Ladies and Gentlemen
Welcome back.
As much as we all would like to keep those lazy hazy days
rolling, it’s time to put away the summer gear and get back to school, to work
and to the important business of deciding where Midland is headed.
On October 22nd we will be electing our new
four-year municipal Council. And as you are also aware I will not be running.
That said, I am most interested in what we the people of Midland will decide
for our future.
Over the past eight years I and your Council have moved
Midland in a new direction - one of greater prosperity, openness and yes,
having fun. Major accomplishments include:
-
Purchase of the Midland Bay Landing property
and establishing a new development corporation to build our new public
waterfront
-
Creating our new economic development
corporation, EDCNS, that has successfully
kept our local manufacturers growing
-
Transitioning to the OPP – a tough decision
for the Town but one that significantly reduced policing costs while putting
more officers on the street
-
Sale of our MPUC to Newmarket-Tay giving us a
nest-egg while expanding the services from our hydro utility
-
Taking the Town through a top-to-bottom “service delivery review”
that will deliver more professional efficient services while keeping our tax
growth under control
-
And bringing more fun to our community,
including Butter Tart, TugFest, cruise ships and much more
This is not an exercise of self-congratulation. But
rather a reminder of what is at stake as you cast your vote in the fall
election.
I know from eight years of experience that running our
Town is a complex and demanding job. Those whom you elect will face significant
challenges. While they will have the benefit of a great staff they will none-the-less
have to do their own assessment of the facts, listen to the people, weigh the
policy options and then make a decision on behalf of all of Midland. They will
have to balance significant demands for local healthcare, affordable housing
and keeping our streets safe, while maintaining tax rates that support economic
development. They will have to be
effective in dealing with the province. They will have to steer our major
capital projects including the downtown big dig, waste water upgrades and
servicing along Highway 12. In short we will need exceptional people to keep
Midland on track.
We have three people running for mayor. I know them all.
And while each has their own strengths the only one whom I feel will be an
effective mayor is Stewart Strathearn.
As opposed to telling you all about Stewart, I will leave
that to you and Stewart. My reason for doing so is that our municipal system
elects nine individuals to the Council table, each with an equal vote. So
electing a good mayor is not enough - you must also elect good councillors.
Simply checking off a name because you saw it on Facebook somewhere is not
going to work. We are all busy but take the time to find out who is running. Get
the answers to your questions and most importantly get out and vote.
Over my last three months I will be making further comment
on the upcoming election. I will not turn News from the Town into a political
platform but I will use it to gently remind you of this most important election.
Your future depends upon it.
The
Week Ahead
Tuesday being quiet, I will start with Wednesday September
5th at 3:00 pm. The four municipalities will meet at the NSCFDC to
further our work on bringing high-speed broadband to North Simcoe. At 7:00 a
short Planning and Development Committee meeting will take place at Town Hall. The
agenda includes:
-
Discussion of lot control for the Bayport
Village development
-
Review of many technical changes to our
Zoning By-law
On Thursday at 9:00 am at the Simcoe County Museum, the
federal and provincial governments will provide a briefing on the new National Housing
Strategy. These new programs come from a major financial commitment by the
federal government to build affordable housing. These programs will augment the
work of the County in having over 1,000 new affordable housing units built in
Simcoe County over the last three years.
Friday the 7th and the Pearl Mist returns for
her last visit of the season - A good day to drop by our harbor. At 10:00 am the Audit Committee meets at Town
Hall.
Week -
End
Saturday September 8
-
Pow Wow at Ste. Marie Park. Grand entrances at noon and 6:00pm
Sunday September 9
-
Pow Wow at Ste. Marie Park. Grand entrances at noon and 6:00pm
Council
Issues Update
Downtown Safety
The Downtown Safety Committee
has received the “Problem Statement” report from its members, detailing the nature
of the downtown safety situation and what measure should be taken in both short
and long terms. The Committee will meet
on September 13th to finalize the recommendations that will be going
to Council in September.
Midland Bay Landing
Council approved of the Board structure for the MBL Development
Corporation last spring. The interviews
for the private sector members of the Board were held last month and will be recommended
to Council, likely in September. The Council representatives to the Board will
be chosen in December, once the new Council is established.
MPUC
The Ontario Energy Board has confirmed the sale has met
the “no harm test” and given its approval. The sale has now been directed to the
lawyers for the parties to finalize the paperwork.
*****
Simcoe County households will receive one electronics collection,
with Midland receiving pick-up September 24-28 (Zone 2). Visit www.simcoe.ca/electronicscollection
or check out your Waste Calendar to determine your zone. An electronics
collection bag will arrive through Canada Post by early September as part of
the County’s Big News envelope. The mailer will also include a bag for our
annual Battery Collection occurring November 5-9, 2018 and information about
upcoming changes to our green bin program.
Gord McKay
The
Year for Electing Our Future - 2018
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