Part 1: School Food Funding, Septic Delays, and 2024 Meeting Plans — 09/26/2023

The Council met at Shire Hall in Picton on September 26, 2023, with Mayor Steve Ferguson chairing the meeting. The evening covered a full slate of business, but most of the attention landed on student nutrition funding, resident frustration with septic system requirements, and how Council plans to meet and work in 2024.

After opening formalities and confirming the agenda, Council received one motion coming out of an earlier closed session, accepting the resignation of Sheila Stene from the Hillier Ward Recreation Committee with regret and appointing Enid Grace as a voting public member. The rest of the meeting stayed firmly in open session, with multiple deputations and public comments shaping later decisions.

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School food programs take centre stage

Two deputations focused on the state of school food programs and how rising costs are affecting students and families.

Sarah Keyes, Ontario Chapter Coordinator for the Coalition for Healthy School Food, spoke about the role school food programs play in student health, learning, and daily stability. She explained that Canada still lacks a national school food program, leaving communities reliant on patchwork funding and local fundraising. Keyes highlighted that food costs and demand have increased faster than funding, forcing some programs to scale back or cut days.

Following that, Jen Barrett from the Hastings Prince Edward Learning Foundation spoke about the local impact. She described how grocery inflation and higher usage are stretching budgets and asked Council to support the 2023 Feed the Meter campaign. The request included launching the campaign with a voluntary road toll on Giving Tuesday, November 28, as both a fundraiser and awareness effort. Council discussed safety, locations, and process, then endorsed the campaign and directed staff to work with the foundation to make it happen.

Later in the meeting, Council connected these discussions to policy by unanimously endorsing the mission of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, formally supporting advocacy for a universal, cost shared national school food program.

Public comments highlight septic system frustrations

The most pointed public comments came from residents dealing with septic system approvals.

Wendy Russell, a Bloomfield property owner, described a months long permitting process that she said involved unclear requirements, repeated revisions to servicing reports, and ultimately the need for a three tank septic system costing significantly more than expected. She told Council the lack of clear written criteria led to delays, added costs, and frustration.

Oliver Wigington, a contractor new to the area, followed with a similar experience, describing an 81 day approval timeline tied to servicing reports and peer reviews. He emphasized the impact on project scheduling and labour planning rather than just cost.

These comments prompted questions from councillors and set the stage for later action.

Council responds on septic rules and meeting schedules

In response to the septic concerns, Council passed a motion directing staff to prepare a countywide report on septic system criteria, using applicable legislation and focusing on clearer communication for applicants. The report is scheduled to come back to Council in November, bringing the issue fully into the public policy space rather than leaving it at the permit counter.

Council also approved the 2024 Council and committee meeting schedule, including continuing to allow advisory and statutory committees to meet electronically, with the option to meet in person once per year. Discussion acknowledged both accessibility benefits and technical challenges, but Council ultimately supported staff’s recommended approach.

Key takeaways:

1. Council formally backed stronger school food funding and structure, including endorsing a national approach through the Coalition for Healthy School Food, after hearing directly about the limits of today’s patchwork system.

   
   

2. The Feed the Meter campaign is not just a feel good fundraiser. Council endorsed a voluntary road toll launch for Giving Tuesday, November 28, 2023, signalling that student nutrition programs are feeling real pressure from rising grocery costs and higher demand.

   
   

3. Septic system rules and communication are about to get much more public. After residents described costly delays and unclear requirements, Council directed staff to bring back a countywide report on septic criteria and process clarity, with the intent of making expectations easier to understand before projects get underway.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:04:34. 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.