milton canadian champion

AMO Status report

Mike Cluett

Keeping in tune with a previous article by Christina Commisso from the Milton Canadian Champion last week about elected officials and candidates being “online & connected” it made me wonder about the AMO conference that is going on this week.

She had also written an article about our 5 councillors who are attending the AMO Conference in Windsor this week.  She spoke with a number of them and they all mentioned they would be pushing for the expansion of Milton District Hospital.  You can read the article here.

Seeing how this is an important issue to many Milton residents it would be helpful if we got some updates from those councillors at the conference.  Problem is, we dont know whats going on.

Just imagine if they posted updates on Twitter for instance saying “discussing Milton hospital with provincial officials at the AMO Conference…things going well” or something to that affect.  Those of us who follow on Twitter or on the candidates/councillors websites can from the comfort of our home get an understanding of what is happening and the status of those talks.

I know that at least one of the attendees at this conference is on Twitter so hopefully they will get the message and let us know how things are going regarding the Milton hospital issue.

One of the most common concerns I am hearing at the doors during this campaign is making sure residents are kept up to date on issues that face Milton.  Does it have to be instantaneous?  Not at all.  But something is better than nothing.  My promise to you as your councillor after Oct 25th is to keep that flow of information going so that residents are kept in the loop. 

It doesnt take that long to post a 140 character message on Twitter or quickly update a website/blog so that people know their concerns are being looked after.  I know its summer and the last thing on the minds of many residents is politics but quick postings here and there can go a long way.

I look foward to the councilors report on this conference at the next council meeting and how discussions went with other municipalities about a united front to lobby the provincial government to allow the use of development charges to fund the local portion of the hospital and discussions with provincial officials that are there about the importance of and the need for expansion of Milton District Hospital.

Maybe a quick update from one of the attendees is in order.  I’ll keep checking Twitter and see.

Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

 

Are You Online?

Mike Cluett

That question seems to be coming up on a regular basis as I knock on doors in Ward 6 over the past several months.  Ever since late March I have taken the opportunity to go out to visit residents and speak with them directly.  Some I get a chance to spend some time with to discuss issues that are important to them.  Most however are very busy and just have a moment to exchange pleasantries and get back to what they were doing.

The most common question after I pass them some information on me is “Are you online?’  The reason why they ask this is so at a time more convenient they can go to their computer, Google you, and read up on what you stand for, and how connected you really are to the community.

In a recent article by Christina Commisso of the Milton Canadian Champion, she outlines a number of municipal candidates who have a strong online presence (yours truly included) and who are using it as an effective communication tool.

Back in 2003, there were hardly any candidates with an online presence.  If they did have a website, it was what I like to call an “info-page”  Basic information on who they are, maybe some issues and how to contact them.  While its a step in the right direction, they were only utilizing maybe 0.05% of the effectiveness of the Internet.

Fast forward now to 2010 and there are dozens of other online tools that can be used to get the message out, inform residents of whats going on, how it will affect them and provide voters with direct contact to the candidates and elected officials.

While being interviewed by Christina I joked with her that my blackberry (the bane of my existence according to my wife) was sitting close by and buzzing intermittently with messages from people, responses to Twitter & Facebook postings and phone calls.  I like to call it my “Virtual Campaign Headquarters”.

If you go to the Towns Election website and look at a list of candidates who are running, you will also find their contact information including websites, email, phone numbers etc.  Of the 30 candidates that are registered for various positions on Oct 25th, only 13 have websites.  That’s less than half of the people running who have an online presence in the community.

Now, of the 13 website, only 8 (mine included) are updated regularly and have a forum for voters to provide comments on issues that are posted.  Others are what I referred to earlier as “info sites”  This is not saying that of those candidates, they don’t utilize other ways online to communicate with voters.  Some use the very popular “HAWTHORNE VILLAGER” site and post online comments to issues that are brought up.  There are some overlap of those people, but if you take away The Villager, there are still a number of candidates who don’t have the all important online presence.

