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TECO conference Rejects Miltons central region Annas tongue tart with Milton hogs Mrs Anna MacArthur Townships outspoken lady reeve who has been dubbed The Voice of the North lowered the boom on Milton Council at Saturdays TECO Report meeting In Milton Milton Council proposed creation of a central local council Including Mtlton and large portions of all four neighboring municipalities Nassagaweya north to above Esquesing mainly north to above Five Sideroad as far east as the Seventh line Burlington south to Kilbride and south of Five and south to Britannia plus stretching out to the east and west boundaries of Halton I dldn t realize this meeting was an annexation application Reeve MacArthur exploded but I must congratulate Milton for going whole hog Her statement brought a round of laughter from the approximately 40 councillors and staff members attending Major controversy at Saturdays Report meeting centred around whether or not an enlarged Milton should form a separate central borough or Join with the two towns and two townships to the north Although Milton delegates pressed hard to keep the town separate as one of four lowertier local councils the battle was lost when the majority of the ville Burlington and northern councillors decided Milton would be best In a northern unit with Georgetown and Acton Milton Mayor Brian Best who claimed his brief was backed up by hard facts while other councillors appeared to be making he called spur of the moment decisions was upset when It appeared clear the rest of dldn t want Milton to stand on Its own He pressed for the Committee to make a financial feasibility study on breaking Halton lowertier government into both three and four areas but failed to win enough support Support from Acton lt Milton do its own study Oakville Reeve Allan Masson shouted from the rear of the room Bests motion calling for a three and four borough financial study by Councillor Peter Marks of Acton who told this newspaper he saw a lot of merit in Milton proposal to stand alone in a region It also won support of north two council repre sentatives Rick Day and Don Gordon Milton is the only municipality which offered the same deal to the rural people as the urban people Councillor Gordon told the conference The rural people In north will get the best deal of all from Milton Fellow councillors did make some concessions however on the southern boundary line of the proposed northern municipality Following afternoon caucus meetings Oakville came back with a suggestion that the south boundary of the northern unit be half way between 10 Sideroad and Britannia Burlington felt a central unit would be too small to operate efficiently Mayor George Harrington reported The southern boundary should be the centre line of 10 Sideroad he said To Northern municipalities felt If Milton was Included In their unit the new southern boundary should be just south of which is known as Derry in Oakville Mayor Best replied such a large unit unwieldy The mayor would have to run for election at large in an area larger than the present federal riding and the East provincial riding He also claimed the other towns were basing their decision on outdated Milton population and assess ment figures Best warned the group the governments design for development promises that this fall the government will unveil proposals for Peel and Halton Wentworth and Hamilton Following a period In which local response will be accepted legislation will be Introduced early In 1973 to make regional- effective In Warden Jim Swanborough of Burlington who conducted Saturday a meeting noted Feel County last week opted for a two- tier system of regional government for Peel with a south a central and a north unit the lower tier Large area Milton brief envisioned a central unit of lowertier government centred on Milton and stretching from the east to west boundaries of the present county In the north boundary line would be a lot above 10 Sideroad in it went north to 10 In the first three and a half concessions north of Five in the next four concessions in Oakville to one lot south of Britannia Rd and in Burlington south to Eight Sideroad in the Western four and a half concessions Just south of Five In the next two and a half concessions The land to be Included would Include Junction bellviUc Milton Heights Hornby and Kilbride areas but would exclude and Cedar Springs The town of Milton has demonstrated during recent years Its ability to provide and work on a well planned basis to provide and operate municipal services adequately and economically and to provide a reliable and economic adminis trative unit and as a result has established a viable basis for a community of 23000 people within the framework of Zone of the Toronto Centred Region Plan said the Milton brief Although the town agreed with many points In the Report the boundaries proposed by donotreflecttheareasof influence around the urban areas In respect to the services that will be provided out of those urban areas such as libraries recreation fire protection planning etc the brief noted The town recommended lands south of Highway to the Lower Base Line In north from the Eighth Line east should be considered as being part of the same municipality as In Peel County The majority of this land Is included in the Erin Mills Development Former municipal affairs minister Darcy In a proposal issued in January of 19b9 had suggested a central Halton unit going as far south as 1 a Base line Rd and north to 10 Sideroad in and the Milton mayor pointed out But after con sideration It was felt these limits werent and the boundary lines of the proposed Milton area were retracted Follow study Boundaries proposed in what Is now Township were set to conform closely to those recommended in the recent Georgetown boundary study with a slight modification he noted Both the Report issued earlier this year and a Halton County Reeves Committee In 1969 recommended a central unit It was noted Mayor Best noted the Toronto Centred Region Plan when it was amended to Include Milton in