Part 2: PEC Advances Tree Bylaw, Benson Hall Plan - 10/26/2023

The Committee of the Whole meeting held on October 26, 2023 at Shire Hall in Picton brought forward a mix of infrastructure planning, land use decisions, and policy direction that will shape how the County manages its public assets and development pressures going forward. From tree protection and bridge inspections to community facilities and housing-related tax tools, Council worked through several technical but important items that carry long term impacts.

The meeting at Shire Hall in Picton included Mayor Steve Ferguson and councillors Phil St,-Jean, Kate MacNaughton, Brad Nieman, Phil Prinzen, Corey Engelsdorfer, Roy Pennell, Janice Maynard, Sam Grosso, Sam Branderhorst, Chris Braney, David Harrison, and John Hirsch. Bill Roberts sent regrets.

© PEC Council (YouTube)

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

Tree protection deputation and the by-law direction

After deputants Susan Banks and Victoria Taylor presented on tree protection, several councillors framed the issue differently during questions.

Councillor Kate MacNaughton spoke positively about staff responsiveness on the Delhi Park damage and described it as a “really positive” learning experience that helped identify weaknesses and improve practice. In the minutes, this section is captured as discussion about staff responsiveness, enforcement, and doing the work in tandem with the site alteration by-law.

Councillor Roy Pennell voiced caution in the discussion, raising concerns about being realistic when setting rules and about how policies might play out when sidewalks and infrastructure work interact with trees. This was recorded as a theme around “being realistic when policy/by-law setting” and “mitigating factors.”

Councillor John Hirsch pushed the discussion toward formal direction, and ultimately moved the motion that advanced the matter. The committee carried Motion CW-193-2023, moved by John Hirsch and seconded by Kate MacNaughton, directing staff to explore creating a Tree Protection By-Law “to strengthen the existing tree policy, in conjunction with the site alteration By-Law.”

The deputation itself was then formally received through Motion CW-194-2023, moved by Mayor Steve Ferguson and seconded by Councillor Sam Grosso and it carried.

A public comment followed from Sarah Crawford, who framed trees on municipal property as “a public asset” and spoke to volunteer time and climate benefits. That comment was received through Motion CW-195-2023, moved by Kate MacNaughton and seconded by Sam Branderhorst and it carried.

OSIM bridges report and the main lines of debate

When the Development Services report on the Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) program came forward, the minutes record the key questions and positions rather than a split vote. Councillors focused on maintenance, cost, the engineer requirement, whether inspections could be done in-house, and whether the County is using enough creativity when replacing smaller structures.

The report was received for information through Motion CW-196-2023, moved by Corey Engelsdorfer and seconded by Phil Prinzen and it carried.

Benson Hall and the Kinsmen agreement

This item had a clear participation rule and a clear amendment path.

Councillor Phil St-Jean had already declared a pecuniary interest on the Benson Hall item because of his role with the Kinsmen Club of Picton. The minutes state he vacated the chambers and refrained from discussion and voting on that matter.

During discussion, the recorded focus points included why an inspection had not occurred sooner, how the code compliance cost estimate was done, the alternative option of moving municipal staff into the building, the broader backlog of building repairs, lease cost for the Edward Building, and practicality and investment costs.

The turning point was the amendment.

Councillor Phil Prinzen brought forward the amending direction that replaced the original recommendations about how long the in-kind space would continue and what staff should explore for budget. The minutes record that the amending motion was brought forward by Prinzen, and then carried as Motion CW-197-2023, moved by Corey Engelsdorfer and seconded by Phil Prinzen. It directed staff to approve in-kind community space for the Kinsmen “to December 31, 2024” and directed staff to explore repurposing Benson Hall to include municipal office use as part of the 2024 budget deliberations.

The main report motion then carried as amended through Motion CW-198-2023, again moved by Corey Engelsdorfer and seconded by Phil Prinzen, with the minutes showing the original clauses and the amended replacement clauses together to reflect what changed.

The minutes also note that after the vote, Phil St-Jean returned to Council Chambers, reflecting that his conflict-related absence was limited to that item.

230 Niles Street, Wellington and the Municipal Capital Facilities tax tool

For the Housing Department report, the recorded discussion focus was ensuring that the definition of affordable housing aligns with the provincial definition. The committee carried Motion CW-199-2023, moved by Roy Pennell and seconded by David Harrison.

The motion included receiving the report, approving a by-law designating 230 Niles Street, Wellington as a Municipal Capital Facility at the November 14 Council meeting, implementing the designation through a Municipal Capital Facilities Agreement, authorizing signatures, setting out the tax exemption value for 2023, directing notifications, authorizing a grant funded by the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve, and approving administrative amendments to the broader by-law framework. It carried.

What this means on the ground, by area

In Picton and other settlement areas where municipal trees and boulevard trees are concentrated, the carried direction to explore a Tree Protection By-Law “in conjunction with the site alteration By-Law” signals that future projects and municipal land work may face clearer requirements around protection and compliance, which matters most where street trees, parks, and development pressures are most visible.

In Wellington, the carried motion on 230 Niles Street ties directly to a local affordable housing site and formalizes a tax tool intended to support affordability outcomes there.

The OSIM discussion and the repeated focus on bridge maintenance and replacement priorities connects to how safely and cost-effectively the County maintains bridges and culverts that residents rely on daily for commuting, farm access, and emergency response routes.

And back in Picton, the amended Benson Hall direction sets up a practical, time-bound plan through December 31, 2024 for the Kinsmen’s interim space while staff explore whether repurposing the building for municipal office use makes more sense heading into the 2024 budget.

---

Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:37:03. 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.