Ken Chartrand, Candidate for Ward 11 in Hamilton Municipal Election 2010 - Raise the Hammer Elections

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Candidate Details
Responses to Questions

Candidate Details (top)

Name	Chartrand, Ken
Election	Hamilton Municipal Election 2010
Area	Ward 11
Party	N/A
Votes	1896
Email	sharken4vr@yahoo.ca
Website	http://election2010ward11.ca/
Home	905-643-7202
Business
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Bio	Personal I am 53 years old and was born and raised in Stoney Creek, and I am a current resident of Ward 11. I attended public and secondary schools locally and furthered my education at Sheridan College. All of my siblings still live either in Stoney Creek or Hamilton. There is much to say about being raised in a small community, watching it grow and become an area we are proud to call home. I have been blessed with my soul mate as my wife who supports me in all ways. Together we share three children. I spend most of my free time involved in their lives. Family is very important to me and a part of the structure that I honour. Together we support our community and work hard to ensure that all neighbours and friends know we are there for their support. Throughout my life I have been a team player, I have coached hockey for many years, played as well and love the partnerships I have created with other players, coaches and parents. I look forward to a future filled with giving back to the community, by being your representative on council. Professional I have been employed in a Regional Government position within the Public Works division as a Technical Analyst for 21 years. Through out the years I have obtained a great deal of knowledge on how a city works under the municipal level. I have worked with transportation groups, civil infrastructure and operations support. At this point in my career I deal with many issues that have an immediate impact on residents. Experience has taught me which issues have a direct impact on business owners, farmers and residents. My experience has taught me how to resolve issues or direct the concern to the appropriate staff to expedite the solution.

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Responses to Questions (top)

Question	Brief Response	Full Response
Council is poised to vote on the Airport Employment Growth District, a 3,000 acre plan to expand the urban boundary around Hamilton International Airport for employment lands. Do you support this plan? Why or why not?	No	As I have stated on my website and in the paper I am completely against this development going further until a clear business case is proven to the city council. There are too many unknowns and the cost will be placed directly on the taxpayer. The cost is staggering to provide the proper infrastructure to make this developemnt happen. There are many other parcels of land in the city that available to develop with services already available. This city is not ready for this expansion. The new council must review the massive report that has been presented, with a clear mind. The size of this expansion and cost will have a impact on this city for many years, and as such we need to slow down, review the process, and be 100% certain the business case is absolutely the right thing for the citizens of Hamilton.
Do you support Hamilton's LRT proposal? If so, what will you do to ensure Hamilton's success in building LRT? If not, why do you oppose it?	Yes	Yes I support this idea. I would like to be a part of the committee that will oversee this project. Our city needs to move forward and this will be a great step in the right direction.
Should we spend the Future Fund to build a Pan Am / Ticat stadium on the CP Rail Yard lands? Why or why not?	No	There are way to many other uses for this money that will benefit the entire city. Our infrastructure is in dire need of repair, and there are many other projects that need to be addressed. We could use some of this money to enhance transit in the rural areas and or upgrade parks and recreation facilities that we are lacking.
Is Hamilton doing enough to support and encourage new investment in our older neighbourhoods? If not, what should the City be doing?	No	The city of Hamilton has not been doing enough to attract new business and or to support and encourage business in our older neighborhoods.Programs such as CPIG, and the Hamilton downtown property improvement programs are in place however the city needs to work further to enhance our down town core. It has become clear that programs that are in place have failed to inspired brownfield clean up. The city needs to invest with small entrepreneurs, as well as big manufacturers as we need both.
Many observers argue that Council meetings could be more respectful and professional. Do you agree? If so, what will you do to change this?	Yes	Absolutely we should change the process to become much more professional. First off we must ban cellphones from inside chambers, as I have seen my councillor on the phone numerous times during council sessions. I have been attending council meetings for the past year and I am amazed that so many things are going on while debates are in session. Councillors are on their phones, some are talking to each other and a lot of the time councillors walk out right in the middle of debate. Professional behavior must be put in place and rules must be followed while representing the residence of your Ward. This is a place of business and it should be treated as such.~
Hamilton's Cycling Master Plan has Council approval. However, the implementation timeline is very long and ward councillors can block individual bike lane projects. Do you support accelerating the completion of a continuous bicycle network and other initiatives like a bike sharing program and better access up and down the Escarpment? Why or why not?	Yes	I do support this initiative. I feel it is a positive move forward for the citizens of our city. I support accelerating as long as funding is available and as long as it is not a tax burden on the city or Ward 11.
Some cities have committed recently to publishing their public data in an open format that citizens can directly access. Should Hamilton pledge to become an "open source city"? Why or why not?	Yes	Yes it should. I have stated since the beginning of my campaign that I will be completely transparent on my day to day work schedule, so if I state this then the city should also be the same.
For your campaign, will you be accepting donations from corporations or unions? If so, why? If not, why not?	Yes	I will not accept donations from corporations or developers. I have had numerous discussions with union leaders and reps and I believe these people are hard working individuals who live in Hamilton and surrounding areas. At this time I have received one donation from a union. I feel the support of unions is supporting our community.