.

    I'll be clear, because you have such strong concerns about these actions- by no means do we mean to put this man out of a home, or require him to fix the house when he clearly can't afford to do so. As concerned citizens (and in Michelle's case, neighbours), we're looking to the city to help this man out, and get him the attention he needs. I would hope as a result of reporting this house, public health can remove him from an unsuitable home, and hopefully find a place for him to live where he will get attention. The by-law infractions on this property are not my first concern at this point- the health and welfare of this man are my top priority when it comes to this house.

    Once the problem is addressed by public health, and the ownership of this house is determined, if I need to, I'll engage a group of our volunteers to do the work ourselves, with supervision from the building department. You can hold me to that.

    I understand your concerns, but please rest assured- we're not looking to victimize this man, we're looking to get him the help he needs.

    As much attention as the crawl has gotten in the media lately, do not confuse that with a 'photo op'. I have been working on this 12+ hours a day for weeks. In the last three days, I've spent my own time double checking our reports, making sure we're doing the right thing, and bringing attention to the right properties. I've been in regular communications with Glyn Wide, asking questions, clarifying things. I'm not perfect, and neither is the by-law crawl, but I feel in my heart we are doing good work. If you or Bob Bratina or anyone else feels differently, I welcome your suggestions as to how we can improve this project and how we can do the most amount of good.

    Let's work together. Come out to the next crawl and watch the watchmen yourself.
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  56. im abit mad about that reply about the house with the stairs caved in. I live one or 2 over from it, and i can see the backyard from my back deck. I know the conditions. so instead of assuming, and lecturing on being neighbourly, maybe you , yourself should take a walk and see. that the picture of the steps is only one of the many issues with this building. Im doing what I feel is right. I mean, what would happen if we did nothing, I don't want that on my shoulders..and I know the whole story to it. ..its more than just the picture on the website.

    m.b.
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  57. Michelle HruschkaFeb 10, 2010 06:15 AM
    I applaud the efforts of the by law crawl teams, in trying to get this gentleman some help that sounds like he so desparately needs.

    No one should have to live in squalor, no matter what their issues are.

    As a community we should be looking out for those who need the help the most, it is unfortunate, that our social services fail on many fronts to deal with people and their problems. The amounts people receive from welfare are not sustainable and people may be force to live in situations that are a danger to their health and well being.

    So, if you watch this video, you will clearly see the those who struggle live in places where the bathrooms, which are communal are covered in mould.

    http://www.youtube.com/v/q7ymCIaw-CM&hl=en_US&fs=1&

    So from a community stand point, if say our police officers come across a grow up and that place has mould, then the haz met teams come in, as it is deemed as a very serious Occupational Health and Safety issue.

    If it is an Occupational Health and Safety issue for our public servants, should it not be the same for those who are the most marginalized.

    If property standards is failing to enforce the laws regarding empty buildings, what does that say for those buildings or structures that are occupied.
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  58. Hi Tom, I was just checking, seems you were getting a little peeved there. Can you perhaps be a bit crotchety at times? No offense intended, I can be crotchety with the best of them : )

    I do agree with some of your points. I agree the images presented are less than stellar examples. considering there are burned out and completely derelict properties in my ward (ward 3). I understand your concerns about average citizens doing these types of bylaw investigations (although I myself do not view them as "vigilantes") but I believe that is part of the point Matt Jelly and others are trying to make, (i.e., why do regular citizens have to complain and document to get action on these issues???). You also make a very good point about people struggling (financially or physically) to maintain their properties and perhaps a helping hand extended to them would go a long way. I would certainly support any initiative to provide assistance to people who need help maintaining their properties. Perhaps a registry of people in need could be established??? And maybe if citizens didn't have to waste their time going around doing the work of bylaw officers in order to ensure these infractions (minor or otherwise) are dealt with we might be able to draw even more people into a volunteer group to do some of that work.
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  59. In case of fire we call the Fire Department. In Case of medical distress we call the EMS. If a crime has been committed we call the POlice Department. Inspecting for by-law infractions should be left to the qualified professionals who are paid to do the job. What can we do next? Get out some red berets and form a chapter of the Guardian Angels to patrol downtown. Will the presesence of Guardian Angels or the knowledge that properties are going to be scrutinized monthly do anything to stimulate economic development?
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  60. Full disclosure: Here's our map for anyone interested in which buildings we have identified. You'll find that most of these buildings are not residential properties- or if they are, they're vacant or present some sort of problem: http://bit.ly/BYLAWMAP

    I am updating this list, and I have removed an entry which I didn't believe was necessarily an issue. If you believe a property is on this list that doesn't deserve to be, please let me know and I'll follow up immediately. So far there are only two of us working on administering this list, so please bear with us.

