With Ward 10 Councillor Jeff Beattie

Enjoy our conversation with Ward 10 Councillor Jeff Beattie. Jeff, thank you for engaging with Hamiltonians through The Hamiltonian and congratulations on your well-earned induction as a full member of the Star Wards club!

You were successful in your bid for election in Ward 10, from a long-serving incumbent, which places you in a unique position. What specific challenges have you faced in taking over a ward with such history, and how have you navigated them? 

The biggest challenge was trying to understand the direction that my predecessor was headed, in terms of what vision they had for the community, what projects they were working on for the community, things of that nature. I’m a big believer in continuity. Unfortunately, there was no ‘passing of torch’ – not to say that was expected, but we (I include my terrific office team in this) had to try and figure that all out and rebuild every file from scratch. I would liken it to learning to fly a plane as you’re trying to assemble it.

How would you describe your approach to governance, and in what ways has your style supported your effectiveness as a city councillor?

My approach has been formed over the years by my different roles as a School Board Trustee, Business Owner and Community Volunteer. I like to break down complex issues into their basic forms, in plain language, and filter out what I refer to as ‘noise’. This helps me focus on the actual task – the goal of the conversation, and not the distractions that sometimes surround them. I think this helps me in my decision making, as well as being able to explain issues and concepts to my Constituents in uncomplicated terms.

What key lessons have you learned from your more seasoned colleagues on council, and what perspectives or practices have you introduced that you believe could benefit your peers?

I’m always thankful for the wise counsel and advise of the veteran members of Council, particularly in the early days of navigating City Hall. I was very fortunate to hire an experienced office administrator who already knew who to call and when – enabling me to ‘hit the ground running’ when I took office (save and except for issues explained in the first question). Some of the new practices that I’ve brought to Ward 10 include social media communications, email newsletters, improved print newsletters, a Satellite Ward Office (at Old Stoney Creek City Hall), establishing a Youth Council, and holding Townhalls on multiple topics. I’ve noticed that some Councillors have adopted similar practices, but I wouldn’t be so bold as to take credit for being a trail-blazer or trend-setter in any way.

What would you identify as the top three challenges currently facing Ward 10, and what strategies are you employing to address them? 

In no particular order 1)Preparing for the pressures of growth as planned in the Stoney Creek Urban Boundary Expansion (SCUBE) Plan and Fruitland-Winona Secondary Plan: Working with City Staff to keep growth related projects such as Barton Street Widening, Creation of new Parks, Building new recreation centres and spaces, Transit expansion, etc. – on schedule (which so far, they are not). Keeping Community members up-to-date on the more than 33 major development proposals currently on the books, as well as communicating the status of the previously mentioned growth related projects to the Community.

2)Renewal of aging infrastructure: Working again with City Staff to support and inform current and future road renewal projects and ensuring resident input is reflected in how these projects are prioritized. Working with City Parks Staff to continue our Ward 10 Park Rehabilitation Plan (which is working to reduce the backlog on Capital Investment in our older parks). Connecting incomplete pedestrian and cycling networks, such as the historic lack of sidewalk connections over 5 out of 6 QEW Overpass Bridges that have isolated the neighbourhoods north of the QEW

3)Working to find efficiencies within the City’s operations to reduce the tax burden on Ward 10 residents: With nearly 6% tax increases in every year of the last three years (which I voted against – for the record), the pressure on our local taxpayers is reaching a breaking point. I’ve worked hard with my colleagues to find ways to reduce that pressure, and will be working even harder in the years ahead!

In your view, what is the most pressing issue facing the City of Hamilton today? Why is it so complex to resolve, and what potential solutions do you envision?

It’s my view, that the City is currently trying to do ‘too much’. We don’t appear to have a centralized focus, which has us in constant ‘reaction’ mode, as opposed to being able to proactively move forward on key issues. Reducing our focus to a few universal priorities – managing our budget, living within our means, focusing on our core mandated services, and improving the customer service levels in resident interactions with the City are all things I believe we be focused on.

