The following is being posted with the consent of the original author ...
It is with great delight that I read the article appearing in your Reader to Reader section of your Jan. 7, 2010 issue of The Millbrook Times. Kudos to Lyell Shields for actually putting "pen to paper" what most Millbrook residents had voiced since my arrival to this area 5 years ago.
Our initial view of the quaintness, charm & beauty of Millbrook & its environs made us want to live here after just one visit. However, once we moved here, it wasn't long before the ugliness of local politics, questionable "financial practices", action and/or ineptitude when dealing with municipal concerns, secrecy, the lack of accountability, information, etc., reared their ugly heads.
A major purpose of having a democracy is the transparency & accountability of actions taken by elected officials on behalf of the people that elected them & the opportunity & ability of residents to express their opinions on these actions. It appears that the previous council did not nor does the current council subscribe to this. The less the residents know the better, quicker & easier it is to ram through controversial legislation notwithstanding the detrimental effect (both financial &, environmentally) on area residents. The issue of transporting water from Millbrook to Fraserville, the installation of wind turbines, the questionable dispersal of slot moneys, the removal of the name of Millbrook from county signs (because "it's too long"?), the reluctance or even refusal to provide general public information relative to Millbrook, seems to indicate the existence of an "underground movement" authored by certain officials to obliterate anything to do with the town of Millbrook as a whole. Revenge - Why? Personal gain - Who knows?
I'm sure there are many other issues that I'm unaware of affecting myself & other Millbrook residents so I whole heartedly agree with Lyell Shields that the "Time for change, real change" is NOW & the opportunity will present itself at the next municipal election.
Henry Tretjakoff
Millbrook, ON.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
From the "Reader to Reader" in Millbrook Times, Nov 6, 2009:
I am writing to express my concerns and confusion over the current council’s ways of running our township. I agree with earlier letter writers in this column, who raise questions such as: How can the quantity of a resource like water go from limited to unlimited in less than two years? And, who is going to pay for the projects’ cost overruns and the additional costs of developing Fraserville from rows of houses with big garages in front and strip malls in between to a community where people actually want to live?? Yep, my guess is too that it will be the current citizens in two main ways: 1) By property taxes higher than anyone can imagine right now, and 2) By having to pay for a facility, infrastructure and user fees to buy back the water that originally came from underneath us!!!
Our reeve has been quoted saying something like “It’s just a hand full of the usual people that are opposed” to the current water and Fraserville plans. I venture the guess that as more citizens in general become aware of the details of the plans, it will be only a handful of people that will be in favour.
And, as one letter writer points out, there are a few corporate citizens that would stand to benefit a great deal if the current plans are executed. Why are the common citizens expected to carry the risk and foot the bill for what is plainly costs of doing business in their trade (bringing water and services to a development site)??
The Fraserville project has already been costly to the current communities. How? Since the community at large has seen no major evidence of local expenditures or reserves, one could think that a large portion of the commission revenues the township has received from the slots, has been used to pay consultants fees etc. to create a plan that would work for a very narrow purpose (ensure return on speculative investments by a few entities) while paying little or no attention to the needs and wishes of the rest of the taxpaying community in the township. The township has not even applied for available funds for projects such as dearly needed new or renovated sports facilities for the community. In fact, several local organizations in the sports, youth and arts have faced increased fees or threats of highly increased fees for facility use, and township support for community events have stagnated or declined in several cases. The current communities and the opportunities within them are not a priority it seems. Only the new forced “community” in Fraserville has gotten increased levels of funds and attention.
Fellow citizens, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the current planning for the township (and quickly, please!). Ask questions of your representatives and do not be content with evasive answers. And, if you agree that the township council has embarked on a project that is ill-conceived and a prime example of community, environmental and financial planning that is poor, short-sighted and un-sustainable, then get involved and let us turn this likely disaster around. There is time and opportunities, but we have to be quick and creative.
I am writing to express my concerns and confusion over the current council’s ways of running our township. I agree with earlier letter writers in this column, who raise questions such as: How can the quantity of a resource like water go from limited to unlimited in less than two years? And, who is going to pay for the projects’ cost overruns and the additional costs of developing Fraserville from rows of houses with big garages in front and strip malls in between to a community where people actually want to live?? Yep, my guess is too that it will be the current citizens in two main ways: 1) By property taxes higher than anyone can imagine right now, and 2) By having to pay for a facility, infrastructure and user fees to buy back the water that originally came from underneath us!!!
