As reported on her Twitter account, Christina Commisso @C_Commisso (who is one of the reporters for the Milton Canadian Champion) sent out a message yesterday saying that the Minister of Infrastructure Bob Chiraelli responded to the article “Councillors Disappointed with Infrastructure Plan“

You can read my response to the article here in my post called “Hey Bob! Read OUR Lips“

Call me a cynic, but I’m not expecting a full time line report from the Minister but hopefully we will get a clearer idea of when any possible expansion of Milton District Hospital will happen.  Its not that it should happen, its that it HAS to happen.  Miltonians deserve an answer or at least a timeline of when things will begin to move forward.

Milton Council needs to have answers.  There are a lot of issues financially that we are facing with our 2012 budget about hospital expansion reserve accounts and other projects that need help from the province that we need to address and we at the town and the Region of Halton have done our work…we just need the province to take some action.

Regional Councillor Colin Best has also expressed his frustration about the plan.  The Region has been working on getting ROPA 39 approved (something the province requires) so we can continue with the long range planning and with the province and if its not approved it can put the town and the region in a difficult position at the provincial level.  At our last council meeting the measure passed…just barely.  Again, we are doing what we can to send a message to the province that we need them to step up to the plate.

I’ll update the blog later on today when we get a chance to read his response.  Cross your fingers folks.

GROW MILTON HOSPITAL!

I read with interest an article in the Champion last week called “Councillors disappointed with infrastructure plan“  Click on the link to read it in full.

Disappointed isn’t the word.  In addition to Regional Councillor Colin Best’s comments, I also spoke about the lack of detail in this report and despite the Town’s efforts in keeping the province “in the loop” we have been kept in the dark.  And its not just Milton municipal councillors who are disappointed with the plan, or lack thereof.  Its the hundreds of mayors, regional & local councillors who are scratching their heads at the vagueness of the capital infrastructure plan recently released by the Provincial government.

The report called “Building Together” was supposed to outline a list of municipalities and their important infrastructure projects that would be green lighted by the province, such as expansion of Milton District Hospital, growing our university / college campuses (Milton Education Village) and other much needed road developments.

Instead we got a “we promise” document.  We promise that the provincial government will help fund these projects.  We promise.

When politicians utter the words “we promise” taxpayers roll their eyes.  Been there…done that.  Tell us something new.

It’s with that in mind I chuckled when I read the comments from Minister of Infrastructure Bob Chiarelli when he said the following:

“People know what our commitment is,” he (Chiarelli) said. “Read my lips, we mean business.”

Personally speaking, I really don’t know what to do with that comment.  I remember a certain US President who made the same “read my lips” promise and it came back to bite him in the old hindquarters.  He claims people know what the governments commitment is.  How can the people of Milton know what the provinces commitments are if they are not outlined.

And really when it comes down to it, Bob is a former Mayor of Ottawa and if anyone could understand what the cities and towns in Ontario are going through right now its him.

When the Town of Milton is asked to put forward a 10 year capital projection at budget time, we do.  The budget has a list of projects that are slated to begin, the time they are ready to go, and the approximate financial commitments needed to complete that project.  The same can be said for the Region of Halton and in fact, every municipality does this.  Why cant the Province of Ontario do the same?

The Premier of Ontario recently prorouged Queens Park for the summer and with a provincial election slated for October 6th, its highly unlikely they will be back to work at Queens Park any time soon.  Therefore the taxpayers of Milton must wait on pins and needles to see if this government will announce any projects before that time.  In fact its more likely we will hear something, if anything AFTER the election in October.

This will now put the timeline for the expansion of Milton District Hospital even further behind.

“Read my lips, we mean business.”

A little history lesson for you Bob just in case you missed it the first time around.  The minister of health Deb Matthews can also listen in as well as the Premier.

Between the Friends of Milton campaign a few years ago where over 35,000 signatures were secured from Milton residents and delivered to the health ministers office to the most recent Grow Milton Hospital campaign, where over 6,000 signatures were collected in a matter of weeks, Milton residents have been trying to let you know that we mean business.  Our council even installed a hospital expansion levy on our taxpayers (you know my feelings on THAT issue) in the hopes it would let the provincial government know we meant business too.  We as a town have done everything possible to raise the awareness of this problem that can affect the delivery of health care services to the people of Milton.  Instead we get a “read my lips” response.

The population of Milton is approaching 100,000 people and the last expansion at MDH took place back in 1987 when the population was 30,000.  Even then the current facilities were too small for that number and it wont be able to sustain itself much longer.  The infrastrucutre within the hospital is falling apart.  The hosptial recently got a new piece of equipment to sterilize medical instruments and it couldnt work because the electical system couldnt handle it and the installation was delayed by a couple of weeks.

