Thread by @JoeyColeman

.@NrinderWard3 says Council discussed in closed session the cost of storing the Sobi bikes.
She asks staff to provide that in public, compared to the cost of keeping system going.
Staff say storage is "not insignificant" "non-trivial" #yhmcc #HamOnt

Nann's questions are getting to a fiscal argument in favour of her motion as bridge funding ($400K) until new operator bids; that this cost is not much different than cleanup of removing all bikes and stations, and paying to store the great.

.@TerryWhitehead what social agencies are providing biking opportunities on the Mountain? not just the lower city!
Mayor @FredEisenberger says Sobi is not for kids. #yhmcc

Whitehead: I supported the program, I asked for it on the Mountain. We were told there was no business case, you need density. Why is it good public policy to provide money for a program like this that is private sector? #yhmcc

Now Whitehead says he has a person who is inside the business, and they tell him Hamilton Bike Share is failing to meet the rides needed to be sustainable. (Whitehead always has his experts who know more than staff, and share his viewpoints)

Now staff are providing facts contrary to Whitehead's expert. Now Whitehead is now arguing with staff directly.
Mayor @FredEisenberger is allowing this, despite it not being in order, and not questions.
(Meanwhile, the Mayor shuts down Nann, Pauls, Wilson often) #yhmcc #HamOnt

Mayor @FredEisenberger sighs into his mic, says I think they answerd you to Whitehead, then lets Whitehead continue.

Mayor @FredEisenberger says I don't know what you are getting at to Whitehead, get at it. Whitehead, I'm getting there, Eisenberger, snaps back get there.
Whitehead: it's not sustainable.
And Whitehead's finished his comments.

Clr Danko starts his questions, Whitehead interupts, Eisenberger mutes Whitehead.

Ward 8 Clr Danko says (as a question) that bike infrastructure improvements are needed to enable Sobi to be effective around Mohawk College, such as the bike track on the Claremont Access. That Sobi will get to the Mountain in the future, that's the plan.

Danko asks how many people have signed up for Sobi since the beginning since the pandemic.
OVer 600 staff say
Is that related to COVID?
Staff can't say, but notes there are lines at bike stores, and shortages of bikes to purchase since COVID.

Danko makes three minutes of arguments for merits of Bike Share bridge funding.

Now Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark asking what public funds have gone into Hamilton bike share. Staff listing, the funding is from the Province.
He's getting to total spent this far.

Clark noting that a majority of provincial funding for commuter bicycling this year has been spent. (Capital purchases always have to occur before work begins)

Clark says that the City does not want to do to another vendor what Uber is doing to the City.
(an argument for continuing bike share with interim funding, I think)

Clark: The storage of the bike, annual cost, is estimated to be $150,000 per year. Staff say yes, this is their estimate.

Clark: so the total public investment was $1.3m, 900k, 150k, 700k. Staff, I think you summary correctly.
Clark: What is the totla City investment?
Staff "it is not a lot" Province has been the primary funder.
Approx. 260K staff say.

Clark: the downside to storing the bikes is $150k, removing bikes people are suing, while sorting out the legal situation with Uber.

Wilson: finds it ironic Council is talking about Hamilton Reopens while discussing closing bike share.

Wilson: citing academic and expert reports on the positive economic impacts of bike share.
Adds staff are saying the HSR lacks capacity, 600 new Sobi members since COVID, what be the impact of removing bike share from the transportation mix?

Staff: there will be limited capcity on buses. Trips will shift, to cars, walking, bicycling. Cities around the world are working to prepare for this shift.

Wilson asking questions about how bike share fits into the City's official plan, growth, and intensification regulations.

Wilson, reading a letter from HHS sustainable transit cmte mbr, talks about the benefits of bike share including for car users as it decreases demand for parking.

Jackson: I'm not going to get into his strong feelings about Uber, it's been a long meeting.
Danko - you reference number of potential sites
Whitehead- you note things are downtown centric.
Jackson: Whitehead is absolutely right,
City staff promised bikes, Ward 6 doesn't have

Jackson: bikes that were on the Mountain for a period of time where moved Downtown. "it seems at the end of the day .. it ended up going Downtown", says it is important for Danko to know this.

PAULS: Council talked all day about keeping things clean, park structures are closed because of surfaces, how is the bike share keeping them clean? (Aside about why bikes are allowed but not park structures)

Staff: bike share cleans when rebalancing, and have increased cleaning. There are more cleaning during maintenace, and stations are cleaned as well. Happens a few points of time.

PAULS: I don't see someone standing at stations when they are dropped off. More aside. We are limited to 10 people at funerals, but we have a bike share that 27,000 people are using.

PAULS: How can there be 27,000 members, and the bike share isn't able to pay for itself?
Pauls says she is not sure what to think of all of this.