the growth area called Zone One permits the Milton urban unit to develop within its own resources to a population of The present water supply system Is capable of servicing up to The first phase extension to the water pollution control plant now under construction will ac commodate persons by the spring of next year and proposed additions will handle a capacity of recognizes certain areas of the township are oriented to Milton as the township Is making a grant to Milton for library and recreational services It was noted Esquesing representatives were quick to point out they make similar grants to Acton and Georgetown Tier within system Milton Council rejected suggestions the town Should be linked with the other four northern municipalities said the brief This in effect would create a single tier system within a two system comprising over two thirds of the area of the county without the apparent advantages of the single tier system The brief noted the past shortcomings of the North Halton high school district board and the defunct urban board The town also expressed concern about the strong possibility of the new boroughs administrative offices being located in Georgetown miles from Kilbride IS miles from Campbellville and 12 miles from Milton The flexibility in services such as garbage collection recreation libraries would not be possible without a multiplicity of tax structures it was added Not In best Interests It was unanimously agreed that It would not be In the best interests of the residents of Milton and district to concur with such a proposal On representation Milton proposed a man regional council with six members from Oakville nine from Burlington four from North three from central Halton and one chairman elected at large The local council for the Milton unit was suggested as nine members elected on a ward system In the event that a four unit second tier form of restructuring is not acceptable as opposed to a three unit second tier system with Milton as part of a north Halton unit this municipality goes on record as favoring a E TIFR SYSTEM concluded Milton brief Ninety Eighth Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 1972 Second Section North wants one region Oakville Burlington agree on some points Briefs submitted to Saturday boundaries was foreseen In any tier councils but also suggested TECO Report meeting from event Burlington was satisfied to consideration be given to Burlington and go as far north as Rd 1 10 creation three internal units indicated the two south Halton which runs in an east- one with Oakville south of Lower councils were alike In west direction about a mile and a Base line Rd one with several areas but had wide halt south of the town s present Burlington south of the same of opinion in other northern boundary Steeles Ave extended into Burlington areas Burlington felt members of the and one comprising the Burlington brief had the regional council should be remaining north part of Ha lion If unique distinction of representing ward system thih plan was adopted Oakville a5JdcU3ionatthecounciltable and that mayors of each lower felt each lower tier council could butbeforethcTECOmeetingwas tier municipality should also be seven representatives cm half over two councillors who members of the regional council the regional council had missed the council meeting Try fiv or three Elections should be by the when the brief was approved Council brief Indirect method themselves with those TfiCOs nutted It was the only council voting against the briefs main for external favoring indirect elections recommendations and forming a boundaries of the county based Indirect elections would give split on council The brief watershed areas and the ocj councillors the greatest recommended a single tier Toronto Centred Region Plan On ability to participate in decisions system of regional government internal boundaries they agreed nude at the regional level with councillors elected on a wiit TECO plan for five tower reasoned the brief ward or area system but in the event a single tier region was not acceptable to the majority of Halton councillors opted for a twotier region Support two tiers Councillors Steve and Bill Sutherland told Saturdays meeting they missed the council meeting when this decision was made but both support and the twotier system It bast and Waterdown want to be included In the region as the original TECO report had recommended last May the boundary of Burlington should be extended westerly to Highway said the report If they want to remain County no change in It has been a number of years since councillors In Waltons four northernmost municipalities sat down and agreed on anything But they put their heads together at meetings during the past few weeks and came up with a collective agreement on their part in the future government of Halton and their ideas were presented to Saturdays TECO Report session In one joint brief Acton Georgetown weya and councils recommended they join together to form a strong unit of lowertier local government for the north of Halton with or without the town of Milton included and Burlington delegates supported their stand although it found little support from Milton councillors who proposed having the lower portions of and Nassagaweya with Milton in a separate central unit that would also include part of north Oakville and Burlington Stress unanimity Mayor of Acton presented the councils Joint brief stressing it was a Joint submission by the four councils A map attached to the brief indicated the councils Involved wanted all the lands presently In the four municipalities to remain as a north unit One deviation expressed was their desire for the provincial govern ment to review the Balllnafad area in the northern end of to see If it should be included or excluded in its entirety As far the northern end of the brief suggested greater Importance should be stressed on the community centre of interest from the standpoint of recreational programming school affiliation etc rather than aspects of surface drainage The Report recommended Nassagaweya lands north of be