mike cluett milton town councillor

Community Services Standing Committee Meeting February 6 2012

Mike Cluett

The next meeting of the Community Services Standing Committee is this coming Monday February 6, 2012 at Milton Town Hall beginning 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. These matters are related to Community Services, Fire, Library, Transit and other operational programs. If you wish to be a delegation at the Community Services Committee, you must register in writing with the Clerk’s Office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, the day of the meeting.

The following Council Members sit on the Community Services Committee:

  • Gordon Krantz, Mayor
  • Councillor Tony Lambert, Wards 1, 6, 7 & 8
  • Councillor Greg Nelson, Ward 2
  • Councillor Rick Malboeuf, Ward 4
  • Councillor Arnold Huffman, Ward 5
  • Councillor R. Di Lorenzo, Wards 7

Here is a copy of the agenda for you to review.  Some of the items to be discussed include:

  • Q4 2011 Engineering Services Report
  • Q4 2011 Licensing & Enforcement Report
  • Housekeeping Amendment for Fireworks
  • Presentation on GTA West Corridor

If you cant make it to the meeting, as always you can watch online. Just click on my links to the right and enjoy!

Milton Velodrome Discussion

Mike Cluett

If you follow the Hawthorne Villager forum, you will see there’s been quite the discussion amongst the posters about the potential velodrome in Milton.  There is one more report to go and that will be received by council on January 23rd for review.  As soon as the report is made available online, I’ll post a link.

UPDATE:  I am including links to the Town of Milton’s website for the velodrome reports that council has reviewed during this process.  Please take some time to review them and feel free to email or post here any questions you might have.

Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games – Velodrome Status Report November 21st 2011

Velodrome Status Report, December 5th 2011

If you’ve been following my blog recently, you will have noticed I have posted quite a bit of information on the progress.  Someone tweeted me recently to ask “what does Mike think?”  So here it is.

The basis behind this facility is that its more than just cycling. Its a facility that can be and will be multi purposed. As with those other velodromes others talk about as failures this will provide more than just cycling. Basketball courts, indoor tennis, or if turf there’s indoor soccer, cricket maybe, football practice field (Ticats are you listening?)

As I mentioned during the special council meeting, the $3.8 million has already been budgeted for similar use facilities. Its in the bank so to speak and not coming out of taxes. We have been able to stand above other municipalities in the Greater Milton Area for a reason….partnership with the private sector.

This deal could NOT have been done without the assistance from the private sector. Mattamy is just ONE of the companies involved in the fundraising process for this deal…there are many many more. Tim Hockey, President and CEO of TD Canada Trust who is also an avid cyclist, is getting behind the project personally and will assist in fundraising for the velodrome. The pool of resources isnt just in Milton, its national organizations…international organizations as well that can assist in the fundraising.

That’s where other municipalities failed. They couldn’t harness the power of the private sector in getting things done. We as a council made it very clear that if we were to move forward on this there has to be minimal to NO impact on taxpayers. This can only help in growing our business base … and hence more tax revenue in town.

The Milton Education Village is just one of the keys to that success. The land is ready to go, our partners are ready to go and the provincial government needs to see that by approving Milton as one of the locations for satellite university campuses (as they have already acknowledged) it will go a long way for THEM to keep a promise made in the last election for increasing the number of post secondary spaces in Ontario. This MEV project moving forward can help kick in the pants OTHER things that Milton needs, like an interchange at Tremaine Road so that everyone on the west side of town doesn’t have to drive along Derry and or Britannia to go to the 401 and help with the backlog of traffic that way.

With moving the Canadian Cycling Association here to Milton with this facility we can help increase travel and tourism to the area. Right now we only have 2 hotels. We WILL need more (any entrepreneurs out there?) for when they hold national/international events that’s even more businesses that can benefit…from hospitality to restaurants to local businesses the impact can be huge.

