Mike Cluett – Page 4

Milton to lose 17000 jobs – Fairness For Milton?

June 15, 2022June 15, 2022Mike Cluett

In a disappointing result at Halton Region council today, ROPA49 passed 17-7. This vote is in direct contrast to previous Region staff reports as well as a majority of Halton’s municipalities initial recommendations.

Politics took over the planning process and Milton now faces huge challenges in economic development in the coming years. Milton residents have been working on our vision for the last ten years & this decision puts at risk our vision for a complete community.

Despite the fact Halton Hills council unanimously supported the previous version of the Region staff report & Milton council had a majority of support, our local voices have not been heard.

Disappointed isn’t a strong enough of a word.

Some of my comments from todays meeting

With this new updated ROPA49 plan, Milton will lose roughly 17,000 jobs. Jobs that the people of this town are counting on as we continue to grow. By adding a 10 year delay also puts at risk the financial health of not only Milton, but Halton Region as well.

Over the last ten years, Milton residents have been consulted and provided input in our official plan review through many face to face and virtual consultations. They have stated quite clearly the community they want to build.

They want local job opportunities to match the needs of our highly educated population. They don’t want to spend hours commuting on highways to get to work. They want to live, work, learn and play in their hometown. Milton has so much to provide when it comes to amenities like parks and green spaces and a variety of housing options to meet the needs of our growing community. They want access to post secondary education via the Milton Education Village and the Laurier / Conestoga College campuses that are going to be constructed. They want a place where entrepreneurs can grow, be innovative in new technologies and planetary health. They want walkable neighbourhoods with a focus on active transportation and less of a reliance on the vehicle.

This is the balanced plan the Town of Milton presented to Halton Region, supported by the majority of Milton Council. This was the plan Halton Region was going to move forward with.

Then politics took over. Special interest groups decided that advancement of a complete community the residents support wasn’t what they wanted so, things began to change under the guise of “saving farmland”. Misinformation and strong lobbying as we approach the next municipal election took over.

So after Region staff presented a plan to council that had been accepted by the halton municipalities, a last minute motion supported by Oakville and a majority of Burlington councillors, added a 10 year delay for any expansion to the urban boundary. Did the plan affect their municipalities? No. The majority of not all the growth was to happen north of the 407 in Halton Hills and Milton. Both of our municipalities approved of the changes and made plans for balanced growth and economic development.

Enter the politics and special interest groups talking about saving the farmland, most of which is protected and won’t be developed. The areas of urban boundary expansion are not farmed for food on our tables. The land is already owned by developers with secondary plans in place and isn’t farmed for food on our tables.

The narrative delivered by the many delegates, most of which do not reside in Halton Region and have lobbied other areas for the same unfounded reasons, took over. It’s an election year … don’t think I need to say more.

This official plan which has been a couple of years in the making to bring Miltons vision to a reality was sidetracked and now puts both the town and indeed Halton Regions finances and future at risk.

A lot needs to be done at Halton Region going forward. The growth plans moved by both Milton and Halton Hills has been ignored by our colleagues to the south … all based on the fact they hold more votes. So instead of supporting each other’s local autonomy, special interests and self interests took over.

Then today the Region entertained a number potential changes to include in the official plan, including a last minute resolution backed by Oakville – piecemeal development … different only because it been fitted Oakville as we enter the election campaign. One Oakville councillor who had concerns with it, asked our staff if there was away he could show he was against the resolution but still support the overall changes that would impede Halton Hills and Milton. Ya, no politics there at all.

Even a minor change to the urban boundary here in the industrial park of Milton came under fire from special interests and some opposition from Oakville councillors even though Region staff had given its approval.

The fight for Milton isn’t over. There are other avenues and options to look at to ensure Milton’s and Halton Hills voices are heard. Piecemeal planning based on politics is never a good thing. Good planning makes better communities and we’ll keep working to ensure a Milton’s vision becomes a reality as we move forward in building a complete community.

Pride In Nature at Area 8

June 11, 2022Mike Cluett

Conservation Halton CEO Hassaan Basit kicks off the days events with a land acknowledgement and a welcome to Pride In Nature

Under the warmth of a bright blue sky, people filed into Area 8 Kelso in Milton to take part in Conservation Halton’s Pride In Nature event.

Activities for the day included live music, dancing, drag queen performances as well as planting of shrubs and wildflowers along with a hike around Kelso Quarry Lake.

It was a beautiful day to take in nature and support the Positive Space Network and to welcome everyone I luck g our 2SLGTBQ+ community. CH is committed to making sure we that diversity and inclusion for all is part of the fabric of the organization and community.

