Elections
Kevin Norton, Candidate for Ward 13 in Hamilton Municipal Election 2014
Details page for this candidate.
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Candidate Details (top)
| Name | Norton, Kevin |
|---|---|
| Election | Hamilton Municipal Election 2014 |
| Area | Ward 13 |
| Party | N/A |
| Votes | 0 |
| kevinphillipnorton@gmail.com | |
| Website | (no website listed) |
| Home | |
| Business | |
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Responses to Questions (top)
| Question | Brief Response | Full Response |
|---|---|---|
| Do you support an expanded role for Hamilton to provide more affordable housing? If so, what should Hamilton do? | Yes | Yes I do support the idea of Hamilton providing more affordable housing. The implementation is not as simple as the idea however. First off there are lands in Hamilton and surrounding areas that are currently grey fields. These are places that are zoned a certain way and abandoned. In the interim waiting for a similar industry to move into these places leaves the land unused and unable to generate revenue. Some on these places are unsafe for habitation and go by another name, brownfield. The lands that are unused and are safe make ideal candidates for rezoning and placement of affordable housing. While I will dedicate the time and effort required to make it a reality it is not something that will happen overnight.
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| The Province has shelved a proposal to build a mid-peninsula highway from Niagara Falls or Fort Erie around Hamilton to connect with Hwy 401 or 407 north of Burlington. Do you agree with the Province's decision to put its development on hold? | Yes | Regardless of anyone's desire to see projects realized the limiting factor of most is finance. That being case I support the decision made by the province in light of the fact that the economy of the province simply cannot bare the expense at the moment. Shelving a plan does not mean that when the budget is reviewed that it will not be implemented again. In reality it is very likely we will see the realization of this project in the not too distant future.
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| Do you support converting more of Hamilton's one-way thoroughfares into complete, two-way streets that support walking, cycling and transit? | Yes | The short answer is yes. I am always in support of changes to infrastructure that alleviate the stress of vehicles on our system. That being said not every one way is capable of this kind of change. I would never require a road to be changed thus unless I personally investigated the street in question and myself drove along it during a number of conditions. To make a decision about the way any road is conducted without experiencing the same issues those who drive it frequently do would be irresponsible in my opinion.
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| The Province plans to allow municipalities to use ranked ballots in future elections. If so, will you vote to adopt ranked ballots in Hamilton? | No | I do not support the idea of ranked ballots in principal for most elections. It mostly serves to add the number of work hours require to tally the results of an election.
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| Do you support the city's plan to build an east-west light rail transit (LRT) line with full capital funding from the Province? | Yes | I do support this plan but not in its currently proposed entity. At the moment the LRT proposal involves a King and Main line and a mountain access as well as an express line connecting Waterloo to Downtown Hamilton.
I support the basics of this plan mainly the Main and King installation. This is not to say that further additions cannot be made to the route in the future but this proposal is one that will maximize benefits of reducing cars on the road, eliminating the need for as many buses along this route and making the cost of such a project much more palatable. |
| Do you believe City Hall should be more accessible to Hamilton residents? If so, what steps would you take to achieve this? | Yes | I believe that the service offices are physically accessible to Hamilton residence. I believe I should be more accessible to Hamilton residence. To accomplish to aim I will make do my best to find time to meet face to face with any resident who has something they want to bring to my attention.
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| Do you believe Hamilton should do more to protect and enhance its built heritage? | Maybe | Hamilton is a historic city with a great deal of built heritage. I would not recommend tearing down historic buildings but we do live in a city of change. As our need for expansion is met we must not forget what made us great to begin with. We should protect what brought us here and look forward as we make ourselves and our city greater. |
| Do you support implementing a Vision Zero for Hamilton, with a goal of eliminating all pedestrian and cyclist deaths on our streets? If so, what specific actions would you take to implement this policy, and if not, why? | Yes | This is an especially important goal to me. I myself am an avid biker and have been injured by vehicles. The greatest barrier to realizing this project is the maintenance and existence of safe routes for pedestrians and bikers alike. I very much support bike routes where it is feasible and alternative routes where it is not. I am very adamant about my support of trails and their maintenance as well. On street by street bases I am always happy and willing to investigate any who approach me about the need for signage on their own road of the need for a sidewalk as the case may be. Making Hamilton pedestrian and bike friendly is a goal I will undertake with the utmost dedication.
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| The City's Cycling Master Plan is up for review. Do you support improving the plan to speed the installation of cycling facilities and provide more high-quality protected infrastructure like the new Cannon Street cycle track? | Maybe | I have been paying close attention to this issue and have seen the results first hand. I know that many who drive along the east west bound routes of Hamilton have seen this come to pass as well. I want to always make sure that despite my desire to make Hamilton as alternative transit friendly as possible I do not forget about drivers. I support the construction of cycling facilities and additional bike routes but I would always need to investigate the streets in question before I approved them on a case by case bases. I am always open to the suggestions and wisdom of those who have studied this issue in depth as well. |
| Do you support the use of participatory budgeting to allow ward residents to propose and vote on local capital projects? | No | I want all my ward's constituents to bring to my attention any and all local projects they want me to propose. I am also a large supporter of democracy in action, however the cost of implementing a vote on every local issue can end up costing more than the project they wish to see realized. As a representative and civil servant I want to be able to fight on behalf of the people I represent to make their vision of Hamilton a reality.
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