Part 2: Strategic Plan Amendments on Housing, Agriculture, Roads, and Community Services – 07/25/2023

This meeting focuses on who said what, who moved or supported changes, and how those decisions may affect residents across the County. This section follows the same order as the meeting and sticks closely to what was said and voted on during the July 25 Special Committee of the Whole meeting.

Early in the meeting, Councillor Kate MacNaughton (Picton) played a leading role in shaping changes to the governance pillar. She brought forward motions to strengthen how council and staff work together, focusing on corporate culture, collaboration, and long term staff retention. These motions were seconded by Councillor John Hirsch (South Marysburgh), and carried by the committee.

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Councillor Janice Maynard (Ameliasburgh) later raised concerns about how well residents understand municipal service levels and budgets. She pushed for clearer two way communication with residents. Her amendment to add seeking resident feedback into this goal was seconded by Councillor Roy Pennell (Ameliasburgh), and carried. This discussion included comments from CAO Marcia Wallace, who explained how better communication around service levels ties directly into budgeting and asset management decisions.

Rural Character and Agriculture

When the discussion moved to rural and agricultural priorities, Councillor Sam Branderhorst (Athol) introduced a motion to explicitly protect agricultural land and track how much farmland is lost to development each year. This motion was seconded by Councillor MacNaughton, and carried without opposition.

Several councillors spoke about balancing growth with preservation. The focus stayed on accountability and transparency rather than restricting development outright. Staff explained that reporting on agricultural land loss would help council and residents understand long term impacts of planning decisions.

Housing and Growth in Settlement Areas

Housing generated some of the most active discussion. Maynard moved an amendment to strengthen the housing goal by explicitly encouraging infill development alongside higher density and varied housing types. Pennell seconded the motion, and it carried.

Pennell raised repeated concerns about density benefiting developers more than residents if affordability is not addressed directly. Councillor Phil St-Jean (Picton) pushed back by pointing to the existing priority that clearly references affordable and attainable housing. Planning staff, including Manager of Planning Michael Michaud, explained how higher density tends to result in smaller and more attainable units rather than large single family homes.

Parks, Roads, and Community Infrastructure

On parks and recreation, MacNaughton brought forward an amendment to ensure investments focus on underserved communities. The wording was refined during discussion to better reflect both rural and urban needs. The motion was seconded by Pennell, and carried.

Roads prompted more debate. Maynard questioned how road maintenance plans connect to resident expectations. Her amendment to emphasize public engagement around service level expectations was seconded by Mayor Steve Ferguson, and carried. Pennell expressed frustration with long term road planning timelines, but staff confirmed that the current five year plan remains council approved and subject to future review.

Environment and Climate Actions

During the environmental section, councillors asked questions rather than proposing amendments. Maynard focused on the cost and scale of maintaining the tree canopy given ash tree losses. Staff explained that replanting targets have been exceeded to date and that a dedicated strategy is underway.

Electric vehicle charging locations also drew comment. Pennell and Maynard both relayed feedback from residents who would prefer chargers in walkable downtown areas rather than only at community centres. Staff noted that a more detailed report was coming to council shortly.

Community Well Being Youth and Health Care

In the final pillar, councillors were broadly aligned. MacNaughton spoke in support of stronger equity and youth engagement goals. Maynard asked detailed questions about how youth who attend school outside the County would still be reached. Staff described ongoing partnerships with youth organizations and schools.

Health care staffing at H.J. McFarland Memorial Home prompted questions from Councillors Hirsch and Pennell. Natasha Williams, Manager of Care, acknowledged ongoing recruitment challenges but shared that partnerships with colleges and early hiring efforts are helping. No amendments were brought forward in this section.

What This Means for Local Residents

For Picton, Wellington, Bloomfield, and other settlement areas, the housing and infill decisions signal a push toward more varied housing options and denser development inside existing communities rather than outward expansion. Rural residents and farmers will see more transparency around agricultural land loss, which may shape future planning debates.

The County residents can expect clearer explanations about service levels, roads, and budgets, with more opportunities to provide feedback. Parks and recreation investments are now more clearly directed toward communities that have historically been underserved, while environmental and climate goals set the stage for future funding and infrastructure decisions.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:24:16. 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.