Back when I ran for local council in 2006, I was faced with a similar situation.  All of my opponents for ward 1 local council position didnt have any online presence outside of email.  It was that election I came short of winning by 92 votes.  The problem was voter turnout ended up being the lowest in Milton at 23.5%.

During that campaign I had promised to keep my website/blog updated on a regular basis and inform residents in Milton of what was going on at Town Council meetings, decisions that were being made, and my opinions of them.  While unsuccessful that year, for the past 4 years now I have continued to update and provide my opinions on issues that the town has faced over the last few years.  You can check out the Archives section of my site and see every post and every comment since that campaign.

Over the last few years I have noticed others in town, mainly in the Hawthorne Village area starting up similar sites to accomplish what I had tried to start…a dialogue with Milton residents.  Many of those people are also seeking positions on town council.  Is it a movement?  Well, maybe not yet but its a start.  More and more Miltonians are going to the Internet to get their information and seek answers to questions they have.

Not all questions can be answered face to face during election campaigns and voters look to other sources to find out whats going on and how it will affect them.  This is why an online presence is so important.

Will it replace the door to door / face to face contact?  Absolutely not.  In fact just being online won’t make a difference.  An online presence only coupled with direct voter contact is the way of the future.  The way things have been done in the past is once you’re elected, you attend community events as a way of being “seen” in the public eye.  You do your job to the best of your ability and when it comes time for the next election, you go back out and knock on a few doors.

Welcome to 2010!  I am the only candidate who has made it part of my platform and promise to voters that I will continue to knock on doors in between election campaigns and not just during them.  Many comments I have received from voters so far is “why are you starting so early?”

I told them that this is what they should expect from me as their elected official.  Not just waiting until an election is near to be seen talking to people, but on a regular basis.  As Ive mentioned before there are a number of issues coming down the pike that WILL change how Milton looks and feels in the next 4 years.  From the intensification of Main Street (that will change the look of Downtown Milton forever), to the approval of the Boyne Survey (that will add another 55,000 + residents to Milton), to the hopeful expansion of Milton District Hospital and how we will fund it, and to major road construction on Main Street…these are important issues that need to be addressed.

Over the next few years there will be a number of public meetings that you can attend to tell council how you feel.  But how will you find out about them?  The local paper is one way and if youre close enough to the changes you might get a notice from the Town of Milton.  Other than that, you might miss your opportunity.

As your councillor I will “take to the streets” so to speak and solicit input directly from you. You can come to my website www.mikecluett.caand I will have a list of public meetings that are coming up so you can put them into your schedule and attend.  If you cant attend, you will have an opportunity to email/call/Tweet me and let me know what you want to say and I can be your voice.

When I ask people if they voted in the last election, many people shrug their shoulders and say they don’t know, or they didn’t have time, or they just didn’t know what was going on.  I want to change that…a little at a time.  Do I expect a flood of voters this year?  I hope so, but realistically change like this will take time.

Part of my job as your councillor will be to help change your opinion of your local representatives from “I dont know who they are” to “I know who my councillor is and he’s working for me.”

Here is a link to the article in the Champion and let me know what you think.  Send me an email, follow me on my Twitter page, become a “Fan” on Facebook or post a comment here.

Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

Anthony & Ted DiBiase

Mike Cluett

Growing up as a kid, I was always a big fan of pro wrestling (I still am by the way) and recently we had an opportunity to visit a neighbours church because former WWE wrestler Ted DiBiase “The Million Dollar Man” was speaking there.  Unlike many kids at that time, my favourite wrestlers were not the fan favourites like Hulk Hogan or Macho Man Randy Savage.  I cheered for the “bad guys” and Ted DiBiase was the KING of the bad guys.  Every Saturday my father and I would sit around the TV and get into battles of our own during their matches and he’d question why I’d cheer for such a horrible person. 

Times have changed and so has Ted DiBiase.

There were quite a few people packed in the Milton District High Schools auditorium that day…lots of visitors like ourselves and wrestling fans alike.  Some even showed up wearing their favourite wrestlers tshirts.

