Ladies
and Gentlemen
Our
New Year has so far treated us to numbing cold and a fair amount of snow. Old timers
take delight in reminding us that this is how our winters used to be. Many Canadian cities have seen the extreme weather
quickly turn into an emergency situation. While Midland is in good shape, take
a moment to check your family’s supplies so that you are ready to survive a power
outage of three days. Now is the time to
prepare.
2014
will
be Midland’s Year of Making Decisions. A quick look
ahead shows some of the major decisions facing Council (and what is at stake):
-
In
January, Council will likely set our 2014 budget and tax rate. Latest indications
are that we will come in under 2%. (Tax
growth at or below the rate of inflation gives our municipality and taxpayers a
long-term sustainable approach to our finances)
-
In
February the Town should receive the environmental report on the Unimin
waterfront property. Assuming its positive, Midland will shortly thereafter assume
full ownership of the property. Following that the Town will seek a favourable arrangement
with a site developer. So far a number of major developers have expressed
interest. (Negotiating the right development
agreement is critical to realizing our waterfront vision, growing our tax base
and building a major new vital neighbourhood in our Town)
-
Likely
in March, Council will come to a decision on whether to allow more housing
units to be built on the Moranis property at 422 King. (Council’s decision could lead in many directions - from continued deterioration
of the heritage property to building needed rental accommodation in Midland)
-
Council
will face a decision on the sale of the MPUC, likely in April. While negotiating positions cannot be
discussed publically, there will be further public meetings before a decision is
made. (Council’s decision must consider
the high quality of service currently provided and the many potential benefits to
the community available through a new owner.)
-
Our
area’s economic development initiative should go to the next level by forming the
“Huronia Economic Development Corporation” (HEDC). The HEDC will involve the private sector and the
municipalities in directly helping local businesses grow and by attracting new
jobs. (A proper decision is essential to
setting up the HEDC governance and in hiring the new Economic Development Officer)
-
While
the date is uncertain, the Town is moving towards an agreement with Imperial
Oil to allow public use of the decommissioned lot at the corner of Bay and King.
(If successful the Town will lose an
eye-sore and gain a new public square.)
-
Fingers
crossed, the new Midland website will be up sometime this spring. (This
site will better show the world what Midland is all about. It should also allow us to use technology to
better serve our citizens.)
-
The
Town has committed to building its portion of an inter-urban bike trail along
Fuller Ave. Hopefully we will be able to connect up with Penetanguishene in
2014. (Once completed this bike trail,
will give all of us an alternative to the car for our trips between Midland and
our neighbour.)
-
The
Simcoe County District School Board is seriously considering closing one of the
English public high-schools serving Midland and Penetanguishene. While not a Council
decision, we have a strong interest in ensuring a high-school(s) in our
community. (The school decision, if properly
made, will strengthen the high-schools in both of our communities.)
-
And
finally, much of the Council business of Midland will grind to a halt in the late
summer as municipal elections will take place October 27th. (The outcome of the election will set the
direction for Midland for the next four years.) While many citizens are
rightly upset with their elected representatives, the need to vote is as critical
as ever. The decision is yours to make.
*****
A
fairly quiet week in the Town. Two meetings of particular interest:
·
On
Wednesday January 8th, the Township of Tay will hold its regular Council
meeting at 7:00 pm at its township offices. The meeting will consider the Skyline
development and the closely tied Keewatin project. If you have an interest in this
major development, you may wish to attend.
·
On
Thursday January 9th at 7:00 pm at the NSSRC, the four municipalities
are hosting a public consultation on area tourism. This input will be used for the Huronia Area
Tourism Strategy, an initiative to improve the marketing and delivery of
tourism services for our entire area. Please attend.
Weekend
Sunday January 12th
- Garfield Dunlop hosts his New Year Levee at the
Midland Legion from 1:00 to 4:00 pm
*****
Making
decisions is an essential part of our lives. Each decision moves us from contemplating
our situation to doing something about it. The New Year provides us fresh impetus
to make decisions: about starting a new job, buying a new home or starting a new
family. The election this year gives us
a chance to decide about how to make Midland better for all of us. This is your
decision – make it happen.
Gord
McKay
Be
part of Midland’s Year of Making Decisions - 2014
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