Alan Halls from Halton Healthcare Services and John Oliver have made plea after plea to the province to green light the expansion of the hospital because the system will not be able to sustain itself at the current rate of growth.  The Milton Town Council has repeatedly sent you reports on the status of our growth, mandated by the provincial government, and the possible effects on our schools, roads and the hospital.

Expert after expert has told the LHIN and the Ministry of Health that the expansion of Milton Hospital is needed NOW.  The people of the town of Milton have told you endlessly that the expansion of Milton Hospital is needed NOW.  There are hundreds of signs on the lawns of the people of Milton that say “The Time is NOW! Grow Milton Hospital!”  As a local councillor in Milton I get stopped in the street, I receive emails and get phone calls from residents asking when will it happen…when will it start?

Read OUR lips Bob!  We mean business as well. 

Milton isn’t by far in the worst situation when it comes to hospitals and the delivery of health care services to their residents.  We know that!  What the taxpayers have seen over the last 8 years is $1 Billion wasted on EHealth (imagine what that money could have done to expand hospital facilities) and other programs, while we sit back and watch our hospital crumble before our eyes.  The doctors and nurses in Milton Hospital are doing the best they can given the circumstances.  Something has to give soon.  We only hope that a life isn’t put into danger before something happens with the expansion.

The Town of Milton has committed to providing the local share thats needed for the hospital expansion.  We dont have an amount yet and that can happen only if the project gets green-lighted by the province and we can get started in the planning.  When that happens, we will consult with Miltonians on the best direction to raise that local share.  We’re ready to go!  Just give us the green light!

Read our lips Bob!  Grow Milton Hospital!

Here is the Champions take on the meeting last Monday. When the title says taxes could rise by 4.4%, it means that staff has assessed current services already provided combined with the MPI (Municipal Price Index) could result in a budget increase of 4.4%

This total doesnt include new services that will be debated throughout the year and at budget time by the budget committee/council.

Some of the other items I brought up at the meeting was a request to staff to not only consider the MPI, but also to take into consideration the CPI, inflation etc that is being projected for the next year as well.  The US economy isnt moving forward (in fact in some cases seems to be moving backwards) fast enough and could easily slip into a further recession putting extreme pressures on our economy as well.

There are way too many factors in play to consider Canada’s economy and local economy’s out of the woods yet.  This is why we have to tread carefully in our 2012 budget process and keep taxpayers in mind with potential budget increases and the effects on their pocketbooks.

I also confirmed with staff during the meeting that the hospital tax levy installed on your 2011 tax bill IS included in that amount.  Should the budget committee and in turn town council decide to remove the levy from the tax bill and find other sources of funding for the hospital expansion fund, the overall increase in current services will be lower.

Its important that taxpayers know of all the options available to council during this process and send their input to their respective councillor.  This measure passed with no public input whatsover during the 2011 budget debate and I, along with a number of my collegues heard from you.  Some supported the measure and many opposed it.  The common theme I heard from taxpayers was they were not told about it and they voiced their displeasure.  As reported in the survey 40% of respondents supported the levy (actual number 71) while 38% opposed (actual number 68) leaving 21% (actual number 37) unsure, it by no measure is a mandate for council to continue this levy without extensive feedback from the community.

You will see at the end of the article, an announcement of the informal budget input session slated for Monday July 11th at Milton Sports Centre (Room 4) starting at 7pm.  If you cant make it, please email me your comments, questions and concerns to mike@mikecluett.ca

http://www.insidehalton.com/community/milton/article/1033206

Taxes could rise by 4%

Christina Commisso, Milton Canadian Champin

A 4 per cent tax hike, but no increased services.

That’s the gist of the budget call report presented to the Town’s administration and planning committee Monday.

Town staff have estimated a 4.41 per cent tax hike is needed next year to maintain existing service levels in town.

The report aims to provide guidelines and direction for preparing next year’s budget, and if this week’s meeting was a preview of things to come, the 2012 budget deliberations could be heated.

The first question posed to Town Treasurer Linda Leeds following her short presentation was what the impact of removing the 1 per cent hospital levy, introduced in the 2011 budget, would have.

“The hospital tax levy was a pretty contentious issue,” said Ward 6 Councillor Mike Cluett.

He was one of five councillors who voted against the levy, which narrowly passed by a 6-5 vote in January.

Leeds said the report assumes the 1 per cent levy would continue in 2012 and it wouldn’t result in a tax increase. She said if the hospital tax wasn’t carried forward, it would result in a tax decrease.

Councillor Cindy Lunau quickly reminded those in attendance that funding the local share of the Milton District Hospital expansion, when it’s approved by the Province, is a reality council will have to one day deal with.

“To remove the hospital levy would result in a decrease in the overall tax rate, but we certainly had comments around this table that there’s nothing more important we should be putting our tax money towards than the hospital…As we get to that point, let us hope we have some idea where the money for the hospital will be coming from.”

