milton election 2010

Ask & You Shall Receive

Mike Cluett

*QUICK UPDATE*  I’ve updated the IN THE NEWS section of the website with links to news articles that have covered my campaign and some updates on the “Milton TigerCats” situation.  Over the course of the next couple of days, I’ll be putting together a page on my site devoted to news, talk and updates on the TigerCats and their possible move to another location.

NOW..Just yesterday I posted about how nice it would be if we had some “connected” councillor from Milton to give us a status update on the AMO Conference.  Ask and you shall receive.

The Association of Municipalities in Ontario are holding their annual conference this week in Windsor and one of the major issues on the minds of Milton and Halton regional councillors is the expansion of the Milton Hospital.  In the Champion last week, some of the 5 councillors that are attending the conference made mention that they will be lobbying hard with provincial and fellow municipal representatives to see if we can get the ball rolling and raise awareness that Milton is in dire need of hospital expansion.

On the ever popular Milton forum, the Hawthorne Villager, Regional Councillor Colin Best posted an AMO update with some feedback on what the status in on their agenda items.

For anyone interested in the Association of Municipalities Conference I have a short update on the conference and our meetings with ministers and their staff.www.amo.on.ca

I am at the conference as a regional delegate along with Chair Carr and councillors from Oakville and Halton Hills.

On Monday we met with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding the new official plan which still has to be approved by the province and various housing projects which Chair Carr and the delegation requested further help with seniors housing which is a real need throughout the region.

Next the delegation which included Donna Danielli our school board trustee met with the Minister of Education regarding the Best Start program, school construction regulations and surplus school sites which the Board, Towns and Region will be submitting a resolution to the Ministry soon regarding our concerns with delays in the process and having surplus school sites like the Laurier Avenue site in Milton kept as parkland for the neighbourhood.

The group which also includes Councillor Lunau the Town representative on the Halton Health Care board met with the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy regarding the funding for the hospital expansion which the Minister requested a detailed funding request from the board to fit into their 10 year capital plan a good sign as this Ministry has the lead role in allocating the billions of dollars of requests for provincial funding.

Next the group met with the Minister of Transport highlighting the need for funding and action on the #401 corridor, Tremaine Road interchange and GO transit upgrades as well as concerns over the proposed GTA west highway that may cross the middle of Halton Hills. The minister and staff indicated they would review our requests as part of the Big Move plan to improve GTA traffic and transit infrastructure.

Lastly on Monday we met with the Ministry staff of Correctional services requesting their support for the hospital expansion as at any one time Maplehurst residents account for 2-6% of the bed use at the hospital and they indicated they would raise the issue with the Ministry of Health.

On Tuesday the group met with the Minister of Health regarding the hospital expansion and she indicated that they would seriously consider the request as part of their 10 year capital plan based on Milton’s growth and needs for various services. Mayor Burton of Oakville also raised the request for turning the current Oakville-Trafalgar hospital into a long term care facility with would help relieve some of the pressure off all the halton hospitals as about 20% of the beds are currently used for chronic care use that would be more suitable in a long term care centre which the existing hospital would be suited for and this change in use has been done in other communities such as Guelph.

Lastly the group met with the Minister of Natural Resources and Chair Carr and Councillor Lewis of Halton Hills stated the groups concerns with quarry applications in the region and the affect on the community from quarry activities such as heavy truck traffic and the need to reform the existing royality payments from quarries to communities to maintain roads in the immediate area of quarries.

Throughout the conference there has been a number of sessions regarding energy efficiency, the new Green Act, municipal services and policies that I will be raising at the next Council meeting.

Sorry that this was a long post but it is a quick summary of over 3 hours of meetings which the mayor indicated was the most he has ever seen in 45 years of attending these conferences of behalf of Milton and Halton.

You can also see more details on the conference at the AMO website.

Colin Best
Local & regional councillor

Thanks for the update Colin.  Its much appreciated and we look forward to hopefully a few more over the course of the week.  There are a few more councillors there and hopefully they can provide their perspective on the AMO Conference.

Until the next update, I’ll see you at the doors.

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.

Wind Turbines in Milton?

Mike Cluett

 Public Meeting Notice – Wind Turbine Project – August 19th, 2010

Back at the June 28th meeting of council there was some discussion about a possible opportunity with Milton Hydro to install wind turbines at the Sports Centre as a pilot project.  This arrangement with Milton Hydro will not cost the Town of Milton (directly anyways) any money and could possibly be another source of energy for the Sports Centre.  In return for having the turbines located at the Centre would be 15% of the gross revenue for the advertising sales.  The pole height is supposed to be no higher than 9 metres as well.

Some residents brought up concerns at the meeting regarding the size of the turbines, sound polution if and general asthetics in front of the Milton Sports Centre.

