hawthorne village

Milton In The Race For Pan AM Velodrome

Mike Cluett

From The Hamilton Spectator ONLINE

By Matthew Van Dongen

Milton is racing to bid for the permanent Pan Am indoor cycling facility turned down by Hamilton council.

The council for the booming town of about 90,000 decided Monday make a pitch for the controversial velodrome after receiving a letter from Pan Am officials last week offering a last-minute chance to bid on the venue.

That letter was quickly delivered to several municipalities last Wednesday after Hamilton council effectively turned down a chance to build the 250-metre track by offering only $5 million towards the project, which Infrastructure Ontario estimates could cost up to $45 million. Pan Am cities are expected to pay, or find partners to help cover, about 44 per cent of new venue costs.

“We think it could be a really good fit for us, if all the pieces fall together,” Councillor Mike Cluett said Tuesday. “But it is a really, really tight timeline … and I think the general feeling is if we can’t reduce the impact on the taxpayer, it probably won’t happen.”

Cluett said the town is putting together a basic “expression of interest” by the Oct. 20 Pan Am deadline, but noted the “real work” involves trying to find other funding partners for the pricey project before Nov. 30 — the date Games officials have set for a host municipality to sign a binding agreement.

Councillors are tentatively looking at setting aside six of about 150 acres of town-owned land already slated for a research park partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University and Sheridan College.

Cluett said staff will go first to the academic institutions to gauge interest in shared project-funding. But private sector funding, he said, will be “the main focus.”

“Milton is growing so fast and the number of companies that want to be here is huge,” he said. “We think we have an opportunity (with the velodrome) to tap into that.”

This isn’t the first time Milton has stepped up with a Pan Am rescue offer when Hamilton appeared ready to drop the ball.

The town also offered a stadium site for the Games during the long-running argument over where the new home of the Ticats should go.

Mississauga councillors are expected to decide whether to bid on the velodrome in a meeting Wednesday.

 

From CHCH News

Why Didnt You Vote?

Mike Cluett

A lot of interesting discussion and polls over the last week since the provincial election in Ontario trying to come up with “THE” reason why people didn’t vote.  As you are aware, the voter participation in our last election was the lowest in MANY MANY years.  Here in Halton the number was below even the provincial average.  The Champion covers it here.

So to those who voted, I say THANK YOU for taking the time to learn the platforms, talk to the candidates and take the time to head to either the advance polls or on election day to exercise your right to vote.

NOW…to those who didn’t vote don’t get me wrong.  I am NOT saying you were wrong because many people didn’t vote for different reasons.  The party leaders didn’t “speak directly to you” … you didn’t agree with any of the party platforms … you didn’t like any of the candidates who were running…

No matter what your reason for NOT voting, Id like to hear from you.  Why didn’t you?  Was it lack of opportunity?  Did the local candidates not impress you?  Were the leaders of the provincial parties out of touch?

Take some time and post a comment here on my blog and let me know.

Also, what would it take to get you to vote?  What can “we” do as elected officials do or say to change your mind about not voting?

I look forward to hearing your comments.

I’ll see you at the doors.

McDuffe Park Cleanup – Sunday Oct 2nd at 11 AM

Mike Cluett

Thanks to the efforts of some ward 6 residents, there is another clean up of McDuffe Park event scheduled for October 2nd at 11AM.

As you might remember from earlier on this year, on a very cool brisk morning, Kim Macdonald, Fred Decarolis, myself and others took to the park to pick up trash, bottles and paper from the parks natural section as well as the surrounding playground.  It was on Milton Makeover Day and was featured on Milton Today TV too.

Ward 6 resident Asaf Maruf has taken the lead with this event and hopefully we will have lots of people out Sunday morning to help clean up the park and make Milton an even more beautiful place to live.  I’m so happy with the response so far and also glad to see Miltonians willing to roll up their sleaves and help beautify our town.

McDuffe Park is located on the south west corner of Clark Blvd and 4th Line in Ward 6.

See you on the 2nd of October everyone!!!

Administration & Planning Committee Meeting September 19 2011

Mike Cluett

The video of this meeting is now online.  Follow the link to the online stream of the Admin & Planning Standing Committee meeting.

This coming Monday Sepetember 19th is the Administration & Planning Standing Committee meeting at Town Hall starting at 7pm.  