FARR: it's been a long day. Says he expects the debate to be repeated once Council gets pass the staff report, and then goes to the Nann motion.

FARR: Says his mother has broke her hip, he just found out. He says he is trying to juggle things, support his brother. Can he speak to Nann motion now?

EISENBERGER: hopeful that the next speaker (Whitehead) will be short. Then Farr first on the Nann motion.

WHITEHEAD: starts with an attack on the New Councillors, says they lack the experience to understand things.
Whitehead says he is going to clarify things for them.

Eisenberger allows Whitehead to continue, and to repeat the same things he's already said. It's 11:30pm, the meeting started 14 hours ago.
We're in a middle of a state of emergency, for 14 hours key staff are tied out.

DANKO: Point of Order.

Danko: Whitehead said he doesn't have the back bone, knowledge or experience.
Demands an apology.
Whitehead says he will not apologize.
Danko say this is unacceptable.
Eisenberger does not grant point of order.

There you have it, as Chair, Mayor @FredEisenberger is presented with a Point of Order on Whitehead's comments and behaviour, does not great the Point of Order. Thus, as per procedure, he is saying Whitehead's comments are acceptable conduct at Council.

Council receives the staff report unanimously.
Now on the Nann funding motion.
FArr is the seconder.

Council waives the rules.
The debate on Sobi funding is now underway.

NANN: reads out motion to put it on the floor (feels weird to use terms when COVID puts things into video conference)

NANN: imagine you are at Tim Hortons Field ... all seats are full .. that still wouldn't be enough seats for every Sobi Bike Share members.
If Council fails today, fails these people in middle of a pandemic, when so many have lost jobs, transit is limited, no stores with bikes

NANN: this is important to many, especially Everyone Rides Initiative members. This is no cost to the levy
Council risks destroying bike share, and Council says they want it to expand.

NANN: Council has a duty to serve Hamiltonians, this [Uber withdrawal] isn't Council's fault, but it needs Council to respond and help Hamiltonians with solutions.

Eight more Councillors to speak on list.

FARR: Uber are "deadbeats"

FARR: Council has had to step in to fund things, services, when the City has had other "deadbeat deals", "this doesn't cost the taxpayer anything" on Area-Rating [It does, area rating is tax]
The Wards 1-3 Councillors have found the money, staff say six months to new operator

FARR: corrects himself, that area-rating is not levy money.
Says saving Sobi will enable City to keep working towards electric bikes.
Says he knows some Coucnillors can't vote for Sobi, but "hopes enough will"

FERGUSON: Calls the Question, says that Council has made up their mind.
EISENBERGER, we have a speakers list.
FERGUSON: I don't care.
Bunch of hand waving, they are confused.

EISENBERGER: Danko is the next speaker.
DANKO: Farr needs to "take care of his mother for gods sake"
Farr comes on screen, an exhaused double facepalm.

DANKO to staff: the area-rating money only comes from Wards 1-3 taxpayers right?
Staff: correct
DANKO: that's all my questions
CITY CLERK to Eisenberger, need to deal with motion to call question
CLARK: You can't until all first time speakers are done

CITY CLERK says something to EISENBERGER
EISENBERGER: I may have to start smoking after this.

JACKSON: I'll pass, in light of Farr's medical situation, and Ferguson needing insulin.
WHITEHEAD: This isn't far, the mover got to speak to this.
question to staff: Can Area Rated funds be used for operations?
Staff: The "intent is for capital"

WHITEHEAD: Council decided to not have Area Rated funds for operations.
Coucnil had said it would not put money into Sobi.
These are two exceptions.

WHITEHEAD: my residents do fine biking in my Ward without Sobi. People do fine with their own bikes
'Are we going to become a socialist country'
We are 60-m in debt.
"What's next car share?"

WHITEHEAD is now saying a whole bunch of things very quickly, very animated. He's leaning in and out of the camera. You have to watch to understand it for yourself.

EISENBERGER to WHITEHEAD "I take it you are not in faovur"

CLARK: in a calm and measured voice (significant contrast from last speaker), notes the facts on funding.
Says he is preplexed after so much investment, that Council will put everything in a garage, without searching for solutions. He is surprised some Councillor would do this

CLARK: concerned how Council could explain shutting down bike share after $2.3-mil from the Province. The City asked for the money, this was City's idea.

CLARK: disappointed in the behaviour of Council tonight, and it was unacceptable and not necessary.

PARTRIDGE: will vote against.
To staff: is area-rating money tax dollars?
STAFF: yes
PARTRIDGE: We said we would not use taxpayer money for Sobi. I'm not on for that.
Area Rating is not for operations.

PARTRIDGE: the Councillor who are moving this say they don't support single source procurement. They are inconsistent.
McMaster and Mohawk will be online, this makes it less likely bike share will be sustainable.