Added Councillor Rick Di Lorenzo, “I can go down the list and if we remove everything we added last year, every program and service, that would also mean the tax increase would be lower than 4.41 per cent,” he said.

Councillor Sharon Barkley reminded council members the point of the report is to provide Town staff with budget direction, “and I’m not sure if we’re doing that,” she said. She asked Leeds what a 4 per cent increase in municipal taxes would mean on her tax bill. As the Milton share of the property tax bill represents 29 per cent of the total, Leeds said a 4 per cent local increase would have a 1 to 1.2 per cent impact on the total tax bill.

The report points to the Main Street grade separation and construction of the new Milton fire headquarters at Derry Road and Savoline Boulevard as the two highest-priority items on the 2012 capital budget.

The projects, slated for completion next year, are estimated to cost $18.4 million and $2.9 million respectively in 2012 and $35.6 million and $5.2 million in total.

Staff included comments on a budget survey — available on the Town’s website until the end of August — in the report.

Of the close to 200 responses received so far, the majority said they’re satisfied with the current level of service the Town provides and 72 per cent said there are no new services or programs that could be offered.

For new services or to increase existing service levels, 40 per cent of respondents don’t support a tax increase, 38 per cent do support an increase and the remainder of respondents were unsure.

The survey asked about support for the hospital levy — 40 per cent were in favour of the tax, 39 per cent weren’t in favour and 21 per cent were unsure.

Hosted by councillors Zeeshan Hamid, Cluett, Barkley and Di Lorenzo, an informal budget input session is set for July 11 at the Milton Sports Centre (Room 4) at 7 p.m.

During the last municipal election campaign, one of the most common themes I heard from voters was that they want to be kept informed and have more of a say in budget matters.  That message was heard loud and clear by myself and other councillors and we are happy to announce that there is an opportunity for you to have your say.

The Town of Milton has set up a survey that you can log into here, to have your say and answer questions about the upcoming 2012 Milton budget process.  This is an opportunity for you to tell US what YOU think the town’s priorities should be for the upcoming year and years beyond.

Although this survey is set to finish on June 8th, the town will continue to take input from residents, as well as through your local councillor (yours truly) to come up with priorities you find important.

Public input sought on 2012 municipal budget

Christina Commisso, CANADIAN CHAMPION

This year has yet to reach the halfway point and the Town is already looking ahead to Milton’s 2012 budget.

The public is encouraged to provide their input on the next year’s budget in an online survey (at www.milton.ca) until June 8.

The survey, open to residents and business owners, asks participants if they’d like see increased, decreased or the same level of service in respects to: fire service, winter snow control, transit, road maintenance, municipal parking lots, traffic signals and streetlighting, parks and open space, recreational programs and facility conditions.

The survey asks if there are new services or programs the Town should offer, existing services/programs that should be eliminated and if participants would support a tax increase to increase or add services.

Participants can indicated what per cent tax increase — between zero and five per cent — they’d support and whether or not they’re in favour of the dedicated tax levy for the hospital expansion implemented in this year’s budget.

The survey is one of the first steps in preparing Milton’s 2012 budget. During Monday’s council meeting, the Town’s senior manager of finance Sheryl Hill touched upon forthcoming budget pressures and new capital infrastructure to carried out next year.

The ongoing sports centre expansion and community park development, the completion of the Centre for the Arts, new staff positions, annualizing the 2011 transit enhancement for 2012 and the construction of No. 3 fire station and new headquarters are pressures Hill incited during her presentation to council.

The 2012 capital forecast includes 119 projects worth $72.5 million that are split fairly evenly between growth and non-growth projects. Hill said about 70 per cent of the expenses are pegged for road work.

At the meeting resident Kim Macdonald asked council to include the renewal of community parks in the older areas of town, including downtown, Timberlea and Dorset Park, in next year’s budget.

She said a lack of shade isn’t uncommon in some of the older parks and she often runs into parents from old Milton who drive out of their way to the new parks.

Councillor Rick Malboeuf said he’s heard similar concerns from Ward 4 residents and expects to see some movement in bringing the older parks up to date in the 2012 budget.

A budget call report will be presented to council this month. 

Here is an article from Christina Commisso from the Milton Canadian Champion about last Monday nights Community Services Standing Committee Meeting.

Farmer fears race will hurt business

Plans for Milton to host the premier race during June’s Canadian Road Cycling Championships are in jeopardy, following opposition from a local strawberry farm.Saturday, June 25 is the date elite riders are to take to Milton streets for grueling 157 and 180-km races that could very well determine which Canadians will be heading to the 2012 Summer Games. Among these cyclists will be Canada’s golden girl Clara Hughes, a two-sport Olympic medalist.

June 25 is also one of the busiest days for business for Springridge Farm on Bell School Line.

With road closures planned for throughout the day and a route that runs on Bell School Line — Springridge’s home for more than 50 years — owner John Hughes is worried the race will have serious implications on his business.

