Part 1: Community Support Requests, Rural Severances, and Service Pressures – 05/07/2024
- PECConnect
- May 7, 2024
- 3 min read
The County Council met for a Regular Council meeting at Shire Hall on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, with Mayor Steve Ferguson in the chair and all nine ward representatives in attendance. Senior staff in the room included Chief Administrative Officer Marcia Wallace, Municipal Clerk Catalina Blumenberg, and department leaders spanning planning, operations, and community services.
Early in the evening, Ferguson paused the regular business to recognize local volunteerism, presenting Civic Awards to the Prince Edward District Women’s Institute for decades of community service and fundraising. The moment set a clear tone for the meeting: Council’s work is often technical, but it is also tied directly to the organizations that help hold the County together.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Community gardens ask for stability and donation tools
The first deputation came from Barbara Mason, Chair of the Picton Community Gardens, who described the gardens as a growing, inclusive community space and outlined work underway to improve the site. Mason asked Council to reaffirm the long-standing arrangement allowing the gardens to operate on municipal land in Delhi Park, and to formally recognize the gardens as a Project of Community Interest so they can issue donation receipts.
Councillors Kate MacNaughton and Phil St-Jean moved motions that did both, and Council carried them. The outcome gave the gardens more long-term footing and a practical fundraising tool, which matters in a climate where community projects increasingly rely on donations to keep pace with costs.
A severance debate on County Road 2 and what counts as “strip development”
Next, Council heard from Mark Pedersen, a lawyer with O’Flynn Weese LLP, speaking for a client tied to two outstanding severance requests south of 3123 County Road 2 in Ameliasburgh. Pedersen pushed back on the idea that Council had already decided the matter by implication at a previous meeting and argued the remaining severances deserved a clear decision.
When the decision came forward, Michael Michaud, Manager of Planning, defended staff’s recommendation to refuse, pointing Council to Official Plan language intended to prevent linear or strip development and protect the rural landscape. Councillor Janice Maynard disagreed publicly, arguing the County’s past decisions showed inconsistency and warning that refusal could create new complications. Council ultimately refused both severances on a recorded vote.
Community grants and the squeeze on nonprofits
Public comments then shifted to money. Gillian Armstrong, Grants and Communications Administrator with the County Foundation, told Council demand is outpacing available funding, describing a process designed to balance geography, categories, and community benefit. Councillors questioned what is driving the spike and how to ensure grants remain fair when need keeps rising. Council approved the recommended list of grants over $5,000.
On operations, Council approved an asphalt spot-repair tender and discussed how road fixes are prioritized and priced. They also approved a fuel supply contract and added a direction for staff to explore regional tendering, aiming to find savings through joint purchasing with neighbouring municipalities.
The meeting also included a unanimous resolution, moved by Councillor Sam Branderhorst and seconded by Councillor Bill Roberts, urging upper levels of government to resolve a funding dispute tied to affordable housing supports. Staff confirmed there would be a public service announcement explaining how residents can raise the issue with provincial and federal representatives.
Key Takeaways
Council strengthened a local nonprofit by approving Project of Community Interest status for the Picton Community Gardens, enabling donation receipts.
Council refused two rural severances in Ameliasburgh after a clear split between staff’s interpretation of Official Plan direction and some councillors’ views on consistency.
Rising costs showed up everywhere, from grant demand to housing supports, and Council signalled it will pursue both advocacy and efficiency, including exploring regional fuel purchasing.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:53:18. 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.
Comments