Learn about the Municipal Affairs Commission

Hi everyone! My name is Stefano Hollands, and I am the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs here at the AMS. It is my job to advocate for students’ interests to all external stakeholders in the City of Kingston, and to ensure that there are plentiful volunteer and work opportunities for students within the Commission. I can regularly be found at City Hall, engaging with business leaders, or ensuring that the AMS maintains active engagement with residents and community associations.

Internally, my portfolio oversees both the Student Maintenance and Resource Team (SMART), as well as the Housing Resource Centre (HRC). In addition, I am responsible for eight committees and over four hundred student volunteers who embark upon charitable work in the entire community. Lastly, my Commission has absorbed many of the duties of the now-dissolved Commission of Environmental Affairs, which means that we will be further aligning our goals with issues pertaining to environmental sustainability.

My two main focus areas this year will be urban and economic development. In terms of urban development, it is critical that the AMS fights to secure the types of housing that students have come to rely on in the near-campus neighbourhoods, as well as ensuring that mid and high-rise apartments are available for undergraduate and mature students. These new urban development projects are intrinsically connected to economic development, as they are expected to drive higher student retention rates after graduation, which will in turn attract other young professionals to Kingston.

Accordingly, a core function of my role this year will be dedicated to lobbying for more internship opportunities for current students and recent graduates, as well as working proactively with the City of Kingston and business leaders to attract capital to the area. In addition to these two categories, I have begun formalizing cross-institutional partnerships with the City of Kingston with the purpose of strengthening our relationships and, more importantly, providing exciting and new opportunities for students to interact with municipal services. Make sure to like the ‘University District’ Facebook page to catch new updates throughout the year!