During Monday’s community services meeting, Hughes asked the committee to say no to the race.  “This is not a charity race, but an elite race with talk of the Olympics down the road for some. For Springridge, the strawberry season is our Olympic season.”

Hughes said the hundreds of bikes that will hit Milton streets combined with the 1,000 to 1,800 cars and anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 strawberry pickers expected to make their way to the family-owned farm don’t make for a good mix.

“The liability exposure for all concerned is huge,” said Hughes, pointing to the poor visibility issues and crumbling infrastructure on Bell School Line.

Race Director Craig Fagan of Midweek Cycling said scrapping the Milton event all together will be “disastrously difficult.” 

“This is by far the most prestigious event. It is what determines who is going to be selected to represent Canada at the Olympics.”   He said Appleby Line is the circuit’s “key climb.”

“That’s what really sets the national champion apart. The women will be climbing that hill eight times and it really determines who’s the strongest.”

He added that riders from as far as Quebec have been spending their weekends in Milton to train for the race. The event is considered a primer for the Canadian Olympic qualifier.

Currently, the women’s race (nine circuits) is set for 10 a.m. to noon and the men’s race (14 circuits) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The route begins at Rattlesnake Point, travels northbound on Appleby Line, east on No. 14 Side Road, south on Bell School Line, and west on Britannia Road.

Fagan said about 5,000 racers and spectators will descend on Milton to watch the race. With major artillery roads being closed to traffic on and off throughout the day, the committee said traffic snarls are certain. 

During the meeting, Councillor Colin Best suggested the race times be changed — the women’s 2.5-hour race in the early morning and the men’s 4.5-hour race in the evening.  “I have no problem with riders starting at 7 a.m. or earlier if that’s what we need to do to get things done,” said Fagan.

However, he added that four hours of prep time would be needed prior to each race, which could cause noise concerns for neighbours.

Insp. Ivan L’Ortye of Halton police, who’s coordinating police during the paid-duty event, said traffic will be moving in the same direction of the race with left turns on the circuit prohibited.

“The underlying theme is we don’t want to mix cyclists and cars. We want this to be well-choreographed,” he said. “Obviously I think there will be significant delays, but we don’t feel it’s safe to have northbound traffic on the course.”

Mayor Gord Krantz asked Fagan about possibly compensating Springridge for the potential loss of business due to the race.

However, Fagan pointed out that with events of this scale, in many cases municipalities pay for the event to come to town.

“These events tend to turn around and deliver. In Halton, that will be one-point-something million dollars coming back to the community, which we don’t get a piece of. We haven’t asked the municipality for any financial aid.”

The committee delayed voting on the cycling championships until Town staff work with organizers and Springridge to determine if a new time for the race is possible. The report will have to go council for approval before the June 25 race is permitted. 

So with the committee’s decision to delay the vote, it will provide the parties involved with the opportunity to come to a compromise with the start time to accommodate Springridge Farms regular business hours.  As John Hughes stated, that day is the farms busiest day in revenue terms and it would have a severe hit on their business.

I hope that they can come to a resolution, but still there is no doubt the traffic issues will be intense.  Other concerns brought up at the meeting by Councillor Lunau was the condition of the road.  Bell School Line hasn’t undergone a major repair since the last race in 2007.  The race organizer assured council that these are “semi-pro’s” and they know how to handle themselves on rougher terrain.  With cyclists flying down the road at speeds of “80-90 km/hr” the risk is still there for a disaster to happen.

Another issue that came up was the fact local residents were not informed of the race route during the planning stages of the event.  One area resident spoke up during the meeting letting their concerns be known and as far as I know, they plan on speaking again when the report comes before committee.

How should these “world class” races be planned in the future?  Should their routes be approved by the local municipality before they are advertised around the world?  As Mr Fagan said, people from all over will “descend” upon Milton to practice for the race, which will bring in revenue for the town.  Whether this race goes through or not, I would make a suggestion to the race organizers to pay closer attention to the local residents and possibly submit their race plans/routes BEFORE they begin their advertising campaigns.  This way it wont look like the municipality is backed into a corner to approve a race mere weeks before it begins.

I will await the updated report on negotiations and council will make its decision at that point.

Citizens rally for Milton hospital expansion

(Photo Courtesy of Milton Canadian Champion, Graham Paine) – By Christina Commisso, Milton Canadian Champion

The signs are up, the signatures are in and the will is strong.

The time for Milton’s hospital expansion is now — that message was heard loud and clear Saturday morning.

About 30 people huddled under the gazebo at Victoria Park, sheltered against the rain and wind, to show their support for the expansion.

“We’re a small group, but we’re mighty,” said Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh.

He, along with citizen’s group Grow Milton Hospital, has collected more than 5,000 signatures of support for the expansion over a six-week campaign.

