HawthorneVillager.com

Rick

Yes I got the gist of the "proposed" changes. My point was merely that the square brackets around them likely means they are "proposed" changes and not yet agreed. By your response I understand that you at least are in favour of these changes. Hopefully the (at least) two Miltonians who have to be members of the "cycling community" will put Milton first and the "cycling community" second!

Martin

_________________
Martin Capper

HVRA member

www.cappercares.ca
www.MartinCapper.com

Rick

I can understand why the taxpayers do associate the two. I suspect that it is because they see a decision made on the Velodrome and a rush to begin and complete construction whereas on the Hospital all we see is a decision made. Perhaps theTown Council and Staff should put a little more effort into communicating what is happening on the hospital front! I presume a lot is going on behind the scenes and that project is actually on schedule! If the public saw that it might help dispel the perception that the Town is "obsessed" with the Velodrome at the expense of other projects especially the Hospital

Just one person's opinion!

Martin

_________________
Martin Capper

HVRA member

www.cappercares.ca
www.MartinCapper.com

Isn't the hospital pretty much in the hands of the federal government at this point? I'm not sure what more Milton council can do other than setting up a protest/march outside some MP homes?

Provincial government.
It's been approved. Not 100% clear the exact status but I *think* it's into detailed planning and costing. Not sure how the current hang-up with the provincial budget bill is affecting that.
Milton is responsible for funding part of the construction costs (10%) plus equipment. That's what most of the debate rages around.

Councillor members (and Milton Town Staff) aren't told anymore on what's happening on the hospital front than any other member of the public. Most situations there actually isn't any official communication. Council members and town staff learn about it by seeing the press release or reading about it in the newspapers.

http://www.kevinflynn.onmpp.ca/mNews/761

The most recent item was the above press release issued by Kevin Flynn, MPP of Oakville.

I saw it on the wires and posted about it here --> viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45825

Cindy also saw the press release and forwarded it to Town Staff and other councillors shortly after it was released. So we learn about it same way as anyone else. By getting our morning newspaper.

I know the situations also not better for other municipalities. I've heard in another town close to Milton another Mayor was a bit upset (actually more than upset) that they were also learning about the status of their own hospital expansion by reading the press releases/stories in the local newspapers/media and neither the province or local healthcare services group were actually communicating with them.

I've tried asking a few times by sending emails to Halton Healthcare services/Milton Hospital/MDHF etc and have been told a couple times that status information is strictly confidential until it's released to the public.

I'm not complaning (or maybe I am but I understand we're being treated just like any other town or city would in a similar situation). I understand they do have a obligation to keep things confidential and they just don't consider municipalities as part of the communication loop. I can continue to ask (and do) questions about is there anything I or the town can do to help.

Here is my logic:

Hospital - Priority

Veldrome - Non-Priority

I guess I am one of the people in the minority holding this view.

But the 2 are exclusive items - it's not one or the other. The hospital is completely controlled by the province - the Town gets no say, but has to fund 10% plus.

The Town is thinking long term and strategic with the Velodrome (whether it turns out accurate long term, and results in other stuff coming here, I hope so but who knows) - the velodrome is an investment to turn 3.8 million into 40 million, and hopefully have spin off results (like a university campus, businesses, more tourists, etc.) IF that were to happen, the Velodrome will be worth every penny. But the chances are probably 50/50 at best that it will happen that way.

Actually I think (and hope) that's the majority view. But there is not a relation between the two.

Ah yes I had forgotten we were dealing with the Ministry of Health - the home of such scandals as eHealth and ORNGE!!! You just made one incorrect statement when you suggested they had a "communication loop!"

Martin

_________________
Martin Capper

HVRA member

www.cappercares.ca
www.MartinCapper.com

Rick and Martin:
Other than monies from the hospital surtax, I don't believe any other town money has been put into the hospital reserve fund. Yet, most Councillors have no reservations spending town money on the Velodrome. Why, in the last 10 years, wasn't slot monies allocated to the hospital fund as opposed to approving a surtax on residents.

Not true. Large chunk of change from 2011 budget surplus was transferred into hospital reserve earlier this year. Plus some CSAC money as well was reallocated to hospital reserve. I'm on the bus and too cumbersome to bring up the details on my iPhone but the info is out there and usually gets reported in the champion when it occurs.

P.s. I know you were asking Martin & Rick M. and not me but thought I'd let you know

P.p.s. I also agree with you that in the past 10 years more should have started for the hospital. Sad that we didn't start until 2011 on the hospital reserve fund (in my opinion)

Joan

I doubt if anyone would disagree with this point.

On the Velodrome perhaps a better question is "Has any Town money that could have gone to the hospital reserve gone into the Velodrome?" I have never seen this question specifically asked and answered but based on the assurances given by many of the Councillors have always assumed the answer to be "NO". Perhaps the Councillors that do follow this thread could give a definitive answer to that question.

Martin

_________________
Martin Capper

HVRA member

www.cappercares.ca
www.MartinCapper.com

To answer your question, to the best of my knowledge, the answer is no. The money being used for the velodrome has either come from development charges for recreational facilities, which cant be used for the hospital, or its come from slot revenue reserve funds which I suppose COULD go to the reserve fund for the hospital, but council voted to have the levy for the expansion plus alloting $500K from our 2011 surplus to the hospital expansion fund.

And for the record, I was against the tax levy back in 2011 budget meeting as it was passed without discussion or notice to the public...roughly around 11PM that night. But thats a lost battle for another time.

_________________
Mike Cluett
Local/Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 & 8

Website | Email mike@mikecluett.ca | Cell (647) 888-9032 | Facebook Page | | Twitter @Mike_Cluett

I keep seeing people use different spellings for the building being discussed here which makes it almost impossible to use the search function. Can we all agree that the following are synonyms:

Velodrome, Velodome, Veldrome and Velodoom

I'm a fan of using the latter, Velodoom as I think this emphasizes the most likey outcome for rate payers.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/120 ... -velodrome

“I do not believe in signing a blank cheque,” he said, referring to the $40 million figure for the project that was blacked out of the report. That was the estimated cost staff has used for months, but it was explained that because final details have not been hammered out by the town and Pan Am organizers no specific cost could be included in the report."

To the councillors, so have we committed to something that we do not have even an estimated cost?