Part 1: Consent Decisions, Health Outreach, and Picton Terminals Settlement - 06/25/2024
- PECConnect
- Jun 25, 2024
- 3 min read
The County Council met on June 25, 2024 for a Regular Council meeting, with an earlier start time of 5:30 p.m. to accommodate a closed session before the open agenda resumed. Mayor Steve Ferguson chaired the meeting, with councillors present from across the wards, and municipal staff in the room.
After the land acknowledgement, Council confirmed the agenda and moved into closed session under the Municipal Act for solicitor-client advice and personal matters related to committee appointments. Council recessed from closed at 6:52 p.m. and returned to open session, with Councillor Sam Branderhorst listed as regret.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes.
Once back in open session, councillors used announcements to touch on community events and a bit of levity. Councillor Sam Grosso spoke about a Stanley Cup bet tied to the Florida Panthers and a donation to Rock Youth Services. Councillor Corey Engelsdorfer gave notice of motion related to federal and provincial funding for rural water and wastewater infrastructure and shared Wellington’s Canada Day programming. Councillor Phil St-Jean highlighted Picton’s Canada Day weekend activities and encouraged residents to enjoy events across the County.
Deputations: dental outreach, climate programs, and severance reconsideration
The first deputation came from Jimmy McLean, Community Engagement Liaison, speaking about Gift from the Heart and its work providing emergency and preventative oral health suppors. Council asked about the link between oral health and overall health, and the group’s request landed on a practical point: help securing a municipal location for a mobile dental clinic. Council directed staff to assist with finding a suitable site.
Next, resident Ian Beveridge addressed Council on the County’s 10-year Community Plan 2023–2033, raising concerns about climate-related programs and asking Council to reconsider participation in Partners for Climate Protection. Council received the deputation.
Lawyer Mark Pedersen (O’Flynn Weese LLP) then spoke to Council’s upcoming reconsideration of consent files B109-21 and B112-21 related to the Estate of Ronald and Eva Lough, including a concern about an added condition applying to one file but not the others. Council received that deputation as well.
Public comments and a tense Picton Terminals backdrop
With no preregistered speakers, several residents spoke from the floor. Multiple comments focused on the possibility of reopening or advancing settlement discussions involving Picton Terminals, raising questions about transparency, public consultation, enforcement, noise and dust impacts, truck traffic, and marine safety in Picton Bay. One speaker also raised concerns about fluoride in the Picton water supply and questioned the County’s climate emergency framing. Council voted to receive the public comments.
Decisions: Ameliasburgh consents, appointments, and a narrow settlement vote
Council moved into business with a reconsideration request brought forward by Councillor MacNaughton regarding the two consent files. Council approved reconsideration by recorded vote (9–4), then ultimately approved the two previously denied consents, including a wording change adding “if required” to one condition on file B112-21.
Council also made an appointment to the Krasyliv Friendship City Working Group, and handled routine consent items and by-laws. Later, Council returned to closed session and came out with a recorded vote approving draft settlement terms related to Picton Terminals, carried 7–6.
Key Takeaways
Council moved quickly to support a local health outreach initiative with a concrete staff direction.
It reversed course on two Ameliasburgh consent denials after a formal reconsideration; and
It advanced draft settlement steps tied to Picton Terminals after significant public concern and a razor-thin recorded vote.
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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