Part 2: Local Impacts on Healthcare, Roads, and Housing – 06/27/2024

This article looks into June 27, 2024 Committee of the Whole meeting that focuses on who said what, how councillors voted, and how those decisions affect local communities. The meeting was chaired by Phil Prinzen (Bloomfield/Hallowell).

Physician Recruitment: Strong Support With Guardrails

On physician recruitment, councillors showed broad agreement on urgency, with some caution around scope and long-term commitments.

Adam Hambly, physician recruiter, confirmed that six physicians had already been secured and a seventh was expected to begin practicing soon. Barinder Gill, speaking for the County Docs program, described the Healthcare Connect Premium, noting that five incentives had been accepted and hundreds of residents were already being rostered.

© PEC Council (YouTube)

View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.

David Harrison (Athol) asked whether new physicians were opening new clinics or taking over existing practices. Hambly said most were assuming existing practices, with some expanding patient capacity.

Jane Lesslie (Wellington) shared that residents were already receiving calls confirming they had been matched with doctors.

Bill Roberts (Sophiasburgh) pushed for clearer support for nurse practitioners and raised ethical concerns about recruiting from northern, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. With input from Marcia Wallace Council approved an amendment directing staff to explore nurse practitioner incentives and consider ethical recruitment principles.

A second motion, moved by Jane Lesslie, allowed flexibility to reallocate unspent incentive funds if another physician was secured in 2024. Phil St-Jean (Picton) questioned whether the language risked becoming too open ended, while Janice Maynard (Ameliasburgh) raised concerns about binding future councils and reiterated that healthcare delivery was not a core municipal responsibility.

A recorded vote was held on the first recommendation. It carried 10–2, with Maynard and St Jean opposed. The remaining clauses then carried.

Gravel Roads: Divided Council, Policy Rejected

The most contentious discussion involved the proposed return to gravel roads policy.

Dave Haney, speaking for George’s Road residents, warned that reverting to gravel could affect shoreline wells, winter safety, and property values. He said residents preferred targeted pothole repairs over gravel. During public comment, residents from Salem Road, Weiss Road, George’s Road, and Carnrick Road echoed concerns about dust, safety, vehicle damage, and the lack of clear timelines behind the word “temporary.”

When the report came forward, Troy, Director of Operations, stressed the work was directed by Council and aimed at managing rising maintenance costs. Tanya, Construction and Technical Service Supervisor, outlined how roads would be assessed, consulted on, and categorized as temporary or permanent changes.

Bill Roberts moved the recommendations, signalling he would amend them to remove George’s Road.

Chris Braney (Hillier) said reverting roads felt like a step backward for his ward and he would not support it. Marcia Wallace pressed staff on timelines for Salem Road and expressed frustration with long-standing deterioration.

Janice Maynard questioned safety impacts for cyclists, pedestrians, and seniors, and raised concerns about dust suppression and calcium chloride.

Albert Paschkowiak referenced a recent gravel conversion on Royal Road, noting it deteriorated quickly through winter despite good intentions. In contrast, Phil St- Jean argued the County could not afford its current road network and said difficult choices were unavoidable.

When the vote was called on approving the returning roads to gravel policy, it failed, with only four councillors in favour. With the policy defeated, all related clauses also failed.

Fee Waiver Agreement: Approval With Conditions

The final vote concerned a revised fee waiver agreement for the Pinecrest Housing and Springdale Developments project at 27 Corey Street in Bloomfield.

Marcia Wallace, as CAO, explained the agreement clarified fee waivers, added construction and occupancy timelines, required repayment if conditions were not met, and gave the County first right of refusal if the land were sold.

Jane Lesslie moved amendments to approve the agreement, authorize execution by bylaw, and confirm Council’s right to extend timelines. The motion carried.

What This Means for Residents

Residents seeking primary care will see the County continue and expand recruitment efforts, including exploring nurse practitioner incentives.

Residents on roads discussed for gravel conversion will not see changes proceed without an approved policy.

In Bloomfield, the Pinecrest project moves ahead with clear safeguards and timelines in place.

---

Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:12:58. 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.