town of milton

Milton Rural Residents Association

Mike Cluett

If you didn’t already know…its election time.

Lawn signs are popping up all over town from the mayoral race, to local councillors in every ward (including mine!).  Some wards have yet to join the “sign wars” but rest assure it will start soon.

In addition to lawn signs comes the questionairres for the candidates.  I do my best to answer as many as possible and let these organizations know as much as possible about me as a candidate and what I will do once elected on the 25th of October.

Here are the questions posed to myself and the other candidates recently for this elections survey.  Once they compile all the answers from the candidates, they will post it on their website.  www.miltonrra.org

Candidate Profile and Questionnaire 2010

As we approach the Municipal Elections, it is apparent that voters are hungry for good candidates dedicated to represent their constituents.

We assume that our candidates bring honesty and integrity and will demand the same from their colleagues on Council. We all want our candidates to be transparent so that what we see is what we will get and that their agenda is open and consistent. As voters, we insist that our representatives will possess good, independent communication skills demonstrated by how they listen and present to Council and the Public. Our candidates must be knowledgeable about the Milton Community and its residents and be willing to research issues before Council, and of concern to residents. As a Milton Councillor, we expect someone who will think independently and locally and not be directed by higher levels of Government. We need candidates who understand complex situations and have related experience to use when dealing with Council issues.

To help us understand candidates, we would ask you to complete the following Issues Questionnaire so that your views can be shared with the voting public and we can all make informed decisions at the ballot box on October 25, 2010.

#1.  Why do you want to be elected?

 I would like to be elected to town council because I feel there has been a “disconnect of communication” between town hall and the residents of Milton.  I want to provide Milton with a new brand of leadership on council and be proactive instead of being reactive regarding a number of issues.      The decisions that are being made do not seem to have a long term focus, and rather try to fix the immediate problem while ignoring the long term impact.

#2.  How will you represent your constituents at Council?

I will represent Milton residents by being proactive instead of reactive.  During the last election campaign, I had pledged to continue to knock on doors in between campaigns and not just during them while updating my website (www.mikecluett.ca) with reports on town council, the actions taken and the impact on the bottom line.  Although I came very close to winning, I have kept this commitment to Milton residents by using my site and blog as a source of information.  I make the same commitment now to Milton residents that I will continue to provide them with this type of proactive leadership on council.

#3.  How will you communicate with your constituents and at what intervals?

I will communicate with Milton residents as I have always communicated with them.  Through my website and blog, coupled with other tools such as Twitter and Facebook I can help promote a dialogue between residents and council to keep them informed of the major issues that we will face over the next several years.

#4.  How will you determine the will of your constituents and if it differs from your personal opinion, how will you reconcile this?

As an elected representative of the Town of Milton chosen by the residents, I will be looking at balancing the best interests of the Town and its future with my own views.  All voices need to be heard in this process and by doing things like establishing regular neighbourhood meetings, knocking on doors in between elections and utilizing new technology, I feel that I can voice the concerns of residents at the council table effectively and balance then with my own personal opinions.

#5.  If the recommendations of Town staff differ from the will of your constituents, how will you reconcile them?

If the recommendations from town staff make sense, I will support it.  If however, I disagree with them, I will question those decisions until we can come to an agreement or compromise.  Back in 2005/6 there was a recommendation from town staff to remove stop signs at an intersection near a community park where children play on a regular basis.  Town staff had mentioned the signs weren’t supposed to be there and were not supported by the traffic count.  I had made a presentation to council to ask that the stop signs remained and council agreed and went against the recommendation of staff.  I am not shy about questioning any reports that come to council and as councillor; I will continue to question items that do not make sense.

#6. What ties do you have to the constituency in which you are running and how have you been involved locally?

I have lived in Milton since 2003 with my wife Pat, son Anthony and our 2 year old daughter Miranda.  Since moving here I have been involved in a number of community activities and town related committees.  In 2005 I was appointed as Chair of the 150th anniversary master committee in charge of celebrations to take place in 2007.  This was a highly successful year promoting Milton as the world class town it is.  A number of initiatives started by this committee still continue to this date including the Downtown Street Festival and Milton’s Walk of Fame.

#7. Provincial and Federal legislation often influences how Municipalities will operate. How will you represent your constituents in the event of conflict with such legislation?  (i.e. issues dealing with population density and hospital facilities)

Municipalities in Ontario are subject to a number of regulations both provincially and federally.  Most notable are the Places to Grow and Green Energy Act.  The job of council is to balance the requirements of these pieces of legislation with the desires and plans of the town of Milton.  Again, if things make sense, they should be moved ahead as quickly as possible.  If something doesn’t make sense, it has to be questioned.

