Long Term Infrastructure Planning
When it comes to infrastructure building we should take the modified advice of Alec Baldwin from film Glengarry Glen Ross: “Always Be Planning”
Cities across Canada have been complaining for years about a lack of infrastructure cash. Hamilton has (according to City finance staff) a yearly infrastructure deficit of $195 million per year. This means, every year Hamilton defers spending of $195 million that should be spent on capital projects like roads, bridges, sewers, rec centres, public housing, etc. This deficit gets added to a total infrastructure debt that hovers now between 2 and 3 billion dollars.
“Always Be Planning“
So what can be done? Hamilton spends on average LESS than our neighbours on capital projects like infrastructure and receives significantly less when it comes to contributions from higher levels of government. When higher levels of government do decide to invest in infrastructure to stimulate the economy Hamilton gets left behind. Why? The answer is simple. We aren’t prepared.
Design Stage
You may have heard the phrase 30% design stage referred to when it 
comes to various projects throughout the city. The LRT is an example of a project that we have done the design on but have not yet received funding to build. If we have more projects at the design stage we’ll be able to better jump on them to get them built when funding is made available. We can shave years off of a project by getting some work out of the way up front.
The reason I mention so often that I worked for Councillor Whitehead is that I learned so many things working there that will allow me to get started right away and hit the ground running. You might even say that I’m already at the design stage, and that I’m ready to start building a better ward 7.
Westmount Recreation Centre
In Ward 8 Terry knew we needed a new rec centre at Westmount. He also knew there was no money to build it. A staff direction was done through Council to get the designs and feasibility studies out of the way for Westmount. Staff were resistant to the idea and frequently resist calls to spend money on projects they fear might never be funded. Whitehead insisted however and the designs for Westmount were created. 2 years later the federal government came forth with its economic action plan. The action plan which saw the creation of many signs sporting the name also saw investment in projects that were “shovel ready”. Because Westmount had already been designed it was ready. Today Westmount is one of the best rec centres on the mountain and probably in the whole city.
In fact, it’s so good, that residents from ward 7 routinely drive there for their activities ignoring the closer and more conveniently located but aging and crumbling Hill Park recreation centre.
Its important to note that the city did not receive all of the promised money from the federal government. Due to a construction delay Hamilton was once again short changed by our federal government by over $3 million dollars. Even still the contributions from higher levels of government would never have happened had this building not been at the design stage.
Get Hill Park Shovel Ready
Our current federal government has pledged to spend a lot over the next ten years on infrastructure projects. Hamilton needs to have projects ready to go in order to begin building right away. This will not only give us a much needed boost to our infrastructure portfolio but will create high paying construction jobs right here in Hamilton putting our underutilized trade unions back to work.
Hill Park is a classic example of a rec centre that needs upgrades. During my canvassing of this neighbourhood I talked to hundreds of people. Whenever I brought up rec centres they told me they don’t use the one they can walk to. They drive to Westmount because it’s nicer. I believe them. Anytime I had to go to Westmount while working at the City, it was crawling with people. The pool for example was so full of swimmers you could barely see the water! This is what we want in our city, for our rec centres to be well used, and for our neighbours to be staying active taking advantage of the great facilities we have.
Campaign Pledge
We need to have more projects shovel ready. Within the first 90 days of my term on Council I will propose a motion that directs staff to prepare a list of projects across the city that could be brought to the design stage. I will ask that these projects be put into priority buckets in $50 million increments. What can we build with $50 million, what can we build with $100 million, $150 million etc.
These projects can include road rebuilds, sidewalk repairs, complete streets conversions, sewers, lighting installations, transit improvements, sidewalks, rec centres, seniors centres, public housing upgrades or new public housing construction. Basically anything infrastructure related. Council can then debate which projects they want to build first, and ultimately we’ll have our list of projects to begin designing.