    The worst cases in terms of the condition of the property are the apartments at King and Hess, The "Augusta Lofts" at Walnut and Augusta, The Royal Connaught, the property at Stuart and Hess sts., and the house I spoke about in my last post.

    There is a program for lower income residents to make improvements to their homes, I'm looking into that info and I'll get back to you all with what I find.

    In the end, I don't want by-law enforcement to be up to citizens, or mostly complaint driven. My end goal here is to have the city adopt a policy of effective, proactive enforcement. Still accepting complaints, but not waiting until a complaint comes in to take action. This may mean the addition of a few more by-law officers, which I know the department is working on- Glyn Wide mentioned something about MLE officers on bikes that will be visible in the core soon.

    This group will not demand improvements from people who cannot feasibly do so. When it comes to properties which are not vacant but present a problem, I want us to work with the City and that property owner to make improvements and solve the problem.

    If the owner welcomes it, I'll gladly organize a group to fix up some properties, hopefully sponsored by local companies. But only in cases where the owner is truly in a position where the necessary improvements are too costly.

    When it comes to any building owned by the Vranich family/Vrancor, there's no excuse. They're millionaires I'm sure- and from what I can tell, the single worst offenders when it comes to broken by-laws and derelict buildings.

    According to Bob Bratina, in 2007, "both father and son don't "just sit on properties, (they) do things with them." Really?

    http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=140247
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  61. I applaud Matt Jelly and his band of merry men/woman for stepping up to the plate and even attempting to make a difference.
    Great citizenship is what makes a neighborhood/City succeed not some shady politicians who only make promises during election time.

    I am a local Photographer here in Hamilton that sees the beauty in all Positive & Negative situations. It's Passion that drives me and I see that Passion in Mr.Jelly.
    "Kudos to you Sir".

    I was very sad to see The Century fall until I learned it could have been avoided then that sadness turned to confusion. So why not volunteer 1 day a month to see what is really going on behind the curtain, I know I will!

    Behind every success is effort...
    Behind every effort is Passion...
    Behind every Passion is someone with courage to try it.

    Fantastically Yours, Sean Scott
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  62. I think posting signs is a good idea, if done the right way. How about if a building is vacant, the property owners contact info must be clearly displayed. This would allow them to be easily contacted if there was an emergency, and it would give the community the opportunity to confront the owners themselves.
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  63. Kiely...Peeved? No. Crotchety? No. Opinionated? Yea.
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  64. "There is a program for lower income residents to make improvements to their homes, I'm looking into that info and I'll get back to you all with what I find...
    If the owner welcomes it, I'll gladly organize a group to fix up some properties, hopefully sponsored by local companies. But only in cases where the owner is truly in a position where the necessary improvements are too costly." - Matt jelly

    That would be great Matt, you can count me in.
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  65. "When it comes to any building owned by the Vranich family/Vrancor, there's no excuse. They're millionaires I'm sure- and from what I can tell, the single worst offenders when it comes to broken by-laws and derelict buildings." - Matt Jelly

    Can enough proof be gathered to publicly shame them but avoid slander/libel charges? That is if it is even possible to shame them.
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  66. Tom you're missing the point.

    You're correct "In case of fire we call the Fire Department. In Case of medical distress we call the EMS. If a crime has been committed we call the POlice Department." But Matt is not issuing orders to fix the problems. It's a case of a by-law infraction so he's calling Bylaw Enforcement.

    Matt, i can't believe you manage to keep your composure whil having to listen to this kind of nonsense. Keep up the good work.
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  67. A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into. ~Ansel Adams

    Great work Matt!!!! You have my full support.