Our reeve has been quoted saying something like “It’s just a hand full of the usual people that are opposed” to the current water and Fraserville plans. I venture the guess that as more citizens in general become aware of the details of the plans, it will be only a handful of people that will be in favour.
And, as one letter writer points out, there are a few corporate citizens that would stand to benefit a great deal if the current plans are executed. Why are the common citizens expected to carry the risk and foot the bill for what is plainly costs of doing business in their trade (bringing water and services to a development site)??
The Fraserville project has already been costly to the current communities. How? Since the community at large has seen no major evidence of local expenditures or reserves, one could think that a large portion of the commission revenues the township has received from the slots, has been used to pay consultants fees etc. to create a plan that would work for a very narrow purpose (ensure return on speculative investments by a few entities) while paying little or no attention to the needs and wishes of the rest of the taxpaying community in the township. The township has not even applied for available funds for projects such as dearly needed new or renovated sports facilities for the community. In fact, several local organizations in the sports, youth and arts have faced increased fees or threats of highly increased fees for facility use, and township support for community events have stagnated or declined in several cases. The current communities and the opportunities within them are not a priority it seems. Only the new forced “community” in Fraserville has gotten increased levels of funds and attention.
Fellow citizens, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the current planning for the township (and quickly, please!). Ask questions of your representatives and do not be content with evasive answers. And, if you agree that the township council has embarked on a project that is ill-conceived and a prime example of community, environmental and financial planning that is poor, short-sighted and un-sustainable, then get involved and let us turn this likely disaster around. There is time and opportunities, but we have to be quick and creative.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Community Concerns
Just a few of the concerns that citizens of this township have raised:
- The diversion of water from the Artesian Wells in Millbrook to Fraserville and the long term affects that it may have on the village of Millbrook
- The long term financial implications that the Fraserville servicing project may have on the township taxpayers
- The potential expropriation of lands along the proposed water route
- The failure to apply for the most recent rounds of federal and provincial infrastructure grants for the purpose of building a new Arts & Recreation Centre, at a time when over $850 million in project values have been awarded to other Ontario communities for their Arts & Recreation infrastructure projects
- The failure to act on past studies related to the building of a Multi-Use Centre, instead spending more time and money updating studies which had already indicated a previous need
- The failure to come to terms with the Provincial government on the reuse of the Millbrook Penitentiary property
- The need for council to act quickly to save the historic Needler’s Mill, Mill Pond, and the Dam which is currently rated as a high hazard potential
- The removal of Millbrook from the official township name, and the lack of public consultation
- The selling of the historic Town Hall building, and the lack of public consultation
- The lack of support for the youth in this township
- The significant rate increase in the field rental costs for the youth soccer league
- The inability for most residents of the township to attend 1:00 pm weekday council meetings in order to voice their concerns
- The diversion of water from the Artesian Wells in Millbrook to Fraserville and the long term affects that it may have on the village of Millbrook
- The long term financial implications that the Fraserville servicing project may have on the township taxpayers
- The potential expropriation of lands along the proposed water route
- The failure to apply for the most recent rounds of federal and provincial infrastructure grants for the purpose of building a new Arts & Recreation Centre, at a time when over $850 million in project values have been awarded to other Ontario communities for their Arts & Recreation infrastructure projects
- The failure to act on past studies related to the building of a Multi-Use Centre, instead spending more time and money updating studies which had already indicated a previous need
- The failure to come to terms with the Provincial government on the reuse of the Millbrook Penitentiary property
- The need for council to act quickly to save the historic Needler’s Mill, Mill Pond, and the Dam which is currently rated as a high hazard potential
- The removal of Millbrook from the official township name, and the lack of public consultation
- The selling of the historic Town Hall building, and the lack of public consultation
- The lack of support for the youth in this township
- The significant rate increase in the field rental costs for the youth soccer league
- The inability for most residents of the township to attend 1:00 pm weekday council meetings in order to voice their concerns
Friday, August 28, 2009
Community Conversation
Do you have a topic of conversation that would be important to discuss with fellow citizens of the township or do you have suggestions on how we the citizens of Cavan-Monaghan can improve our own quality of life within the township? Please share your thoughts.
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