Afterwards we lined up for autographs and we were lucky that Graham Paine from the Champion was there and he snapped this shot.

I’ll see you at the doors.

Major Changes Coming to Campbellville

Mike Cluett

The last full council meeting a couple of weeks ago went long…very long by some standards.  It was close to midnight by the time councillors, staff and some candidates made their way back home.

There was a public meeting on the Derry Green Corporate Business Park (James Snow Parkway, north to the 401, east to roughly Trafalgar and then down to the creek) but the last part of the discussion came from a motion by Councillor Cindy Lunau to expand the hamlet known as Campbellville.

As Tim Foran of the Milton Canadian Champion outines in his article, there are a few more changes coming to the quiet area of Campbellville.

Changes could be coming to Campbellville

The quiet hamlet of Campbellville could become a little noisier in future due to some changes made by Milton’s town council last week.

An existing no heavy truck prohibition along Campbellville Road, between Milburough and Guelph lines, will be removed, council decided without discussion.

The change is part of the Town’s handover of responsibility for maintaining the roadway to Halton Region, an uploading that will save Milton taxpayers some money.

The Region has indicated it plans to invest millions of dollars to improve the roadway to major arterial conditions in future years.

Council also decided that, subject to necessary studies, it will try to expand Campbellville’s urban boundaries westward.

If the expansion receives approval from Halton Region and the Province, which Town staff indicated is actually unlikely, it would allow for new development in some of the area bounded by Campbellville Road to the south, Twiss Road to the west, Hwy. 401 to the north and the hamlet’s existing boundary to the east.

The last major addition to the hamlet was Bridlewood Estates, a subdivision of million-dollar homes currently under construction.

The motion made by Nassagaweya Councillor Cindy Lunau to expand the hamlet came on the day council was approving its updated official plan following four years of planning for future growth by Halton Region and the Town. The motion passed 5-4. Lunau’s ward colleague, Jan Mowbray, supported the motion while the regional councillor for the area, Barry Lee, didn’t.

“I’m of the opinion there’s a certain critical mass (of people needed) to make a hamlet sustainable,” Lunau explained for her motion.

Mississauga-based investment company TSI International, which uses land banking as part of its real estate investment strategy, owns most of the property included in Lunau’s motion and has been the only developer that has asked for the hamlet to be expanded, Town staff confirmed.

Supporters of the expansion, including Lunau, Regional Councillor Colin Best and Mowbray, expressed concern the motion’s wording was obviously in support of TSI’s request as they didn’t want to be seen to be favouring one developer’s land over another.

Lunau had originally put forth a motion suggesting the Town support minor expansions to hamlets, in general. However, the Town’s lawyer advised council a motion indicating the Town has some idea where it wants to grow would have a greater chance of getting approval from the Region and Province.

TSI’s request was shot down by Halton Regional staff in December, when it completed an update to its own official plan. In a response document released at that time, Halton staff said they didn’t believe including TSI’s 100-acre property in the urban area was a “minor rounding out of the hamlet,” something allowable under Provincial legislation during the official plan update process.

Last week, the Town of Milton’s lawyer told council it was still unclear how many acres would actually constitute “minor” to the Province.

Town planning staff had also recommended against expanding the hamlet. In a June 10 document, staff explained the Province’s Greenbelt Plan only allows rounding out of hamlets if the proposal has been supported by appropriate studies assessing the need for the expansion as well as the availability of water to service the development. Those studies haven’t been done, according to staff.

Prior to council’s vote, Town Senior Manager of Planning Policy Barb Koopmans told council that Halton Region has “clearly advised” it won’t approve the expansion to the hamlet in the absence of such evidence.

That news upset Colin Chung, the planning consultant for TSI. He said after the council session the company has offered for years to do whatever studies are necessary, but never got confirmation from municipal planners.

TSI’s property is approximately 100 acres. The majority are forested and designated natural heritage system, but about 15 acres are rural, including some along the Twiss Road frontage.

Lunau suggested much of the land could be donated to the town for use as trails by local residents.

