mike cluett

Another good turnout

Mike Cluett

Last night was the all candidates meeting for Mayoral, Regional Chair, Wards One and Three local and regional candidates. At the beginning of the night it was a pretty packed room with well over 150 people in attendance throughout the event.

Many thanks to all who participated in the organizing of the event from the Milton Rural Residents Assocation. Top notch job done by all!

Not to diminish the positions of local and regional councillors for a second, but it seemed a good majority of people came out to hear the Mayor and Regional Chairs and what they had to say. I know while knocking on doors and talking to many of you, most are still up in the air on who to support. The more opportunities you get to hear what the candidates have to say either one on one or in a “debate” format, the better.

Another word of thanks to those of you who stayed until the end. The meeting wrapped up close to 10PM and most of you had been there from 630 on. It goes to show there is a real interest in municipal politics…one that hasnt been experienced in this town for some time.

I spoke many times throughout the evening about the need for community input and it almost seemed to be repetitive but I wanted to make sure that people recognize the need to be informed and to let your views be heard.

In order for this town to move forward as it grows requires proactive leadership on council. We need to make sure that the public is involved in the major issues that affect us and will affect the quality of life. I promised to continue to hold town hall and information session meetings throughout the next 4 years. Since the beginning of my campaign I have spoken about my pledge to continue to knock on doors in between election campaigns and not just during them. The next term of council is 4 years and we cant wait until 2010 to talk to our councillors.

I spoke about the need for citizen advisory committees for all areas of Milton in order to gain input and expertise on certain issues that councillors might not be familiar with.

There is another all candidates meeting at Country Heritage Park in the Niagara Room at 7pm for Wards One and Three candidates being held by The Halton Compass. After this there is an information session being held by the Milton Ratepayers Association on November 5th regarding the St Marys Quarry starting at 7PM.

AND…there is also a Meet Mike night at Cafe Deda on Thursday November 9th starting at 7pm. Check out www.mikecluett.ca for more information. Lots of time left to make your decision if you havent already…its not over yet!

I look forward to seeing you there at these events and at the doors.

All Candidates Meeting Preparation & Politicans on Break

Mike Cluett

Last night was a lot of fun. While walking Anthony around parts of Barclay Circle, Yates Drive and Coopers we saw many creative Halloween displays, costumes and not surprisingly VERY polite and well mannered children. Instead of yelling and screaming we heard “Happy Halloween!” and “Thank-you’s” from a majority of the children with their full bags of candies and colourful costumes.

It was nice to see a lot of the parents get involved as well, dressing up in monster get ups and going all out to make the best of the event. The weather was better than expected as most of the “weather people” on TV were predicting rain and cold wind. I for one am very glad that it held up.

The events of last night speak volumes to the community that we in our area have now developed for close to 6 years. Our bunch of homes in the middle of an old field have now become a true community. Many of us know each other by names and faces and it was great to get a chance to chat with a lot of you last night.

Some asked me “What are you dressed as? A politician!??!” I replied, yes, but one whos on break for one night only.

Today I will be doing some preparation for this evenings Ward One All Candidates meeting that is being held by the Milton Rural Residents Association at the Milton Sports Centre starting around 7pm. The first half of tonights get together will be the Mayors and Regional Chair meeting followed afterwards (roughly around 8:30 or so) with the Ward One local councillors and regional councillor candidates. There will be index cards circulated througout the banquet hall and you will have an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates on the issues important to you. Please check out with Milton Rural Residents Assocation website for more information.

There is another all candidates meeting tomorrow night as well at Country Heritage Park which should also be a lot of fun.

I’ll see you at the meetings AND at the doors.

What a turnout!

Mike Cluett

Close to 200 people (or even more, I lost count) filed in around 730 this evening into the banquet hall of the Milton Sports Centre tonight to hear information about the potential power plants in our area. Candidates and incumbents were circulating through the room, talking to people from Milton and some from Halton Hills as well.

