Ladies and Gentlemen

There is nothing like a long Easter weekend to put one in a good mood – and delay the release of News from the Town.

Tuesday April 26^th starts with County Council at 9:00 am in Midhurst. Items include a decision on whether to change the County’s import /export policy on waste, plus a public meeting on Development Charges.

At 2:00 pm that day is the Grand Opening of Chigamik, your new community health centre. The celebration takes places at their location at

845 King St

.  All are welcome.

In the evening are three Town meetings. At 6:00 pm Midland Council meets to review the Chamber of Commerce relationship with the Town.  Then we go in camera for a personnel matter. At 7:00 pm is Midland Council. It should be a colorful meeting as we will be decked out in the Penetanguishene Kings hockey sweaters. A long agenda including;

-          a public meeting

o        naming a road allowance -

Reid Ct.

(by the new Shoppers Drug mart)

o        election sign by-law

-          initial discussion of a new sailing event for Midland/Penetanguishene

-          by-laws to allow the Moranis property at 422 King to be rezoned; the Recycling Specialties Inc. proposal for rezoning 1001 Franke Kindred; and the deferral of the Employment Area study

-          a by-law to set our tax rate - bottom line, the average home will see a property tax hike of 1.5% this year

On Thursday April 28^th at 7:00 pm your Council will meet to discuss strategy at the NSSRC. This meeting is open to the public. You are welcome to come and hear what Council considers as our Town priorities over the next four years.

And on Sunday May 1^st get your running shoes on:

-          9:30 am the YMCA is hosting 3 different runs starting at the YMCA building in Little Lake Park

-          10:45 am is the Steps for Life event in Pete Peterson Park

-          1:30 pm is the Hospice Huronia Hike starting at the Penetanguishene Curling Club.

Happy walking.

Gord McKay

                                                                                              

Saturday April 16, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen

Just back from the Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival. (It felt more like the Winter Carnival).  I am beginning to regret having put my dahlias out so early.

The week starts with a Special Meeting of Council on Monday April 18 at 7:00 pm in the Library Assembly Room. This will be a Public Meeting to discuss the proposed user pay (bag tag) system for our garbage. This is your chance to tell Council what our garbage fee system should look like. You are most welcome to participate.

Tuesday April 19^th will see the Zero Waste Simcoe AGM.  The meeting will feature Don Gordon (Atlas Block) telling us about their innovative LEED products. Plus it will discuss the ZWS initiative to make waste part of the upcoming provincial election. The meeting is at 7:00 pm at the YMCA building off of

Elizabeth Street

, opposite the library. All are welcome.

On Wednesday April 20^th everyone in Simcoe County is invited to a special meeting at the County Council chamber starting at 9:00 am. This informational presentation will tell you about the County’s plan for your waste over the next decade. 

Then at 5:00 pm Out of the Cold marks its season end with a pot luck dinner for all the volunteers. Another good year for these selfless individuals who look after the homeless in our midst.

On Thursday April 21^st I Georgian College will hold a meeting to put the final touches on their Skilled Trades Expo slated for May. Over 450 students from all over Simcoe County will come to Midland to see our excellent campus and Town.  More information to come.

The Town offices will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Have a safe weekend.

Gord McKay

                                                                                              

Sunday April 10, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen

The April showers have started with a vengeance. The ice is starting to exit the bay. Mother Nature is getting busy and so too the good people of Midland.

Recap:  This past Wednesday the Planning Committee debated the draft Employment Area Policy Review document.  After much discussion and reflection on the input from citizens, the Committee will recommend to Council that the review be deferred and we turn our attention to nailing down the “vision” for our Town’s future.

Monday April 11 starts with an in camera meeting at 6:30 at the NSSRC.  Then at 7:00 is the regular General Committee meeting. A lengthy agenda but we should be able to get though it expeditiously:

-          amendment to our sign by-law to address recent problems with election sign placement

-          announcement of our final tax rate increase – coming in at +0.8% for the average assessed home.

