Part 2: Who Said What and How Council Lined Up on Key Decisions - 06/27/2023

This section of the Council report focuses on who spoke, how councillors voted, and how positions took shape on the key decisions from the June 27 meeting. It follows the flow of the agenda, highlighting where councillors showed clear support, raised concerns, or pushed back before votes were taken. The goal is to track how decisions were made on the record and how those choices connect to broader impacts across the County.

The meeting was chaired by Mayor Steve Ferguson, who guided Council through a long agenda that included land sales, health system presentations, capital spending, and program changes. Ferguson was particularly active during the discussion on County Road 49, emphasizing that repeated efforts with the province and federal government had not produced results in the past and that Council needed to show leadership and seriousness by identifying a local funding contribution.

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Ferguson also seconded the motion to expand the 2023 PEC resident summer pass to temporary migrant workers, signalling mayoral support for addressing an administrative gap that had excluded a key part of the County workforce.

Industrial Land Sale in Picton

The sale of two municipal industrial park parcels on McDonald Drive was moved by Phil St. Jean and seconded by Roy Pennell. Council voted in favour of authorizing the sale to Scott Wentworth Landscape Group Ltd for a total of $145000.

There was no recorded debate in open session, reflecting that the substantive discussion took place in closed session. The unanimous approval indicated broad agreement that the land sale aligned with employment and industrial development goals.

Health Care Discussions and Regional Advocacy

During the deputation from Debbie Korzeniowski, questions came from multiple councillors.

John Hirsch asked about physician recruitment and whether there was positive news to share. Korzeniowski confirmed good news was coming but noted confidentiality limits.

Brad Nieman asked for clarification on what material disadvantage meant in practical terms. Korzeniowski pointed to food security, transportation, housing, and child care as key issues affecting residents.

Kate MacNaughton later moved the motion to receive the deputation, seconded by David Harrison, and Council carried the motion.

When Marcia Wallace presented on Health PULSE, several councillors engaged.

Phil St. Jean raised concerns about long term care capacity and how hospital overcrowding is tied to the lack of available beds. He also questioned whether seasonal tourism increases emergency room use and suggested the region should be recognized differently when physician numbers are allocated.

Roy Pennell spoke in support of the collaborative tone, emphasizing inclusion and shared responsibility.

Janice Maynard, attending virtually, asked whether Health PULSE could align with the County community safety and wellbeing plan to avoid duplication. Wallace responded that coordination with Ontario Health Team work was already happening.

The presentation was formally received on a motion moved by Phil Prinzen and seconded by Pennell.

Tandem Axle Truck Purchase

The purchase of a new tandem axle dump truck with winter implements was moved by Phil Prinzen and seconded by Pennell. Prinzen asked whether only one bid had been received and raised concerns about long delivery timelines.

Staff confirmed procurement challenges, and Council voted in favour of approving additional reserve funding and awarding the tender to Premier Truck Group. The vote carried without recorded opposition.

County Road 49 Rehabilitation and Tourism Funding

The most divided discussion of the night centered on County Road 49.

An amendment was introduced by Janice Maynard and seconded by Pennell to defer committing tourism-related revenues until the budget process. That amendment failed.

The main motion was then moved by Phil St. Jean and seconded by Sam Branderhorst, directing staff to allocate up to one million dollars from tourism-related revenues for consideration in the 2024 capital budget.

Pennell spoke against the approach, arguing that directing funding sources before budget deliberations set a poor precedent.

Chris Braney strongly supported the motion, stating that Council needed to demonstrate leadership when dealing with senior levels of government and emphasizing that the intent was not to raise property taxes.

Hirsch asked technical questions about costs and impacts on other road programs but did not speak directly against the motion.

The motion carried, signalling majority support for using tourism revenues as part of the County Road 49 funding strategy.

West Mary Street Sanitary Sewer Project

The sanitary sewer reconstruction was moved by Corey Engelsdorfer and seconded by Phil St. Jean.

David Harrison declared a pecuniary interest because his son owns the awarded company and left the room for discussion and voting.

St. Jean asked how much of the cost would be paid by developers versus users. Staff clarified that roughly 80 percent would be recovered through connection charges, with the remainder paid through water and wastewater rates rather than property taxes.

Pennell questioned whether taxpayers were subsidizing development, prompting clarification from staff and the CAO.

Council voted to approve the contract and the associated bylaw.

Summer Pass Expansion

The motion to expand the summer pass was moved by Chris Braney and seconded by Ferguson.

Braney explained the motion was meant as a gesture of fairness toward temporary migrant workers who live and work in the County but lacked documentation to qualify under existing rules.

Pennell supported the intent but raised concerns about beach crowding during peak weekends.

St. Jean said he could not fully support the motion without also addressing students and workers who live outside the County but work locally. Staff confirmed those broader issues would be reviewed as part of the 2024 tourism management plan.

Council voted in favour and the motion carried.

What This Means for Residents

The approved land sale and infrastructure project support ongoing development and upgrades while keeping most costs off the tax base.

The County Road 49 decision signals movement on a long-standing transportation issue, with funding discussions now more clearly defined but not finalized.

The summer pass expansion reflects a shift toward broader inclusion in access to County amenities, even as questions about capacity and fairness remain.

More broadly, the health care discussions show continued alignment with regional partners, with a focus on improving access and addressing system pressures that affect residents across the County.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:05:28. 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.