#8. As a Councillor, how will you deal with the broad range of issues that come before Council?

The issues that face Milton are not simple ones and therefore dealing with them will not be a simple matter.  I will be working closely with the taxpayers of Milton and Ward Six to gather as much input and ideas as I can, weigh all options, and vote accordingly in Milton’s best interests.

#9. What experience do you bring to the position that you are running for and how will it help you to better represent your constituents?

Throughout my career I have worked in both sales and finance.  I have the ability to focus on ideas and yet also keep an eye on the bottom line.  Milton’s growth won’t be stopping anytime soon and we as a council have to manage that growth while focusing on keeping taxes to a minimum and protecting what values and ideals that make Milton the great town it is and will become.

#10. Please indicate your position on the following issues and briefly explain why you hold this view.

Should consecutive terms of office be limited? Why or Why not? Should term rules for Council and Council Committees be the same?

This is a difficult situation to gauge at the local level of government.  Change for the sake of change is not always a good thing.  With declining participation from voters in municipal elections, having term limits can hinder progress on long term issues.  If the candidate is willing to stand for election, communicates with the taxpayers on a regular basis, attends meetings and does the job they are elected to do, then by the will of the voters, they should be allowed to continue.

How would you balance the issues of Development and the Environment? Does one take precedence over the other? If a vote came to Council to develop Escarpment Lands, how would you vote?

Taking into consideration the number of levels of government and legislation that we are mandated to follow, its something that we would have to follow.  If the development doesn’t make sense, it should be questioned and fought at every step.  For example, the Green Energy Act supersedes the Municipal Act and could allow the installation of wind turbines on the escarpment, and the Town of Milton would have its hands tied if it wanted to oppose it.  The only way to do that is through the OMB and if it’s what the residents wanted, I would help in any way to stop development that doesn’t make sense.

What do you see as the role of Public Consultation in dealing with Municipal Issues? Do you support direct public interaction on issues, and if so, how can this be achieved?

The town of Milton has public meetings on a broad range of issues throughout the year.  These meetings are mandated by law and must happen.  The problem with current guidelines for announcing and promoting these meetings fall short in the grand scheme of things.  As councillor, I will be proactive and contact residents in the affected area and beyond to let them know about the meetings, encourage their involvement in the meetings and speak out for them.  By using technology like my website, Twitter etc I can gather opinions and concerns from residents and present them at public meetings on their behalf.  The job of councillor is to work for the taxpayers and represent them at the table.

What will you do as a Councillor to support people’s rights of residential property ownership for the use and enjoyment of their property?

There needs to be a balance between the rights of the individual property owner, his or her neighbours and the rest of the community.  I will work to ensure that balance is kept.

If elected, what would you propose in relation to the need for increased hospital facilities in Milton to support the rapidly increasing population? How would you pay for this?

This is another situation where council needs to communicate with the residents and work to come up with a solution.  There are many factors to take into consideration and given the fact we haven’t been approved to move forward on expansion by the provincial government, we are limited as to what we can do at this time.  As councillor I will be proactive and encourage council at every opportunity to pressure other levels of government to get the expansion of the Milton Hospital started and consult with the public as to what they feel can be done to help fund the local portion.  Tax increases shouldn’t be considered if at all possible.

What should be done with the existing Bruce Street Library when the new Main Library opens at the Milton Arts Centre? Is it a problem that public facilities are moving away from the Seniors concentration in downtown Milton?

I think the Town of Milton should do whatever possible to help maintain the lifestyle for our seniors in this area.  Whether these facilities can remain as a satellite library for them remains to be seen.  There are also a number of other factors, most importantly cost to taxpayers that need to be considered as well.

Do you feel that the overall tax burden on Milton Residents is Too High? Too Low? Or just about right?  Why?

There is only one taxpayer … US.  We are being bombarded by increases from all levels of government and the overall burden is too high for the services that we are provided.  As councillor, I will do my best to ensure that tax increases are kept to a minimum, to question any increased expenditures and to help hold the line on local taxes.  In the past, budget meetings have been quiet, with not many of the councillors questioning items.  This will change as I will use every opportunity possible to question items, line by line during this process and throughout the year.  Every homeowner has to do this, why shouldn’t government.

Rural representation on Milton Town Council has been greatly reduced by the ward realignment in place for this election. If elected in your ward(s), how will you support the residents in Rural Milton?

