"THIS COUNCIL NOT TO BLAME!"

That is the headline in this weekends edition of the Milton Canadian Champion. It outlines how town staff to set investigate on how to slow growth…at the direction of Town Council.

Here is the link to this very interesting and dare I say conveniently timed story in the Champion. Town Council have directed staff to investigate the options they have to slow down growth in Milton. This report will take “four to five months to complete” according to town CAO Mario Belvedere. Talk about timing seeing how there is a municipal election in less than 2 months and the new council will have to deal with this report.

I headed out shortly after dinner tonight to commence the usual door knocking and I was confronted with a number of questions already from people (yes it does prove that people DO read their local paper) Questions like “if they were THIS concerned with the pace of growth, why is it that they are just NOW asking for this report…less than 2 months before an election.” Interesting timing to say the least.

Here is the full article by Melanie Hennessey of the Milton Canadian Champion. Let me know what you think of this … send me an email to mike@mikecluett.ca

Ill see you at the doors.

Town investigating growth slowdown
Melanie Hennessey
Sep 29, 2006

Town staff will soon begin investigating how to slow down Milton’s rapid residential growth.
At its meeting Monday night, town council passed a motion put forward by Wards 2 and 4 Councillor Ron Furik that asks staff to look into options or new policies that would reduce the speed of development.

The local and regional councillor recently announced he wants to slow growth down so that Milton’s roads can “catch up.” “I’m committed to fixing this problem,” Furik said during Monday’s meeting. “If we can do anything in our power to slow down the process, we should be doing it.”

THIS COUNCIL NOT TO BLAME: FURIK

Furik also addressed the naysayers who’ve been publicly blaming the current council for the development problems since he announced his intentions to come forward with the motion.
“I laugh to read it’s this council’s fault,” he said, noting he feels the councils from five to 15 years ago were the development decision makers — councils he said he was sitting on as a local representative.

In an interview with The Champion, he went on to say, “Don’t point fingers at this council. They had no decision making in this development. It’s not fair.”

Ward 1 Councillor Rick Day, who’s long been against the rapid development happening in Milton, seconded the motion.

He said while he thinks the “traffic problems in town have become unbearable,” the Town is trying to bring the road infrastructure up to date.

The motion detailed the problems Milton has been experiencing due to rapid growth, such as that roads and other infrastructure required haven’t kept pace with the large population increase.

But Ward 4 Councillor John Challinor begged to differ. “We’re not behind on all roads and infrastructure,” he argued.

During the meeting, Ward 1 Councillor Brian Penman provided background information on how the town’s growing pains evolved. He said the community had a strong opinion that existing residents shouldn’t have to cover the costs associated with growth. So in turn, the Town had to wait for development charges to be paid on the new homes and residents to move in to afford the infrastructure upgrades.

He also pointed to the Region’s timelines for road construction in Milton as a contributing factor to the problem. “I hope we can catch up,” he remarked.

Wards 1 and 3 Councillor Barry Lee presented a more positive view on the state of the town, saying he thinks residents are going to see some relief from the traffic problems soon.
But when it comes to slowing growth down, Lee had one thing to say — “We’re kidding ourselves.”

“Tinkering with growth… I don’t think we can without getting into severe legal implications,” he said. “I think it could be dangerous.”

Town CAO Mario Belvedere told council it’ll take staff four to five months to complete the report that’ll outline financial, legal, policy and infrastructure implications of slowing growth.

After hearing that, Ward 3 Councillor Cindy Lunau said she’s not sure if it’s fair to tie up staff for months and commit the incoming council to dealing with the matter. She suggested the motion be brought forward once the new council is in place. She also expressed skepticism about supporting a resolution that could be “election self-serving.”

Ward 1 Councillor Rick Day countered that one could call supporting the motion “electioneering or a good chance to get issues out and voted on.”

In the end, Lunau reluctantly did vote in favour of the motion, telling The Champion she supports the intent of the idea, but not the timing.

Furik’s resolution indicated about 80 per cent of the required road upgrades in Milton are on regional roads. It also pointed out that council has been advised the Town has no legal authority to declare an absolute moratorium on residential growth.

