Joan wrote:
HI MIKE;
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MINIMUM IMPACT OR NO IMPACT ON MILTON TAXPAYERS IS IN REGARD TO THE VELODROME?
IN YOUR STATEMENT ABOVE, YOU STATE 'VISIT WEBSITE TO PROVIDE INPUT SO COUNCIL CAN BE PRESENTED WITH FULL PICTURE ... WHEN DECISIONS ARE TO BE MADE. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU" IN VIEW OF THIS STATEMENT,CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY COUNCIL WOULD VOTE FOR THE VELODROME WHEN THE POLL WAS 60% AGAINST AND 24% SUPPORTIVE..
Hi Joan,
Some of the input received through the Towns website was against the project...yes. Many of the comments received that werent in favour gave reasons like the money should go to the hospital, or Main Street underpass, but like was explained at the council meeting and through my public information session last week, the $3.8 million contribution from the town came from development charges that were allotted to recereational facilities. By law (Development Charges Act 1997) we are not allowed to take from one pool or reserve account and put into another. Same goes for roads, infrastructure etc. If we were allowed to do that, the hospital expansion reserve account wouldnt be an issue.
This $3.8 million didnt come from the tax base, but from development. The money was set aside for a community centre in the area and our direction to staff and the consultants who prepared the business plan, we wanted to have the facility multi purposed before the construction of the velodrome/community centre. The facility will have a 300 m walking track similar to the Milton Sports Centre (which is highly popular and used by hundreds and the number grows every day), and it will have a fitness facility as well as the infield being the size of 3 basketball courts for other uses as well.
It simply isnt just a cycling facility.
Joan wrote:
HI MIKE;
COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW THE VELODOME WILL KICK START BUSINESS IN MILTON. THE PERMANENT JOBS WHICH WILL BE CREATED ARE THE FULL AND PART TIME STAFF WHO WILL BE ON THE TOWN PAYROLL. THERE WILL BE EMPLOYMENT DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION, BUT THESE WOULD BE SHORT LIVED JOBS AND THE PEOPLE MAY NOT EVEN LIVE IN MILTON. THERE WILL BE SOME INCREASE AT LOCAL HOTELS/MOTELS WHEN THERE ARE COMPETITIONS AT THE VELODROME. WHAT ELSE DO YOU SEE HAPPENING?
The business plan outlines a seperate business structure / non profit corporation in charge of running the facility. The Town will own the building but because of the technical experience that will be needed to run the cycling part of the velodrome they will be in charge of recruiting those people and they will run seperate from the town. So they will not be "town" employees and not on the town payroll.
Construction will bring jobs for sure as this wont be an easy building to construct. Where I see the job growth and boost to the economy is from the people coming from outside Milton to attend events and use the cycling track. Forest City Velodrome in London sees almost 18 hours a day of visitors (which pay fees of course...revenue) to use it. Many of those are from the GTA, our area and from the surrounding area. I also see growth coming from the Milton Education Village, while not yet approved by the province of Ontario it will happen. The business case for approval of it makes sense. The province of Ontario has millions invested in the Pan Am games. They have identified Milton as one of 3 possible locations for a satelite campus. It would make sense for them to approve Milton as that location given the velodrome being a key part of the Pan Am games. With the MEV, the business retail growth in the area will be kick started and thats what we will need in the area.
With the potential of many national/international cycling events there will be a need for more hotels which is perfect for Mohawk Racetrack/Woodbine Entertainment group to move forward with their plans for a future hotel. Its not just people who participate in the event to need hotels, but people for setup, media etc.
One of the key parts of the MEV is the research park which will help attract companies in that industry to move their operations closer and that means moving to Milton. I see it like a set of dominos, with one pushed forward and set the others in motion.
The message I want to send to businesses is that Milton is the location to consider. We are currently working on Derry Green corporate business park which will bring much needed jobs and opportunities for Miltonians to live/work in town.
Another main part of Monday night that seems to have been lost is that this is all pending the approval of zoning concerns in the area. As Martin mentioned ROPA 38 is under appeal and the town needs to get these zoning problems addressed before a shovel hits the ground. Staff and everyone involved is working on this and that report will come to council as quickly as possible. Once they have been addressed, the town will enter into the memorandum of understanding with all the parties involved.
_________________
Mike Cluett
Local/Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 & 8
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