Mayor Eisenberger- on Hydro Costs

With all the angst concerning hydro bills and questions about what the city is doing to advocate on behalf of Hamiltonians, we checked in with Mayor Eisenberger.

Mr. Mayor:

As you know, Hamiltonians continue to be concerned about the increases in the cost of hydro. We’ve been recently advised that Hamiltonians Against High Hydro group are planning a protest rally for March 8th on a related matter.

We respect the fact that you nor city council has ultimate control over the setting of hydro rates in the city or in Ontario. However, given the sustained angst that hydro rates are causing and the ongoing concerns of Hamiltonians, what measures has the city taken to advocate for Hamiltonians in this regard? Will any further measures be taken beyond what may have been done to date? If so, what is the nature of those measures.

The Mayor responded as follows:

"We continue to communicate with our Provincial partners, reiterating our concern over the rising costs of hydro and the impact it has on our residents, businesses and city operations.

The goal of municipally owned Local Distribution Companies such as the newly merged Alectra is to keep the cost of electricity distribution as low as possible.

On March 2nd the Ontario Government announced measures to reduce electricity rates by 25%.

Additionally, lower income residential customers enrolled in the Ontario Electricity Support Program could see an approximate 48% reduction in their bill. This announcement is a welcomed step for our community.”

What are your thoughts?  Is the Mayor and the city doing enough? What, if anything, should be done additionally? 

Upcoming Protest Rally

The Hamiltonian has received the following notice of a protest rally to be held March 8th.

On Wednesday, March 8 at 6 pm the Hamiltonians Against High Hydro group will be holding a rally outside City Hall to "protest" the pay of the Mayor and Councilor Pearson.

We are asking that the money the Mayor and Councilor receive (from rate payers who are already struggling) be put in to a designated fund so that Hamilton residents can apply for help and receive a certain amount of money to put towards their hydro bill if they meet criteria that would be set by the city.

Thank you,
Sarah Warry Poljanski

http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/7159778-hamilton-mountain-councillors-urge-politicians-to-donate-board-salaries-to-hydro-fund/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/eisenberger-hydro-earnings-1.3996869

With Paul Johnson- on The Bay Street LRT Stop

Enjoy our chat with LRT Project Director Paul Johnson, on the topic of the possible Bay Street stop. 

In August 2016, The Hamiltonian interviewed officials from Portland Oregon to get some insights into their LRT experience and lessons learned. This exchange could be seen here: http://www.thehamiltonian.net/2016/08/a-portland-perspective-on-lrt_23.html

When asked specifically about lessons learned and things to watch out for, one of the pieces of advice is quoted below:

"Probably the biggest lesson I've learned, is as we build extensions to the line, be careful of how many stations you put in. The number of stations and the travel times...so, it's a combination of how often do you stop and how important the stations are. We basically have a very long line and to get from one end to the other takes you a long time. So, be careful about the number of stations you put in. I think you need to find a balance between what's there today, what can you imagine can be there in the future, what are great bus connections, ...but everybody wants a station and you need to be frugal with those as you look at that extension. Make sure you're smart about when you're putting those in. Because it's really about high capacity transit. It's not a bus. There's a tool for every kind of transit.

In light of this, and assuming LRT proceeds, and in the context of a contemplated Bay street stop, can

Picture of the Moment – 15th Living Rock Soupfest

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Our Food for Thought columnist, Alex Bielak, will be one of the foodie judges for the 15th Living Rock Soupfest tomorrow, Tuesday February 28th, 11:00am-9:00pm at the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s. There’s entertainment, and local celebrities and politicians come out to serve soup and help with the event. Proceeds from this popular event support youth-at-risk and tickets are available at the door: opening ceremonies are at 11:45. Drop on by to support a great cause.