The petitions were delivered to Queen’s Park yesterday.

The urgency of the expansion was outlined by Milton District Hospital (MDH) surgeon Dr. Jeff Kolbasnik, who spoke during the morning event. 

“When I started (at MDH) we had lots of ward beds. Anytime I needed to admit a patient there was no issue. In the emergency department there would be a few people backed up, but routinely people would get seen within an hour. We never had surgery cancelled because no beds were available and getting a patient in urgently was no problem. Things have really changed.”

According to Kolbasnik, it’s not just the population spike that has placed mounting pressure on MDH; the infrastructure at the hospital is showing signs of deterioration.

He pointed to a leaky roof last summer that led to the evacuation of the medical surgical ward for almost a week. MDH recently received a “state of the art” surgical sterilization machine, which Kolbasnik said took a week to install because the hospital’s infrastructure was too old to support the new technology.

“During that week we had to ration surgical equipment…that’s not the sort of thing that should be happening in a growing community like ours.”

He continued, “As much as there’s a gradual deterioration, we’re worried we’re going to reach a breaking point when things just start to fall apart.”

Organizer and Ward 6 Councillor Mike Cluett took some time to dispel common rumors circulating about the MDH expansion.

Pointing to the new north Oakville hospital, Cluett said: “The Oakville hospital is designed for Oakville’s growth, not for other communities. We need a made-in-Milton hospital expansion for Milton’s needs now.”

Cluett added that he’s unfazed by naysayers.

“We’ve heard, ‘It’s great you’re doing this but it’s not going to make a difference.’ Well we’d rather go down swinging than not do anything at all. We want to let the provincial government know that it starts with them. Give us the go ahead, and we’ll figure the rest out.”

Playing MC for the event, Scott Fox of Z103.5 said when he moved to town seven years ago he would brag to his friends about the zero wait times at MDH.

“Now the tables have turned,” he said.

“All you have to do is look around at a town that’s bursting at the seams and a hospital that was built decades ago. The fact that people are waiting, they’re being sent to other communities for critical care, surgeries are being postponed because there’s not enough beds — this screams expansion.”

Chudleigh said he hopes the message comes through loud and clear at Queen’s Park. The petition was delivered mere weeks before the Province is expected to release its 10-year infrastructure list for high-priority projects.

Despite what transpires in the next few weeks, Cluett said the momentum for the expansion won’t slow down anytime soon.

“It doesn’t end today. It’s going to continue until the spade is in the ground and we have our hospital.”

There is also a lot of discussion about the piano on the Hawthorne Villager and feel free to click there and contriubute to the feedback.

Arts centre to get classic piano

It’s truly one of a kind.

Handmade in a factory in New York City, the Steinway is reportedly the workhorse of the concert stage, or, as others refer to it, the Cadillac of grand pianos.

Comprised of 12,000 parts and covered under 120 patents, the Steinway piano is the standard among concert performers. Soon, one of these collectibles will find a home at the Milton Centre for the Arts.

It will cost the Town about $115,000 for the piece and centre manager Rob Mackay says it’s an investment Milton can be proud of.

“It’s an absolutely great thing for Milton to open a first-class performance hall with a first-class piano in terms of attracting national and international talent,” he said.  Mackay said many performing arts centres possess Steinway pianos.

However, Milton art centre’s pièce de résistance is the only one in the region, with neither the Oakville or Burlington performing art centres owning a Steinway.

“The Milton Centre for the Arts was built for local talent, and I’m sure they’re going to appreciate this,” Mackay said.

“But we hope to also supplement the use of the centre with national and international performers and they’d be requesting the Steinway. I’m sure the local musicians will be ecstatic about it too.”

The Town is purchasing the piano from Toronto’s Remenyi House of Music, Steinway’s exclusive agent in southern Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

Al Kowalenko, Remenyi’s director of institutional sales, said the Steinway is the standard for concert halls in North America.  “I think what’s really beneficial to Milton is that in the area you’re going to be recognized for having this in the concert hall and this will draw a better caliber of touring and performing artists to your town.”

Kowalenko said in addition to  the craftsmanship, the Steinway sets itself apart by appreciating in value as it gets older rather than depreciating.  He said the value of the piano will increase four to five per cent per year.

“They are considered a hand-made collectable item and on top of that there’s a limited number produced,” he said.

About 2,500 models are made in Steinway’s factories in New York City and Hamburg, Germany, which supplies Europe.  Since they’re handcrafted, no two pianos are alike, which is why the company flies North American buyers out to their New York City showroom to personally pick out their own Steinway.

Mackay said a handful of local musicians have been approached about the opportunity and he suspects by the end of the month, one lucky Miltonian will be off to New York to pick the piano with the perfect sound, tone and colour.  

“This piano, if it’s well looked after, will last as long as the building will last,” said Mackay.

