Part 1: Safety, Utilities, and Budget Pressure - 03/30/2023
- PECConnect
- Mar 30, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 17
The County’s Committee of the Whole met on March 30, 2023 at Highline Hall in Wellington to hear a deputation, take public comments, and debate two items that set up upcoming Council decisions. Janice Maynard, Chair opened the meeting by welcoming the public and noting that motions made at Committee are not final until the April 11, 2023 Council meeting, when Council can approve, amend, or change them.
After confirming the agenda and noting there were no pecuniary interest disclosures, the meeting moved quickly into the main presentations that shaped most of the afternoon.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Alternatives for Women asks the County to treat intimate partner violence as an epidemic
The first deputation came from Julie Watson, Executive Director, Alternatives for Women, joined by Holly Baines, Training and Public Engagement Coordinator. Watson explained that Alternatives for Women provides safe, confidential supports for women in the County who have experienced abuse or are fleeing abuse, including counselling, outreach for rural residents, transitional supports, second stage housing, a crisis line, and advocacy. Baines described public and youth engagement work, including workshops and presentations aimed at building awareness and helping the wider community recognize signs of harm.
A major thread in their presentation was the push to have intimate partner violence recognized as a public crisis, using the language of “declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic.” Watson and Baines linked this request to the Renfrew inquest and its recommendations, describing how other municipalities had already made similar declarations and asking the County to do the same.
Committee members pressed on what a declaration would mean in practice. Kate MacNaughton (Picton) raised the reality that the housing crisis can trap people in unsafe situations, and Watson responded that finding permanent housing after leaving is increasingly difficult, sometimes forcing people to leave the County. Bill Roberts (Sophiasburgh) asked about connections between intimate partner violence and PTSD, including questions tied to military or policing contexts, and Watson answered carefully, noting the limits of what could be discussed about clients and pointing to the Three Oaks shelter network as more likely to see cases connected to the Trenton area.
Phil St-Jean, (Picton) focused on due diligence. St-Jean asked for more information on the inquest recommendations and for clearer expectations about what comes after a declaration, emphasizing that a serious statement should not be made without follow-through. Watson and Baines agreed to provide additional material and described the declaration as both an acknowledgement and a way to increase awareness of available supports.
The discussion also circled back to recurring themes of control, rural isolation, and barriers to independence, including transportation access and employment. Maynard tied the issue to the County’s community safety and well-being work, suggesting the topic could return through that framework as action teams ramped up again.
Committee formally received the deputation.
Enbridge’s franchise renewal raised concerns about old terms in a long agreement
Public comments then shifted the room into a more technical conversation, with two Enbridge representatives speaking to the next item on the agenda: Steve Rogers, Manager Operations, Enbridge, and Sonia Fazari, Senior Advisor, Municipal and Stakeholder Engagement.
Their appearance focused on the County’s Enbridge franchise agreement renewal, a standardized agreement that, as discussed, runs for 20 years and is rooted in an older template. Committee members questioned how workable a long agreement is when energy systems, communication methods, and municipal expectations can shift quickly. Maynard highlighted small but real-world issues, like outdated assumptions about communication methods and the difficulty of making even minor housekeeping updates once an agreement is in place.
A second tension point was locates and timelines. Mayor Steve Ferguson raised recent chatter about a potential $200 charge for utility locates. Rogers explained that Enbridge had paused that rollout and was exploring other options, tying the issue to new provincial timeline requirements. During the exchange, staff clarified that municipalities are also subject to the same locate-related administrative timelines under the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, and that if Enbridge’s position changed, Council would be informed.
With questions aired, Committee approved the direction to move the franchise agreement forward to the Ontario Energy Board process for approval, setting up the next steps for Council.
A new push to reduce the operating budget by 10 percent
The final major open-session topic was a resolution brought forward by Councillor Bill Roberts (Sophiasburgh), supported by Councillor Chris Braney, (Hillier), asking staff to engage Council on overall budget direction and bring back a summer report with options to reduce the 2024 operating budget by a target of 10 percent, or about $3 million, compared to 2023.
Roberts framed the motion as a governance exercise built around measurement and accountability, arguing that clear targets can focus decision-making earlier than the typical budget crunch. Brad Nieman, (Bloomfield-Hallowell) supported the idea as a way to start conversations sooner, rather than trying to make major decisions during budget week. John Hirsch (South Marysburgh) also voiced support, describing the timing as useful and the goal as worth exploring.
Maynard pressed for clarity about what a 10 percent reduction would realistically imply in a period of inflation and whether the focus on technology and process changes might still lead to conversations about service levels. Roberts responded that the point was to ask staff for options without prejudging outcomes.
Ferguson asked whether the timeline was workable given other planning work. Chief Administrative Officer Marcia Wallace responded that summer was the right window if Council wanted meaningful options before the budget process ramps up, because budget work typically starts in June. Wallace also pushed back on the idea that councils have no choices because of mandated services, explaining that while some services must be delivered, service levels and delivery methods are still decisions Council can shape.
Roberts requested a recorded vote, and the minutes show the motion carried 12 to 0 among those recorded.
Committee then moved into closed session to consider a land matter under the Municipal Act. The minutes note Committee reconvened in open session at 2:44 p.m., with Pennell and Grosso still absent, and then adjourned at 2:54 p.m.
Key Takeaways
The County heard a direct call to recognize intimate partner violence as an epidemic, with councillors signalling interest but also asking what follow-through would look like.
The Enbridge discussion made clear that a 20-year franchise agreement can lock in outdated assumptions, even when everyone agrees modern needs are changing quickly.
Council is starting earlier on budget pressure, with staff directed to bring back options aimed at reducing the 2024 operating budget by 10 percent while trying to minimize impacts on service delivery.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:46:27. 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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