Part 2: Who Said What on PEC Affordable Housing Finances, Working Groups and Nile Street - 09/08/2026
The September 14 meeting of the Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation Board moved from financial questions into changes to how the corporation organizes its work, before ending the public portion with progress on the Nile Street site. Councillor Phil St-Jean, Picton Ward, chaired the meeting, while board members raised questions about financial reporting, project costs and how the corporation should organize its priorities going forward. Several motions were carried during the meeting, including changes to the working group structure and steps connected with the Nile Street property.
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County-Wide: Questions About the Corporation’s Finances
The financial discussion had implications beyond one particular neighbourhood because it dealt with the Affordable Housing Corporation’s overall accounts and its relationship with the County. Councillor John Hirsch drew attention to approximately $687,000 shown as due to the County and asked for greater clarity about what was included in that amount. Other board members also raised questions about the corporation’s loans, tangible capital assets and the way costs for individual housing projects were being recorded.
The conversation eventually shifted toward getting those questions directly in front of the auditor rather than trying to resolve them around the board table without the appropriate financial representatives present. Councillor Phil St-Jean asked members to submit their questions in advance so they could be forwarded and answered properly. The board then received the financial update after Bob Waldon, municipal clerk, suggested clarifying that the financial statements were still in draft form. The motion carried, meaning the board received the information but the questions raised during the discussion were not treated as fully resolved.
County-Wide: A New Way of Organizing Affordable Housing Work
The next major decision affected how the corporation will divide its work. Board members discussed a proposed structure built around four working groups rather than continuing with the previous governance, fundraising and Disraeli site groups. Some members questioned whether there would be enough people and resources to keep several groups active, while others explained that the groups did not all need to work at full capacity at the same time.
The board ultimately voted to adopt the new structure and dissolve the existing groups. Penny Morris, Hillary Spriggs and Councillor Brad Nyman were appointed to the Corporate Governance and Accounting Working Group. Mark Guslitz, Ted Elborn and Hillary Spriggs were appointed to Building Development and Finance. Ian Chodokoff, Penny Morris and Councillor John Hirsch were appointed to Advocacy, Outreach and Policy, while Ian Chodokoff, Councillor Grasso and Councillor McNaughton were appointed to Community Fundraising and Communications. The appointments were approved by the board, and St-Jean encouraged members to look into the wider community for people with useful skills who may be willing to help.
That discussion also touched on the board’s transition and the possibility that its membership could change. Members talked about how people could potentially continue contributing as public volunteers even if they were no longer sitting on the board. St-Jean also confirmed that whoever holds the chair position would serve as an ex-officio member of all four working groups.
Picton: Nile Street Property Transfer Moves Ahead
For Picton, one of the clearest decisions involved the Nile Street affordable housing site. Staff explained that only a few remaining items were needed before the record of site condition could be filed. These included legal documentation connected with the property transfer and other required confirmations. The board received the update and authorized services from Soloway Wright to produce a required letter.
Waldon then read a separate resolution dealing with the property transaction. The resolution approved completion of the purchase agreement and authorized Councillor Phil St-Jean and Councillor Brad Nyman to execute further documents required to complete the transaction. Penny Morris and Councillor John Hirsch moved and seconded the resolution, and the motion carried. The meeting also clarified that the portion being transferred was closest to the green space and was not intended to be developed.
The board’s public discussion ended with a move into closed session concerning negotiations related to capital fundraising and development of the Queen Elizabeth Picton site and Disraeli Street site. The transcript does not provide the substance of that closed discussion, so no further outcome can be drawn from the public record provided.
What This Means for the Locals
For Picton residents, the most immediate public action was continued administrative progress at Nile Street. The property transaction and remaining record-of-site-condition requirements are part of the steps the corporation identified before the site can reach its next stage. The Queen Elizabeth and Disraeli Street sites also remain active matters, although the meeting moved discussion of their fundraising and development negotiations into closed session.
For residents across Prince Edward County, the financial and organizational discussions show where the corporation’s attention is going next. Questions about project costs and financial reporting are being carried forward for clarification with the auditor, while the new working groups create dedicated places for development, accounting, policy, outreach and fundraising work. Just as importantly, the board made clear that community volunteers may be part of that structure, opening a path for residents with relevant experience to contribute to the corporation’s affordable housing work.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 3:39:24. 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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