    Zafer
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  68. Turner.. I'm cool with it. your right. Tommy is out to lunch on this one. "wait till a complaint comes in..maybe the person was moving...maybe the feries put the furniture there. Come on Tommy. Smell the truth. The cral is craling cause the city has been crawling for far to long. Time for them to actually do their jobs so we weont have to bud.

    Elvis P.
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  69. Tom's concerns are valid- I would be concerned too as an outside observer that this kind of thing could potentially get out of hand. As a funny aside, the hyperbole in Tom's comments remind me of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald_Knobbers

    It's a funny story, one that would be a great Coen brother's movie, ala "O Brother".

    Tom, since I see you're posting, can you let me know if I've addressed your concerns to your satisfaction?
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  70. Matt...Thank you for the link to the Bald Knobbers It further reinforced my view that mob mentality should not be used to impose their views on the rest of the community. I found an ominous statement there "As their numbers grew into the hundreds out of a county only 7,000 people the original intent began to lose focus" You had 100 people out on your crawl and are looking to expand the group. With such a large group splinter groups will break off from members who are not satisfied with just the public outing of property owners you plan to do and may decide to take a more radical approach and burn the offending properties down. Will you get satisfaction that it is an offshoot of a Matt Jelly production? I think it is best to cull the herd and put a stop to this type of mentality. If you have a real concern about property standards it would be best if you and a few friends went out for the tour and then make an appointment to meet with the Alderman for the ward you inspected rather than going out on a publicity seeking mission.
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  71. Tom Robertson said...
    "Kiely...Peeved? No. Crotchety? No. Opinionated? Yea."


    You're welcome to it Tom, better than no opinion at all. I have been accused of the same.
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  72. I was on the team that viewed the home and the man on the walk. All we do is pass on the report to the city. Like Crimestoppers we can be the extra eyes for Bylaw Enforcement. We are but citizens of the city who gave of our time after watching one of Hamilton's heritage building go down after years of neglect.As a group there are no plans to do anything as stupid as you suggest. Please remember Bratina was invited.Also I believe we plan to check out more wards next month and I am sure those councillors will be welcome to come along. Thank You.
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  73. You seem to have an axe to grind with me, Tom. But that's fine.

    The point I'm trying to make is that we're not in 1880's Missouri. We have by-laws and policies in place meant to prevent the decay of properties, and to ensure public safety, but there's a legacy of the policy not being enforced. This lack of enforcement is a direct result of the lack of complaints from Downtown residents, which I'll remind you is our absolute right to do, when a complaint is warranted.

    We're not doing anything outside of the law- and I've invited Municipal Law Enforcement to attend the event. Do nefarious vigilante groups invite the proper authorities to tag along, or meet in daylight, in public, directly across the road from the Central police station, and stay in daily contact with enforcement about the activities of their group? I think not.

    I have and will continue to put measures in place to ensure this event doesn't get out of hand- I am amazed that you would draw the conclusion that a group of peaceful citizens acting within their rights to draw attention to serious municipal by-law infractions and report those infractions to law enforcement could somehow lead to anyone burning a property down.
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  74. Part 2:

    That's an unfair assumption of who we're engaging with this event. Anyone who would go to such extremes is definitely not reading or hearing anything that I've said so far in all our communication- the intention of this project is to preserve and protect the downtown from further decay. Maybe you seem to be missing that point yourself?

    I'll remind you that all I'm doing is communicating with the public, informing them of the property standards by-law, asking them to look at buildings and report what they see to me. Everyone has responsibility for their own actions- but in every step of this process I have been clear on the intention, the method, and the function of this event. I can't control the actions of individuals- all I can do is my best to ask them to be responsible, and explain to them how important that responsibility is.

    It's good citizenship, and I won't stand by while you mischaracterize this project just because you want me to shut up.

    I'm sorry to say this, but Tom, your assumptions completely undervalue the people who care about this city, and reveals in you a sour lack of faith in an engaged and informed citizenry.
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  75. No wonder I love living on Hamilton mountain, three malls, an independant drug store (Sams) and a Staples store within walking distance of my home, a Tim Hortons and Shoppers Drug Mart within minutes walking the other way, a Canadian Tire, two gas stations and a bulk food store within a 15 minute walk.