This Committee consists of five Councillors and the Mayor. Committee members review all reports, formulate policy and make recommendations to Council on matters over which Council has authority under the Municipal Act, the Planning Act and other legislation. Recommendations are made in the areas of corporate administration, personnel, legal issues, planning and finance.

The Administration and Planning Committee reviews the operating and capital budgets as well as various financial matters affecting the Town of Milton.

The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

Some of the highlites include:

As always you can watch online on Monday night at 7pm.  If you have any questions or comments for any of these reports, please email me mike@mikecluett.ca

Friendly Wager

Mike Cluett

Over the last few weeks both myself and Oakville Councillor for Ward 2 Pam Damoff have been engaged in a friendly CFL rivalry.  Pam is a die hard fan of the Toronto Argonauts while yours truly is a strong supporter of the Hamilton TigerCats.

Our discussions of CFL football have been documented on Twitter (www.twitter.com/PamDamoff) and our passion for our teams have lead to a friendly wager for an upcoming game between the Argos and the Ticats on Oct 1st in Toronto.

If the Argos defeat my Cats on October 1st (yes, I chuckled a bit when I said that too) I will make a donation to a charity of her choice which is the Run for the Cure Life on the Line (Twitter @LOTL_65). 

Life on the Line is a nonprofit initiative supporting CBCF founded by Taylor Robertson, a pro football player who lost his mother to breast cancer when he was 7 years old. http://www.lifeontheline.ca . 

Now when Hamilton Tigercats help send the Argos to the basement of the CFL East, she will make a donation to the United Way Milton (www.miltonunitedway.ca) campaign.  The amount is small, only $20 but its a friendly wager indeed.

You can get involved in this as well by joining our wager and you can show your support for BOTH of our charities or if you’d like to let people know you feel the TigerCats or Argos will win on Oct 1st.  I think this would be a great way to support both charities and I urge everyone to make a donation to both and a way for the people from Oakville & Milton to take part.

Both are great choices to support and I urge that you do support the Run for the Cure AND the United Way of Milton.

If you would like to donate to Pam’s Run for the Cure here is the link.  If you would like to make a donation to the United Way of Milton heres the link. 

Drop me a line mike@mikecluett.ca or comment on this blog to let us know who you’ll be rooting for on Oct 1st. 

OSKEE WEE WEE!

Halton Provincial Candidates Have to Answer Region’s Questions

Mike Cluett

Halton Region to question local election candidates

Some of the first questions posed to Halton’s provincial candidates will come from the Region itself.

This week, Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr will send a questionnaire to MPP hopefuls in Milton, Oakville, Halton Hills and Burlington for their take on Halton’s most pressing election issues.

Asked what’s at the top of the list, Carr said the $8.6 billion in future infrastructure needs comes to mind. “We want to ensure water and waste water facilities, regional roads, provincial schools and hospitals will be there for our population.”

Halton’s population is expected to double to 780,000 by 2031.

In the last month, Milton’s, Burlington’s and Halton Hills’ hospital expansions have been given the go-ahead from the Province, but Carr said he’d like promises that all the hospital projects will come to fruition. “The government could change. It could be a minority (government). We’re asking all candidates about the hospitals. We don’t want the plans to change as a result of the election.”

Carr said expanding Hwy. 401 through Halton and ensuring schools keep up with the bourgeoning young population are also priorities.

The document, ‘A strong Halton for a strong Ontario,’ was released earlier this summer and serves as an advocacy platform that sets out the Region’s position on key issues impacting residents.

Some of the requests of Ontario’s next government in the report include a complete review of the Development Charges Act and fast-tracking Metrolinx projects with 100 per cent provincial funding for GO Transit.

The report also places a strong emphasis on preserving Halton’s natural landscape and outlines Halton’s opposition to the proposed GTA West and Niagara to GTA corridors, further quarry expansion on the escarpment and asks for a provincial commitment to the Randle Reef clean up.

Similar questionnaires were sent to candidates in the last provincial election and during May’s federal election.

Carr said during those campaigns, close to every candidate took the time to fill out the questionnaires. “It helps create a dialogue. They (candidates) know what’s important to us, they will know what our issues are and that’s important as people look for a good candidate.”

Carr added that the questionnaire serves as a mechanism to ensure candidates stick to their word if elected.

Completed questionnaires will be posted at www.halton.ca/ontarioelection2011 throughout September.