The first meeting of a task force the province has struck to explore transportation projects for Hamilton after cancelling the city's light rail project is scheduled for next week.

But city manager Janette Smith, the municipality's sole participant on the group, says there are still "lots of questions to be asked" about the process.

"First off, I would say this is a little uncharted territory and unusual," Smith told councillors Wednesday night after receiving official word on the task force from the province a day earlier.

Apart from Smith, none of the other four participants of the task force that's to recommend how to spend $1 billion in provincial dollars have been announced.

A Ministry of Transportation spokesperson told The Spectator in an email more information "will be communicated in the near future."

In a document shared on Wednesday's council meeting agenda, the ministry says the task force will exist as long as a year and meet as frequently as three times a month.

It first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning, Smith noted - a milestone after Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney cancelled the long-planned LRT initiative in mid-December.

When Mulroney mothballed the light rail project, citing ballooning costs of up to $5.5 billion, supporters of the project, which had been in the works for more than a decade, cried foul.

Critics of the cancellation questioned the minister's figures, noting they include long-term operating and maintenance costs, a departure from the oft-cited $1-billion capital estimate.

Eisenberger, a fervent LRT supporter, has expressed concern that a provincially appointed body would decide such a major project for the city after years were spent planning the light rail initiative.

Metrolinx, which led the project, spent more than $160 million in preparation, including purchasing dozens of properties along its Main-King corridor, before Mulroney killed the initiative.

The provincial document notes theministry will back the task force, providing "advice, planning and coordination and other administration support" if required.

During Wednesday's meeting, Eisenberger reiterated he's "not a great fan" of the task force. "But reality is the province is going there. It's imperative that we have a person at the table."

The ministry's draft terms of reference shared on Wednesday night's council meeting agenda note that the province maintains its commitment to spend $1 billion on transportation and transit projects, including highways and LRT.

The task force is to provide Mulroney "preliminary alternative transportation project(s)" before the end of February this year and would exist "for a period not exceeding one year."

Task force members are "expected to participate in weekly meetings, for a total of two to three business days per month," the document says. But the task force will "agree upon the number of meetings required to meet the deliverables."

Coun. John-Paul Danko said a provincial emphasis on confidentiality was a "huge concern" for him. "The last thing we need is a task force that operates in secret."

Smith said she will "try to get as much flexibility" in the process "to bring regular updates to council."

The city has started compiling an inventory of major plans and strategies for possible transportation projects already approved by council, including the 2018 transportation master plan, 10-year transit strategy, trails master plan and LRT transit project assessment report.

That initial list includes "higher-level pieces," said Jason Thorne, general manager of planning and economic development. "We're just trying to get ahead of the game a little bit."

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