detached from Halton and Join Wellington County As well as the whole of the north brief suggested the southernmost boundary of the northern unit should be Highway which runs one lot south of Ave through seven concessions of northern Oakville In the southern boundary would rem J in as Ave Fair representation The brief also suggested a means of government restructur ing to give the new northern municipality a fair share of voting rights on the regional council If Milton remained a separate unit there should be regional councillors from Burlington three from Milton seven from and five from the northern unit a total of with a chairman appointed by the province for the regions first term and appointed by the regional council said the brief A council for the northern unit would comprise three rep- from Acton four from seven from Georgetown and two from for a total of plus maor to be elected at large The councillors recommended the mayor not serve on the regional council as his additional duties would be too onerous Each of the present municipalities would constitute a ward in the local council Georgetown would send two reps to the region Acton and the two townships one each Would divide regional local responsibilities General agreement on most areas under the heading division of responsibilities was reached Saturday at the municipal councillors conference on the Report Most agreed the regional recreation and parks public transit and general licencing of dogs lotteries etc On hydro services they were split The northern Joint brief and brief council of the yettobeformed proposed hydro be a regional region should handle responsibility but Milton and official plans for the region Burlington wonted it left to local policing emergency measures commissions organization public works con- Solid waste collections should authorities be altered so there and Burlington and the four art more elected and less northern councils all agreed appointed members on the came to the meeting authorities Burlington on the feeling police was a local other hand recommended the problem due to costs and the need abolition of Region for consideration of the human Conservation Authority and factor involved until such time suggested the regional council as the costs became too high in could handle conservation relation to the level of service solid waste disposal flood control conservation regional museums regional parks industrial development social and family services forests and most areas of local effort but disposal should be a regional problem agreed Northern representatives wanted the matters of tax tax collection and provided then It should go regional Faced with the almost unanimous decision that policing was regional ma Iter financing including debenturlng computer services deferred for tax levying and collection more discussion They problems Police to region Police protection was one conLentious point The Committee said the region should councillors changed their minds handle police matters and the voted to regional OPP currently serving the north Burlington had opted for a area should be phased out regional fire force but changed over a five year period Milton lts endorsed the other councils stand on keeping fire a local responsibility and Burlington favored museums at the local level while both Milton and the northern councils felt the County Museum at Kelso should be a regional responsibility It was suggested local units could launch their own museums as well Winn driving on freeways know your exit ramp and the one it If you make a mistake I ton stop or back up conservation Reeve may or ponder Milton brief Local chorea On the local level they felt the secondtier councils should be In charge of local planning zoning and committee of adjustment matters fire protection building and plumbing departments animal control road maintenance water and sewage plants storm sewers libraries Reject secret ballot Some oppose Want vote on region The possibility of a public Council does not also opposed to and ierendurn on the subject of really subscribe to regional West joining Halton regional government was government but we are prepared because they appear to be more mentioned again Saturday when to go along if this Is the wish of oriented toward Guelph Mrs councillors held their the majority she admitted said the present county second meeting to review the No ream system works well and there Is TECO Committees Report Burlingtons northern ward to regional A referendum was suggested at councillor Mrs Ella was ffwrnment the first meeting lastJune by mother We should Councillor Gordon Brown of Councillor Colin Smillie of not go into regional government felt It was very Reeve E she warned because It Important we forget our petty Aima MacArthur suggested government at Saturday a gathering wsy from the people She was live with and Burlington should seek city status and lea the rest to create a new northern municipal which could eventually be a large dry We could end up with three very viable units he felt Another opponent was Councillor John Lawrence of I am completely and entirely opposed to regional government be said He left the meeting shortly after that When lint regional government It formed the chairman be elected by secret ballot by members of he regional council according to Councillor Mrs Ella She told Saturdays conference In Milton thai proposals to have the first chairman appointed by the province would lead to a patronage position and we may not get the best chairman Mrs Foot sponsored a motion caning for such a secret ballot bat It was defeated when only II signified they were la favor It was generally agreed the first chairman should he provincial appointee succeeding should be elected from among the regfonal councillor Photo NORTH HALTON COUNCILLORS listen to Leslie Dick Howl and discussions during Saturdays TECO i the second row Don confcrcnce in Milton Burlington Councillor Mrs A MacArthur and Arthur Gibson Holy Bird and Reeve Tom are in the third row Oikvflle councillors and pictured In the first row Esquesing3 Wilfred visitors make up the fourth row