As an elected councillor, my job is to represent those people in my ward AND everyone in the town of Milton.  I recognize that rural Milton has different needs and issues and I will encourage involvement from those residents at the council table, listen to their needs and take action on any of their concerns.

What are 1 or 2 other issues that you think will be important to the constituents in your ward and how would you propose to deal with them?

The face of Milton will change over the next few years.  From intensification of Main Street, mandated by the provincial government, downtown Milton could have an entirely different look in the coming years.  The Derry Green Corporate Business Park will be looked at, possibly bringing hundreds of new jobs to Milton and help increase the work/live balance in town.  The Boyne Survey south of Louis St Laurent will be worked on in this term, adding close to 60,000 new residents to Milton.  Council needs to be proactive with these issues and consider not only the immediate impact, but the long term impact of their decisions.  They need to work with residents, gather input and speak out on their behalf when discussing these items.  As councillor, I will work with the other members to ensure this happens, not only in my ward, but throughout the Town of Milton.

Steam Era 2010 This Weekend

Mike Cluett

For 50 years, the Milton Steam Era has ushered in the end of summer with its annual event.  This weekend is a time to bring out the kids and learn some history about the ways things used to be.

Stephanie Hounsell has a great article in the Champion this week as well.

Going full steam ahead – Fiftieth Steam-Era show this weekend

Neil Ford stands between two of the Rumely tractors he has restored and will display during this Labour Day weekend’s 50th annual Steam-Era event at the Milton Fair Grounds. Ford attended the first show 50 years ago and has the W 20-30 Rumely tractor that was displayed at the first show.

The year was 1961, and Neil Ford was a young man excited about attending the first-ever Steam-Era show at the Milton Fair Grounds.

It was something new and exciting for the then-small town, and the largely agricultural community embraced it wholeheartedly in the years to come, earning Milton the title “Steam Capital of Ontario.”

Fifty years later, Ford still eagerly anticipates the annual show, which this year will start tomorrow and continue until Monday.

It’s the tractors rather than the steam engines that draw Ford year after year, particularly Rumely tractors, of which he’ll display eight in the upcoming event, including one from the inaugural show.

The 50th anniversary of the Steam-Era is one that has the members of the Ontario Steam and Antique Preservers Association — which puts on the show — excited.

“It’s a milestone for sure,” said past president David Stirk.

As usual, the Steam-Era will take place at the Milton Fair Grounds, with the grounds opening at 8 a.m. each day and closing after the evening’s featured entertainment, except Monday, when activities will wrap up in the late afternoon.

Saturday’s ever-popular Steam-Era parade, starting at about 1 p.m., will see machines big and small lumber along downtown Main Street from Commercial Street to Bell Street and then to the fairgrounds.

Opening ceremonies will take place at 2 p.m., with a handful of the original association members on hand.

The show will feature a wide array of operating steam traction engines — a type of agricultural tractor powered by steam in the late 1800s and early 1900s — and stationary steam engines, all painstakingly restored to their original glory. Also featured will be vintage operating gas tractors and stationary engines, along with antique cars.

There will be demonstrations (sawmill, threshing, etc.), tractor pulls, steam-powered corn roasts, steam engine spark shows, daily grand parades of equipment and more. There will also be toys, crafts, music, a flea market and food vendors.

In recognition of the event’s anniversary, a tent will feature items and machines from the first 10 years of the Steam-Era.  Something new this year is an exhibit by the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association featuring a live observation hive.

Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the 33rd annual Country and Western Talent Contest will take place, while Sunday at 7 p.m. will feature music by Digger and the Campfire Country Music Band.

There’ll be something for everyone, Stirk said, adding this might be the best steam show in all of North America. People come from far away to attend.

Steam engines have fascinated Stirk for a long time.

“It’s that proverbial bug — almost like catching the flu,” he said of his fascination. “You get that steam bug and you’re stuck with it.”

Much has changed since the first Steam-Era, when admission cost 75 cents. These days, many people don’t come to remember, but to learn something new, said Stirk, who hopes new residents will give it a try.

“I can’t urge them enough. It’s a whole different form of entertainment. It’s not an amusement park, it’s not a fair, it’s a festival,” he said.

Admission costs $8 for adults and is free for kids under 12 with an adult. Weekend passes are available for $17. Admission fees include each night’s entertainment.

For more information on the Steam Era go to www.steam-era.com and see the details of what’s happening all Labour Day weekend long.

I hope to see you there.