    The only reason for me to head downtown is for a Doctors appointment, which is rare, and when I do, I have to load up the parking meter and hope my appointment is on time.

    After i'm done I just scoot back up the mountain, breathing a sigh of releaf.

    Last appointment I took the Upper Wellinton bus there and back. Other than the 15 minute wait, all went well, the driver was welcoming.

    I hate crowds and hassles, especially beggars who think I should be providing them with a free ride, using my cash.

    When my lovely wife Laurie Northrup goes downtown (by public transportation) to shop, she suffers the same fate I have, trying to get to the Farmers Market without being approached for a hand-out or getting leered by the loafers hanging around the entrance to Jackson Square.

    As much as city council wishes this isn't so, thats the reality Hamiltonians visiting or shopping downtown face.

    In order to keep my sanity I have more fun hanging aroung my house, relaxing in the garden walled back-yard enjoying a nice salt-water Hot-Tub while listening to the birds chirping and singing.

    Using wireless Internet I can cruise the web while enjoying the privacy afforded by having my own little bit of privacy fenced paradise on Hamilton mountain.

    The best investment I ever made, the neighborhood is fantastic, we all help each other when necessary, like helping the elderly shovel their snow or rake their leaves in the fall, in return I get yummy baked goods and juicy pears and tomatoes from their gardens.

    If city hall wants new construction downtown they have to demolish the old stuff first, so builder with vision can come forth.

    Construction is state of the art now, unlike the primitive methods used to build many of the crumbling structures downtown.

    What this city really needs is a fresh new council to lead the way forward, so get out and vote this fall, many new candidate are coming forward, they deserve our support at the ballot box.

    Why is it so hard for politicians to wrap their collective heads around that idea?
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  76. Mark- You've missed the intention of this event- they don't necessarily need to demolish more of the old stuff- a builder with vision has to come in and start filling all the gaps where we've already demolished and never rebuilt. How many times have we let "builders with vision" sell us a bill of goods, tell us they have plans that require demolition, then they demolish and never develop. What's the excuse then?

    I'm glad you have a community you enjoy where you live- but let me tell you, I've lived downtown my entire life, and the birds sing down here too.

    If the downtown is going to get better, the first thing we need is more people to live and spend time here. You may get bombarded by panhandlers in some places, but those problems don't just go away if you avoid downtown, they get worse. I'm not saying you have any requirement to help these people yourself- but we need more eyes on the streets, more bums in seats, and more people living and interacting with the downtown before any of this will start to get better.

    The truth about demolition of heritage buildings is this; for the same price of a reasonable restoration, it's very unlikely that a builder will come in and build anything of the same worth, the same character, and the same overall impact of a restored heritage building.

    They've torn down buildings like the Birks building, the old City Hall, all of York St., and they've replaced them with buildings "designed like DVD players" as Kunstler puts it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ

    I would be very impressed if a builder had a vision that included the city that exists, working with the people who inhabit it, and build truly impressive buildings, and do it without destroying anything with real value. Fill in the gaps.
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  77. Mark, your mountain neighbourhood sounds like my version of hell, and is the main reason I live in the lower city. I don't say this to critique your choice, but just to point out that to each their own. Assuming that everyone wants to live the way you do is a lousy basis for economic development policy.
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  78. Two brief comments (If I can do this, it'll be a major accomplishment. Trust me. LOL)

    -Some of the variances of opinion on this are generational-based. What is 'uncouth' to one group of people wouldn't raise an eyebrow in the other, and what's 'the way things should be done' to one is just not acceptable citizenship to the other. I'm generalizing here, but after having read all the comments...twice...this is one of the conclusions I'm left with. (For the record, there are aspects of generational behaviour from those older and younger that have me shaking my head, so none of us are immune.)

    -Again I find myself needing to point out that looking at buildings that were demolished forty+ years ago without examining the context within which these events happened...in other words, engaging in what amounts to revisionist history, 'shoulda, could, woulda'...to my mind is a sad disservice to those very times. I read comments all the time about aspects of Hamilton gone-by, and I think 'Clearly, you weren't there.' No offense to anyone, Matt included, who mourn our lost heritage, but while not every decision that was made was a valid one, not every decision to demolish was frivolous. I don't believe in blanket statements when it comes to development, just like I don't believe in the practice of demonizing; usually it's the result of not sincerely wanting to get to the heart of a matter.

