Part 2: Water Concerns Raised, Dukes Deal Amended, and Tax Relief Approved — 08/29/2023

This section focuses on who spoke and how Council voted during the August 29 meeting, tracking how key decisions took shape in real time. Moving through the agenda, it highlights where councillors aligned, raised concerns, or pushed for changes before votes were called.

A recurring theme throughout the meeting was public pressure, particularly on water and wastewater planning, which directly influenced how Council responded and in some cases altered its approach. From resident deputations to amendments on major items, the discussion reflects a Council balancing long term planning decisions with growing demands for transparency, affordability, and clearer communication.

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Water and wastewater concerns dominate public input

Concerns about water and wastewater projects were raised directly by residents, not staff or councillors. Dorothy Bothwell and Helen Prolas both spoke as Wellington area residents and ratepayers, pressing Council on financial risk, growth assumptions, and the lack of clear two way communication.

After Bothwell’s deputation, Corey Engelsdorfer brought forward the motion directing staff to change the format of the August 31 Water and Wastewater Public Information Centre into a sit down meeting with presentations followed by questions from the floor. Roy Pennell seconded the motion. Kate MacNaughton commented that she would support it even if the meeting date had to shift. Staff confirmed they could make the change happen, and Council voted in favour.

The vote signaled that Council as a whole accepted resident concerns about how information was being shared, even though no vote was taken yet on the projects themselves.

Strategic Plan Endorsement

The motion to endorse the 2023 to 2026 Strategic Plan was moved by Phil St-Jean and seconded by John Hirsch. During discussion, MacNaughton questioned why measurable targets were not embedded directly in the plan. Marcia Wallace, the CAO, explained that Council sets priorities and staff develops metrics and reports back annually.

After that explanation, Council voted in favour of the plan without opposition.

Drinking Water Quality Plan

The Drinking Water Quality Management System Operational Plan was moved by Hirsch and seconded by MacNaughton. MacNaughton also spoke in support, tying the plan to public confidence in local drinking water and transparency around safety standards.

Council voted unanimously to endorse the plan.

Wellington Dukes Agreement

The Wellington Dukes agreement drew both public comment and the longest Council debate of the night.

Before the vote, resident Gary Mooney spoke against waiving ice fees in exchange for naming sponsorship, arguing that the County should not subsidize a for profit organization.

When the item reached Council, Roy Pennell stated clearly that while he supported the Dukes, he did not support the proposal as written and could not vote for it in good conscience. Janice Maynard asked procedural questions about how to remove the sponsorship language if Council chose not to support it.

An amendment was moved by Sam Grosso to remove the in kind ice usage tied to naming sponsorship and restore standard fee language. Roy Pennell seconded the amendment. Council voted in favour of the amendment.

Council then voted in favour of the agreement as amended, meaning the Dukes agreement was approved, but without waived ice fees or naming sponsorship.

Tax Relief Grant Expansion

The one time expansion of the Municipal Financial Relief Grant Program followed a public comment from Elaine Jackson, who thanked Council and staff for responding to concerns raised earlier in the summer.

The motion was moved by Bill Roberts and seconded by Corey Engelsdorfer. During discussion, John Hirsch flagged a dollar amount error, which staff corrected, confirming the funding level was fifty thousand dollars. MacNaughton asked whether this was a separate program or a change to the existing one, and staff clarified it was an ancillary one time program.

Council voted in favour, approving both the funding and the bylaw.

Road Surface Spot Repairs

The road repair tender was moved by Phil Prinzen and seconded by Phil St-Jean. Several councillors asked questions rather than taking positions.

Roy Pennell asked whether rural roads were included. Phil  St-Jean questioned pricing, timing, and why some prep work was done by County crews. John Hirsch asked why only one bidder responded and whether earlier tendering would have helped.

After staff explanations, Council voted in favour of awarding the contract and directing staff to bring back a multi year plan.

Other Votes and Appointments

Council approved committee appointments, committee terms of reference, consent agenda items, and bylaws without recorded opposition. One Agriculture Advisory Committee item was pulled from consent at John Hirsch’s request and referred to staff for further review, then approved.

What This Means for Locals

The Council clearly heard frustration around water and wastewater planning and took an immediate step to improve how information is shared, even though the big financial decisions are still ahead.

Hockey families and taxpayers saw Council draw a line on subsidies by keeping ice fees in place for the Dukes.

Leasehold homeowners in Wellington on the Lake gained access to tax relief that had previously been out of reach.

The road repair tender and strategic plan votes showed Council moving ahead with existing priorities while signaling that affordability and transparency are becoming harder to ignore.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:26:37. 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.