It's now May 28th. This meeting started 13.5 hours ago.

VANDERBEEK: does Area-Rating policy allow for this to be done, as the bikes service Ward 13 as well
Staff: The motion is to waive the rules
VANDERBEEK: I'm having a hard time with this one
I think it is a good program, I hope we find a way to give it another life.

VANDERBEEK: concerned if this motion fails, there may not be an opportunity to find a third-party operator, who can answer
Staff: Limited time, if not financial commitment, we could try, but not much chance of finding an operator by next Monday.

VANDERBEEK: Can City go to Hamilton Bike Share Inc without funding and ask them to take over next Monday?
Staff: Unlikely there is someone to run this without an operating subsidy to start.

EISENBERGER: "Happy Thursday everybody"
JOHNSON: "This motion says an upset limit of 400,000 kilometres" then corrects to "dollars", and laughs, it has been a long day.

JOHNSON: question on software
STAFF: "Mobility Cloud" is the software provider, they can continue to provide software.

JOHNSON: What happens if the City can't find an operator in nine months?
STAFF: Then it is not viable
JOHNSON: Is Hamilton Bike Share the only option to run interim?
STAFF: Due to short amount of time, this is the case.

JOHNSON: It seems there is interest from bidders, the angst is that nobody wants to take the bikes out of service during the interim.
STAFF: this is correct.

Johnson and Vanderbeek did not declare how they plan to vote.

UPDATE from Eisenberger on Farr's mother: "She is fine, sedated"

MERULLA: we were told it would never cost the City a cent.

FERGUSON SAID HE DOESNT HAVE INSULIN!
He has to drive home!.
THIS COUNCIL, This meet is not nearing 14 hours, this is dangerous!

MERULLA: We are in the middle of a depression, people are losing their jobs, and Council is looking to spend money on this? The future is uncertain. We're 60M in the hole, and we're talking about a new program.

APOLOGIES on typos, I have dysgraphia, and am tired. Please yell at me if a typo seems really wrong, otherwise, I'm sure you understand the tweets with the missing letters, and flipped letters. Sorry.

MERULLA's now at the phase of the meeting where he sings his own praises.

00:14: Remember nine hours ago when Councillors were complaining their meeting is taking forever, they are not efficient, and not getting much done.
This Council, folks, this meeting is costing in the five figures of staff time.

MERULLA is at the point where he uses over the top rhetoric, usually this means he is wrapping.
EISENBERGER: okay
MERULLA: I tried to call the question
Now the Councillors are arguing amongst themselves again. #DecorumWatch

and MERULLA starts a new series of points to spite EISENBERGER.

MERULLA: *with a wink* as you know I'm retiring, the rest of you will have to answer for this.
EISENBERGER: there is more going on here that isn't about Sobi. "We're spending lots of money on roads ... other things .. this is rich"
[Eisenberger did not pass the chair]

EISENBERGER: We're going to get help from the Feds/Prov, especially for transit.
Says this Council debate is ridiculous, he is animated, pushing back at Merulla.
"It's so Hamilton, we want something for nothing"
Cites LRT

EISENBERGER now criticizing Council for being narrow minded and parochial.
WHITEHEAD *wages finger*
EISENBERGER why are you pointing your finger, sharply tells TW "to get on the speakers list"

EISENBERGER asks staff to repeat their earlier statements about interest in bike share bids.

In non-Council news, Environment Canada just ended the Heat Warning.
I guess they don't have measurement of the hot air coming from Coucncil.

It's now 00:25, LRT has entered the mix. I think Council is going for a new record of their longest meeting.
I can't recall what it was, but I'm thinking 1am was the previous record.

EISENBERGER Is closing, repeating points again.

Do any of these people think they are changing minds repeating the same things over and over again? (Someone get me a Nelly GIF)
This is ridiculous.
Can I please go back to studying engineering, it was much less painful than this.
No wonder people ask me why I came back.

Please folks, when I do my crowdfunding in the next few months, contribute. I really need to be able to hire people.. this meeting is so long, once it's done, I need to sleep, and wish I could get the newsletter almost done out. Need to hire for these marathons.

JACKSON: upset there is no bike share on the Mountain. Because of Uber, I won't let them off the hook, I'm voting against this.

PEARSON: At the end of the day, the biggest losers will be the 26,000 people who use Sobi. Says Coucnil has to do this has to keep bike share going this year.

PEARSON: Council spent more money on the bus lanes than this. I opposed that, it was an absolute waste of money.

PEARSON: when golf courses were losing money, we did not just shut them down, we get it an opportunity, and staff made them better.

(Okay, I did not have "bus lane" on my Council Bingo Card for this meeting. Did anyone else)

WILSON: takes issue with some of the accusations made by others this meeting.
Front line works are using the bike share, will we leave them with no way to get to work.