    (It's a good thing that my definition of 'brief' isn't the standard.)
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  79. Well Matt. Good luck to you. I am wondering about a few things though. Have you sought any legal council for advice on what constitutes trespass and is this advice handed out to each member of your crawl? Do your photographers know the rights of property owners. I believe they only have the right to take the image of what is visible from public property like a side walk not any other private property. I saw in one of the photos on your site someone pulling back a board on a building. I don't think that would stand up to the standards of what is legal. I guarantee you that somewhere along your crawl your group will be confronted by a property owner and a strong confrontation could take place. What plans do you have to deal with that? Do you have liability insurance to deal with any issues where a member could be injured during the process of inspection? If a property owner takes offense and decides to file a lawsuit regarding libel and slander are you going to be the stand up guy and defend the action at your own expense? Like I said Good Luck.
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  80. Matt, an axe wouldn´t be ground if IT were already sharp enough. You have carried yourself very well in this discussion and what you´ve done is exceptional. Many thanks to the 50-100 eager participants of this premier wake-up event. The crawl became a stampede to the best two sites in town. By my estimation through the art of IT, since Sunday, these local interactive social media sites have received the following number of page views:

    The Hamiltonian - 2600
    Have Your Say - 2167
    Raise the Hammer - 1533
    Hall Marks - 400

    The By-Law Crawl event received a total of 4133 page views with the Hamiltonian and RTH combined coverage (3 stories). The Hamilton Spectator's sponsored sites received a total of 2567 page views (6 stories). Congratulations concerned citizens of Hamilton, you have been seen and herd, or is that heard? Sometimes I get confused in my old age, EH?

    Speaking of old age MAW, I know you've got Bluebirds on your street, or is that you're on Bluebird Street? I forget easily. All I know is you're in the seventh and your gardens are wonderful. I recall when they were being built and I'll bet they're even nicer now. I am happy to be around folks who appreciate the songs of birds in their neighborhoods. They truly are a pleasure to hear especially in the dead of winter. That's when you know for sure you are in a special part of town that is full of life.

    Also Maw and Mr. Sean Scott as well or anyone repulsed by our city's destitute, the next time you're at a place where someone begs for pocket change, ask them for something in return. Ask to take their picture for a toonie and answer a question or two for a buck. Then come back here and share the story of your Good Luck. Use some of Cal's canned questions as examples. For instance you could ask, "If you had the undivided attention of everyone in Hamilton for 15 seconds, what would you say to them?" Be creative and be respectful. Mr. Larry Strung did IT. Mr. Gary Santucci did IT.

    Coax them little birds into songs call, the melody should belong to us all.
    Isn't IT Amazing what action inspired to fall?
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  81. Matt regarding the bird's also sing downtown the problem is that they are all pigeons. If you intend to continue your crawl why not dedicate a day to photograph all the pigeon shit on the ground and hanging from buildings in the core. The number of pigeons in Gore Park is greater than the number of people in the park. I am sure you are aware that pigeon shit is a very toxic substance and could pose a health hazard to people who work in the core and exposed to it every day. You mention being bombarded by panhandlers downtown. I have never had this problem on the numerous times I have been downtown. Maybe I look scary to them. I have been bombarded on a few occasions by pigeons. Pigeons make no distinction of who they choose to bombard and I am sure this happens more than once a day.I have contacted the Mayors office and some Councillors regarding this and have never been given a response. I think they are afraid they will get a pie in the face from PETA if they take any action to rid the core of this infestation.
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  82. Tom, I really hope you can see that I'm trying to thoroughly address your concerns as best I can, and use your criticisms to improve our process. Believe it or not, you are helping this cause in your own disgruntled way.

    Everyone will be advised of their responsibilities, thoroughly. Within the context of the crawl, I cannot be held legally responsible for the potential actions of people who show up to this event and decide to ignore my advice to them about what is acceptable, and do something I am not advising them to do. That's just the reality.

    That said- I do not wave off the responsibilities of leading this event and ensuring everyone is clear on what the intent is and what our responsibilities are.