It’s not uncommon for Steinways to last 75 to 100 years, he said.  “It’s really a life-long investment.”

Furthermore Christina Commisso added the following detail on the discussion the committee had regarding this purchase.

Questions raised in piano purchase

Some councillors have raised concerns surrounding the purchase of a Steinway piano for the Milton arts centre.

Town council recently approved spending $115,350, plus HST, on the collectible piano through a single-source procurement — a non-competitive purchase.

The purchase was included in a February report presented to council outlining various items the Town is planning to buy with council’s approval.

“I don’t like any single source procurement. What other options were discussed?” asked Councillor Colin Best.

Town treasurer Linda Leeds said looking at alternative suppliers wasn’t possible as Remenyi House of Music is the only authorized dealer that sells the instrument in the area.

Councillor Greg Nelson proposed a motion that would see the piano purchase presented in its own report, separate from the other purchasing variances.

“That’s a sizeable amount of money,” commented Nelson, stating that including it in the purchasing report didn’t provide enough transparency. “To avoid the optics of trying to slide something under the rug, I propose a report that’s transparent and something council can vote on.”

Nelson’s motion was defeated.

Al Kowalenko of Remenyi told the Champion renting a Steinway would cost between $1,500 and $2,000 a night. He said 98 per cent of concert performers request or require a Steinway piano.

A production grand piano can cost between $30,000 and $50,000, said Kowalenko.

Staff said they hope to have the piano in place for the beginning of the fall season.

I was the seconder to Councillor Nelson’s motion that night as we, along with Councillor’s Best and Malboeuf, thought that there could have been more detail in that report for such a large purchase and the amount was over $100,000.00

Curious to look at different options, I did a quick Google search and found a supplier in the GTA who sells refurbished models of the Steinway product and when after I told him the amount of our purchase he replied “Thats outlandish”.

That motion wasnt put in place to kill the purchase of the piano, as we are well aware in order to attract performers to the Arts Centre, we need to have a quality product for them to use.  Rental of the piano was out of the question due to the amount and the time needed for transportation.  Town staff mentioned during the meeting that other options were looked at, but the report lacked in those details.

The Milton Centre for the Arts is slated for opening this fall, and by deferring this report for futher detail would not have placed the deal in jeopardy but would have provided council with more clarity and an assurance that all the I’s were dotted and the T’s crossed.

The motion for deferral was defeated by 6-4 margin and the purchase has gone ahead.  I have no issues about questioning the dollars spent on items such as this, even though the amounts were already in the budget.  The town is under a growth phase and with the coming 2012 budget discussions dollars will have to be found in the operating budget to limit any potential tax increase.  Its what I promised to do if elected and I will continue to do so.

Over the last several years, people in Milton have talked about issues in their neighbourhood when it comes to traffic, speeding cars and pedestrian safety.  There have been far too many examples of preventable collisions in our subdivisions using Yates Drive near Bennett as a reference.

Town staff has now come up with a traffic calming policy that came before the Community Services Standing Committee a couple of weeks ago for approval.  This is now sent to council for final approval on the 28th of March.

Here is an article in the Milton Canadian Champion by Christina Commissio that outlines the details.

No speedy process involved with traffic calming – Town’s new policy includes many steps, strict criteria before measures can be put in place

Milton’s first traffic calming policy was presented to councillors last week and judging by the draft plan, getting speeders to slow down won’t be a hurried process. After residents complain to Town Hall about hasty drivers barreling along their streets, it could take up to eight months for a traffic calming measure — speed bumps, curb extensions or stop signs, to name a few — to be installed, and that’s if the street meets the Town’s lengthy checklist.With $45,000 in this year’s budget allocated for traffic calming, the Town’s director of engineering Paul Cripps said one, maybe two, projects can be completed in 2011.

But there’s no shortage of demand.

“We get requests for traffic calming on a regular basis,” said Cripps. “It’s not a problem getting people engaged.”

Public engagement is a key part of the policy, which requires at least 51 per cent of households on the street to sign a petition in favour of the calming measures. If the road gets a green light from the Town, transit and emergency services to install a traffic calming device, the public will be asked for their input on the project, followed by a public meeting and community support survey. The survey has to be completed by at least 25 per cent of households on the street and show a 60 per cent support for the measure. After a traffic calming design is recommended by the Town, it will have to be approved by the Community Services Standing Committee and town council before residents are notified and the measure is implemented.

But before this process takes place, the street will have to meet a stringent point system to qualify for traffic calming. A local roadway must incur 35 points, and a collector roadway, which carries between 1,000 and over 3,000 cars daily, must incur 52 points to be eligible.

Speeding, volume, short-cutting traffic, collisions and road characteristics, such as sidewalks and distance to schools, playgrounds and retail centres will garner points. But racking up points isn’t easy.