-          announcement of major 2011 road construction projects – Hugel from First to Eighth, and

Second St.

from Dominion to Easy

On Wednesday April 13^th is another of our important public meetings.  This one is on the topic of Heavy Waste. We will listen to citizens comment on the problems of having to transport heavy waste to the transfer station and discuss what options are available to improve the situation.  The meeting will be at 7:00 pm at the NSSRC.

Thursday April 14^th is a special day for all our volunteers in North Simcoe.  A volunteer appreciation event will be held at the NSSRC starting at 7:00 pm.  Refreshments, politicians and entertainment will be provided. Please come and thank the many many volunteers who make Midland work.

April the 14^th also sees the start of the Midland Public Library “Spring Readings” series. Your chance to meet and hear three talented authors on three evenings at 7:00 at the library.

            April 14 - Richard Zourawski – Media Mediocrity

            April 15 - Ellen Jaffe – Feast of Lights

            April 16 - Roger Bell – Candy Cigarettes

Some other events you want to be aware of:

Saturday April 16; 12 noon - come and see your mayor sawing wood at the annual Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival

Saturday April 16: 2:00 pm - A Soldiers Story the War of 1812.  A special presentation at the Midland library as part of their Literacy Project

Saturday April 30: 6:00 pm – the annual Huronia Foundation for the Arts dinner. A memorable evening for $50.

And please remember we need beds for our hospital - vote every day at http://www.refresheverything.ca/light-registration.

Gord McKay

                                                                                              

Sunday April 3, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen

As all gardeners will attest, it’s great to get outside and get dirty again. Spring has arrived!

I will be attending Bayview Public School this Monday to be a reader in their Blue Spruce literacy program. Education is so important to our community. My sincere appreciation to all our good teachers and parents.

This Wednesday April 6^th it’s all about planning.  At 7:00 pm at the NSSRC is a Public Meeting on Planning Matters. Two items on the agenda:

-          a zoning amendment for the Moranis property on

King Street

-          a zoning amendment for the Recycling Industry Inc, application for Franke Kindred Rd.

Following that is the Planning and Development Committee.  An interesting agenda including;

-          the Employment Area Review.  The discussion will be interesting as there is no recommended staff position on key content.  Rather staff is asking the Committee to provide direction on eight topics, such as the “criteria for conversion of non-strategic employment areas”. (For a further comment on this matter, check my blog at  http://newsfromthetown.blogspot.com/2011/04/steering-ship.html )

-          discussion on renaming Little Lake Park Road for the Martels

-          update on the Urban Growth Node initiative

On Friday April 8^th at 10 am at County Council Chambers in Midhurst you are invited to a presentation on the launch of the Canadian Index of Well Being – a measure of how we and our environment are getting along.

In closing, a note to help you follow Council. Items that come before Council must first be prepared by staff. The agendas showing what is being worked on are on our website. For example, you can see the upcoming Community Services agenda items at http://www.midland.ca/meeting-schedule/index.htm

Please vote every day for our hospital beds at http://www.refresheverything.ca/light-registration.

Gord McKay

                                                                                              

Steering the Ship

Over the past few months your Council has set in motion a number of initiatives that will significantly affect the future of our Town. These initiatives often start with an unassuming staff report:

-         Urban Growth Node – Will determine what town services we will share with Penetanguishene and what they will look like

-         Joint Police Force – Will create a new police force to serve both Midland and Penetanguishene

-         Taxi Industry – Will rethink our taxi industry to offer a quality service at a low cost

-         Heavy Waste – Will propose a convenient way for residents to transport their heavy waste

Each of these initiatives requires that Council properly balance the policy options, the service implications and the costs so that we can keep our quality of life on a sustainable track.

Council has before it another major policy matter – the “Employment Area Policy Review”. While the title itself is enough to make many readers change the channel, this review sets the stage for our economic future. It will, once completed, start to lock in major industrial areas in our Town, thereby limiting those lands to industrial uses. The challenge facing Council is that this decision is being made based largely upon a policy review. Key questions such as how much industrial land is needed or what are Midland’s prospects for new industry coming here will not be addressed until later.