    The fact is, the first crawl was successful, and responsible. The people who participated understood the instructions and I'm very happy to report we had no problems in how we went about looking for infractions and reporting them. One issue arose, and it was dealt with- someone did go a little overboard, and the individual has been notified of how not to conduct himself. There were no serious problems to report.
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  83. We broke up into teams- and I know who in that group is responsible, understands the intent, and has the capacity to lead a team.

    So next time, here's what I'm going to do: I'll be loosely assigning the teams, so that each team who goes out has a point person who is intimately familiar with what we're doing and how to go about it. If a property owner should wonder what's up, and want to ask questions, this point person will be responsible for communicating with anyone who has questions, and explain what we're doing. If a confrontation should happen even with this mechanism in place, I'll be in walkie-talkie contact with each team, so we can resolve any potential conflicts.

    We will have a team next time leading this effort- responsible people guiding the crawl, and I can almost guarantee you this will cut down on any potential problems that could arise.

    If we do have any of these problems, the buck stops with me. I will take responsibility and address any problems that come up. I will not shy away from my responsibilities.

    Tom, if you have any more questions or concerns, I'm all ears. Thank you for this productive discourse.
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  84. Your funny Tom, I recall sitting waiting for the bus at Gore Park and was crapped on by a bird, probably a Pidgeon.

    I didn't realize it at the time, until I caught on to those other people around me snickering at my plight.

    I got on the bus and rode home and took a shower thinking I was the lucky one being crapped on by a Bluebird of happiness, given how things worked out for me later in life.

    Won a huge lawsuit for my disabled son Logan and retired so I could look after him while my wife worked. Logan passed away a few years ago, unfortunately.

    Bluebird Avenue rocks!
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  85. Mr. Jelly. I support what you're doing 100%. Mr. Difalco, you have a great blog. Thanks to you too.

    Gayle
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  86. Mr. Roberson, I´d heed when someone clucks, better duck!!!

    This is the just ducky kind of techno rocking Blue´s Bird I´m talking about.

    Your eyes can have IT all alarm fours????

    Feels like a rallying tune so I felt like sharing my thanks in this way, Good Luck. I love IT!
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  87. Matt...Did you have legal advice that as organizer and lead bull that you were absolved from all actions taking place within the herd. Was it explained to you that you have to exercise some due diligence in keeping things under control. I would suggest that you have each member of the crawl sign an individual form that they have read and understand the laws against trespass, photographic laws and have been advised by you what behavior you expect from the participants and that the participant will be held entirely responsible for any action they take place in that are outside of your guide lines. Also they should sign a separate waiver absolving you from any claims of injury due to their participation in a crawl. These forms should then be kept on file because it could be years before a claim is being made against you. It's a cover your ass world out their my friend. Being the lead dog in the pack is not quite as simple as you think it is. Maybe as a practice run on your next crawl you could tackle the pigeon shit issue as the birds would not have a legal leg or wing to stand on.
    Off of this topic I think the Hamiltonian should change the comment format so that the new comments appear first. Its a pain in the ass having to scroll through 80 comments to get to the new ones.
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  88. This comment has been removed by the author.
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  89. Michelle HruschkaFeb 12, 2010 08:42 AM
    Matt: While the gist of the crawl is to identify empty commercial buildings, I would suggest that if you are dealing with a residential problems, that one does have to take into consideration what could happen, if it is a family of low income, especially if chldren are involved.

    While your goal is to make the neighbourhoods safer, social servies may other issues and that family where there are children involved will come under the scrutiny of CAS.

    To give an example, a family, who one would consider as the working poor, were behind in utility payments, in social housing. The worker had lost their job and was struggling on EI to maintain shelter and home. A group within the city was trying to work with the family when the call came for the top echelons of Social Services to have the children taken away. It seems that social servies, deems families who have lost their jobs and struggling to keep house and home, as bad parents. Of course, the real problem is the fact the EI is not enough and either is Ontaro Works to sustain people and the lack of jobs. But the what the hay, it is so much easier to demonize the parents, then to have the actual social and CAS workers to actually develop the balls to speak out against the system, as it is their jobs and their funding.

