Part 2: Council Decisions, Industrial Land Sales, and Procurement Changes - 03/25/2025
- PECConnect
- Mar 25, 2025
- 5 min read
The second half of the March 25, 2025 Regular Council meeting shifted from presentations into decision-making, with Mayor Steve Ferguson continuing to chair and guide Council through a full slate of motions. When Council came back from closed session, the first public decision was moved by Councillor Bill Roberts and seconded by Councillor John Hirsch. Council authorized payment of $1,466,653.33 to K Mulrooney Trucking Ltd in response to an arbitration award, and the motion carried.
The second closed session result was moved by Councillor Sam Branderhorst (Athol) and seconded by Councillor Phil St-Jean (Picton). Council authorized the sale of municipal industrial park land to Tim Dainard Electric Inc. and Otter Energy Inc., with the motion also confirming that the by laws to authorize the sales would be approved in open session at the April 8, 2025 Council meeting. The motion carried.
View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.
During announcements, Bill Roberts (Sophiasburgh) delivered the longest set of remarks. He promoted Maple Pub Night 2025 and a fundraising dinner supporting the County Food Hub, then shifted to a brief reflection on March 25 as the anniversary of the end of the Selma to Montgomery march and the push that led to the Voting Rights Act.
Phil St-Jean (Picton) followed with two community updates, one for City Revival hosting a spring fashion show that collected donations for local food banks, and one for the relaunch of St Andrews Presbyterian Church as The Andrew.
Ferguson added his own remarks, pointing to the anniversary of the pandemic emergency declaration and highlighting Maple in the County. He also read proclamations, including Daffodil Month, Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Be A Donor Month and Green Shirt Day, World Autism Day, and National Epilepsy Awareness Day.
Ferguson led the meeting presentation recognizing Alexandra Bake with a civic award connected to the Picton Library expansion and the fundraising campaign behind it.
Ferguson specifically called on Barbara Sweet, Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Edward County Public Library, to speak to the nomination. Sweet described Bake’s role as Honorary Chair of the Picton Expansion Fundraising Committee and talked through how the expanded space is being used day to day, from children’s programming to meeting rooms and the sound room.
Feed the Meter deputation
Council heard from Kelly Brace, Executive Director of the Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation, and Jen Barrett, Resource Development Coordinator, about Feed the Meter, Feed the Kids and the foundation’s broader work.
Brace explained the foundation’s purpose using everyday examples of the barriers that can derail learning, including food insecurity, lack of basic essentials, and other family pressures that keep kids from being ready at school.
Barrett thanked County staff and Council for continuing the Feed the Meter partnership and described the scale of the program in the County, including the cost of supporting school food access and the number of students participating. Barrett also used the moment to promote the Prom Project and encouraged donations of formal wear.
During questions, Janice Maynard (Ameliasburgh) asked what prom items were most needed. Barrett responded that small and medium suits and size 16 plus dresses were the biggest gaps.
Bill Roberts (Sophiasburgh) asked how many student emergency supports were coming from Prince Edward County and how many local schools were included in technology supports. Brace said she would follow up with exact numbers, noting she believed three County schools received funding in the $3,000 to $5,000 range.
Council then carried a motion to receive the deputation, moved by Bill Roberts (Sophiasburgh) and seconded by Brad Nieman (Bloomfield Hallowell).
Governance and finance decisions
The 2024 Council remuneration report was moved by Councillor St.-Jean and seconded by Councillor Roberts. Council received Report FIN 05 2025 for information and the motion carried.
The purchasing by law changes connected to Buy Local, Buy Canadian were moved by Councillor Maynard and seconded by Councillor Harrison. The motion approved the amending by law to the procurement by law and directed staff to monitor and report back before the 2026 budget deliberations on tariff impacts including cost escalations, supply chain disruptions, and bid competitiveness. The motion carried.
On the floor discussion, Roberts pressed staff about what limits exist in trade agreements and whether municipal associations should be pushing for changes. Maynard focused on keeping the approach flexible and also made the case that supporting local business should not stop at the County boundary if neighboring communities are part of the real local economy for residents. Branderhorst added context about municipal buying power and the lack of clarity municipalities are working with, while framing the by law change as a first step that could be adjusted as conditions shift.
Built and Cultural Heritage committee changes
Council then dealt with the Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee seat. The minutes show the motion was moved by St.-Jean and seconded by Roberts.
In discussion, St Jean raised the idea that if Council reduced councillor membership on the committee, it could add a public member seat to keep capacity strong. Councillor Hirsch, speaking from his experience on the committee in the room, explained that public vacancies had been filled and that the committee pays attention to skills and experience, especially around heritage designation and permits. Ferguson also signaled that the membership change could be handled through a terms of reference amendment for the current term. Council carried the motion to amend the terms of reference to reduce councillor membership from two to one and replace the difference with an additional public member.
Consent items and by laws
The block of consent items was approved by one motion moved by Councillor Branderhorst and seconded by Councillor St.-Jean, and it carried. The by laws were then adopted by motion moved by St.-Jean and seconded by Branderhorst. The minutes list two key by laws, one amending the procurement by law for Buy Local, Buy Canadian, and one adopting an Official Plan amendment, General Amendment No 6. The motion carried.
The confirmatory by law was moved by Councillor Branderhorst and seconded by Councillor St.-Jean, and it carried. Adjournment was moved by Councillor Branderhorst and seconded by Councillor Maynard, and the meeting ended at 8:08 p.m.
How this affects locals
For Picton and the industrial park area, the land sale approvals signal more activity tied to McDonald Drive parcels and the County’s industrial land strategy, with next steps coming in public form at the April 8 Council meeting.
For Sophiasburgh and Demorestville, Roberts used the meeting to spotlight local fundraising and community events that bring people out in the shoulder season. County wide, the Buy Local, Buy Canadian procurement shift is the practical one to watch because it changes how staff can buy goods and services under $100,000 and it sets up a reporting loop on tariff pressure that can affect projects, timelines, and costs in every ward.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:09:48. 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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