Board of Health (Hamilton) - February 23, 2025

City Council Meeting Summary – February 23, 2026

Two procedural and governance-focused sessions were held, with the agenda and January 26, 2026 minutes approved unanimously and a new microphone procedure implemented. The meeting also kicked off a discussion on Orientation to Public Health Emergency Management (BOH260009) and reviewed emergency preparedness practices, including after-action reporting and internal KPIs to drive continuous improvement.

Five Most Important Topics

1) Approval of Agenda and Minutes - The agenda for the meeting was approved unanimously with no amendments, and the January 26, 2026 minutes were adopted without changes. - Quote: "All those in favor of the agenda... That's everybody. Thanks. That's carried."

2) New Microphone Procedures - A new system was introduced, with the Chair now controlling activation in the council chamber, and members were briefed on usage. - Quote: "Now you'll have to deal with me. I'm in control of the microphone."

3) Orientation to Public Health Emergency Management (BOH260009) - The council reviewed the emergency management report, emphasizing emergency preparedness, resiliency planning, and feedback mechanisms. - Quote: "After every emergency activation, after every exercise that we do, we do afteraction reports and we track all of our corrective actions to make sure that we implement them."

4) Emergency Preparedness and KPIs - Councillor Hang asked how emergency preparedness is tracked and which KPIs are used; Chris Nangle explained the role of after-action reports and internal KPIs to ensure continuous improvement. - Quote: "We do have internal KPIs on any of our outstanding actions from all of our previous afteraction reports."

5) Feedback Mechanisms for Emergency Protocols - The discussion highlighted the importance of learning from past emergencies and exercises to refine protocols, with an emphasis on robust feedback to improve future responses. - Quote: "Learning from all of our past emergencies is one of the most critical things we can do during emergency response."

File Numbers Discussed

• BOH260009: Orientation to Public Health Emergency Management.

Opportunities for Public Input

• No specific opportunities for public input were mentioned in this section. However, the discussion on public health emergency management may open avenues for future consultations or community feedback.

Motions, Outcomes, and Follow-Up

1) Motion: Approval of February 23, 2026, Agenda - Outcome: Passed unanimously.

2) Motion: Adoption of January 26, 2026, Meeting Minutes - Outcome: Passed unanimously.

3) Motion: BOH260009 – Orientation to Public Health Emergency Management - Outcome: Report put on the floor for discussion.

Follow-Up Actions - Ensure all board members are familiar with the new microphone system for future meetings. - Continue monitoring and improving emergency preparedness through after-action reports and KPIs as outlined in the BOH260009 report.

Public Contacts / Opportunities to Engage

• No specific email addresses or individuals were listed for public input in this section. If interested, residents should monitor upcoming BOH/ Public Health announcements or contact the Board of Health/City Clerk’s office for opportunities to comment in future sessions.

Councillors Present

• Cameron Cretch (Chair of the Board of Health and City Councillor)
• Alex Wilson (City Councillor)
• Casar (City Councillor)
• Mark Chhattison (City Councillor)
• Hang (City Councillor, attending online)

Notes: - A number of Board Members were present (Kirkby, Jansen, Chong, Denko, Safi) but are not listed as City Councillors for attendance purposes. Chris Nangle was noted as Emergency Response Coordinator and author of the report.