Part 2: Housing Direction, Long Term Care Oversight, and Provincial Planning - 05/09/2023

The May 9, 2023 regular Council meeting was chaired by Mayor Steve Ferguson, who guided discussion through several major policy items and ensured recorded votes were taken on decisions with the widest impact. The meeting moved between urgent housing pressures, long-term care oversight, provincial planning concerns, road funding decisions, and public safety resolutions, with councillors frequently responding directly to both staff reports and community input.

Across the agenda, the clearest theme was balance: immediate action on housing and social issues alongside caution on expanding reporting requirements and operational spending. Several decisions passed unanimously, while others revealed more division over how far Council should go in adjusting existing systems and funding priorities.

© PEC Council/ YouTube

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

Housing plan support and a unanimous push for immediate action

The strongest point of alignment came during discussion of the County Housing Plan. Elis Ziegler, Co Chair of the Housing and Poverty Reduction Action Team, presented the plan, supported by data from community agencies. Council members repeatedly referenced public comments from residents and service providers who described homelessness in Picton and across the county.

Councillor Janice Maynard spoke in support of the speed and collaboration behind the plan, pointing to the Community Safety and Well Being Plan as a driver for action. Councillor Kate MacNaughton emphasized the importance of listening to lived experience. Councillor Phil St.-Jean focused on funding readiness and shovel ready projects.

Mayor Ferguson introduced an amendment directing the Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation to identify an immediate solution to homelessness and a physical space for displaced residents. A recorded vote was requested. All councillors voted in favour, making the direction unanimous.

Council then voted to endorse the County Housing Plan as a living document. That motion also carried unanimously.

Long term care reporting and a split over oversight frequency

When council turned to the H.J. McFarland Memorial Home update, discussion centered on staffing pressures, agency use, and compliance with the Fixing Long Term Care Act. The point of disagreement was not the content of the report but how often council should receive updates.

Councillor Phil St.-Jean moved an amendment requesting quarterly operational reports instead of biannual ones. He argued council needed more frequent insight during a critical period leading up to future redevelopment decisions. Councillor Roy Pennell of Ward 3 supported closer oversight given the long term financial commitments involved.

Others disagreed. Mayor Ferguson and Councillor Kate MacNaughton emphasized separating operational reporting from new build planning and cautioned against increasing reporting burdens unnecessarily.

A recorded vote was held. The amendment for quarterly reporting did not pass. Council then voted on the main motion setting biannual updates, which carried.

Provincial planning changes and near unanimous opposition

The most policy heavy debate came from a resolution introduced by Councillor John Hirsch regarding proposed changes to the Provincial Planning Statement. Hirsch argued the changes would undermine local planning authority, weaken protections for agricultural land, and conflict with the county’s recently completed Official Plan.

Councillor Janice Maynard spoke on behalf of agricultural concerns, referencing minimum distance separation standards and the pressure farmers already face.

Councillor Kate MacNaughton reinforced the importance of municipal autonomy in land use decisions.

Councillor David Harrison was the lone dissenting voice. While stating support for protecting prime agricultural land, Harrison criticized what he viewed as inconsistency in the county’s own planning approach and questioned delays in rural severance approvals.

A recorded vote was taken. All councillors voted in favour except Harrison, who voted against. The resolution carried.

Declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic with full support

Council then considered a resolution brought forward by Councillor Kate MacNaughton declaring intimate partner violence and violence against women an epidemic, in line with the Renfrew Inquest recommendation.

Councillor Phil St.-Jean spoke strongly in support, referencing the inquest findings and calling the issue unacceptable and urgent. No councillors spoke against the resolution. The vote was unanimous.

Roads funding and repeated efforts to redirect savings

During discussion of road maintenance tenders, Councillor John Hirsch highlighted that multiple contracts came in under budget and proposed reallocating a portion of the savings to gravel road top ups. Councillor Phil St.-Jean questioned whether gravel should be prioritized for shoulders that protect asphalt roads rather than loose top roads.

Councillor Janice Maynard opposed redirecting funds to gravel, instead proposing that any savings be used for spot repairs on deteriorating paved roads. Staff cautioned about capacity and the risk of expanding programs before fully scoping them.

Both amendment attempts failed. Council then voted to approve the original tender awards as presented.

Street naming and adding traffic representation

Council approved the Street Naming Task Team terms of reference after discussion about representation. Councillor Phil St.-Jean questioned why the Arts Council was included but the Traffic Advisory Committee was not. Staff explained the intent was to bring cultural and heritage perspectives into naming decisions.

Council amended the terms of reference to add traffic committee representation. The amended motion carried.

What this means for Prince Edward County residents

For residents across Picton and the rural wards, the clearest impact from this meeting is council’s unified direction on housing. Council did not just endorse a plan but formally instructed its housing corporation to pursue immediate homelessness solutions.

On land use, most councillors signaled strong resistance to provincial planning changes that could reshape rural development and farmland protection. In long term care and roads, council showed caution about expanding oversight and programs until capacity and scope are clear, choosing steady operations over rapid change.

---

Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:47:51. 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.