This article, part of a two part series, focuses upon noteworthy membership changes to committees. The new City Council decided upon their committee assignments during a series of behind-the-scenes discussions during the past month. They were able to find agreement behind the scenes on appointments to all but one Board. Council was divided on who their Police Services Board representative would be. Councillors haven’t decided upon assignments for the City Committees – including most citizen advisory committees – which City staff are seeking to eliminate. Here’s a list of the committees with noteworthy changes: Greater Bay Area Committee, Web Redevelopment, Municipal Heritage, Business Improvement Area (BIA) Advisory, Governance Review (Accountability and Transparency), Hamilton Port Authority – City of Hamilton Liaison Committee, and Selection Committee. Ancaster (Ward 12) Councillor Lloyd Ferguson and Waterdown/Flamborough (Ward 15) Councillor Judi Partridge will join Mayor Fred Eisenberger on the joint Hamilton-Burlington “Greater Bay Area Committee” for the new term. This is an interesting change because only Partridge’s ward borders Burlington and previously, the Wards 1 and 5 Councillors sat on the Committee. The GBAC was primarily responsible for negotiations on the municipal contribution to the Randle Reef project, and is currently organizing a joint response to Federal plans to download the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge to the municipalities. The Port Authority and Province have both indicated they are not interested in taking responsibility for the bridge. East Hamilton (Ward 5) Councillor Chad Collins stated in February, when Ottawa sent Council a letter offering the bridge, that federal officials told him the annual operating costs for the bridge is approximately $2-million. GBAC is also the lead committee for discussions of the LaSalle Park ownership issue. LaSalle Park is owned by the City of Hamilton and leased to the City of Burlington for $1-per-year. Burlington wants ownership. It’s been an ongoing issue since the 1960s. While the status quo appears to be working, Aldershot Councillor Rick Craven is pushing for a permanent settlement to the question. Only one of four Councillors overseeing the City’s internet presence is an active user of the Internet to connect and communicate with Hamiltonians. Yes, the people responsible for dragging the City out of the 80s into the internet age aren’t the poster children for online engagement. The Web Redevelopment and Service Channel Sub-Committee’s four members are new Stoney Creek (Ward 9) Councillor Doug Conley, Stoney Creek (Ward 10) Councillor Maria Pearson, new Dundas (Ward 13) Councillor Arlene VanderBeek, and Partridge compromising the committee membership. Only Partridge (@judipartridge) is experienced in using the Internet as a primary tool of communication. VanderBeek started using Twitter and Facebook during her election campaign. Thus far, her use has been limited. That she has continued using the tools a few times since October is a hopeful sign. At present, the City’s new website is in preview (http://preview.hamilton.ca/), there is only one staff member dedicated to Internet communications (8-4 M-F), and the City’s limited web staff are working towards an eventual launch of the new website. The first meeting of the committee will include an update of the new timeline for implementation of the new website. Among the other responsibilities of the Committee is figuring out the City’s service channels for citizens. At present, the City does not often citizens many options of communicating with the City. The City is trying to improve its call centre, and to eventually look at online reporting for service requests. Ferguson isn’t returning to the Heritage Committee this term. He’ll be replaced by Partridge, in what can only be described as a hopeful development for heritage advocates in the City. Ferguson was the least enthusiastic voice for heritage conservation on the Committee, often the centre of tensions on the Committee due to his counter viewpoint to most heritage advocates. Pearson is returning to the Committee and new Ward 1 Councillor Aidan Johnson is taking the seat vacated by Brian McHattie’s decision to run for Mayor. New Central Lower City (Ward 3) Councillor Matthew Green is taking the Councillor seat on the BIA Committee, replacing West Mountain (Ward 8) Councillor Terry Whitehead. This is the earliest meeting committee at City Hall, gathering at 8am on the second Tuesday of each month. Green is a small business owner within the Ottawa Street BIA, running his fitness studio there.