    Even though the people may be only renting, the problem lies with the landlord, it will be those the renters that could very well possibly pay the highest cost.
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  90. Michelle- I understand your concern. I'm thinking a lot about this, and you know me well enough that I won't work against anyone in a very hard situation- I will only work towards helping these people, not imposing on them. I was one of those downtown Hamilton working poor kids myself at one time. So was my father, so was his father. I'm not an outsider with no familiarity with these issues. I take this all very much to heart.

    To update, public health has been contacted and reminded about this case- and action should follow next week. I'm in contact with Michelle, and if she sees anything I need to know about she'll definitely let me know.

    Once the city does what is necessary, and I work through the proper authorities, we're mobilizing a team to make this situation right. There's only so much I can say for now, but I'll give you a full update as things start to happen.

    Thanks to everyone who has engaged with me on this- I'm going to keep at it until the right thing happens. All you can do is take me on my word on that. I understand how complex some of these issues are, and how much concern there is about these issues. I take everyone's views seriously, and I'm listening. I'll need all of your help in this regard. Help me do the right thing.

    Next week, I'll be presenting to Economic Development and Planning about the By-Law Crawl and the next steps. If you can, please join me this Tuesday at the Albion Room at Hamilton Convention Centre. It should be a very good discussion. I'll also answer any questions people have about what we're doing, and what progress has been made so far. I'm all yours.

    Have a good Family Day weekend, everyone, and please remember to support Hamilton's original "crawl" tonight- ART CRAWL! James St. North.

    Come down and see what real community redevelopment looks like.
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  91. Ummmm.....we're almost at 100 posts for this topic.
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  92. Great initiative, interesting comments but after discussing with pooch on our walk, I concluded that while the intent is noble, the idea of making improvement by bludgeoning folks with the heavy hand of gummerment is not the right way, especially with the economy wobbling as it is. Why are so many properties in such a state to begin with? Absenteeism and enforcement cant explain everything. Voters should be asking incumbents what they have been doing to make Hamilton a good investment. When one looks around at other communities, it seems we are not getting our fair share despite some successes. So until the city's fortunes change, voters should continue to inject new blood into city hall - someone will eventually succeed. The job should not be a sinecure.
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  93. Mr. Jelly, please post the time for Tuesday night's presentation.

    Mr. Robertson, your intensified usage of mild swears suggests you are frustrated. I understand IT must take hours to troll, I mean scroll down to the bottom of this rather lengthy discourse. May you find the comfort and patience necessary to continue uninundated.

    Michelle, low income advocate extraordinaire, poverty is not a license to live like pigs. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. An accumulation of garbage outside buildings is a sure way to attract rats, which I find way much more disgusting than pidgeons. Rats have been proven to spead diseases such as the plague. Blame IT on the city for allowing only one lonely bag!

    Mr. Bob Innes and his best friend, I agree the job should not be a sinecure but rather a SIGNATURE in the CORE event. However, you are thinking bass ackwards putting the cart before the horse. Which is fine if you cannot stomach the movements of his backside but you still won't get anywhere. Every year new blood is elected and in every city the cores rot. IT is all that simple although I wish IT were not.

    I get the sense that all responsible parties involved paid close attention to this phenomenon and will heed as they heel-toe to head the herd of By-Law Crawlers, a very small group of individuals strolling on the sidewalk scrolling with the pen and taking a photograph now then again. What harm have they done these concerned men and women? None save this one, they've warmed hearts with warning charts and put them under Tom's thumb.

    They were not pooping on people perched in the park
    They didn't throw rocks at any dog to dare them a bark
    They weren't tearing off siding or busting down doors
    They did not hop over fences or rip off porch floors

    They were walking the talk they looked here or there
    They did not hurl their excrement at neighborly stare
    They were not using chaulk as they should have I'd say
    They didn't sign on the sidewalk as boys and girls play

    Mr. Tom Robertson, would IT be OK with your lean eagle I's take apart meant, to mark the By-Law Crawl pathways traveled by the teams with chaulk? This would allow others to follow the original footsteps and label key vantage points for media references in the march, I mean in March. Thank God they didn't call IT a march EH Tom? That sounds way too serious and (pardon my French) milli-taµnt, like they mean business. This should be looked upon as more or less a simple game innocent children play. A hopsketch art-fest if you will.