Local Food Bank Needs Help

Mike Cluett

UPDATE:  3:30 PM

As I hit the doors canvassing this weekend I will be asking everyone I speak to please make a donation to the Salvation Army Food Bank.  You can go to many grocery outlets and drop off a donation in the red boxes located near the exits or you can go to their HQ on Nippissing Road and donate.

I am also willing to pick up any donations for the Food Bank this weekend and it will be dropped off at their location with the names of those who donate.  If you can, please spend a few more dollars this week and help out some local families in need.

Email me mike@mikecluett.ca or call (647) 888-9032 if you’d like me to come by and pick it up for you.

Thanks everyone!

Here is an article in yesterdays Champion regarding the drastic shortage of food at the Salvation Army Food Bank.  They are running very low on food supply to help local families in need.  Summers are usually very slow months for donations and they are looking to the community to help out.

On the Hawthorne Village Forum, local resident Kim (freemantrailfamily) has issued a challenge to area residents to go to their local grocery store and buy some food and make a donation.  I would hope that everyone in Milton can do something to help out.

This coming weekend is Father’s day and lets show Milton’s generosity once again and help out the Salvation Army and the local food bank.  All it takes is a little to help a lot.

Local food bank in desperate situation

Local food bank in desperate situation.

With just three packages of rice left on shelves — and some other essential groceries nowhere to be found — the Salvation Army’s food bank is heading into the summer months in rough shape.

Combine those bare shelves with the fact summertime is when the fewest donations come in, and the situation is looking desperate, said Angela Hunt, administrative assistant with Milton’s Salvation Army Food Bank, which is looking to the public for help.

“I’m nervous we won’t have enough of some absolute staples to get us through to the next major drive at Thanksgiving,” Hunt said.

The difficult financial times and Milton’s ever-increasing population are adding up to place a big strain on the food bank, she said.

In the first five months of this year compared with the first five months of last year, there has been an almost 25 per cent increase in the usage of the food bank, with 541 residents using it this year (January to May) and 435 last year.

Of those 106 additional users, 57 are kids.

Over the past three weeks, the amount of food given out has been reduced, and further reductions seem likely, Hunt said.

She’s hoping residents will take the matter to heart, pick up an item or two each week when they go shopping and leave them at the pantry drop-off boxes located inside most grocery stores in town. Food can also be dropped off at the Salvation Army’s office, 100 Nipissing Rd., unit 3.

“People seem to think they have to do big things — but one can once a week would make a difference,” Hunt said.

If just a quarter of Milton’s population picked up one item each, that would mean more than 20,000 food items, which would go a long way toward filling shelves and meeting the needs of those who’ve fallen on hard times, she said.

Items particularly needed include peanut butter, tuna, rice, cereal, juice and kids’ snacks (juice boxes, granola-type bars and pudding). One item not needed is soup.

Donations tend to die down in the summer months, Hunt said, because schools — which often do fundraisers — are closed, churches go into summer mode and people who regularly contribute leave for vacation.

Although we hear in the news the economy is recovering from the recession, the people who use the food bank — ranging from single-parent families to two-parent families to singles — are still struggling, Hunt said. For more information on the food bank, call (905) 875-1022.

Town Council Approves MAJOR Growth Plans

Mike Cluett

Here is an article written by Tim Foran of the Milton Canadian Champion outlining details on the changes to Milton’s Official Plan.

In his article he mentions a local resident Michael Fox that I referred to in my Communication post recently.  Also he refers to comments that resident Steve Camilerri made regarding the benefit of Milton Transit, the new route for his area in September and how council should focus on its growth.

Town council approves significant growth plans

The future is written but the book may need some revisions.

Milton council Monday night signed off on two secondary plans that will guide the last phases of residential and employment growth originally designated in the Town’s 1997 Official Plan.

It also endorsed an update to that same official plan. The document now includes new ‘smart growth’ policies that will govern areas of future growth from 2015 to 2031.

By that time, Milton is projected to be a community of almost 240,000 and its urban fabric will stretch to Hwy. 407 in the east and Lower Base Line in the south.

