milton ontario

Upcoming Public Meetings

Mike Cluett

There are two upcoming public meetings on Monday March 19th as a part of our Administration & Planning meeting that residents in ward 6 would be interested in.

The first one is a potential development at the north west corner of Thompson Road and Louis St Laurent that would possibly bring in a Tim Horton’s restaurant along with drive thru across the street from the Metro Mall.

Here is a link to the public meeting notice.

I had an opportunity to meet with the person designing the development and I was very encouraged that the designs included lots of room for cars to enter without having any backup on the main roads (Thompson / LSL)  Its a situation that many drive thru’s run into…too many cars at busy points in the day lead to spillage on the roads and potential safety issues and traffic backups.

In addtion to a well designed parking lot with lots of spaces and room to move for vehicles, the outward design is also very nice.  Utilizing stone in the design keeps with the “escarpment feel” Many residents have commented that new development in Milton seems to be all over the place design wise and no continuity.  As soon as I can get the designs scanned in (likely when the agenda is available online – Thursday before the meeting) I can post it to show you.  It does look really nice, but I wont know until the final presentation is made.  This meeting is to ask for a zoning by law change to allow this future development.  There is still time before the site plans etc are to be presented.

Residents are invited to send submissions to council for that meeting either in writing or in person if they have any questions or concerns.  As always if you do have any questions you can email me mike@mikecluett.ca & I can bring them up.

The other public meeting to be held that night concerns zoning application at the corner of Hwy 25 and Louis St Laurent from Mattamy Corporation.  The link to that public notice is here.

That is a request to change the zoning to Future Development, which can lead to something similar at this location as the previous one, or something different.  The full details will be listed before the meeting so if you have any concerns, please let me know.

So what do you think?  A Tim Hortons is good for this location or not?  Do you think it will benefit the area or add to congestion?  Let me know mike@mikecluett.ca or feel free to leave a comment here.

 

Milton Velodrome FAQ’s

Mike Cluett

Milton Velodrome FAQ’s

Courtesy of www.milton.ca

What is a Velodrome?

•An arena for track cycling (approximately 120,000 square feet)

•A banked oval track consisting of two 180-degree circular bends, connected by two straights (The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement curve)

Multi-purpose Infield

•The infield (middle) of the track can be used for other recreational/event purposes, such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, soccer and trade shows, and is approximately the size of three basketball courts.

Existing Velodromes

•Carson City Velodrome
•Manchester Velodrome
•Manchester Velodrome, infield event

How was Milton selected as the preferred velodrome site for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games?

September 23, 2011

•Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games committee approached the Town of Milton with the possibility to bid for a permanent velodrome

October 12, 2011

•Toronto 2015 committee invited the Town of Milton to submit Expression of Interest

October 17, 2011

•Milton Council resolution to explore two location options – the Milton Education Village as a permanent location and Derry Green Business Park as a temporary location

November 21, 2011

•Council Report: COMS-047-11

•Indication of support received (including letters from Laurier University, the Canadian Cycling Association and land donation)

•Further direction required from Toronto 2015 to reduce capital cost and local host share

December 5, 2011

•Council Report: COMS-050-11

•Milton Council authorized the Town of Milton to commit to funding local share based on a $40-million project

•Next step identified was to engage Sierra Planning to undertake Business Plan

•Required to report back to Council with results of Business Plan and due diligence process

Where is the money coming from to build the velodrome?

•$22 million: Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games organizing committee

•$19.8 million: Local share (includes 44% of the project cost at $40-million, plus site servicing/parking costs)

◦Town of Milton share confirmed at $3.8 million: Re-allocation of funds for future recreational facilities to serve community needs

◦Milton Education Village commitment at $2.5 million: Town of Milton to finance the Milton Education Village commitment; if timing is delayed, a contingency plan will be developed

◦Private sector partnership commitment at $13.5 million: This includes – pledged donations, sponsorship, in-kind services and fundraising support

•Peter Gilgan/Mattamy Group: $9 million committed

•TD Canada Trust: Tim Hockey and team

•Milton Energy and Generation Solutions

•TSAM Investment Group Inc. •GreenLife Energy

•Local suppliers/consultants

•Legal counsel

Where will the velodrome be located?