    Let's try to think of ways to enhance the next crawl rather than complain about what got stuck on our shoes. Please kick them off at the gate and wipe them on the Matt, oops, sorry bout that! Which reminds me, Cal mentioned this week that I tracked some of my own spit into the Hamiltonian from the soiled steps of another blog. I am sorry I have offended the housekeepers, when I get a bad taste in my mouth I sometimes spit IT uncouthly out. Please accept my apology for this disgusting thing I've done in public and the marks I have left in the hall:-(
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  94. I find the scrolling thing annoying as well. Particularily when the comments are volumous. I looked into this long ago and again last week. There is no fix at present for the template I am using and I lack the technical know how to do it myself.

    Cal
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  95. WCUR2...I didn't think the term "pain in the ass" would be offensive to someone like you? My that was some "bass ackword" thinking on my part. I am sorry for using the term "pigeon shit". From now on I will follow your examples of political correctness and refer to it as pigeon excrement. I am sorry to have "pooped" on your parade and frustrated you. I must need my "backside" spanked.
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  96. Michelle HruschkaFeb 13, 2010 05:14 PM
    WRCU2: Yes I do believe I stated further up the totem pole so to speak that, no one should have to live squalor.

    Some people do have mental illness, which can affect their judgement in regards to their surroundings. I think this says more about our society in general, their apathy, to ignore, to blame those who need help and guidance the most.
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  97. Does this Tom Robertson fellow live in Hamilton, Bermuda by chance??
    Open your eyes and give your head a shake man. This place is a dump full of slumlords and a city hall that cares only about one-way freeways and parking tickets.
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  98. Anonymous....I didn't need 99 other pair of eyes to see for me that the core is a dump.
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  99. The more you call it a dump, the more people will treat it like a dump. Both of you: stop it.
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  100. A quick update from yesterday's presentation to Economic Development and Planning:

    Brian McHattie made a motion to set up a meeting with Marty Hazell and staff to take my suggestions into consideration and start working on them, see what's possible.

    My suggestions were: a) to set up a group of students (similar to what the city has done in property maintenance) to regularly check up on the exteriors of vacant buildings and report findings to by-law staff b) to order a review of the complaints process to ensure that complaints are received and the person who makes the complaint is responded to, and c) that the Vacant Building Protocol be revised to require inspections of vacant buildings on a monthly basis as opposed to every three months.

    Brian is setting up a meeting to discuss these options. I'll send out an update when that meeting happens, and I'll let you know what comes out of it.

    I'll also be developing some more suggestions through this process- these suggestions are just a starting point, to address immediate concerns and fundamental problems.

    We don't have enough by-law inspectors and council is most likely opposed to hiring any new full time staff. The complaints process needs serious revision to ensure the department is responsive to residents. Vacant buildings need much more attention, and more eyes on them.

    These suggestions are a starting point- I'm eager to hear what people think, and what else I should suggest. I'll keep everyone updated on the outcome of the next meeting.
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  101. Tom, you seemed to have a lot of concerns about the initiative- it's too bad you couldn't have made it out yesterday, I was looking forward to a good conversation with you about it. ;)
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  102. Good job Matt
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  103. Matt, great job. Thanks for doing this.

    Anonymous and Tom, it may may have problems but it's not a dump. Your negativity does not help anything.
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  104. This bylaw is good....BUT....I have been harassed for the last TEN years. My neighbours have cost me tens of thousands of dollars. I do
    construction I know the bylaws. If I write up my neighbours(four houses)bring the write-ups to the city with a witness. A couple weeks
    go by ,go back to the city with the same witness ,the city tells me there are no write-ups.How about the manager of one of the deptments talks to my boss about the case.I currently have two bylaw officers on my house.One from each department.Any write-up I put in is disgrarded,including ones for childrens safety.Most of the bylaw officers are ex-cops.The mayor has his own private army. It is a good bylaw if used properly.....Go
    after the bad buildings.(there is a solution to the Rosedale flooding.The city wont act on it.it means putting more water in the Red
    Hill Creek.

    Edited by The Hamiltonian Admin
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