Mona Mousa was our emcee for the day and her energy and passion for this is infectious (and she happens to be a dedicated Glen Eden skier in the winter)

Thank you to everyone who attended this special day. Proceeds from ticket sales goes to support the Positive Space Network.

Happy Pride Month!!

Town of Milton Celebrates Pride Month

June 8, 2022Mike Cluett

Pride Month Celebrations at Milton Town Hall 2022

It seems like forever since the last time we met up at Milton Town Hall to celebrate pride month in Milton.

The last two years, for obvious reasons, the flag raising was held virtually and it wasn’t to difficult to see the enthusiasm of the participants this year.

The Town of Milton began the official flag raising back in 2018 in the the company of a much small but no less dedicated crowd and its grown ever since.

People packed the lobby of town hall to hear he Mayor read out the proclamation declaring June being Pride Month in Milton. We heard from many speakers as well – messages of their desire for acceptance and inclusion in the community they proudly call home.

As we made it outside, the sun began to shine brightly as the organizers of the event made their way to the flag pole to proudly raise the flag.

I was joined by several of my council colleagues (Clr’s Di Lorenzo, Tesser Dersken, Challinor & Best – with others not being able to make it but there in spirit) to hear the cheers from the crowd as the flag made its way up the pole.

As one of the speakers mentioned, this is a hugely proud moment and a symbolic event, but it’s just a start to ensure we all work towards acceptance of the 2SLGTBQ+ community by everyone. Education is key and the Town of Milton has committed to working towards that goal where everyone is and feels welcome in their home town.

Many thanks to Melanie and Austin from the Milton 2SLGTBQ+ community organization for making this such a memorable event for all of us. Happy Pride Month everyone!!!

Short Term Rentals in Milton – Your Thoughts

May 30, 2022May 30, 2022Mike Cluett

At tonights Town of Milton Council meeting we will be having a public meeting on an upcoming staff report to regulate short term rentals.

Over the last few years, the issue of short term rentals has come up on a number of occasions in both the urban and rural areas. In some cases in ward 3, properties are being used as “Party Houses” in residential areas. I was witness to a full sized bus dropping off close to 75 people to one house and in turn there was local property damage, loud music and a huge disruption in the neighbourhood due to excess noise and “other activities”

Council recently asked staff to come up with guidelines for future uses of short term rentals in Milton to avoid these problems that do come up. Trying to balance the right of the homeowner to rent out their property and the rights of the surrounding neighbourhood is difficult and we’re asking Milton residents what they think.

Ban them? What kinds of restrictions should be put in place? It’s all up for discussion.

Here is a link to the report we have so far and after this meeting tonight, and via Lets Talk Milton website, they will come back to council on June 20th with the final report. There are already some delegations set up but being a public meeting, you can have your say tonight. If you cant make the meeting tonight, please feel free to email me your comments mike.cluett@milton.ca

As we inch closer to the summer months and higher demands for services like Air BNB, Vrbo and others its important we establish some clear guidelines to protect local neighbourhoods and the property owners themselves.

Tune in tonight via YouTube to watch the meeting here.

I’ll see you at the doors.

Living In Milton – We Want To Hear From You

May 25, 2022May 30, 2022Mike Cluett

The Town of Milton is asking residents of Milton to take part in a discussion for “Living In Milton” policy to address important community issues from today until June 8th.

The discussion will look at the following topics – affordability and housing choices, climate change, history & culture, parks & recreation, places of worship, rural living, urban design & youth.

Here is the link for you to sign up and participate in the survey.

There are a series of videos you will find on Let’s Talk Milton that provide more detail on what we are looking for. All feedback received will be complied into a report to be presented to council for June 20, 2022.

This hasn’t been an overnight effort to get to this point. Our council has been working on this plan for the last few years, consulting with businesses & residents alike to hear what you need and want for the future of this town. We are surrounded by some amazing amenities and live a wonderful quality of life and we want to make it better.

This council and future ones need to hear from you on what the best direction forward is going to be. We’ve done a good job so far getting to this point but strong leadership is going to be needed to move forward and not get left behind. This is where your input is so valued.

In addition to finalizing our official plan, we need to ensure going forward this council continues making the investments needed in infrastructure and the delivery of services to make sure the quality of life in Milton improves.

The decisions that will be made going forward regarding future growth, economic development, the environment and the delivery of services to the residents of Milton will have a long term impact on our future prosperity and the ability to become the complete community we desire to be.

We want to hear from you!

Over the last 4 years, I along with other members of both Town and Regional council have been working through literally thousands of pages of documents on growth plans, where we are growing, how to grow, what to build, who to build for, and what we want our community to look like in the next 30 years. To say its been exhausting would be an understatement. Hundreds of hours of consultation with the public, staff, consultants and councillors has occurred over the last 3 years and we are reaching the end of our official plan review and soon be able to set the course for the future.

