Part 1: Takes Stock of Parks, Recreation, and the County’s Long-Term Direction - 06/29/2023

The County Committee of the Whole met on June 29, 2023, at Shire Hall in Picton to hear two substantial presentations that together spoke to how the municipality plans for people, places, and priorities. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Phil St.-Jean (Picton) and brought council and senior staff together for a wide-ranging discussion on recreation planning and the County’s evolving strategic plan. Attendance, roles, and meeting structure are drawn from the official minutes.

The afternoon began with routine procedural items before moving quickly into the first major presentation, a detailed update on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, followed by an extended discussion on the County’s Strategic Plan, including how council and staff measure service delivery, budgeting, collaboration, and community engagement.

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Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update

The first major item saw Jon Hack of Sierra Planning & Management present a mid-process update on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, supported by Lisa Lindsay, Director of Recreation and Community Facilities. Hack explained that the work was well underway and grounded in extensive data collection, site visits, and community consultation across the County.

Hack described the plan as a long-term guidance document intended to shape recreation services, facilities, and investments over the next ten years. He stressed that it was not a fixed blueprint, but a flexible framework designed to adapt to changing demographics, recreation trends, and growth patterns. The work to date included assessments of indoor facilities such as arenas, community centres, museums, and halls, as well as outdoor assets like parks, fields, trails, and open space networks.

A significant portion of the presentation focused on community engagement. Hack outlined how public meetings were held in multiple communities, supported by an online survey that generated hundreds of responses. Feedback showed strong satisfaction with many existing parks and green spaces, but also highlighted pressure points, including aging facilities, limited indoor recreation space, and growing demand for activities such as pickleball, fitness programming, and family-oriented recreation.

Hack also spoke at length about population trends. While the County continues to be known as a desirable place to live and visit, historical population growth has been slower than many assume. At the same time, the County is seeing an aging demographic alongside signs of younger families moving in, particularly due to remote work and new housing development. Hack emphasized that the plan must balance these realities rather than focus on one age group.

Council questions explored how the plan could stay relevant as recreation trends change, how the County should respond to emerging sports without overbuilding, and whether municipalities should take a more direct role in delivering recreation programming. Hack responded by emphasizing flexibility, partnerships, and phased decision-making tied to actual population growth rather than speculation.

Discussion also touched on access to school facilities, the future use of community halls, and operational challenges such as weekend bookings and staffing. Lindsay explained that while recreation facilities already operate seven days a week, new systems like automated door access could improve flexibility and access over time.

Council ultimately voted to receive the presentation, formally acknowledging the work completed so far and signaling that further public consultation and refinement would follow as the plan moves toward drafting and eventual council consideration.

Strategic Plan Discussion Begins

The second major portion of the meeting focused on the County’s Strategic Plan, presented by Marcia Wallace, Chief Administrative Officer, along with members of the senior leadership team. Wallace explained that this work builds on council’s earlier strategic workshop and the County’s existing ten-year Community Plan, with the goal of finalizing clear objectives and

measurable outcomes early in the current council term.

Rather than debating implementation details, the session was framed around identifying what council wants measured and prioritized. Staff walked council through proposed pillars and goals related to customer service, council and resident relationships, budgeting and fiscal planning, and internal collaboration.

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was responsiveness. Councillors raised concerns about response times, phone systems, and how residents experience municipal services. Staff emphasized the need to establish clear service standards, collect baseline data, and use both resident and staff feedback to guide improvement. There was also acknowledgment that better communication upfront could reduce repeated inquiries about issues such as road schedules or budget constraints.

Council also discussed how to improve public understanding of council decision making. Ideas ranged from clearer staff reports and educational materials to more creative outreach methods, recognizing that traditional notices do not always reach residents effectively.

On budgeting, staff proposed presenting operating and capital budgets with a longer term forecast. After debate, council supported a motion to move toward a three year forecast, rather than four, starting with the 2025 budget, reflecting concerns about uncertainty in long range economic projections.

Collaboration, Capacity, and How the Work Gets Done

Another significant thread running through the strategic plan discussion was collaboration, both among councillors and between council and staff. Councillors spoke about the value of site visits, information sessions, and better understanding departmental constraints. Staff acknowledged the pressure on limited resources and the need to focus efforts on agreed priorities.

Council also raised questions about corporate culture, staff retention, and organizational health. While not initially identified as a standalone strategic pillar, staff explained that these issues could be measured through tools such as staff engagement surveys, providing a starting point for understanding workplace dynamics and identifying areas for improvement.

As the meeting progressed, it became clear that the breadth of the Strategic Plan required more time than was available in a single session. Council agreed to complete the remaining strategic pillars in future Committee of the Whole meetings held over the summer, allowing for more focused discussion and full participation.

Recreation, Heritage, and Culture Pillar

Before adjourning, council did briefly address the strategic pillar focused on recreation, heritage, and culture. Discussion centered on the importance of maintaining and activating County owned heritage buildings, investing in facility condition assessments, and ensuring these assets are used meaningfully by the community.

Councillors emphasized that preserving heritage should begin with the County’s own properties and be supported by clear metrics and funding strategies. There was also discussion about the role of partnerships with community organizations to expand programming without placing the full burden on municipal staff.

Council voted to receive the strategic plan update to date, formally closing the session while setting the stage for continued work in upcoming meetings.

Key Takeaways

1. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan is still in progress, but it is already shaping how the County thinks about facilities, programming, and growth over the next decade, with flexibility and community input at its core.

   
   

2. Council is actively reworking how success is measured, from customer service and public engagement to budgeting and internal collaboration, with an emphasis on clearer standards and better communication.

   
   

3. The County’s long term direction is being built in stages, with council choosing to slow the process down enough to get it right, rather than rushing decisions that will affect residents for years to come.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:32:54. 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.