The room was very close to capacity with a lot of people lining the walls to hear what Rick Day and other town councillors had to say about the proposed power plants in and around Milton. Rick talked a bit about some crisitism *:-)* he has recieved about his antics at the last town meeting. He said he did what he did to get noticed. Well he succeeded in that aspect.

He also talked about what has taken place since the October 23rd town council meeting. What we DO know is Bill 51 has passed and has received royal assent..so who knows NOW what the OPA will do.

We all wait with baited breath to hear of the decision from the OPA on the 15th to decide the next course of action.

Each of the incumbent councillors were given an opportunity to speak. Some did, and some declined. Then the floor was passed on to the council candidates for ward one (including yours truly) to speak. I chose to speak mostly on the fact that it was good that we were having a town hall meeting in the ward and I expressed my willingness to work with whomever else is elected on November 13th and pledged that these will continue. Since the beginning of my campaign I have talked about the need for communication. We need to have more meetings with residents to discuss issues like neighbourhood safety, green growth and taxation. These meetings dont happen enough and I want to make sure they continue.

Other candidates were given an opportunity to speak and again some chose to speak and others didnt. There was a petition circulated by Tony Lambert, one of the regional councillor candidates for Wards 1 & 3, to send to the provincial government to let them know we are not interested in having a power plant THIS close to the residential area. Its not what the residents want and its not what the town wants. If you want to find out how to get your name on this petition send him an email at lambert2006@canada.com .

Needless to say I hope that there doesnt have to be a divisive issue like this power plant to bring people out to town hall meetings in the future. This is something that Ive committed to as your town councillor.

Tomorrow night is halloween so the campaign and door knocking goes on hold for 24 hrs. Wednesday night is the all candidates meeting at the Milton Sports Centre starting at 7pm. Email me for details if you have any questions. I hope to see you there.

Tomorrow is Halloween Night. Please make sure everyone drives especially careful tomorrow night … lets make sure all of our ghosts and goblins make it home safe.

Happy Halloween everyone! Keep a look out for Ui-Gi-OH (ie. Anthony) Hes very proud of his costume and I’ll make sure I get some pictures.

Will the show continue?

Mike Cluett

I’m just getting ready to head out to the Milton Sports Centre for the information session on the proposed Pristine Power situation. This “town hall” like meeting is being held and organized by Rick Day, one of our current councillors for Ward One.

I would like to congratulate him on getting this all arranged on such short notice. I do have some concerns that this is the first town hall meeting in quite some time. Its sad that its taken an issue like this to get things going…better late than never. All I can say to you is that if elected, these town hall meetings will be a regular occurance and it wont take something as huge as the power plant issue to get it done.

I will be like many of you in Ward One. I will be there to get some more information on what is being planned, and the possible ramifications on what has transpired in the last couple of weeks.

What will the affect of the town council motion to oppose this proposal do? Is there something that Milton town council could have done differently and got the same result? Has that left the Town of Milton exposed to a potential lawsuit? What does the passing of Bill 51 do to the process for these plants? Will there be more banana’s available?

Lets hope we can get some answers to these questions and more in the next while. For those of you who cant make it tonight, I will be posting some opinions and information from tonights meeting.

I hope the room can handle a 500 lb gorilla or two…

Lost, Missing or Damaged Lawn Signs

Mike Cluett

I would like to take this opportuntity to thank those of you who have chosen to put up a Mike Cluett lawn sign to show your support. It is something else to see your name everywhere you go while knocking on doors and driving around the ward.

Just taking a quick break at this point to let the hail/rain/snow simmer down before heading out again. I also wanted to remind you that if you do have a sign that goes missing or is damaged by the freaky weather we’ve been having, please email me at signs@mikecluett.ca and I can get it fixed or replace it for you.

You can also email me at signs@mikecluett.ca or call Pat at 905-878-1327 if you would like to have a lawn sign to show your support of Mike Cluett for Local Councillor. Your support is much appreciated and I look forward to working with everyone as your town councillor after November 13th.

Time to get back at it. Many thanks everyone.