•Within the Milton Education Village: Louis St Laurent and Tremaine Road

•Adjacent to proposed location for Laurier University

Planned transportation links to the velodrome location:

•Public transit routes

•Cycling lanes on Tremaine Road

•GO station proposed at new Tremaine Road 401 interchange

•Town undertaking Secondary Plan for Milton Education Village and update to Trails/Cycling Master Plan in 2012

What will the velodrome be used for once the Pan/Parapan American Games are finished?

•Sierra Planning and Management, in cooperation with the JF Group have been retained by the Town to undertake a Milton based business plan for the legacy phase of the facility:

◦Discussions have been initiated with local/regional/national/international cycling groups with meetings, surveys and interviews planned to determine demand for the facility.

◦Discussions will be initiated with local sport organizations for infield use potential.

◦The extent of municipal risk associated with business plan projections will be verified.

•The facility will be used for a number of international, national and provincial competitions, creating a positive economic impact on the business community in Milton.

•There will be a significant opportunity for a high performance and local cycling legacy, as well as community recreational use.

What are the Milton velodrome timelines?

•January 2012: Business plan commenced

•Late January 2012: Report to Milton Council on business plan recommendations

•Late January 2012: Binding agreements to be signed following project approval by Milton Council

•Spring/summer 2012: Ground breaking and construction commences

•Summer 2014: Targeted completion date

•June/July 2015: Pan/Parapan American Games

Now THIS Is Community Spirit

Mike Cluett

Three great articles in today’s Milton Canadian Champion.

Thanks to both Angelo from Milton Orthotics , Angelina & Dean and Ken Patterson for their hard work in raising funds for the Milton District Hospital Foundation.

Brother and sister donate sales from lemonade stand

A $100 donation collected through a neighbourhood lemonade stand was recently presented by a young Milton brother and sister to the Milton District Hospital Foundation.

For two weekends in July, Angelina Appleby, 9, and her brother Dean, 5, set up shop in their Hawthorne Village neighbourhood selling lemonade and iced tea to raise funds for the Milton hospital.

“It was their idea from start to finish, we merely helped facilitate it,” said the childrens’ mother Zeena. “We (Zeena and husband Mark) couldn’t be more proud of both of them and all that they have accomplished.”

The donation was accepted by Anne Zujko, the foundation’s development associate.

“It is truly a pleasure to see young people caring so much about their community,” said Zujko.

Helping out the hospital

Milton Orthotic’s Angelo Posteraro, Krystal Xavier and Lisa Walter present a cheque for $2,600 to Anne Zujko of the Milton District Hospital Foundation.

The funds were raised from the business’s summer volleyball tournament.

 

 

All shook up… for a good cause

Elvis tribute artist Ken Patterson serenaded 10-year-old Isabella Maturana during Boston Pizza’s recent Elvis tribute night in support of the Milton District Hospital Foundation.

The event, which raised $4,000, features two tribute artists as well as a silent auction.

Tigerfest Returns June 4th 2011

Mike Cluett

From the Milton Canadian Champion

TigerFest returns to festival – High school strength challenge added to pro wrestling show

Wrestling fans, the countdown is on.

Just over two weeks remain until the return of TigerFest, which — as part of the Milton Downtown Street Festival — attracted more than a thousand onlookers last year.

Put on by international wrestling legend Tiger Jeet Singh and his son Tiger Ali Singh, this year’s event — set for Saturday, June 4 across from Troy’s Diner on Main Street — promises to pack ’em in once again. But not just because of the squared circle action.

Local teens are sure to come out in droves to watch their peers take part in Tiger’s High School Challenge, which will see five-guy, five-girl teams from each of the three high schools test themselves in strongman style competition.

Along with bragging rights, the challenge — culminating with a giant tire flipping contest — will serve as a fundraiser for the schools.

TigerFest t-shirts, with personalized school colours, will be sold leading up to the event, with net proceeds being donated back to each of the schools by the Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation.

The idea originated from Milton District’s request for assistance in its ongoing efforts to raise money for a new fitness room.

Set to begin around noon, the high school challenge kicks off a full slate of TigerFest activities, which continue with boxing and CrossFit demonstrations by Milton’s FirePower and performances by pop recording artist Prita Chhabra and Milton’s own soul singer/songwriter Khalel.