From the report COMS-009-10

Background

Staff from the Town of Milton and Milton Hydro have been in discussions with representatives of a company that manufactures vertical wind turbines to consider a possible pilot project on a Town of Milton property. This report recommends a pilot installation of 2 units at the Milton Sports Centre, pending execution of a Memorandum of Understanding for said project, attached as Schedule A, and approval from the OPA.

Discussion

Representatives from a company that manufactures vertical wind turbines approached Town staff to recommend consideration of a pilot project to install two units at the Milton Sports Centre. Subsequent discussions resulted in Milton Hydro taking the lead with respect to the management of the project, pending Council approval.

Staff has provided correspondence to Milton Hydro outlining the proposed terms that would have to be included in a Memorandum of Understanding regarding a pilot project at the Milton Sports Centre. (Schedule A, proposed terms) (Schedule B, image of proposed units at Milton Sports Centre).

Council had approved that motion to look into the possibilities and then have an open house to discuss the matter with the public.  Today the Town of Milton announced an open house on August 19th, 2010 at the Milton Sports Centre and invites members of the public interested in learning more to attend.

The open house starts at 7pm and goes to 8:30pm.  There will be a presentation and then an question/answer session.

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

Advance Poll Dates

Mike Cluett

Over the last few elections, voter turnout has declined.  In 2006, the voter turnout for the former ward 1 (which encompassed most of the new ward 1, 6, 7 and 8 ) was only 23%.

In an effort to help boost voter turnout, the town has come up with a number of different dates and times for people to be able to exercise their right to vote.  Listed below are the dates, times and locations of the advance polls for voters who feel they might not be able to vote on the 25th of October (now 95 days away and counting – YIKES!)

In addition to the 3 days of advance polls is the Hugh Foster Hall location which is open daily from Monday October 11th to Friday October 15th from 10AM to 6PM.

Lines at the advance polls are very short and you can get in, vote and leave in almost a matter of minutes.  Make sure you bring your voter ID card, or picture ID, copy of a municipal tax bill (to confirm address) to make the process go smoothly as possible.

Its important that everyone gets a chance to vote, to have their say on what the direction will be for the town of Milton for the next 4 years and beyond.  There are many changes happening in town and lots of projects that will be approved in the next term of council.  You want to make sure that you choose the right candidate who you feel will speak out for your needs, keep you engaged and informed in the process and one who will be accessible.

Check out the “WHY MIKE” page of my site to find out details on how I will be that councillor for the residents of Ward 6 in Milton.

Advance Vote

Wednesday, October 13 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Campbellville Lions Club
42 Main Street South
Campbellville

Saturday, October 16 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Milton Mall
55 Ontario Street South
Milton

Sunday, October 17 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Milton Mall
55 Ontario Street South
Milton

Please note that the Sunday advance voting closes at 5:00 pm along with the Milton Mall.

Continuous Advance Vote

Monday, October 11 to Friday, October 15 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Hugh Foster Hall
141 King Street
Milton

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

It’s HOT out there

Mike Cluett

Over the last few days we have seen the temperatures rise to new heights and it looks like the next little while will be no different.  I’ve had to take a break from hitting the doors in Ward 6 because of the scorching heat and hopefully it will let up soon.

I had received a call from someone who was wondering what the Town is doing to help beat the heat and where they could take their family to help cool off during this heat wave.

The Town has recently posted some information on www.milton.ca which lists areas where families can go to take the heat off so to speak.

Milton has two designated cooling centres:

Milton Leisure Centre:  1100 Main Street East and Milton Sports Centre: 605 Santa Maria Blvd

There are two locations for pools as well.  One at the Milton Leisure Centre and the other one is outdoors at Rotary Park at 1 Garden Lane (near downtown Milton)

Milton has 6 locations for splash pads which the past few days have become a very popular place for kids to play and stay cool from the heat.  Times of operation are from 9AM to 9PM daily.

Beaty Neighbourhood Park  – Beside Guardian Angels School (Yates / Bennett Ave)

Bristol District Park – Across from Metro Plaza (Thompson Rd / Louis St Laurent Ave)

Clark Neighbourhood Park (South) – Opens late summer 2010

Coates Neighbourhood Park (North)– (Near Philbrook / Yates Drive)

Dempsey Neighbourhood Park– Beside Chris Hadfield School

Lions Sports Park – 77 Thompson Road

There is also a splash pad at Rotary Park  from 10AM to 8PM Daily.

If you would like to get more information on the Milton Leisure Centre swimming hours/costs/ programs, click here for the recreation guide.

As the summer goes along, we will be faced with many more days like we’ve had this week and its best to take all the precautions necessary in order to make sure we all have a safe holiday.  Watch out for kids while your driving, stay cool as much as possible and take in some of the amenities that the Town of Milton has to offer.

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