Part 2: Picton Terminals Settlement, Ameliasburgh Consents, and Community Initiatives - 06/25/2024
- PECConnect
- Jun 25, 2024
- 5 min read
The County’s June 25 Regular Council meeting featured two recorded votes that clearly split Council, along with several smaller decisions that showed where members were aligned across wards. Council was chaired by Mayor Steve Ferguson, with all councillors present except Councillor Sam Branderhorst (Athol), who was listed in regrets.
View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.
Picton Terminals Settlement
The most visibly divided decision of the night came out of closed session and landed back in open session as a recorded vote on Picton Terminals. The motion was moved by David Harrison (North Marysburgh) and seconded by Roy Pennell (Ameliasburgh. It asked Council to approve draft terms of settlement and direct legal counsel to seek similar approval from Picton Terminals. It also directed that Council meet with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Council and Picton Terminals to discuss the draft terms before any bylaw is brought forward to implement a settlement agreement, and that executed minutes of settlement be made public with the applicable Council agenda. Kate MacNaughton (Picton) requested the recorded vote. The motion carried 7 to 6.
In favour were Councillors
Braney, Grosso, Nieman, Roberts, Harrison, Pennell, and Engelsdorfer.
Opposed were MacNaughton, Maynard, Prinzen, St-Jean, Hirsch, and Mayor Steve Ferguson.
That vote lined up with the public comments earlier in the meeting, where multiple speakers raised concerns about trust, transparency, enforcement, and impacts near Picton Bay. The minutes record comments from Ken Stewart, Bob Cooke, Leslie Stewart, Ted Longley, and Libby Crombie specifically tied to the Picton Terminals settlement discussion.
Ameliasburgh Severances Reconsidered and Approved
The other major decision with clear named positions was a reconsideration request tied to consent applications in Ameliasburgh. The reconsideration motion was moved by Kate MacNaughton (Picton) and seconded by Phil Prinzen (Bloomfield/Hallowell),. Council voted to reconsider the earlier decision connected to consent file numbers B109 21 and B112 21.
Councillor MacNaughton requested a recorded vote. The reconsideration carried 9 to 4. In favour were Councillors MacNaughton, Braney, Maynard, Grosso, Prinzen, Harrison, Engelsdorfer, Hirsch, and Mayor Steve Ferguson.
Opposed were Councillors Nieman, Roberts, St-Jean, and Pennell.
After reconsideration passed, the minutes note that Council treated the matter as if it had not been decided before, then moved into the next vote sequence on the file. During questions, the discussion focused on the rationale for approval, whether a well had a bacterial problem on B112 21, and municipal liability around removing a clause related to groundwater risk language.
A key moment came when Councillor Maynard (Ameliasburgh) brought forward a friendly amendment to add the words if required to a condition dealing with groundwater susceptibility language on B112 21. Planning staff noted they would work with the applicant, review the condition, and determine if necessary. The final wording shown in the minutes includes that condition language and the added if required. The approval motion that followed, motion 2024-295, was moved by Councillor MacNaughton and seconded by Councillor Maynard, approving the consent files with conditions and tying them back to the earlier approvals for B110-21 and B111-21.
On the community health side, Council heard a deputation from Jimmy McLean, as Community Engagement Liaison, about Gift from the Heart and the need to secure a municipal location for a mobile clinic. Council then directed staff to assist with finding a suitable municipal location for the mobile dental clinic. That direction was moved by Phil Prinzen and seconded by Bill Roberts.
Krasyliv Friendship City Working Group Appointments and Who Was Chosen
Council also made appointments to the Krasyliv Friendship City Working Group. Mayor Steve Ferguson nominated Bill Roberts of Sophiasburgh, and Roberts accepted. Council then approved the appointments naming Mayor Steve Ferguson and Bill Roberts as the Council representatives, and Paul Epp and Don Leslie as Rotary sponsoring organization representatives. The motion was moved by Phil St-Jean and seconded by David Harrison.
Where Recruitment Fell Short
A second closed session report dealt with citizen appointments across multiple committees. The motion was moved by Phil Prinzen and seconded by Phil St Jean. Council appointed Codie Goodman and Edwin Rowse to the Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee, appointed Jeffrey Beatty and Stuart Houlahan to the Accessibility Advisory Committee while also amending the terms of reference to permit 10 public members, and appointed Julie Snelgrove to the Hillier Ward Recreation Committee. Council also directed the Clerk office to keep recruitment open where applications had not come in, including ward recreation committees and future recruitment for the Krasyliv group after it was established.
What This Means for the Residents
The tight 7 to 6 vote on the Picton Terminals settlement tells residents near the bay that Council is moving toward a negotiated path, with a planned meeting that includes the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Council, and a promise that executed minutes of settlement will be made public with a Council agenda.
The reconsideration and follow up approvals on B109 21 and B112 21 mean the severances moved forward, but with conditions that squarely address water risk language, including the added wording if required tied to groundwater susceptibility treatment language.
The Gift from the Heart direction signals staff will now work on a practical next step, finding a municipal location to host a mobile dental clinic that can serve residents who need it.
The committee appointments and the note about low public applications show Council is still trying to fill advisory tables like accessibility, heritage, and ward recreation, but needs more residents to step forward if those groups are going to reflect the communities they are meant to serve.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:59:53.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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