Part 1: Planning Decisions, Public Health Deputations, and Policy Updates – 08/26/2025
- PECConnect
- Aug 25, 2025
- 4 min read
The County Council gathered at Shire Hall on August 26, 2025, for a regular council meeting that combined routine municipal business with emotionally charged community issues and complex planning discussions. The meeting was held to carry out Council’s formal decision making responsibilities, receive public input, and move forward on infrastructure, policy, and governance matters affecting residents across the County.
The meeting was chaired by Mayor Steve Ferguson, who opened proceedings with a Traditional Land Acknowledgement and reminders about public participation, livestreaming, and procedural conduct. All required meeting formalities were observed, with no declarations of pecuniary interest. Council first addressed amendments to the agenda, setting the tone for a long evening shaped by deputations and added discussion items.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes.
Before confirming the agenda, Council approved two procedural waivers to allow additional deputations later in the meeting. Councillor John Hirsch moved to permit a deputation related to the Lakecroft planning application, and Councillor Corey Engelsdorfer moved to allow a deputation on groundwater concerns tied to the Cold Creek subdivision. Both motions carried, reflecting Council’s willingness to hear further information before final decisions were made.
Council then moved into a closed session to receive legal advice related to arbitration matters and to discuss staff recruitment. No reports or motions emerged from closed session that required public disclosure, and Council reconvened in open session shortly after 7:00 p.m.
Announcements Grounded in Community Life
Once back in open session, Council turned to announcements that reflected both the human and civic sides of County life. Councillor Sam Grosso spoke about the death of Josephine Weatherall, describing her long connection to the community and calling attention to road safety and infrastructure concerns. He followed with an announcement promoting a Wellington Food Bank fundraiser at the Regent Theatre.
Councillor Phil St.-Jean shared details about an upcoming Kinsmen Club charity barbecue and clothing sale, highlighting volunteer support for local needs. Mayor Ferguson added announcements about upcoming County fairs and noted proclamations recognizing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, reinforcing Council’s role in community awareness and public health messaging.
Public Health and Awareness Deputations
The first deputation came from Jeremy Owens, a registered nurse with the South East Health Unit, who addressed Council on International Overdose Awareness Day. Owens outlined overdose trends in Hastings and PEC and explained the purpose of the international day of remembrance. He spoke about stigma, harm reduction, and the importance of community based responses to substance use.
Mayor Ferguson followed by reading a formal proclamation recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day in the County, and Council formally received the deputation.
Council then heard from Evelyn Wilson, who spoke about Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Wilson shared personal experiences with childhood cancer and described the challenges families face when children require specialized treatment far from home. Her deputation focused on awareness, funding gaps, and long term impacts on families.
Mayor Ferguson issued a second proclamation recognizing September 2025 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Council received the deputation, marking another moment where the meeting paused to acknowledge broader social issues affecting residents.
Planning Matters Take Centre Stage
The Council moved into planning related deputations. Mark Pedersen, legal counsel with O’Flynn Weese LLP, appeared on behalf of the proponents of the Lakecroft development in Cherry Valley. Pedersen explained the planning history of the application, the professional studies submitted, and the recommendations made by County planning staff and consultants. He focused on the procedural implications of Council’s decision, including the possibility of an appeal if the application were denied.
Following that, Council heard from David McGillivray, a professional engineer and hydrogeologist with Grounded Engineering, regarding the Cold Creek subdivision. McGillivray outlined concerns about groundwater levels, monitoring timelines, and potential impacts on wells, wetlands, and nearby watercourses. His presentation led to clarification questions from councillors and staff about monitoring requirements, phasing, and the limits of Council’s authority after subdivision approval.
Together, these deputations highlighted recurring tensions between development pressures, environmental concerns, professional advice, and the long term responsibilities of the municipality.
Infrastructure, Policy, and Governance Decisions
Council then worked through several major staff reports. These included awarding the tender for Picton Main Street Phase 3, approving a new Traffic Calming Policy, updating the Video Surveillance Policy, and advancing a proposed ballot question for the 2026 municipal election regarding council size and ward boundaries.
Discussion across these items consistently returned to themes of public communication, transparency, and long term impacts. Councillors asked how construction would affect residents, how policies would be applied consistently, and how residents would be engaged before governance changes were finalized.
Later in the meeting, Council addressed an interim appointment to the Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation Board, following the resignation of Cristal Laanstra, who had just been appointed Director of Development Services. Council completed a nomination process to ensure the board could continue its work without interruption.
Key Takeaways
Council meetings often evolve in real time, with agenda changes and deputations shaping how decisions unfold between committee recommendations and final votes.
Planning and development decisions remain one of Council’s most complex areas, balancing professional studies, resident concerns, environmental risks, and financial consequences.
Many Council decisions extend beyond immediate outcomes, setting up future monitoring, public engagement, construction timelines, and election related discussions that residents will continue to see in the months ahead.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:22:29. 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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