Part 1: Council wrestled with roofs, bridges, taxi licensing, and a major water deal – 07/25/2023

The Council met at Shire Hall in Picton on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, for Regular Council meeting beginning at 7:06 pm after an earlier closed session. Mayor Steve Ferguson chaired the meeting, with Council hearing deputations, public comments, staff reports, and a long list of decisions that touched everything from local infrastructure to community supports.

During announcements, Pennell highlighted a Tag Day fundraiser organized by Community Care volunteers, describing it as a lottery-style effort where volunteers stood outside businesses across the County to raise money to help seniors live at home.

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Wellington Dukes pitch and Picton Terminals deputations

Council heard from Tealah Clement and Kelly Martin of the Wellington Dukes Junior A Hockey Club about in trade advertising opportunities, including the idea of the County becoming an official naming sponsor. Councillors asked questions about corporate sponsorship outreach, how many businesses sponsor teams, and how the Dukes connect with the Picton Pirates for player development and fundraising. Nieman moved to refer the request to staff for consideration in an upcoming lease agreement report, and Council carried the referral as amended.

Two deputations followed on Picton Terminals, with Ken Stewart and Ryan Wallach each addressing Council. Council voted to receive both deputations.

Public comments raised fairness and traffic safety

During comments from the audience, Elaine Jackson and Charlotte Nott spoke in support of reviewing the Municipal Financial Relief Program, with Jackson raising concerns about how some households were treated under the program rules. Patrick Maloney spoke to traffic issues in Bloomfield and asked for additional traffic calming measures, referencing survey results tied to Stanley Street. Council received the public comments.

Municipal financial relief and indirect tax payers

A major discussion point was a resolution from Ferguson seeking Council support for a review of the Municipal Financial Relief Program. Ferguson stepped out of the chair for this item, and St.-Jean took over as vice chair. Councillors discussed whether a group could be eligible to apply in 2023 and raised issues of rental inequity.

Council unanimously supported moving the issue forward, including an amendment directing staff to draft a report and bylaw for August 29, 2023 to permit homeowners who pay taxes on their primary residences indirectly to a third party to qualify for the 2023 program if they meet the income requirements.

The minutes record a 13 to 0 vote in favour, with Branderhorst not voting in that recorded tally. Council also requested an October staff report on the program for the 2024 budget deliberations.

McFarland Home roof questions and reserve pressure

Pennell brought forward a resolution seeking a staff report on the condition of H.J. McFarland Memorial Home, with a particular focus on the projected upgrade costs of the roof structure and any funding needs outside normal budget to keep the facility compliant with provincial requirements.

Branderhorst explained that staff were already looking at operations and reserves while preparing a broader report, and said the reserves available for this type of work were very low based on the budget that had been decided. Branderhorst said the County was watching the situation carefully and trying to delay fixing the roof as long as possible while keeping options open, while also meeting ministry requirements to date. When the vote was called, the motion failed and was lost.

Taxi and limousine licensing rules and old fraud offences

Nieman introduced a resolution to amend By Law 63 2020 governing taxis, limousines, and other vehicles for hire, focusing on vulnerable sector screening and criminal record check provisions. St.-Jean explained the intent was to address cases where fraud charges from decades ago were still blocking people from obtaining licences, even after long periods as “model citizens.” St Jean pointed to driver shortages and argued the change would still keep safeguards, including a distinction between fraud under $5,000 and fraud above $5,000, and time based thresholds.

Councillors asked for clarity about what language was changing and whether pardons would address the problem, with comments that pardons can be expensive and time consuming. After clarification that the highlighted changes were intended to create limits around older or lower value fraud offences, Council voted and carried the amendment.

A County push on food insecurity and school meals

Roberts introduced a resolution supporting a more generous, targeted Canada Child Benefit for low income families and urging progress on a national school food policy. The resolution referenced earlier remarks to Council about the Feed the Meter campaign supporting local children and student nutrition programs, and it framed food insecurity as a serious and growing issue.

Roberts described the resolution as a request for federal action and said it largely spoke for itself. With no questions raised, Council voted and carried it.

Bridge tenders and the fight over timing and costs

Council then moved into consent items, with several items pulled for separate discussion. Hirsch pulled multiple items, starting with the Loyalist Parkway bridge rehabilitation tender. Hirsch pointed to an engineering report recommending the project be put off until next year, noting the tender went out late, only two bids came in, and prices were high. MacPherson said the delayed budget approvals pushed design and tendering later than usual, but staff still believed starting work on a bridge identified as having concerns was appropriate, even if some work might carry into spring.