From there, the pro wrestling — which is scheduled to include former WWE stars Tatanka and Robbie McAllister and ex-TNA star Sonjay Dutt, as well as some notable names from the independent circuit — gets underway at 5 p.m.

Wrapping up with a wrestlers autograph session, the card won’t include a competitive showing by Tiger Jr. this time around, as an Achilles injury will keep him out of action.

However, an in-ring cameo role by the former WWE heel — who won last year’s card-ending battle royal — is a distinct possibility.

While the event is free, organizers are asking for a minimum donation of $5 for a spot in the provided seating area. Proceeds from this will go to the Milton Salvation Army.

In conjunction with this, Miltonians are asked to drop off non-perishable food items to local Scotiabank locations starting in mid-May in support of the food bank.

TigerFest t-shirts will also be sold during the day, with the money raised going to the Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation in support of the Japan Relief Campaign, Halton Learning Foundation and McMaster Children’s Hospital.

For more information and regular updates on TigerFest, visit www.tigerjeetsinghfoundation.com.

More 2011 Budget Feedback

Mike Cluett

There has been lots of discussion on the Hawthorne Villager web forum on the aftermath of the 2011 Milton budget that was passed by the committee on Monday.  You can follow it here.

I made a comment on one of the threads regarding the importance of public involvement in the budget process that I’ll post here as well.  For those that don’t know, the budget process just doesn’t happen at the end of the year.  Its a result of many months of work from town staff, reports to council and public feedback.

Its important that the residents of Milton are involved in that process, and as I outline in my post on the Villager, we have many new faces on council that are “connected” and available to get that important feedback from taxpayers and in this coming year we will be looking at the 2012 budget.  (I know we JUST finished with 2011 and now were on to 2012!)

Next year will be even more of a challenge as further operational costs from the Milton Centre for the Arts, the new library and the Milton Sports Centre come online.  There’s the challenge of what kind of state our economy will be in and how it will affect long term projections.  Its important we get the feedback from the public on what you feel the town’s priorities should be.

Next Monday is the council meeting where we will be reviewing the last budget committee report and passing (?) the 2011 budget.  As I said, after this, we look forward towards 2012 and what Milton will look like then, what we will be spending money on, what roads will be developed or set into the pipeline and you need to be part of it.

Here’s my post from the Villager.  Feel free to comment there or here.

The beauty of having so many new councillors who are “connected” online and very active in the community is that this coming budget process – which is a public process – will become MORE public. Meetings will be promoted through councillors websites, through this board and others and hopefully more throughout the local media (Champion, MiltonTodayTV, TV Cogeco etc)

I KNOW my collegues will work together to have even MORE budget town hall meetings through this process to get even MORE input from the public. Its not a criticism of the past, but more of a comment for the future.

Budgets aren’t on everyone’s top 10 lists of things to do during the week but hopefully we can get more feedback from Milton residents on what they want. A continuation of sorts from the election campaign. I campaigned on continuing to knock on doors between campaigns and I intend to do so and challenge my council friends to do the same.

We are fully aware of mistakes made in the past by other municipalities like Mississauga and Bramtpon to name a couple and we want to ensure that doesn’t happen here.

As long as the process is open as much as possible to the public and they have their say on major issues like a further tax levy for hospital expansion for increases in spending for transit, we will have done our job.

Ive talked with all my council friends and said that when we look at these budget figures to look at them like were doing our home budgets. Wants vs needs and if we can find savings or further efficiencies we have a duty to do so. We also need to look at both the long range and the short term as well. Is the economy doing well…what is the outlook for the next few years…what is the long range outlook for the next ten years. Some questions are easily answered and some are more difficult and will require debate. We have to look at the long range goals of the town of Milton…what demands are placed on us from other levels of government like the Region of Halton and the Province of Ontario (which directs our growth goals)

If you thought the last few years saw a lot of change, as the old saying goes, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Changes are happening from all directions…Milton Education Village, Derry Green Corporate Business Park, Boyne Survey, the possible hospital expansion and the intensification of Main Street.

Im open to any and all suggestions and if they make sense, we can move forward on them. Democracy is like a conversation…it cant be one way…which is why we need your input and feedback. That’s what a majority of us were elected on this past October and now were in office we cant forget those reasons.

Keep the debate coming …