Part 1: Community Planning, MAT Freeze, Trail Review, Parking Changes, and Rural Safety — 04/11/2023
- PECConnect
- Apr 11, 2023
- 4 min read
The County Council met on the evening of April 11, 2023, at Highline Hall in Wellington to deal with a wide-ranging agenda that blended long-term planning with immediate local concerns. The meeting was chaired by Mayor Steve Ferguson, who called the session to order shortly after 7 p.m., with all councillors present and senior municipal staff in attendance. The meeting brought together public input, staff reports, and formal decisions that touched residents across the County, from tourism operators and trail users to farmers, drivers, and rural property owners.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Setting the tone with planning and public engagement
Council began with a presentation on the 10 Year Community Plan Executive Summary, delivered by Aidan Grove White, Vice President of Land Use and Infrastructure with Strategy Corp, alongside Alex Glista. The presentation focused on how residents had been engaged throughout the planning process and what themes emerged from surveys, workshops, and other outreach efforts. Councillors asked questions about youth participation, accessibility of engagement tools, and whether feedback reflected the County’s full geographic and demographic mix. The discussion highlighted the ongoing challenge of reaching both long time residents and newer voices, while balancing expectations shaped by experiences in larger municipalities.
Public voices dominate discussion on tourism tax and trail use
Before Council moved into formal decision making, residents and industry representatives filled the floor during comments from the audience. A significant portion of the delegation focused on the Municipal Accommodation Tax, with speakers urging Council not to raise the tax in the current economic climate. Concerns were raised about tourism recovery after the pandemic, competitive pressures from other destinations, and the need to focus on compliance rather than rate increases. Several speakers asked Council to commit to holding the tax at its current level for the remainder of the term.
Public input also turned sharply toward the County Millennium Trail, where speakers expressed strong views about protecting the trail as a recreational and environmental corridor. Residents, trail volunteers, and environmental advocates spoke about safety, liability, wildlife impacts, and the precedent that commercial use could set. The repeated message was that the trail’s value lay in shared, non commercial enjoyment, and that changes to its use needed careful consideration.
Council freezes the accommodation tax and signals stronger enforcement
After a short recess, Council returned to the Municipal Accommodation Tax Financial Report for 2022, presented by finance staff. The discussion focused on what a one percent increase could generate, how MAT funds are allocated, and how enforcement currently works for short term accommodations. Staff explained that MAT compliance is tied to licence renewal and that new software and planned third party audits are aimed at identifying unlicensed operators.
Council ultimately supported an amendment to freeze the MAT at four percent for the balance of the 2022 to 2026 council term, reflecting both public feedback and the desire to use 2023 data as a clearer baseline for future decisions. The amended motion was carried, confirming that no increase would be pursued during the current term.
Millennium Trail rules headed for review
Council then addressed a resolution seeking to strengthen By Law 742-2001, which governs the use of the Millennium Trail. Councillors questioned whether commercial uses were currently permitted, how different vehicle types fit within existing rules, and what legal risks the municipality could face. Staff confirmed that the by law predates many modern trail uses and lacks clear definitions around recreational versus commercial activity.
Rather than approving any immediate changes, Council directed staff to report back on possible amendments, including clearer definitions and options for permitting commercial services at Council’s discretion. Staff were also asked to assess liability and risk, with a report expected later in the spring.
Closing out long standing and practical matters
The meeting continued with an update on the White Pines Wind Energy Project decommissioning, marking the final allocation of settlement funds for tree planting and road rehabilitation tied to turbine removal. Council then approved a comprehensive package of amendments to the Parking By Law, addressing winter parking rules, market related restrictions in Picton, and safety concerns on Oak Street in Wellington.
Council also approved a new Livestock Running at Large By Law, prompted by recent incidents involving loose animals. Amendments clarified how a pound keeper can be engaged, allowing staff to act more quickly when public safety is at risk.
Key Takeaways
The Municipal Accommodation Tax will remain at four percent for the rest of this council term, with enforcement and compliance taking priority over any increase.
The Millennium Trail rules are under review, but no immediate changes have been made. A future report will shape how recreational and potential commercial uses are defined.
Council wrapped up several practical issues that affect daily life, including parking rules, rural road repairs, and livestock control, signalling a focus on both long term planning and on the ground safety concerns across the County.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:41:12. 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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