It’s true that Midland has lost many industrial jobs over the last decade and with them the companies and talented people have gone elsewhere.  We do need an employment area review to start changing the planning balance back in Midland’s favour. A successful review will produce a document that satisfies both the provincial policy requirements while giving Midland the flexibility it needs to attract quality jobs in a rapidly changing world.

Our future prosperity – our jobs; our hospitals; our street repairs; our homes – will depend upon how well we decide.

Sunday March 27, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen

The sun is shining mightily but it is not having much of an effect on winter. So the Canadian Coast Guard will help things along with a little ice-breaking in Midland Bay on Tuesday.

Recap:  Wednesday last week was the public meeting on the “taxi issue”. About 35 people in attendance including the four taxi companies. Good ideas presented both for and against metering and what the “fare level” should be. The matter will now go before a meeting of Council.

Recap: Thursday last week was the public meeting on the “Employment Area report”. Forty people attended, including some of our Town’s major employers. The message from those who spoke was unequivocal – they wanted more flexibility with our industrial land designation. All agreed that this was a critical issue for our economic future.

Monday March 28^th at 6:30 pm your Council meets in camera at the NSSRC to discuss “personnel matters”. Then at 7:00 is the regular Council meeting. Items on the agenda include:

-          a deputation by Ms. Trudeau to rename the

Park Road

through Little Lake Park.

-          A Public Meeting to get your input on the new Fees and Charges schedule affecting a number of Town services, such as secondary suite inspections

-          Decisions on a number of upcoming summer events including:

o        The downtown Farmers Market

o        Party of the Dock

o        Canada Day Parade

-          Presentation of our proposal for the joint police service to cover Midland and Penetanguishene

On Wednesday March 30^th, two items:

-          at noon at the NSSRC is the Askennonia AGM

-          at 7:00 pm at the Library is an in camera meeting of Council to discuss its strategic plan. Its expected with the in camera items out of the way, the next meeting will be open to the public.

And on Friday at 2:00 pm Garfield Dunlop MPP has invited area politicians to a meeting at the Elmvale Community Centre to hear concerns about the provincial growth plan. This is the same growth plan that gave us our joint urban growth node designation.

In closing please remember that we need beds for our hospital. Please vote every day at http://www.refresheverything.ca/light-registration.

Gord McKay

Sunday March 20, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen

The tulips have started to show in the gardens and our neighbourhood discussions have turned from snowplowing to getting the sand off of the roads – must be spring.

The week starts with a County Council meeting on Tuesday March 22^nd at 9:00 down in Midhurst. Among the many items being debated:

-          what to do with the now surplus Site 41 lands. A recent proposal by Dr. Bill Shotyk to turn part of the site into a “Water Institute” has been well received.

-          our own Deputy Mayor Kramp has asked the County to revisit its approach to heavy waste pick-up. Heavy waste will also be the subject of a public meeting to be held in Midland soon – date to be announced.

Then at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, Meridian Credit Union celebrates the Business Women of the Year with a special awards ceremony at the Brooklea starting at 5:00 pm. Please come out and honour our best.

On Wednesday March 23^rd at the Midland Curling Club it is “Curl with the Pros”. The event runs from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.  Your chance to see some of the best curlers in the world plus raise some money for our own Georgian Bay General Hospital.

Later that Wednesday the Town will be hosting a special meeting at 6:30 pm at the NSSRC to discuss our taxi service in Midland. Many citizens have expressed interest in the recent proposed change to introduce meters to our taxis.  This is your chance to come out and tell your politicians what you want to see in a taxi service.

The Town will host its second special public meeting on Thursday March 24^th at 7:00 pm at the NSSRC.  This meeting will allow further input to the Town’s Employment Area review. The meeting will help the Town decide what parts of the Town should be zoned for industry and where people will be working. These decisions will affect the economic future of our municipality.

And to close the week a groundbreaking for the new hotel being constructed off of Highway 12 by the OPP building. Mr. DeSantis and local politicians will be wielding shovels around 10:00 am.

Please remember to vote at http://www.refresheverything.ca/light-registration for our needed hospital beds.  We are up to number 15.

Gord McKay