Milton
According to www.milton.ca we will be offering live coverage of council and committee meetings. This is a work in progress and we would like to see how it works. Tonights meeting might be brodcast live through www.milton.ca and here’s the link.
http://www.milton.ca/execserv/video2011/live_video.php
Seeing how I will be AT the meeting and not watching from home, try it out tonight and submit your comments to me at mike@mikecluett.ca and let me know how it goes.
From the Milton Canadian Champion
Between 7:45 a.m. and 5:26 p.m. Monday, the Hydro One site was broken into by thieves who climbed the firm’s Lower Baseline fence.
F250 pick-up truck with 2366 RW plates and a Ford Ecoline truck with 161 MF plates were taken. Also stolen was about 1,000 pounds of copper wire. The estimated value of the property is $40,000.
Wire stolen from scrapyard
Overnight Sunday, 43,000 pounds of copper wire was taken from a First Line scrap recycling site. The estimated value of the goods is $5,000.
Man charged in break-in
The Rock Universe shop on Main Street was broken into Saturday at 11:45 p.m. The front door was smashed. Loose change was stolen.
Later in the evening, a man was arrested by plain-clothes officers in the area and charged with break and enter and breach of probation.
House broken into
A home on Nassagaweya Puslinch Town Line was broken into sometime between 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. Entry was gained by forcing open the door to the home, which was under construction.
Stolen was 50 to 60 pounds of copper wire worth an estimated $225.
Cars broken into
Between 8 a.m. and 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, three cars were broken into at Glen Eden Ski and Snowboard Centre on Kelso Road. In the first incident a wallet was stolen containing identification.
The second break-in resulted in a wallet containing ID and credit cards being taken. In the third incident, a purse containing ID was stolen.
Police are investigating.
UPDATE 4:50PM WHAT IS OPEN TOMORROW – From the Town of Milton
Facilities, Recreation and Rentals During Winter Storm: Feb 2nd
All Town of Milton facilities will be open for business as usual on February 2, 2011. For specific inquiries about the status of program cancellations or rentals due to the winter storm, please call the Milton Leisure Centre at 905-878-7946, Milton Sports Centre/Memorial Arena/John Tonelli Sports Centre at 905-878-7252, ext. 2601, Milton Seniors’ Activity Centre at 905-875-1681 or Town Hall at 905-878-7211. The Town of Milton’s Staff Inclement Weather Policy will take effect should the snow event limit municipal services at Town facilities. Please visit www.milton.ca again for further updates.
UPDATE 4:17pm PARKING CONSIDERATIONS SUSPENDED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
From the Town of Milton website: Due to inclement weather conditions forecasted for the next few days, parking considerations have been suspended until further notice. Please remember to Allow the Plow and keep streets clear of parked cars for snow clearing operations.
Who said winter was over eh? You would have to be hidden under a rock, or on vacation in some exotic country NOT to know there is apparently a pretty big storm heading our way in the next 2 days. From Environment Canada…15-30 cm of snow in the nexxt 48 hours.
This begs the obvious question…are my kids going to have a snow day (or am I going to have a snow day) 🙂
All indications show this will hit us pretty hard every precaution needs to be taken. Stay tuned to the stations listed below on radio & TV to find out if the schools are closed for the day, if the school buses are running and any other emergency information you might need. If you need to drive, please drive carefully and if you dont need to be on the roads, stay at home.
As for our area, a reminder to everyone that plows will be out as soon as possible and to drive with care. If at all possible do not leave your vehicle parked on the road so the plows can get through as easily as possible.
From the Milton Canadian Champion
On the buses (or not?).
Due to the current weather forecast, the two Halton school boards are reminding parents and staff of the bus cancellations and school closure procedures relating to inclement weather.
In the event of inclement weather, the Halton District School Board Director of Education, in consultation with the Director of Education of the Halton Catholic District School Board, consult with the Halton Student Transportation Services to determine whether to cancel school transportation and/or close schools. This decision is made prior to 6 a.m. and communicated by 6:30 a.m.
The decision to cancel buses and/or close schools is communicated by the following methods:
AM Radio Stations: CFRB (1010 AM), CJOY (1460 AM), CHML (900 AM), CKOC (ll50 AM), CHWO (740 AM), CFTR (680 AM).
FM Radio Stations: CHFI (98.1 FM), WAVE (94.7 FM), Y108 (l07.9 FM),~CING (95.3 FM), CKFM Virgin Radio (99.9), KLITE (102.9 FM), CBC (99.1 FM), CIMJ (106.1 FM), CHBM Boom (97.3 FM), Classical (96.3 FM).
Television Stations: CHCH TV Morning Show; CITY TV (Breakfast Television)
Websites: www.haltonbus.ca or www.hdsb.ca
Switchboard: A message will be provided through the Halton District School Board’s main telephone number- 905 335-3665. Please follow the prompts to access school bus information. A message is also recorded on the Catholic Board’s main telephone number: 905-632-6300.
Home Notification System: An automated email or telephone message will be sent to notify parents/guardians of school closures only (not transportation cancellations). Only parents who have opted for this service will receive the message.
In a letter that has been sent from the Region of Halton to area residents today, I wanted to post this information on my blog for people outside the affected zone.