To generate points for speeding, the Town will look at the 85 percentile of vehicles on a street, and those driving more than 15 km/h over the speed limit will incur points (once 15 km/h over the limit, five points will be assigned for every additional 2 km/h over). Every two collisions per year on a street generate one point.

One councillor is worried that the point system could be too stringent.

“It’s good to have a traffic calming policy, but will that policy catch roads we feel have major safety concerns,” asked Councillor Rick Di Lorenzo. “Thinking of some of the streets I know of that are high risk, I was trying to add the points in my mind…If drivers are going 65 to 70 km an hour (in a 50 km/h zone), then it would be enough to qualify. But if they’re going 60 or 63 or 64 km/h, it almost seems that there wouldn’t be enough points to qualify.

“I agree we should have some type of formula or calculation so it’s not all about perception. But what use is having a traffic calming policy if the formula doesn’t show many roads need traffic calming?”

Di Lorenzo said he’s curious to find out what streets in town qualify under the policy. During the community services committee meeting, Cripps assured council that certain streets will qualify.

While canvassing the Hawthorne Village neighbourhood while campaigning, Di Lorenzo said road safety and speeding were the most common complaints he heard. “On a street where it’s (speeding) a concern, you’re going to get that majority of people signing the petition.”

During the meeting, Mayor Gord Krantz said he didn’t“want to get the public’s hopes up,” with the policy, explaining that speed bumps, stop signs and lowered speed limits on one street could simply move traffic to a neighbouring street.

However, Cripps said after traffic calming is incorporated on a street, it will be re-evaluated to ensure its effectiveness.

“It’s going to be a learning process to a certain degree to find out what residents of Milton want to see and what they will respect in terms of traffic calming…it’s trial and error, hopefully more trial than error.”

Councillor Greg Nelson, chair of the committee, said he’s worried about a substantial backlog in traffic calming requests.

“There’s no community at all that doesn’t have this problem. The one concern I have is that who doesn’t want a speed bump on their street is going to be a much shorter conversation.”

Request for streets to be surveyed for traffic calming will begin in early April. 

I for one am very glad we now have something in writing when it comes to traffic calming issues and there is more to be done.  This policy is reactionary instead of proactive and I’d like to see what can be done in the sight approval stage of the development of our communities especially in the Boyne survey.

There are some that feel the guidelines are too stringent when it comes to evaluation of a street / area for traffic calming measures.  It surely isnt a fast process, but this will definitely allow the public and the residents of the affected area an opportunity to have their say.  This is similar to the process undertaken when it comes to reviewing the parking by-laws in residential streets.  There first has to be a majority of people on the street wanting a review and then when it comes to input the residents will have to provide their opinions in a public process.

There might be glitches as we work through the process for the first few times and the beauty of this is now it can be amendedif we find issues to help make it a smooth process for residents and staff as well.

I asked Mr Cripps during this presentation about the time limit in between reviews in which he responded that its not in the policy itself but they will be working with the same guidelines as with the parking by-law and have a minimum of a year in between.

Does this mean every area that asks for a traffic calming device will get it?  No, but it will ensure there is a public discussion with those people to come up with solutions that make sense and not cookie cutter answers to traffic control.  As effective as they might be, traffic circles can not be put everywhere, as an example.

Its a good start and I hope people take advantage of this process and work with staff and council to find the best solution possible.

From Christina Commisso, Milton Canadian Champion

Town budget barely passes

Council divided in approving Milton budget that will see municipal taxes rise by 4.58%

The 11 members of council spent little time discussing the increase during Monday’s marathon meeting, which saw only six of 11 councillors vote in favour of the controversial budget. Much of the divide and discussion came down to a 1 per cent tax levy that will establish a hospital expansion reserve fund.

Though Milton continues to enjoy one of the lowest property tax rates in the GTA, the 4.58 per cent increase was still too much for some councillors, including Milton’s mayor, to swallow.

“You’re always going to get differences, but a council split down the middle doesn’t send a very good message to the community and it doesn’t show a lot of confidence,” said Mayor Gord Krantz. “It sends a message that a lot of people are not comfortable with what’s going on. I hope it’s not a prelude of things to come.”

Voting against the budget were Krantz and councillors Tony Lambert, Greg Nelson, Rick Malboeuf and Mike Cluett. Voting for the budget were councillors Colin Best, Sharon Barkley, Cindy Lunau, Arnold Huffman, Rick Di Lorenzo and Zeeshan Hamid.

The increase isn’t nearly as steep as staff previously predicted was necessary, when an initial budget report suggested a levy of close to 7 per cent was needed. The report presented to the budget committee last week showed a 5.72 per cent levy, with options to bring that amount down to 2.08 per cent.