I’ll see you at the doors.

Proposed Pristine Plant & All Candidates Meetings

Mike Cluett

I can’t say that I’m surprised that the bulk of the emails that I (and I assume most of the other candidates as well) have been receiving recently have been on the proposed Pristine Plant and how we as candidates feel about it.

Here’s just one of those emails from Andrea…
***
Hi,

As a concerned Milton resident (and voter!), I just have a couple of questions regarding the proposal by Pristine Power to build a power plant in Milton.

Are you for or against the construction of a new power plant in Milton? If you are against it, what will you do to stop it from happening? What can residents of Milton do to stop this from happening?

Thanks very much and good luck in the election!

Sincerely,

Andrea

***
This is just one of the dozens of emails I get daily on this issue. Here is my response with some additional comments.

The Pristine Power Plant is something that has got many people in Milton worried because there is a lot of information floating around and has caused a lot of concern. To my knowledge the body that will make the decision on which of the 3 proposals out there belongs to the Ontario Power Authority. Thats the agency of the Ontario provincial government. The decision is expected on November 15th, just 2 days after the municipal election.

Its my understanding that if/when this particular site is approved, it will go through a rigorous public information process where input will be given by the Town of Milton, Region of Halton and of course the residents in the affected area. The Town of Milton is a consultant in this matter but the final decision goes to the Ontario Power Authority and the province of Ontario.

At the final council meeting last Monday, Town Council put forward a motion to oppose the Pristine Power proposal, unanimously. I for oneapplaude them for coming out with such a clear statement. All the facts are not in at the moment and the Town of Milton has a report from Pristine Power for review (its a HUGE document) and was given only 30 days to review. I have been trying to read through the document myself and its quite the chore believe me.

To answer your question on what my position on the matter, its quite simple. I want to make sure that if has to go in, that the public gets a chance to voice its concerns and gets all the information needed on potential health issues that might arise, how it will affect the local economy and the quality of life for the residents (mostly Ward one residents) surrounding this new venture.

I agree with many others that we DO NOT want it THIS close to homes when there is a fully zoned area just north of Milton that would be the Towns ideal location, instead of near homes and farm land. During my campaign over the past few months I have talked about Green Growth and the protection of our natural resources. If there is any proposal out there that goes against this, I will oppose. Plain and simple. If while I’m out knocking on doors and the majority of residents in the area disagree with the proposal, as your elected representative, I will oppose.

There were some public meetings back in September regarding this proposal and they got some public input. As your town councillor I will make sure that your voice is heard at the table when it goes through the approval process. As I have promised since day one of my campaign, I will continue to knock on doors, use my website and my blog as a form of communication. This is all assuming that Pristine Powers proposal is the one chosen.

I, like you, am very concerned about the new power plant and I am looking for as much information as possible. The final decision is not councils to make unfortunately, but we can be a loud voice at the table. If elected I will do my best to ensure the residents of ward one have a voice and that their concerns are heard and acted upon.

Lets hope for the best on this one. If you have any other concerns, please feel free to let me know. I hope to count on your support on Election Day.

Best regards,
Mike Cluett
Candidate, Ward One Town Council
(905) 878-1327 Home
mike@mikecluett.ca
www.mikecluett.ca

There is an information session being held on Monday October 30th at 7:30PM at the Milton Sports Centre. Please take some time to attend and get more information.

Speaking of information, there is an all candidates meeting to be held November 1st at 7PM also at the Milton Sports Centre, run and sponsored by the Milton Rural Residents Association. Click on the MRRA website for details.

Finally there is another all candidates meeting at the Agricultural Museum held by the Halton Compass on November 2nd. Please email me for more information on that as well.

I look forward to meeting you at these events to answer any questions you have of me and to get your input on other issues that affect us in Milton.

On a personal note, it’s Pat’s birthday today and I’d like to wish her a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY and another Thank You for her help in the last few months, keeping me on track, being my biggest supporter and for her paitence throughout the campaign.

I’ll see you at the doors.