Part 2: Salem Road Severance, Energy Storage Policy, and Site Plan Control - 06/13/2023
- PECConnect
- Jun 13, 2023
- 5 min read
Mayor Steve Ferguson chaired the June 13, 2023 Regular Council meeting at Shire Hall in Picton, with all nine ward councillors present. Council did not hold any public presentations or deputations that night, so the meeting mostly came down to staff reports, councillor questions, and a steady run of motions that were put forward and carried.
After closed session ended, Council’s one closed meeting item came forward as a public motion.
Sam Branderhorst moved the motion, seconded by Phil St.-Jean. Council authorized the CAO to execute a conditional purchase and sale agreement with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board to acquire the former Queen Elizabeth School property in Picton for $1,375,000. Staff were also directed to apply for CMHC funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund and the Co-Investment Fund.
View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.
Backyard Hens Bylaw
The hens bylaw amendments were moved by John Hirsch (South Marysburgh), and seconded by Roy Pennell (Ameliasburgh). The motion carried.
The discussion itself was led by Kate MacNaughton (Picton), who questioned the penalty language and the high maximum fine amounts, calling them shocking in the context of everyday backyard hen issues. Staff explained the framework comes from the Municipal Act, that court imposed fines are typically far below the maximum, and that the administrative monetary penalties system would be used first, with court action as a last resort.
Phil St.-Jean (Picton), followed up with a practical framing. He pointed to the smaller set fine structure and described the higher maximums as something that would only matter in chronic or repeated non compliance situations. Staff agreed with that interpretation.
Roy Pennell, (Ameliasburgh), added that the numbers create a shock factor that can make people pay attention, even if the full maximum is rarely used. Staff also noted courts tend to impose a fraction of the listed maximum.
Crystal Palace Phase 2
The Crystal Palace Phase 2 award was moved by Phil St.-Jean, and seconded by Bill Roberts. The motion carried.
Before the vote, Phil St.-Jean praised the report and highlighted that the project budget showed a surplus, which he said is not something Council has been seeing often. He also raised the Old Boys Entrance at the fairgrounds, describing it as a war memorial to World War 1 veterans that deserves attention alongside the Crystal Palace work.
Phil Prinzen (Bloomfield-Hallowell), asked why the report did not list all bid amounts. Staff explained that this was a request for proposal, not a tender, and that proposals are evaluated on multiple criteria, so the County does not list competing prices in the same way.
Sam Grosso (Ameliasburgh), asked about parking and whether it would increase. Staff explained the ramp redesign would look at parking layouts, but they did not expect meaningful parking increases from the revitalization itself.
Then came the key shift.
An amendment was moved by Phil St.-Jean, and seconded by Janice Maynard. It added that if surplus funds remain after Phase 2, staff may expand the scope to include restoration work on the Old Boys Entrance, and staff should begin discussions with local Legion branches about a cooperative funding partnership. The amendment carried.
Roy Pennell supported the idea of restoring the memorial but raised concerns about process, especially around the idea of spending leftover funds without a clear procurement approach. Kate MacNaughton said it fit the location and the heritage context and supported leaving the decision with staff discretion. Council then carried the main motion as amended.
County Road 49 Donations
The Community Benefit Fund item was moved by Chris Braney (Hillier), and seconded by Bill Roberts. The motion carried.
This one had less back and forth, but Chris Braney used his speaking time to credit the task force style work behind it, specifically thanking David Harrison (North Marysburgh), Phil Prinzen, Mayor Steve Ferguson, Brad Nieman (Bloomfield Hallowell), and Phil St.-Jean. He also thanked CAO Marcia Wallace for time spent with the group.
Locate Service Provider Agreements: The Only Clear No Was Said Out Loud
The locate service provider delegation item was moved by Corey Engelsdorfer (Wellington), and seconded by Bill Roberts. The motion carried.
This discussion featured the clearest statement of disagreement on the record.
Phil St.-Jean said he would not support the motion because he is not a supporter of delegating more authority to staff. He asked what kind of money was involved. Staff explained there is no direct fee and the requirement is mandated by the province. They also explained County staff are not doing locates themselves, and the County’s role is to provide information to the dedicated locator hired by the utility owner or project owner.
Council still carried the motion, but Phil St.-Jean’s stance was clear and on the record.
Accessibility Plan Progress
The accessibility progress report motion was moved by Kate MacNaughton, and seconded by Phil Prinzen. The motion carried.
Municipal Clerk Catalina Blumenberg presented the update and described it as the first progress report under the current accessibility plan. She said staff are working to make accessibility part of the County’s corporate culture in all departments. Council directed staff to report back in Q2 2024 with the 2023 progress report.
Millennium Trail Commercial Use: Bloomfield Hallowell Pushed for Clarity
The consent agenda passed in two big steps. First, Phil Prinzen moved the consent package and Roy Pennell seconded it. That carried.
Then Council addressed the Committee of the Whole report with a carve out. Phil Prinzen again moved, with Roy Pennell seconding, to adopt the Committee of the Whole report except for the Millennium Trail motion tied to commercial uses. That carried.
Phil Prinzen explained he had heard concerns about how the bylaw wording could affect guided bicycle rentals and tours on the trail, and he did not believe Council intended to block that kind of activity. Staff clarified the bylaw was meant to distinguish between people bringing their own bikes to the trail versus businesses renting vehicles specifically for trail use, and asked Council to clarify whether commercial bicycles were meant to be included in the restriction.
To resolve it, Phil Prinzen moved the referral back to staff and Roy Pennell seconded it. The bylaw amendment for Millennium Trail uses was referred back to staff for clarification, with the revised bylaw to return to Council on June 27, 2023. The motion carried.
What does it means for the residents
Picton residents saw the biggest direct impacts discussed in the open session, including Council moving ahead on the former Queen Elizabeth School purchase and advancing Crystal Palace Phase 2, with Phil St.-Jean and Kate MacNaughton both shaping the tone through questions, amendments, and clear positions.
Bloomfield Hallowell residents saw Phil Prinzen drive the Millennium Trail correction so guided bike based businesses are not accidentally shut out by a bylaw draft. Wellington, Sophiasburgh, and Athol were part of the vote leadership on major motions through Corey Engelsdorfer, Bill Roberts, and Sam Branderhorst, especially on delegation and the school property direction.
Hillier and North Marysburgh were tied to the County Road 49 fundraising structure through Chris Braney and the councillors he credited for the work, which matters most for residents and property owners who use or live near that corridor and are watching how the County plans to pay for a major rebuild.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:50:22. 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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