Having the velodrome on campus adds some other benefits that can be looked at for revenue generating possibilities. The parking lot can be used at the university and we can charge a monthly fee for profs using it or what have you. There’s also the matter of the legacy fund set up by the Pan AM games … we don’t know the amount yet, but that should evolve through the business plan process over the next 4-6 weeks.

Is it a done deal? Not yet. ONE more report to go. That report will outline the needs for commitments at all levels so that we feel comfortable the project will stay under $40 million (contingencies are already built into that number) and that we can get the job done with our fundraising partners so that we don’t have to dip into the tax pool on this.

Sorry for the rambling and Im sure Ive missed a few points but I wanted to make sure we let people know that theres one more step in the process before its a go and I can assure you if the numbers don’t add up for me, even though Im excited about the project I wont want to see it move forward.

This town has shown others that we’re not the sleepy town we once were. I watched a Hamilton city council meeting recently when they were discussing their umpteenth attempt at getting it back and the almost disdain in their voices when they mentioned MILton of all places. We aren’t 35,000 people anymore. I know I sound sales-y by saying this but its true. Milton is a force to be paid attention to from now on. This is a project I know we can put together, that can be used for the games and years after so its not abandoned like the others and that it can help kick start the business growth we need in town to add more revenue to the town and to be the “new” centre of the universe in the GMA.

City of Hamilton “Dropped The Velodrome Ball”

Mike Cluett

From Margaret Shikmba from the Hamilton Spectator

We dropped the velodrome ball – It’s not just about cycling — it’s about how we see ourselves

 

It’s that time of year again when our thoughts turn to reflection as we think about the events of the last year and wonder: Where did the time go?

Last year at this time there was hope for change and excitement about the future.

Decisions around the Pan Am Games were still to be made. The velodrome appeared as the exciting opportunity that would differentiate Hamilton among the many southern Ontario cities and towns struggling for social-economic survival. Unfortunately it was a vision Hamilton council did not share when it voted to limit our contribution to construction costs at $5 million and not enough to bridge the funding gap.

As one of the many philosophical supporters of the velodrome, I’ve written several times about the importance of the velodrome in establishing Hamilton as a cycling destination — and not just for those who cycle in circles around a track. Our beautiful escarpment landscape, from Niagara Falls through the wine country and along the shores of two great lakes, is ideally suited for distance training and recreational cycling. It’s not just the velodrome, but the velodrome being at the heart of it all. I can see that being a hard sell to a society stuck in their cars.

When I received an email from the Hamilton Velodrome Pledge Drive I put my money where my mouth is and pledged my financial support. Sadly, I was not the one to win the $50-million lottery jackpot this past weekend, but know if I did I’d happily be the Secret Santa for the Hamilton velodrome project.

Recent reports in The Spectator, however, have indicated that there is someone, or some people, in the community who share the velodrome vision. Sources have pointed to a silent investor whose contribution could solve the funding dilemma and serve as an anchor to attract further investment. If only it were true.

When the Pan Am bid was submitted in international competition, Hamilton was the preferred location for the Pan Am velodrome, and indeed, Hamilton seemed the logical location, given our successful history with the 2003 World Road Cycling Championships. It was ours to lose.

What happened? How did we lose so much potential promise? What happened to our vision? Did we even have any to begin with? What do we see when we look around the city we live in? Are we so blinded by our “depression,” by our poor-cousin status, by our socio-economic struggles, to even entertain the thought that a project like the velodrome could be a success here in Hamilton? Who wants to come to Hamilton, people say among themselves. Even people who live here wish they lived someplace else. Maybe they’d rather go to Milton.

Just take a look at their website. Milton bills itself as one of the fastest-growing communities in North America. Vibrant, energetic, colourful, helpful. A velodrome in Milton would be a wonderful addition to their community.

Now take a look at Hamilton’s website. The initial presentation is flat with little imagination. You have to dig a little deeper to find any creativity or colour. Where would you put your money or locate your family? Which community do you think has a stronger self-image, or presents itself more positively? Why does Milton think they can carry it off and we don’t?