The motion was unanimously supported by council.

Melanie Hennessey can be reached at mhennessey@miltoncanadianchampion.com

One more day…

It’s definately autumn now. There was a distinctive chill in the air this evening as I was out knocking on doors. It gets dark much quicker than usual as it gets closer to election day.

Speaking of the election, tomorrow is the last day candidates can file to run for positions on town council and the school board. By 5 pm tomorrow the choices will be clear for residents of Ward One and in the Town of Milton. I along with 4 other candidates will be asking for your vote on November 13th for town councillor.

If you decide to vote for change on council, you must ask yourself a number of questions.

Which candidate…

• has a written plan of action since day one,
• is speaking about the issues that affect you the most, like taxes, neighbourhood safety, accountibility and green growth,
• will continue to ask for your input by knocking on doors in between elections and not just during them,
• will utilize new technology to keep the flow of communication open from the taxpayers to council and from council to the taxpayers,
• will speak out for neighbourhood safety, for reducing speed limits in residential areas to help keep children safer, increasing the number of green spaces for our children to play.

I have committed to you as your town councillor to do all of these things and more. The most important thing you can do is get out and vote on November 13th. If you have any questions about where you can vote, or if you are on the voters list, please email me at mike@mikecluett.ca .

I’ll see you at the doors.

Happy Anniversary

It was 7 years ago today when my life took a different and better direction. My wife Pat and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary today. Looking back on that day not so long ago brings back some fantastic memories. The day was almost exactly like today with the sun shining (although a tad warmer) and much of the morning for me was spent relaxing watching the Ryder Cup at my best man Mike’s house, with a cup of coffee in hand and bacon and eggs on the table. Mike and I then went to the reception hall to assist in the setting up of a few items had a quick lunch and proceeded back to his place to get dressed with my other usher and good friend Satinder. Given a few butterflies here and there, a very calm and relaxing first half of the day.

In contrast Pat was dealing with about 20 people in the house from hairdressers, make up specialists, future inlaws, our neice and nephew Ashley and Richard (ring bearor and flower girl) and brides maids. She was up early in the morning making sandwiches for everyone making sure their day was as comfortable as possible, all the while getting ready for HER big day. From all accounts it was quite hectic that morning, and that was before the photographer got there.

Another funny part of the day was that she was 15 minutes late. As my brother Rick, Mike, Satinder and I waited in the back of the church with the minister, checking our watches as the start time approched, Pats limo was trying its best to make it along Queen Street in Brampton to make it on time. The minister had suggested if she wasnt there on time, that we all head out to a local pub for a pint or two while we waited. HAHA. Just as we were about to open the back door to escape…the bell rang letting us know that she was there. Good decision to wait for her!

I still feel guilty that I had it so easy. Me calmly relaxing watching what was going to be the last time in 1999 the United States had defeated the Europeans in the Ryder Cup while life was going “bonkers” at home. As a side note, just this past weekend the US team was descimated by the Europeans and it wasnt really close. Oh well, we still have 1999 eh?

I do have to thank Pat for all of her years of support and love. Without her, I really dont know where I would be. I just know Im in a great place in life…and most of it has to do with her. All I know is that just 7 years later we have a fantastic and beautiful son Anthony who just turned 6 years old, we live in a wonderful home in Milton, we have great friends and family and I am very thankful for the things we share in life and take nothing for granted.

Pat has been so supportive of me during this election campaign. She has been understanding to my daily routine of door knocking, almost passing each other like ships in the night as she comes home from work and I go out to knock on doors. She is making even more of a sacrifice than I am during this municipal election campaign and I wouldnt be able to do it without her support.

So to my loving wife of now 7 years…I love you just as much as I did that day and maybe even a bit more. Thank you!

I’ll see you at the doors.

Parking Issues

Over the course of the day I have had the opportunity to speak with many of the residents on Robson Cres. and they all seem to have the same concerns…parking and speeding.

I had explained this process to a few individuals on Robson but I wanted to post it as well to inform others who might have similar problems.

On Robson Cres there is only parking on one side of the street (south side) and no parking on the north side. Many residents on the north side have more than 2 cars and are sometimes required to park a vehicle on the street for some time. Seeing how the time limit is 3 hrs, this poses a problem.