WILSON: "I don't want this to be our filling in subways moment"
If the City puts the bike in storage, what are we saying to higher levels of government, how can they trust us?

COLLINS: In a perfect world Uber be operating still. In near-perfect world, there be someone else to run it.
There is "revisionist history"
Says the Bike Share site is misleading, it is funded by public funds.

COLLINS: this is not what we were told would happen.
(His arguments leave it open he will support, plus, he'll see this as an opportunity to use his area-rating for operating things he wants in his ward)

COLLINS: doesn't see how this will survive, Queen's Park won't support, economy is poor, City faces massive deficit, losing revenues. City was promised if bike share fialed, it be shut down.
This is another burden on taxpayers.

COLLINS: City of Toronto is talking about cuts. Hamilton is talking about taking on a private sector responsibility. It is a tale of two cities. One in five people couldn't make their tax payment.
It is something about this Council.
He says they use to keep taxes low.

COLLINS Says previous Councils did a good job keeping the City sound, but this Council has been passing tax increases.
"I won't be supporting for those reasons"

PAULS: "baffled" that Uber won't ruin their reputation by doing this "They must be losing their shirts somehow"

PAULS: I love cylcing, I'm on cycle committee, I know that people with Sobi memberships have thier own bikes. Says she called a local bike shop, they are sold out of bikes, this tells her people have bikes.
She is voting against Nann motion.

PAULS: "That's my comment, that's it" after repeating she is sure Sobi members own their own bikes.

8-8 Nann Motion Fails
Bike Share shuts down on Monday. #HamOnt #yhmcc

For Nann Motion:
Eisenberger, Wilson, Farr, Nann, Danko, Clark, Pearson, Vanderbeek
Opposed:
Merulla, Collins, Jackson, Pauls, Johnson, Ferguson, Whitehead, Partridge.
#HamOnt #yhmcc

Now Whitehead interrupts, says he is upset there is no method to make points of order.
"When you see me waving"
Eisenberger: "You've been waving all night"

And now they are debating what is our is not a point of order.
Camera goes to Collins rolling his eyes.

Eisenberger and Whitehead go back and forth.

City Clerk says that Council will have to reconsider if they want to go to bids now. But can do it for 2021 in a separate motion.
Voting now on putting bikes into storage.

Debate about going to competitive bids.
City Clerk says there has to be reconsideration.
Now a debate about how to do this.

It's 1am, FRIG, just vote to store the bikes if that's what you are gogin to do Coucnil, and then sort out the procurement motion for next week.

CLARK: notes what he sees as the absurdity of this all. "I don't understand why we voted, I understand of this, very frustrating"

If there is a way to screw things up, shot yourselves in the foot a couple of times, then blame your hands for pulling the trigger, our Hamilton City Council finds a way to do it.

PAULS, as they are voting, doesn't like the word mothballs "makes it sound like you are scraping it"

9-7 for mothballing/storing the bikes.

Now reconsideration motion.
Ferguson declares he needs to get home, leaves the meeting.
CITY CLERK: you first have to waive notice.

The only thing missing tonight is someone saying "stadium debate"

It's my job, I literally campaign to be our only independent journalism in my hometown, thus I know I really shouldn't complain, but I will vent this Council meeting makes me wonder why I left national journalism.
I'll be at this tmrw, but wow, this is the worst Council mtg yet

I'm not talking about hte vote outcome per se. The low quality of debate, it's the same argumetns and fights over and over again. It's knowing that this Council isn't getting the work done that is needed for my hometown. I know how Queen Park and Ottawa look at this, its bad.

I just held one of Canada's top journalism fellowships. I can't count number of times I was asked why I "waste myself" in Hamilton. Why I stay in Hamilton. It hurt every time. I love Hamilton, that's why it hurts. This Council makes us look bad, people laugh at us because of them

WILSON: notes why Hamilton has its deficit, unsustainable infrastructure, development not paying for development. Really says it well.

NANN: This Council just did this in the middle of the pandemic. It's shameful, it's sad. She hopes Councillors can sleep well tonight.

WHITEHEAD yells into the mic at NANN.
MERULLA tries to explain the decision, says the support Sobi, but with no tax dollars, this is why they are putting together a plan to find a new private operator.

EISENBERGER: at this time, we need to get this meeting finished.

Council votes to put out a request for operators to restart Bike Share next year.

Whitehead jumps in, as the meeting is about to end.
Eisenberger cuts him off, we'll sort this out tomorrow.

Council is adjourned. Good night everyone. Thank you for letting me do this. Seriously, I do love being an independent journalist in my hometown, This means the world to me. Be safe, be good to each other, and let's get up tomorrow to do the things we love about Hamilton.