Part 1: Tourism Funding, Beach Access Changes, and Patio Regulations – 03/14/2024

The County’s Committee of the Whole met on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at Shire Hall in Picton, largely focused on how the County manages tourism pressures and supports the visitor economy while still meeting local needs. Councillor Kate MacNaughton chaired the 1:00 p.m. meeting, with Council hearing two tourism deputations and then debating two staff reports tied to seasonal operations and downtown patios.

The meeting opened with Council confirming the agenda and noting there were no declared pecuniary interests. Members present included Mayor Steve Ferguson, councillors from across the wards, and staff including CAO Marcia Wallace, Municipal Clerk Catalina Blumenberg, and senior Community Services leadership.

© PEC Council (YouTube)

View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>

The Municipal Accommodation Tax, and Where It Should Go Next

The first deputation came from Andrew Siegwart, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, speaking about Ontario’s Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) landscape. He framed MAT as a tool meant to support both tourism growth and municipal planning, and noted the County was an early adopter.

Questions from councillors focused on how the province might change rules around MAT, what “best practices” should look like, and how municipalities should tie spending to long-term strategy. In the discussion, Siegwart described a range of approaches, from simply directing the municipal portion into priorities like roads, to more collaborative planning that gathers input from residents and industry.

A recurring point was whether “visitor input” should influence municipal spending. Siegwart described collecting sentiment through surveys and reviews rather than bringing visitors into decision-making. Council received the deputation.

Visit The County’s First Full-Year Report Got a Full Workout

Next, Charles McKee, Vice-Chair of Visit The County, presented the organization’s 2023 annual report and explained it was the first full operating year after the organization’s 2022 launch. McKee noted Executive Director Eleanor R. Cook was absent and sent regrets.

Councillors dug into what Visit The County’s spending produced, including questions about event support versus event listings, the mix of print and digital media, and what counts as “hard dollars” versus content creation. Local media came up directly, with discussion about the value of supporting community journalism and how different channels fit different messages.

Affordability and the “priced out” perception also surfaced, alongside questions about measuring return on investment beyond likes and followers. McKee discussed visitor data gathered through geofencing, including over 326,000 unique visitors and 2.4 million total visits in 2023. Council received the presentation, and Councillor John Hirsch left the meeting at 2:24 p.m.

Tourism Management Plan: Wellington Beach Fee, Boat Launch Parking, and a New Steward

With no public comments, Council moved into staff reports. Julianne Snepsts, Programs Supervisor, walked through the 2024 Tourism Management Plan (TMP), describing it as a cross-departmental readiness plan that has evolved from pandemic-era crisis management into a more practical focus on communication, coordination, and targeted investments.

Councillors raised concerns about boat launch parking fees, short stops for residents, and the need for a full review of the boat launch system. Staff confirmed that review was overdue and planned for later in the year. Wellington Rotary Beach was a major focus. Staff recommended eliminating the admission fee at Wellington Rotary Beach and instead using MAT funds for a seasonal beach steward, a role described as helping with cleanliness, issues on-site, and calling for support when needed.

A motion was brought forward to eliminate the beach steward and use existing staff instead, but it lost. Council then approved the TMP workplan and budget and the change to remove the Wellington Rotary Beach admission fee.

Sidewalk Patios: Accessibility, Parking, and Business “Vibrancy”

After a short recess, Emily Cowan, Director of Community Services, Programs and Initiatives, presented updates to the Sidewalk Patio Program and the by-law framework behind it. She described the work as largely administrative, shaped by business feedback, internal teams, committees including accessibility, and insurers.

Councillors debated the trade-off between patios and parking, where patios should be restricted near intersections, how enforcement should work, and what liability looks like if a vehicle strikes a patio. Staff said licensees must carry $2 million liability insurance and that enforcement mechanisms were strengthened. Council carried the motion to receive the report and advance the updated by-law and related fees.

At 3:57 p.m., Council adjourned.

Key Takeaways

1. Council signaled a continued push to use MAT-funded programs for both visitor pressures and resident-facing needs, with repeated focus on transparency and measurable outcomes.

   
   

2. Wellington Rotary Beach is set for a notable operational shift, with Council approving removal of the admission fee and backing a beach steward model despite concerns about staffing capacity.

   
   

3. Downtown patios are staying, with new by-law updates aiming to balance business support, accessibility, and safety, even as councillors continued to flag parking and liability questions.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:58:36. 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.