Lets say for instance you have some friends over for dinner and you would like to enjoy a couple extra adult beverages (wobbly pops as Ive heard them called) or wine. If your guests were to stay over, they would have to park on the street. There is a number to call at the town of Milton which is located on my magnet as well 905-878-7252 ext 2530. You can leave a message with the plate number of the vehicle that will be parked on the road.

THIS can get a little on the frustrating side if you are a home owner and require 24 hour parking. There is a way you can get it by applying for extended parking which can be located here at the Town of Milton website.

Its important that when you are doing this you communicate with the residents to let them know if they dont respond and there is a low turnout, nothing with change. I believe there is a 12 month time frame on this so it cant be done every month.

Each plate is alloted a certain number of excemptions from parking tickets (18 each plate). You can check the Town of Milton site for more info or just email me and I can try to answer your questions.

Special thanks to Tim and Sandra from the HawthorneVillager.com website for taking the time to speak with me and the concerns on Robson. I can assure you and everyone in Ward One that if elected your town councillor I will put a lot of effort into serving you for the next four years.

I’ll see you at the doors.

Milton Fall Fair

I know the weather looks a little off this weekend but I urge everyone to head out to the Milton Fall Fair at the Milton Fairgrounds.

www.miltonfair.com for more information, directions and costs. Demolition Derby is on this weekend as well as a midway with games and rides for the kids. Come out to one of the events that truly shows off Milton Spirit.

Hope to see you there!

Parent / Teacher Open House

No door knocking tonight as my wife Pat and I get to visit Hawthorne Village PS to meet Anthony’s teacher and see his class room. He’s been very excited about us coming and is looking forward to showing us around.

It is saddening in a way to see the number of portables at HVPS with many of our children from Ward One having daily classes in them. Its a reminder to everyone who lives here that the growth in Milton is showing no signs of slowing down, except if your driving anywhere in town.

The PT also comes back from the shop tomorrow which will be a welcome sight seeing how I’ve now grown tired of the rental…again!

In the meantime, thank you for your emails and comments to me about my website and blog and I look forward to continuing this “conversation” with residents of Ward One throughout the campaign and as your Town Councillor.

I’ll see you at the doors.

Name changes and traffic lights being installed

I just came back from the Town of Milton’s Administration and Planning Committee at town hall. For those who are unaware, there are 2 committees in place for the town: The administration and planning committee and the community services standing committee. All members of council are part of either one of these committees but everyone attends all meetings each month.

Tonight there were some discussions regarding possible changes at Thompson and Maple development (what seems to be mostly cosmetic changes to the complex) and whether or not a dealership will be built on Steeles and Martin Road (by Meritor as you come in off 25 south of the 401).

There were a few items of concern to ward one residents. One of them was the moving forward of a staff report to a proposed amendment to the zoning bylaw by Redwood Homes who wants to build 74 back to back townhouses by Ferguson Drive east of Armstrong Blvd over by Guardian Angels Catholic School.

Here is the link to the actual staff report. There are some that feel by adding additional homes right beside the school might eat into the current green belt. Since council adopted the staff recommendation, it will be ratified by council next week. If there are any other questions, please contact the town clerk for any more details.

Another item that was brought up by the planning department is the possible changes to the names of many streets in Milton. According to the report there are several streets that will be affected and I will look into the possibility of any of our Ward One streets being affected.

Given the past problems with other municipalities and the emergency services not being able to find the right location in a time of urgent need, the Town of Milton feels it necessary to move forward with this study and get the process started. This was also endorsed by the Town of Milton Fire Department as something that is essential to providing the best service to Miltonians. Stay tuned to my site for details.

And finally something that I know has been a thorn in the side of many people who use Britannia Road. Judging from the number of calls I have received I can only imagine the number of calls our councillors have received on this.

Regional Councillor Barry Lee brought up the concerns of many residents regarding the 4 way stop sign at 4th line and Britannia. There have been talks with the Town of Milton and Region of Halton to speed up the process and get a traffic light installed ASAP. Paul Cripps made mention that the traffic lights will be going up in the next 5 days or so with a few days after that to be completed.