Hamilton has recently come under scrutiny from several sources—a critical C.D. Howe report, a survey indicating widespread public distrust of City Hall, and an internal audit highlighting governance failures. As one of the decision-makers at the municipal level, how do you think councillors and the mayor should be held accountable for these findings, and what specific steps are you taking to foster transparency and trust?

Ultimately, the buck stops with City Council, and we are held accountable for our decisions every four years (notwithstanding issues in-term that might have code-of-conduct or Integrity Commissioner implications for Councillors). With that said, we set the tone and expectations for the organization, which is something I think we are struggling with collectively. What I will say, is that I believe that every member of Council is aware of the poor relationship we have with the public and we all want to rebuild that relationship. For me specifically, in my role as the Ward 10 representative, I believe that proactively bringing as much information to the Community as possible in an open and transparent way, and making myself available to speak directly with residents to address their concerns.

What has been the most unexpected aspect of serving as a city councillor, and how have you adapted to or addressed that surprise?

I’d like to think that I knew what I was getting myself into, but I will say that the volume of issues, and complexity of the issues occasionally surprises me. As a business owner and farmer, I learned long ago to expect the unexpected. Each new unexpected issue does help to prepare you for the next unexpected issue, which leads to a better, more confident response.

Looking ahead to the end of your term, what is your vision for Ward 10? In which areas have you already made measurable progress, and what ongoing concerns still keep you up at night?

In general, I sleep very poorly. I’m thinking about things until I fall asleep, and the moment my eyes open the next morning, I’m thinking about it again. I have trouble ‘switching it off’. But to answer your question, my Grandfather had a belief that our purpose in Public Service was to leave things better than you find them. To that end, in a very short time, I’ve embarked on some major investments in our Ward 10 parks (6 Parks in 3 years), we’ve rebuilt several roads that were in a very bad state of repair (including DeWitt and Fruitland Roads) and we have more park and road investment on the horizon. We have the new Winona Recreation Centre project finally underway after decades of nothing happening, as well as new (and badly needed) sidewalk connections to many parts of the Ward. My vision and my plan to get these things done – particularly projects that seem to have stalled out. What really frustrates me is the rate at which we are moving on many of these projects. Coming from the private sector, it’s dramatic change – in terms how quickly/slowly things move at the City.

The city’s response to homelessness continues to generate debate, particularly in light of cost overruns and quality concerns related to the MiniCabins initiative. How would you assess the city's handling of this issue, and do you believe MiniCabins are a viable part of the solution?

I originally supported the initiative as part of a broader strategy to increase shelter capacity in the City, with a goal of ending the former Encampment Protocol that allowed encampments in City Parks. That was based on about a $3 Million spend on the Barton/Tiffany project. If there had been any inclination that the project would cost over $8 Million, I never would have supported it. I – with many of my colleagues – believe that City Staff should have come back to Council with revised estimates and sought additional authorization before proceeding, but I’m not sure – given the Strong Mayor Powers Directive that was issued for this project, if that was even possible. Long story short, from start to finish – this project was plagued with errors, and I’m disappointed with the outcome. The failures on this project just bring people back to previous failures such as the Red Hill cover-up and Chedoke Creek sewer spill, which continue to erode public trust and confidence in the City as whole – and that’s a massive problem.

How can residents of Ward 10 best engage with you, and what tools or methods do you use to maintain open communication with your constituents?

I’d like to think that I’m amongst the most accessible Councillors in the City. My Team and I have put a lot of intentional effort into getting as much information into the community as possible, and we use multiple channels to do that including social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube), a website ( www.yourward10.ca ) as well as our email and print newsletters. I also make sure to attend all of our major Community Events (Easter Egg Hunt, Canada Day Event, Peach Festival, Halloween Bash among others) with our big green Ward 10 Tent, and have set up permanent ‘open-door’ days at our Stoney Creek Office (Fridays 10-3) where residents can drop in to chat or raise concerns. That’s all on top of the usual communication tools such as email and phone, where my team and myself will often get back to constituents within a few hours in many instances. At the end of the day – I love where I live and I always enjoy hearing from others, and genuinely – like my Grandfather said - want to make things better!