This is about more than just the velodrome. Hamilton bills itself as a city of innovators but that may be just wishful thinking. The debacle of the Pan Am Games puts the lie to that claim. What did we end up with? The same old same old.

The velodrome is now Milton’s to lose. I doubt they’ll let it go so easily.

Margaret Shkimba is a freelance writer who lives in Hamilton. She can be reached at menrvasofia@gmail.com or you can “Friend” her on Facebook.

Council Meeting August 15 2011

Mike Cluett

The next meeting of Milton Town Council is on Monday August 15th starting at 7pm at Milton Town Hall.

The governing body of the Town of Milton is Town Council, consisting of the Mayor and 10 Councillors who represent Milton’s eight wards.  Milton residents elect members of Council for a four-year term of office.  You can find a link to watch the Town Council meetings here.  The meetings are also broadcast on TV Cogeco (Channel 14).

Town Council deals with:

  • Matters requiring policy direction
  • By-laws or by-law amendments
  • Responses or actions to pertinent issues

Council also makes decisions on the recommendations of Milton’s two Standing Committees of Council:

  • Administration & Planning Committee
  • Community Services Committee

The link to the agenda can be found here.  Some of the highlites of tonights meeting include:

Hope to see you there at the meeting and if you cant make it click here for the live link to watch. 

Town Of Milton Press Release RE Thompson & Louis St Laurent

Mike Cluett

Jul 26, 2011

Temporary All-Way Stop Thompson Rd. & Louis St. Laurent

As a result of Halton Region opening up the intersection of Regional Road 25 and Louis St. Laurent Avenue, a temporary all-way stop is being installed at the intersection of Thompson Road South and Louis St. Laurent Avenue to help regulate traffic at this intersection.

The temporary all way stop will be removed once the traffic control signals are completed, which is anticipated to take place on or about August 25th.  If you have any questions, please call 905-878-7252 ext. 2506 or e-mail Heide Schlegl.

Thank you for your patience during this time.

Indoor Walking & Jogging Track Opening at Milton Sports Centre

Mike Cluett

NEWS RELEASE

July 26, 2011

Milton’s first indoor walking/jogging track opens at the Milton Sports Centre

 

 On Tuesday, August 2, 2011 the indoor walking/jogging track at the Milton Sports Centre will be open to the public, marking the completion of Phase 1 of a 3 phase project at the Milton Sports Centre.

The track, located above Rink C and accessible by the new elevator to the second floor, is approximately 200 meters in length and offers three lanes for different speeds.

“The new walking track will be a great way for Miltonians, along with family and friends, to stay out of the heat this summer and be more active,” said Milton Mayor Gord Krantz. “This expansion offers our residents even more recreational opportunities and we are very grateful to our partners at the federal and provincial levels of government who have provided funding for these amenities that our community will enjoy for years to come.”

From August 2 to September 4 the public will have free access to the walking/jogging track. Starting Tuesday, September 6, a yearly pass can be purchased for $5 per person.

Along with the addition of the walking/jogging track, Phase 1 of the Milton Sports Centre expansion included a renovated banquet room, Rinks C and D, which are currently being used for summer camps and will be ice ready on August 15 and September 24, respectively and an activity room for children and youth programming that is also available for rent to the public.

Phase 2, to be completed in early September, boasts a double gym, a multipurpose room called the Optimist Room, a studio and a new customer service desk.

The project will be completed in the fall when Phase 3, a leisure pool and eight lane pool, will open to the public.

Phases 1 and 2 of the Milton Sports Centre expansion were possible thanks to funding assistance from federal and provincial grants of approximately $13.4 million from the Building Canada Fund Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.

For more information, visit milton.ca or call 905-878-7252 ext. 2211.

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For further information, please contact:        

Jennifer Reynolds

Director, Community Services

905-878-7252, ext. 2180

Liliana Busnello

Communications Specialist

905-878-7252, ext. 2154