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Committee Meetings

Mike Cluett

Tonight is the first of our “non-council” meetings throughout the year.  As I’ve mentioned here before, Milton Town Council is divided up into two standing committees (Community Services Standing Committee & Administration and Planning Standing Committee)  Half of council is on one and the other half is on the second with the Mayor sitting on both.  The Community Services Standing Committee consists of Regional Councillor Tony Lambert ( Wards 1, 6, 7 8 ) Local Councillors Greg Nelson (Ward 2), Local Councillor Rick Malboeuf (Ward 4), Local Councillor Arnold Huffman (Ward 5), Local Councillor Rick DiLorenzo (Ward7) and Mayor Gord Krantz.

The Community Services Standing Committee consists of the five Councillors and Mayor. Committee members review all reports, formulate policy and make recommendations to Council on matters over which Council has authority under the Municipal Act. These matters are related to Community Services, Fire, Library, Transit and other operational programs.

Our first meeting of the Community Services Standing Committee is tonight at town hall (7pm) and while I don’t sit on that committee, we do attend these meetings without a vote.  Council members are not required to be there but the standing tradition is that they attend when possible to provide any additional information and feedback from the community that other councillors might not have.

The agenda for tonights meeting is here.

One of the items on tonight’s agenda is the by-law to be passed regarding the 4th Line / Britannia Road intersection closure slated for March to April of 2011.  You can find the report here.

Some of the questions Ive received over the past couple of weeks that I had my posting on the blog was to find out if the traffic lights set for Britannia Road (during the closure, Britannia Road will be reduced to one lane instead of two) and if the temporary lights will be unmanned and / or timers set to accommodate morning/afternoon rush hour traffic.

I received an email from Joe Proietti at the Region of Halton who assured me the lights will be unmanned but set up on timers and those timers will be set to recognize the increased amount of east / west traffic through the mornings and afternoons on Britannia Road.  This isn’t the most ideal situation and hopefully the Region of Halton will complete their work as soon as possible during this time.

Its imperative that the traffic flow along Britannia Road not be hindered during this time as it just adds to confusion and frustration of drivers looking to leave and enter Milton during the day.

I’ll keep you posted during the meeting via Twitter for any other updates.  Thanks to everyone who sent me emails about this.

Feedback About 1% Tax Levy

Mike Cluett

From The Milton Canadian Champion – Letters to the Editor

Hospital levy should be rescinded; taxpayers engaged in discussion

Dear Editor:I read with interest the article in the January 20 Champion entitled ‘Hospital levy increases tax hike by 1%.’

Reporter Christina Commisso wrote that in a 6-5 vote Milton council approved a 3.58 per cent tax increase, plus an unprecedented 1 per cent tax surcharge to help fund the possible future expansion of Milton District Hospital.

Any 6-5 decision is a bad decision, and this one is no exception.

It’s little wonder that Mayor Gord Krantz and councillors Mike Cluett, Tony Lambert, Greg Nelson and Rick Malboeuf didn’t support the 2011 budget. The 4.58 per cent tax hike is more than twice the 2 per cent inflation rate estimated for 2011 by the Bank of Canada. The 2010 inflation rate was 1.7 per cent.

Worse, monies will be set aside for a hospital expansion that isn’t even in the Province of Ontario’s current health infrastructure plan.

Our community’s ability to absorb a 3.58 per cent tax hike, let alone a 4.58 per cent tax increase with a hospital surcharge, is doubtful.

We’re in tough economic times and seniors on fixed incomes, young families with mortgages and local manufacturers and retailers that create jobs and drive municipal assessment revenues are all at risk.

Very few will see business revenues or personal incomes rise 3.58 or 4.58 per cent this year.

A re-do is in order.

Re-open the operating budget and reduce it to inflationary levels.

It’s time to rescind the unprecedented hospital surcharge and engage taxpayers in an open discussion about its future.

Council should also request Queen’s Park to immediately include the hospital expansion in its health infrastructure planning and require  it be funded through a public-private partnership, rather than using municipal property taxes.

John Challinor, Milton

Also…

Hospital tax levy tough to swallow

Dear Editor:This letter is in response to the 1 per cent tax levy approved by council for the hospital expansion.

At the time of planning for growth, where on the list of priorities was the expansion of Milton District Hospital? This should have been a top priority. How is the hospital supposed to cope with this new growth?

We already pay taxes to the Province for hospitals. Could money the Town gets from the Mohawk slots not go toward the hospital fund?

To me, there has been some poor planning shown by our governments.

Cecilia Thorpe, Milton

4th Line & Britannia Road Closure Update

Mike Cluett

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.

New Additions

Mike Cluett

It has been sometime, yet again, where I have been a tad busy to update the blog and let people in on whats going on in the Cluett family.  The reason why I have been so busy is that we welcomed a new addition to the family a couple of weeks ago. 

Namely our new daughter Miranda.

She was born at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, weighing in at 6 lbs and 10 oz’s.  Both Pat and Miranda are doing very well and we are all enjoying this new foray in to parenthood.  My biggest worry about being a father of a new born is “will I remember how to do all of this again?”

The answer is yes, of course you remember it.  Its just like riding a bike, but the tires are a bit flatter and you move a little slower, especially after 7 years.

This time around was a lot less stressfull than the first time, partly due to the fact we knew what to expect this time.  It was a scheduled section at the hospital on April 30th and we both remarked as we casually walked into the entrance that it was much different than the last time.  With Anthony we were ushered into the lobby of the hospital in a speeding taxi cab in the middle of the night.

Anthony’s being a complete star about everything and has fallen in love with his little sister from the moment he laid eyes on her.  His FIRST reaction however was a bit concerning.  My mother, who is in for a visit from Newfoundland and Anthony were staying at the Delta Chelsea Hotel on the day of the birth so that they can come visit when Pat was sent to her hospital room.

So after she was resting in the recovery room, I made my way out to the lobby to make my designated 4,209 calls to everyone who wanted to know when it happened.  I also had my blackberry with me so I could send some emails and update Facebook with comments, and the official birth announcement but I was too scared to use it in front of the nurses.  I called the hotel room and both my mom and Anthony picked up the phone at the same time.  “You have a little sister!” I told Anthony and after a slight pause he says “OH MAN” and hangs up the phone!  NOT the reaction I was lookign for.

We made our way to the hospital from the hotel a couple of blocks away and from the moment he laid eyes on her, he was hooked.  THAT was the reaction I was looking for.  Hes been a stellar big brother so far but he only has one condition that he doesnt change ANY diapers.  OK…. for now!

Pat and I are adjusting well to the late night feedings and the interupted sleep patterns and crying babies and smelly diapers…and we wouldnt change it for the world.  Yes, it is like riding a bike, with the tires a tad flatter in my case.  Where did I put that bike pump?