While a lot of Town Hall’s priorities were set during the previous council term, newly elected and returning councillors did make some slight changes to bring the increase closer to the rate of inflation. A $100,000 bike lane implementation program was reduced to $50,000 to be spread out over four years. The opening of the Milton Centre for the Arts and the new main library was delayed from April to June and a snowplow advertising campaign was eliminated from the budget.

The changes saved about $143,000.

The Town’s $164.2 million budget includes 80 infrastructure projects that total $85.6 million. The capital budget was largely influenced by eight multi-year projects pre-approved in 2010, which include the Main Street grade separation and several new facilities that should be operational by the year’s end.

On a $350,000 home, the 4.58 per cent increase translates to a $40.70 increase in the urban area and $34.05 for rural homes.

Combined with the regional, local and educational components of residential taxes, which account for 44 per cent, 29 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, Miltonians are looking at an overall tax increase of 2.2 per cent in the urban area ($19.41/$100,000 of assessed value) and 2.09 per cent in the rural area ($17.48/$100,000 of assessed value).

From the Milton Canadian Champion

Christina Commisso, Milton Canadian Champion

Town staff presented the budget committee a 2011 budget with a 4.86 per cent hike and included options to bring that percentage down to 1.66 per cent. The committee approved a 2011 budget with a 4.58 per cent tax increase.

A passionate debate extended into the early morning and left council divided, after a motion to introduce a last-minute hospital expansion tax narrowly passed with a 6-5 vote.

The motion to establish the 1 per cent levy came late in the budget deliberations, after the budget committee, which is made up of the mayor and all councillors, had settled on a 3.58 per cent increase on the local share of residential taxes (29 per cent of the property tax bill).

Ward 3 Councillor Cindy Lunau introduced the motion, which was followed by an impassioned speech that drew applause from the gallery in Council Chambers Monday night.

“You can try every way to say this community has grown to point where this is such a critical need that we as a council will go out on a limb, before we know what the price is, to get our piggy banks ready,” she said of the levy, which translates to a yearly increase of $8.89 for the average Milton home.

“It’s a small amount, but it will never be used for anything else but local share expansion. We need to show the Province we really are ready. There are a lot of communities out there saying they need a hospital — we have to say that we’re a community you can count on.”

Along with Lunau, voting in favour of the levy were councillors Colin Best, Sharon Barkley, Arnold Huffman, Rick Di Lorenzo and Zeeshan Hamid. Voting against the increase were Mayor Gord Krantz and councillors Tony Lambert, Greg Nelson, Mike Cluett and Rick Malboeuf — the harshest critic of the levy.

“You’re saying we’ll be sending a message to the Province,” he told Lunau. “My concern is we’ll be sending the wrong message. The message being, look what Milton did. They’re prepared to pick the pockets of taxpayers to fund something we (the Province) should be paying for.”

However, Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) President John Oliver said setting money aside for the expansion is “critical” in influencing the Province to move forward with the much-needed expansion.

“It’s almost a given now; from Sault Ste. Marie to Niagara you’re seeing communities having to step in with the local share burden.”

Last week HHS asked the Town of Halton Hills for $4.5 million for the Georgetown Hospital expansion.

Di Lorenzo said planning for the future renovation well in advance is the fiscally responsible thing to do. “If you think a four per cent increase now is difficult, if we don’t start saving money we’re going to be seeing eight, nine, and 10 per cent increases.”

Huffman added: “It’s our job to make tough decisions, and maybe those decisions are not popular. If I’m wrong, maybe I won’t be elected in four years. But I can do without $10 (a year) to support the beginnings of a new hospital and show the Province we’re serious about this.”

While none of the councillors opposed to the levy were opposed to the expansion, some felt a public meeting was in order before finalizing the increase.

“Where I have some difficulty is the fact mere months after being elected — and after many of us around this table talked about accountability with regards to the voters — I have a very difficult time accepting a 1 per cent tax levy with very little, if not any, public consultation,” said Cluett.

The same sentiments were echoed by Nelson, who reminded council when they voted to support HHS with a contribution for the local share of the expansion this past summer, a new tax was a “last resort.”

“We haven’t even seen the funding options for the hospital yet from finance (department) as to what our options are,” said the downtown councillor. “Is there an urgency —absolutely. But we have time at this point to consult with the public. We 10 people can’t come up with all the answers. We need to research more on the issue.”

The budget committee passed the 4.58 per cent tax increase in a 6-5 vote, with the same councillors who voted against the hospital levy voting against the budget.

Krantz said he wished council would have been able to come to a consensus on the budget, but throughout the evening the mayor maintained he wouldn’t support a local levy above the rate of inflation.

The 1 per cent hospital tax rate adds $2.54 for every $100,000 of residential assessment.

Combined with the regional, local and educational components of residential taxes, which account for 44 per cent, 29 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, Miltonians are looking at an overall tax increase of 2.2 per cent in the urban area and 2.09 per cent in the rural area.

The 2011 budget will be voted on during Monday’s council meeting