Door Knocking Notes & School Board Trustees

Mike Cluett

I had a great time knocking on doors last night near 4th Line & Louis St Laurent and meeting up with regular readers of my blog, like Andre (Thanks for reading!)

If you were going through that intersection last night, you know they are doing some repair work finally because going through the stop sign almost felt like an off road course.  The kids love it by the way, but its not good on the suspension of the car.

Many of the people I spoke with were looking for updates on when the high school would begin construction and I’ll be sending Donna Danielli an email today to find out.  Donna is our Public School Board Trustee who has worked very hard over the last 4 years. 

With this election comes a change in the number of trustees for Milton.  There are now 2 positions open for the October election, one for the “southern” wards 1,6,7 & 8 and the other for the” northern” wards of 2,3,4 & 5.  This will provide them with more of an opportunity to concentrate their focus on a smaller area instead of the town as a whole.

School board trustees are often overlooked as a “minor” position and are not given the due they deserve.  Hours upon hours of work are put into this job with almost very little recognition.  I know from experience dealing with a number of trustees that this position is anything but “minor”  It takes dedication and a lot of hard work to do what they do and to help ensure that as the town grows, so do the opportunities for our education system.

This election as you choose who you want to support for Regional Chair, Mayor, Regional Council, and Local Council (thats me!), take some time and research who you want to be your public and catholic school board trustee.

If you live in wards 2,3,4 &5 drop Donna a note as shes running for re-election at the public school board level.  Tell her I sent you.

The evenings are becoming more comfortable for strolls (and door knocking) and Im looking to do some more tonight and later on this week.  I hope to see you at the doors.

*edit*  Thanks to Gary for letting me know I had the wards Donna was running in listed incorrectly.

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.

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.

Update On New Lights & Kudos

Mike Cluett

I haven’t been able to get official confirmation from the Town of Milton on the exact start date, but as per my previous post on NEW LIGHTS COMING it looks like work has started.

They were trying to get these lights installed and running by the end of July, but as projects go I guess there have been delays.  By adding lights at Clark & Thompson Road it should help regulate the flow of traffic and hopefully help slow down drivers heading north or south on Thompson.

The area of main concern on this street for me is still the intersection of Thompson Road and Louis St Laurent.  I know that work on LSL heading towards 25 is nearing completion but something needs to be done fast in that area.

Residents are taking their lives in their hands as they try to cross from either side of Thompson when traffic is going.  People in ward 7 wanting to walk to the Metro mall run the risk of crossing several lanes of traffic in an area that doesn’t have a lot of lighting.  There are also a number of residents in ward 6 that I have heard from while knocking on doors who are also concerned about that area.

Many of the ward 6 residents say they have to take their cars to drive across Thompson Road to use the park, instead of their preferred choice of walking or taking the kids strollers.  The Town of Milton spends money promoting physical activity and the benefits of an active lifestyle but yet in this area, that option isn’t available and there’s nothing helping them do this safely.

Drivers coming north on Thompson Road (80km/hr zone) dont slow down as much as they should when entering the 60km/hr zone north of LSL and there is the risk.

Once I get official confirmation and an approximate finish date for the new lights at Thompson Road and Clark Blvd, I’ll update the blog right away.

I also wanted to recognize some good work by town staff as well.  Myprevious entry informing residents of the potential road closure of 4Th Line from LSL to Britannia garnered a lot of email response and responses on the Hawthorne Villager as well.

The Town of Milton issued a notice on their website informing Miltonians that from September 2010 to December 2010, 4Th line will be closed to traffic  to allow the Region of Halton to install a much needed water main.

At this point James Snow Parkway from LSL to Britannia is almost complete and it wouldn’t make any sense whatsoever if 4Th line is closed before that stretch of road is opened.

In response to my blog, Heide from the Town of Milton sent me an email last night around 10PM informing me of this.

From: “Heide Schlegl” <heide.schlegl@milton.ca>

Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:03:21 -0400

To: <mike@mikecluett.ca>

Subject: Fourth Line Closure

Mike:

Just to let you know Fourth Line won’t be closed until the lights at James Snow Parkway and Britannia Road are functioning. Therefore the closure of Fourth Line may not commence exactly on September 1, it may be delayed by a week or so.

Heide

I just wanted to publicly acknowledge Heide in getting back to me so quickly.  She could have very well waited until Monday morning to send me that but she took it upon herself to let me know right away.  To me it shows dedication to her job and the quality of people we have working at Town Hall.  Sometimes they get bashed when they shouldn’t.  Thanks Heide.

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