christina commisso

Milton Canadian Champion Reports On Possible 4.41 % Increase

Mike Cluett

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.

Public Input for 2012 Milton Town Budget

Mike Cluett

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. 

Will The Race Go On?

Mike Cluett

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.

Milton Canadian Champion Covers Grow Milton Hospital

Mike Cluett

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.”

New Piano For Arts Centre

Mike Cluett

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.

Traffic Calming Policy Approved

Mike Cluett

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.