I am one of the drivers who uses Britannia Road as I work daily in Mississauga and I can assure those who have also been affected it is a major inconvenience. The work is going to get done and not too soon for most of us. I will be updating my site to let people know the progress of the installation as soon as possible.

Please exercise caution and patience while driving through this area. I would love to hear what you think about this, so please feel free to comment on the blog or send me an email to mike@mikecluett.ca it’s your opinion that matters and I would like to hear from you.

I’ll see you at the doors.

150th Anniversary Plug and Pizza Overload

This has been a very busy weekend.

I was out knocking on doors along Bennett Road and Armstrong for the good part of the morning. In the afternoon Anthony had one of his birthday parties. Yes I said parties. Ever since the last one, he’s wanted to have his party at Chuck E Cheese and have a soccer party. So we did both. His soccer and school friends had one yesterday and tonight was family / cousins at Chuck’s. Fun times were had by all, but now I’m feeling a bit of pizza overload.

Again early this morning out visiting some more Ward One residents and later in the afternoon there was a special BBQ for the 150th anniversary committee out in a beautiful area of Milton. As you are aware, I am the Chairperson of the Master Committee and we have been hard at work planning the 2007 celebrations for the past 2 years.

The chair of our Promotions sub committee Kevin and his lovely wife hosted 20 or so of the 150th committee members and special guests. They have a beautiful home and backyard and a great time was had by all. (A BIG thank you goes to our hosts!)

The plans for Milton’s 150th are well underway and some very BIG things will be coming shortly. You will NOT believe it when you hear it. I can’t say anything just yet but it IS huge. I will leave it at that. (How’s that for suspense eh?)

We were also introducing to everyone the winners of our 150th contest that was held earlier this year. The contest was open to all residents of Milton to choose the mascot and Theme for the 150th Celebrations. Rose Brooks and Michelle Job were our lucky winners and they get to join the Mayor of Milton and ring the bell on New Years Eve. There is a long list of names that have had the honour of ringing the bell and now we can add two more.

If you are interested in helping out in the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Milton, you can contact me or visit our webpage. You will be seeing and hearing more about the committee soon as we get closer to the start of the celebrations. The more help the easier the task becomes so if you can afford some time to attend a few meetings and plan some events, drop me a line.

Tomorrow evening is a very important Administration and Planning meeting at council chambers. I will have some information on this meeting and more tomorrow.

Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

Voting locations

I have updated my website with the voting locations for Ward One and an updated map as well. On the map you will find your polling station based upon where you live in the ward and you can then see where you will be voting on November 13th.

If you have any questions email me anytime.

This is probably the most important election in Milton’s recent history. It is imperative that we make the commitment to vote on November 13th. Last election was a very low turnout. We can do better.

I’ll see you at the doors.
Mike

The guy with the cool magnets…

Here is a preview of my campaign fridge magnets. If you would like one and I haven’t got to your door yet, just drop me an email at mike@mikecluett.ca and either myself of a member of my campaign team will be happy to give you one.

The number of candidates for Town and Regional council seems to be growing by the day which is a good sign. This means that there is some interest in what is going on in Milton. Some people are happy with the progress and some feel there could me more done. What seems to be the most common theme at the doors is that the decisions that have been made are poorly thought and the communication between levels of government (i.e. Town and Regional) can improve drastically.

As your councillor I will do my best to ensure that improves. The left hand doesn’t seem to know what the right one is doing and in this period of incredible growth, it needs to improve. The most important part of the communication process is however, the communication from you, the taxpayers, to the levels of government.

We need to know what you’re thinking and what your concerns are. It’s important that we get feedback from you on major decisions BEFORE they are made. This is why door knocking in between elections and utilizing other forms of communication is something that is essential for our elected representatives. My website will be that tool along with my commitment that I will continuously seek out your opinions and concerns over the next four years as your town councillor for Ward One.

This election campaign is just the beginning and it will continue over the next four years. I ask for your support on Election Day which is November 13, 2006. More details as to where the polling stations are going to be located, times, etc will be posted here as they come available. I look forward to meeting you at the doors.