Council unanimously approved all three plans. However, planning staff indicated Monday there’s a long list of future studies that still have to be completed including assessing the price tag for the infrastructure necessary to accommodate future growth. Those studies will likely result in tweaks to all three plans before Halton Region, the municipal planning authority, gives its stamp of approval.

While much planning is left undone, it was still imperative council approve the three plans Monday, according to staff.

The Province had set a deadline of June 16 for lower tier municipalities such as Milton to update their official plans to conform to legislation enacted earlier in the decade, such as the Greenbelt Plan and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Milton’s new official plan also had to be brought into conformity with Halton Region’s December update to its own official plan, ROPA 38, the result of the Sustainable Halton planning process.

But there was no such such deadline for Milton to approve the two secondary plans, one for the Boyne Survey residential area to be built south of Louis St. Laurent Boulevard and another for the Derry Green Corporate Business Park destined for the area east of James Snow Parkway.

However, staff reports said the two plans must be completed by June 16 so that developments in the Boyne and Derry Green areas would be “grandfathered” and governed by the policies in the 1997 Official Plan rather than new less development-friendly ones contained in the updated official plan.

Those new policies, first outlined in Halton’s ROPA 38, could “potentially impact (the) feasability” of development in the Boyne and Derry Green areas due to their requirement for higher densities and the application of an enhanced natural heritage system that includes links between key natural features, stated staff reports reviewed by council.

The new policies also require all players at the table — the local municipalities, school boards, developers and the provincial and federal governments — to agree on what infrastructure is necessary to support “complete communities” and provide evidence the money is in place to build it, so that taxpayers don’t take the hit.

Municipal planners have said they expect these ‘growth must pay for itself’ policies to be challenged at the Ontario Municipal Board as soon as the Province signs off on ROPA 38.

Council didn’t discuss the decision to grandfather the two secondary plans. However, the Town’s consultant said after council it’s common practice for developments to be governed by the policies in place when they first began.

“Is it fair to change those (rules) in midstream?” asked consultant Elizabeth Howson rhetorically.

The policies in the updated official plan were applauded by local resident Steve Camilleri, who said he appreciated the focus on intensification and smarter development.

Camilleri, who lives near Derry and Holly roads, said he has lived in his community for four years but will only be getting a bus route this September.

Though he said he’s thankful to get it, he supported the municipality’s efforts to get transit on track quicker in the future.

“The answer is public transit and it needs to be looked at as an asset,” said Camilleri.

ROPA 38 policies require municipalities to have a plan in place to provide public transit to new subdivisions as they come on stream.

Another delegate to council took a dimmer view of intensification. Michael Fox, a resident of Frobisher Boulevard, petitioned council to reduce the heights allowed in the official plan for the section of Main Street in front of the GO Train station.

The plan allows the north side of Main Street across the street from the GO station, between Ontario Street and Thompson Road, currently occupied by low-rise commercial and industrial units, to be redeveloped into four-storey buildings, with potential for a maximum of three more storeys through typical bonusing provisions. Immediately adjacent to the GO Station, the plan allows for 10- to 14- storey buildings.

Fox said 72 of his neighbours, more than half of whom have pools, could be affected by shadows of buildings of that height.

However, Town staff responded the four-storey limit and the bonusing provisions haven’t changed since the 1997 Official Plan.

“To take away what is currently permitted without justification would be problematic,” Barb Koopmans, Milton’s senior manager of policy planning, told council.

She added developers are required to do a shadow impact study when filing their development application.

Through the site plan approval process, staff can mitigate any potential impact by buildings higher along the edge of Main Street but “step down” at the rear of the lot, she added.

Ward 4 Councillor Paul Scherer pointed out to Fox the original heights proposed the Town’s intesification background study called for buildings of six to eight storeys opposite the GO Station, which was ultimately dismissed in favour of keeping the status quo.

“I think we’ve done a reasonable job of protecting the neighbourhood,” said Scherer.

Ward 1 Councillor Rick Day was absent for the four-hour session as he was away on business, Mayor Gord Krantz said.