Part 1: Growth Pressures, Heritage Stewardship, and Fiscal Control – 02/25/2025
- PECConnect
- Feb 25, 2025
- 5 min read
The County Council met in regular session on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at Shire Hall in Picton, with Mayor Steve Ferguson presiding. The meeting followed a brief closed session and resumed publicly at 7:00 p.m., continuing council’s work on governance, service delivery, and long range planning amid growing financial and demographic pressures.
Ferguson opened the meeting with a land acknowledgement, recognizing the County’s location on traditional Indigenous territory, and reminded the public that the meeting was livestreamed and forms part of the official public record. No pecuniary interests were declared, and council formally adopted the agenda before moving into closed session under the Municipal Act to address litigation related matters.
When council returned to open session, Ferguson confirmed that motions arising from closed session would be addressed before proceeding with the evening’s agenda.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes.
Council first addressed two motions resulting from the earlier closed session. The first directed staff to maximize permitted child care uses as of right within the ongoing Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review, signaling council’s intent to remove regulatory barriers where possible.
The second motion approved minutes of settlement between Choice REIT and theCounty and authorized staff to advise the Ontario Land Tribunal of council’s consent to amendments related to a zoning amendment application for lands on Ontario Street in Picton. Both motions were carried before council moved on.
Council shared community recognitions and introduced upcoming motions, including congratulations to Kaiden Zachariah for selection to the Rural Ontario Changemakers Program, recognition of Sergeant John Hatch ahead of his retirement, notice of a proposed external review of the planning department, and notice of a motion supporting affordable housing advocacy to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Council also recorded declarations of conflict of interest related to prior Planning and Development Committee minutes.
Ferguson then read two proclamations, declaring Violence Awareness and Random Acts of Kindness Week from March 3 to 9, 2025, and proclaiming International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025, aligned with the 2025 theme “Accelerate Action.”
Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee annual update
The meeting then shifted to presentations, beginning with an annual update from Sandy Latchford, Chair of the Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee. Latchford outlined the committee’s work over 2024, describing its structure, task teams, and priorities.
Latchford explained that the committee had benefited from a provincial extension to the Ontario Heritage Act designation deadline, moving it to 2027. This extension eased time pressures and allowed the committee to approach designations more methodically. Three additional properties were successfully designated in 2024, and outreach efforts included an open house for property owners and mail-outs to owners of listed properties.
She described the committee’s work on heritage permits, street naming, and cemetery management, including completed signage projects and updated cemetery fees. A significant portion of the presentation focused on challenges facing owners of heritage properties, particularly insurance costs, contractor availability, and rising material prices.
Latchford also outlined a forthcoming GIS-based cemetery mapping pilot project, beginning at Glenwood Cemetery, intended to improve burial records, genealogical research, and operational efficiency.
Council asked questions related to monument maintenance, ownership responsibilities, heritage designation uptake, and the balance between preservation goals and private property rights. Following discussion, council formally received the presentation.
Loyalist College deputation on post-secondary funding impacts
Council then heard a deputation from Mark Kirkpatrick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loyalist College. Kirkpatrick addressed recent program suspensions, staffing reductions, and the broader implications of federal immigration policy and provincial post-secondary funding models.
Kirkpatrick explained that caps on international students, combined with long standing frozen domestic tuition and grants, had resulted in a projected $40 million revenue shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year. He described how international student revenue had historically subsidized domestic programming, capital investment, and workforce training.
He emphasized that Loyalist’s challenges extend beyond the institution itself, affecting regional workforce development, youth retention, local businesses, and community organizations across Prince Edward County and neighbouring municipalities.
Councillors asked questions about advocacy options, applied research continuity, capital assets, and the downstream effects on local employment and economic resilience. The discussion focused on information sharing rather than decision making.
Following the deputation, council passed a motion directing the mayor to communicate with federal and provincial governments regarding the impacts facing post-secondary institutions, rural communities, and lower income families, and to encourage similar advocacy through the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus. Council then formally received the deputation.
County transit service report
Council next considered a report from Community Services regarding County Transit, presented by Vincent de Tournay, Transit Coordinator for Prince Edward County. The report outlined ridership growth, service performance, and a recommendation to extend the County’s service agreement with Quinte Access Transportation for one year.
The report also proposed introducing a two-system transit pass valid on both Belleville Transit and County Transit, aimed at improving regional connectivity.
Council discussion focused on affordability, ridership patterns, integration potential, and service reliability. De Tournay explained current pass usage levels and noted that the dual pass was intended both as a functional improvement and a promotional tool. Council approved the report and related directions before moving into later agenda items.
Transition toward fiscal and governance matters
As the meeting progressed, council shifted toward items for consideration dealing with financial oversight, staffing, committee minutes, and planning related decisions, setting the stage for more detailed debate and recorded votes later in the evening.
The meeting ultimately adjourned at 8:54 p.m., concluding a session that moved from ceremonial matters into substantive discussion on heritage stewardship, post-secondary education impacts, transit services, and the broader governance framework guiding the County’s decisions.
Key Takeaways
Council took concrete steps to reduce planning barriers for childcare and signalled that childcare access is a priority in the zoning review.
Rural institutions like Loyalist College are facing funding shocks that may affect local jobs, transit use, and youth retention across the County.
Council approved tighter oversight on staffing and hours, reflecting growing concern about long term financial sustainability and reserve levels.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:54:58. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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