You’ve told me that you want walkable communities, the ability to live and work in town, better transit connectivity, and access to services provided by the town and region. Im confident that the course we are on is the best one for not only us, but for our children to provide them with a complete community where they can live, work, play, learn and raise their family in comfort and sustainability.

Please register online to Let’s Talk Milton and have your say. As always, Im available for comments via this site, my social media or simply pick up the phone and call/text/WhatsApp me.

I’ll see you at the doors.

Youth Issues In Milton

May 9, 2022May 30, 2022Mike Cluett

This year Milton Youth Task Force award winners

This weekend I had the privilege of joining a number of my council colleagues in attending this years Milton Youth Task Force Awards.

It was a great ending to Milton Youth Week which was set up to highlight the activities of our young people in our community. Hearing the stories during the awards of both those who won and others who were nominated, I found myself even more inspired in how Milton’s future will look as we continue to grow.

Later in the weekend, the Youth Task Force had organized a fun event at the Milton Sports Centre with live music, vendors and lots of activities for all. Young entrepreneurs starting up their own businesses whether it be in food, clothing, buttons or even home made stuffies or recipes for slime (its a thing for sure as my daughter LOVES making/playing with slime) setting up their tables to pitch their wares. Again, nothing but inspiring to see young people working hard to make a difference.

It brings me to things that are normally said by politicians at these types of events.

“Our future is in great hands.”
“We need to listen to what our youth have to say.”
“Just looking after mine and our future.”

Looking at what this council has done working with our staff and strategic plans, I am comforted that we are listening to the youth in town. But of course we need to do better.

Speaking with one of those youth over the weekend, we talked about “youth” issues in a general sense but they told me we (as in all politicians and leaders from ALL levels of government) need to do better. I’ve always said, if you want better answers, ask better questions and I was asked. What do YOU think youth issues are?

Youth issues are not just parks and recreation ammenities … its not playgrounds and places to hang out. Youth issues are employment opportunities and economic development issues. Youth issues are environmental & sustainability issues. Youth issues are not just limited to those under the age of 18 and we need to open that discussion up more to the voices of our youth.

For too long, youth issues have been limited to items that just affect their immediate lives and the fact that they want a future in town and build a career here in town and inevitably start a business or family here in town. They need to be at the table more starting NOW and not just after they start paying taxes or looking for a home, taking that leap into opening a business, inventing new items or choosing where they go to university or college.

In the past, many of our political leaders have been misguided when it comes to looking after our future. Some think that as long as we have the lowest tax rate in the region, that we’re “looking after our youth.” In fact there’s enough evidence to prove that isn’t the case. By keeping our property taxes too low, we’ve missed out on opportunities for investment – roads, infrastructure, programming, etc.

The most recent 2016 census shows that Milton has 3 age groups that are increasing rapidly: 5 and under, 75 and up and those 15-19 years old. These are 3 individual waves of groups of people we as a town and region will be servicing in the coming years.

That is why our demands to the provincial government for getting schools built faster and to be able to reduce the ever increasing number of portables at both elementary and secondary schools is vitally important.

That is why our calls to the province and our development industry to move faster in building a variety of housing options; from single family homes/townhomes, low and mid rise condo developments, low and mid rise rental developments and getting major transit station areas more intensified for mid to high rise apartments. When I sit around the table at Halton Region and the Town of Milton to discuss growth plans and responsibly expand our urban boundaries to accommodate this increasing demand for housing and economic development, its THESE concerns that motivate me.

If these issues aren’t addressed moving forward, our young people will have no other option than to leave Milton for other areas. What does that mean? An entrepreneur will move their future business and future job opportunities outside of town. It means another step in the wrong direction in building a complete community and all we will here is “where am I going to move when I finish school?” and we won’t have the answer.

After hearing so many inspirational stories of the work ethic and passion of those young people in our community this past week at the awards and seeing right in front of my face the entrepreneurship at the youth festival, I am convinced we need to listen more. New ideas for housing…new ideas to attract business…new ideas for delivery of municipal services.

Over the last number of years, I have chaired the Milton Economic Development Advisory Committee that the town has put together to bring business owners, industry leaders, educational institutions & government officials in laying the groundwork for Milton’s plan for prosperity. As this term ends and a new one begins, one of the suggestions I’ll be bringing to the table is to expand that committee to have youth representation for much needed input.

The more we hear from our youth in putting forward ideas for Milton’s future, the more secure that future will be as we continue our journey towards being a complete community and the Place of Possibility. This way we can ensure our future is in good hands and politicians at all levels aren’t just providing lip service to “looking after our future”.

And as one of the young people I spoke with over the weekend said to me…we’re doing ok but we need to “Step it up!”

Got that right!