It says that the intersection of 4th Line and Britannia Road is slated to be closed off to area residents for approximately 2 months starting March 1st, 2011 to April 29th, 2011 to complete the construction of the watermain and valve chamber. This closure is for safety reasons.
The east / west traffic along Britannia Road at this intersection will be reduced to a SINGLE LANE and controlled by automated Traffic Control Signals on a 24 hour basis, 7 days a week while construction work is being done in the immediate area.
On February 7th, the Milton Community Services Standing Committee will give consideration for this by-law and if you would like to make a presentation to that committee please contact the clerks office in writing by no later than 10AM on February 7th. You can contact the town clerk by going to www.milton.ca or send me an email mike.cluett@milton.ca and I can give you more details.
Click on the link to read the letter in full.
From Christina Commisso, Milton Canadian Champion
The 11 members of council spent little time discussing the increase during Monday’s marathon meeting, which saw only six of 11 councillors vote in favour of the controversial budget. Much of the divide and discussion came down to a 1 per cent tax levy that will establish a hospital expansion reserve fund.
Though Milton continues to enjoy one of the lowest property tax rates in the GTA, the 4.58 per cent increase was still too much for some councillors, including Milton’s mayor, to swallow.
“You’re always going to get differences, but a council split down the middle doesn’t send a very good message to the community and it doesn’t show a lot of confidence,” said Mayor Gord Krantz. “It sends a message that a lot of people are not comfortable with what’s going on. I hope it’s not a prelude of things to come.”
Voting against the budget were Krantz and councillors Tony Lambert, Greg Nelson, Rick Malboeuf and Mike Cluett. Voting for the budget were councillors Colin Best, Sharon Barkley, Cindy Lunau, Arnold Huffman, Rick Di Lorenzo and Zeeshan Hamid.
The increase isn’t nearly as steep as staff previously predicted was necessary, when an initial budget report suggested a levy of close to 7 per cent was needed. The report presented to the budget committee last week showed a 5.72 per cent levy, with options to bring that amount down to 2.08 per cent.
While a lot of Town Hall’s priorities were set during the previous council term, newly elected and returning councillors did make some slight changes to bring the increase closer to the rate of inflation. A $100,000 bike lane implementation program was reduced to $50,000 to be spread out over four years. The opening of the Milton Centre for the Arts and the new main library was delayed from April to June and a snowplow advertising campaign was eliminated from the budget.
The changes saved about $143,000.
The Town’s $164.2 million budget includes 80 infrastructure projects that total $85.6 million. The capital budget was largely influenced by eight multi-year projects pre-approved in 2010, which include the Main Street grade separation and several new facilities that should be operational by the year’s end.
On a $350,000 home, the 4.58 per cent increase translates to a $40.70 increase in the urban area and $34.05 for rural homes.
Combined with the regional, local and educational components of residential taxes, which account for 44 per cent, 29 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, Miltonians are looking at an overall tax increase of 2.2 per cent in the urban area ($19.41/$100,000 of assessed value) and 2.09 per cent in the rural area ($17.48/$100,000 of assessed value).
In a budget that will see close to $1 billion spent on infrastructure, programs, services, regional staff and police, Halton’s council was hung up on about $190,000.That amount represented the difference between capping Regional staff pay increases at 2.25 per cent, which was the amount decided upon during Monday’s budget deliberations, or at 2 per cent, which some councillors deemed would bring public sector wages further in line with those in the private sector.
“I think that the public is looking for us to show some leadership and keep in line with the private sector,” said Halton Hills Councillor Jane Fogal Monday.
Fogal introduced the motion after the defeat of a similar motion from Burlington councillor Jack Dennison that would have seen pay increases capped at 1.9 per cent.
“Is it a lot of money, no. But we have to do something different. Public sector salaries have gotten out of line with the private sector,” said Dennison.
Fellow Burlington Councillor Paul Sharman supported the motion, citing an imbalance in private and public sector wages and increasing poverty rates in Halton.
However, the majority around the council table were satisfied with the cap.
“This isn’t a negotiation. We’re not setting numbers in stone,” said Oakville Councillor Jeff Knoll. “We’re stuck at a $191,000 decision and who are we putting this on the shoulders of — our staff. It sets a tone.”
Following a half-hour in-camera session, council reconvened and the motion to decrease the cap to 2 per cent was defeated 15-6.
However, there was no divide when it came down to the approval of the Region’s 2011 budget, which was unanimously passed during Wednesday’s meeting.
Halton’s 2011 operating budget will see more than $700 million spent on costs, including police services and regional staff, and the capital budget totals more than $200 million.
While the Regional services budget represents a 0.2 per cent decrease from last year, the rising costs of policing and water and wastewater rates have offset that tax cut.
When combined with the 4.4 per cent increase in the Halton Regional Police Service budget, taxpayers will see an increase of 1.4 per cent on the total Regional property tax bill. For a household assessed at $350,000, their 2011 taxes will increase about $19 over last year.
The approved rate-supported water and wastewater budget for 2011 sees an increase of 4.1 per cent. For a typical household using 300 cubic metres of water a year, this equals an increase of about $31 over 2010 levels.
—with files from Kim Arnott, special