A motion was brought forward to re tender and defer the Loyalist Parkway bridge rehabilitation to 2024, with arguments that waiting could produce better pricing and that inflation pressures may still be working their way through construction markets. Maynard cautioned that construction inflation was not necessarily in line with headline figures and noted one bid was far below the other and within budget. The deferral motion failed, and Council then voted to approve moving forward with the award of the project.

On the Burr Road bridge rehabilitation, Hirsch questioned the price of rehabilitating what he described as a short concrete box culvert and asked whether more innovative solutions were being considered, referencing lower cost bridge approaches used elsewhere. MacPherson responded that qualified engineers conduct annual bridge inspections and recommend the most cost effective approach, and said the engineers stay current on possible solutions. Pennell also raised the idea of culverts that could reduce disruption. Council proceeded to vote and carried the tender award.

A new fire pumper purchase that did not pass

Fire fleet replacement became one of the sharper moments of the night. Hirsch asked when Council would see a broader asset management report on fire services equipment and replacement planning, saying he hoped it would arrive before budget since more purchases could be coming. Branderhorst said staff were tracking an asset management report on buildings for the fall and were looking at the whole fleet, suggesting fire fleet could be paired into that conversation, but said timing before budget was uncertain.

Council also questioned the plan to keep an older truck as a spare and where it would be stored. Fire Chief Chad Brown said that spare apparatus would be stored in Bloomfield in the wash bay area, and said it was difficult to predict resale value because sales vary on platforms like GovDeals. Brown also said the need for spare trucks was growing due to the age of the fleet, describing how apparatus can be out of service for annual pump testing, safety work, and repairs, and noting that as of that night two stations had no apparatus available while trucks awaited parts.

Despite that context, the motion to award the tender and approve keeping a spare apparatus was lost. St.-Jean criticized the outcome as short sighted, saying Council was budgeting for critical equipment and then backing away when seeing the price tag. Staff then sought direction on how to proceed, but the clerk advised Council could not move a deferral motion that contradicted a main motion that had already been lost.

Parking and traffic items, including Bakker Road

Traffic Advisory Committee items also drew discussion, particularly around Bakker Road access and parking near the western beach area. Councillor Braney asked for clarification, noting the time and work involved in negotiations with residents. Maynard described the proposed parking as a small number of spaces near the exit of an existing lot, not an expansion, and said there were physical barriers intended to prevent trespass onto private property.

Branderhorst explained that staff realized there had been a miscommunication between departments and that the parking bylaw did not reflect work being implemented under an agreement related to prior decisions around vehicle versus pedestrian use and future walkway considerations.

Branderhorst recommended sending the specific clause back to the Traffic Advisory Committee so the right staff and information could be brought forward, including re engaging with property owners as needed. Council voted to refer the revised amendment regarding Bakker Road back to the Traffic Advisory Committee, and then approved the rest of the Traffic Advisory Committee report with that clause excluded.

A new Belleville water agreement amendment and what it saves

One of the biggest items came during bylaws, when Council passed a bylaw to authorize an agreement to amend the 2006 water agreement between the County and the City of Belleville. MacNaughton spoke up to recognize the work behind the agreement, and Maynard also thanked Belleville Council and Mayor Mitch Panciuk for supporting the deal.

When asked what the savings meant for residents, Branderhorst said the 10 year contract would represent savings of over $1 million, helping avoid drawing on reserves and supporting future work tied to water rates and operational and capital savings. Ferguson echoed appreciation for staff work and described the process as difficult and high pressure, saying the result was a stronger outcome than the County expected.

Council returned to closed session later in the evening for solicitor client advice, then came back to open session to vote on motions arising from the closed meeting related to Picton Terminals. Council directed staff to re engage legal counsel to pursue a legal settlement through the courts, and also directed the mayor and CAO to arrange a council to council meeting with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte on the Picton Terminals matter. Council then passed the confirmatory bylaw and adjourned at 10:26 pm.

Key Takeaways

1. Council continued work on fairness in local supports, moving ahead on changes tied to the Municipal Financial Relief Program to address residents who pay property taxes indirectly.

   
   

2. Major infrastructure decisions moved forward on bridges, with Council choosing to proceed on the Loyalist Parkway rehabilitation and approving the Burr Road work, while also debating timing, tendering, and costs.

   
   

3. The night produced two big contrasts: Council approved a significant amended water agreement that staff said would save over $1 million over 10 years, but rejected the tender for a new fire pumper even after hearing concerns about fleet age and service gaps.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 5:27:34. 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.