Millennium Lookout to be renamed
Councillors in Prince Edward County are honouring a past mayor.
A motion was passed to rename the Millennium Lookout to the James A. Taylor Millennium Lookout on Thursday afternoon during a committee of the whole meeting.
The motion was brought forward by Phil St-Jean who felt it was only right to honour the first mayor of the amalgamated municipality and someone who dedicated much of his public life to municipal politics.
“In my view, it is honouring somebody who devoted their time and efforts to making our community a much better place.”
Taylor served two terms as mayor of Prince Edward County before retiring in 2003.
He passed away last month.
The motion passed unanimously and a rededication ceremony and plaque unveiling will be organized for the summer or fall of 2021.
Backyard hens bylaw fails to move forward
Backyard hens won’t be allowed in Prince Edward County any time soon.
Councillors did not move a motion forward to see permissions expanded for backyard hens on Thursday during a committee of the whole meeting.
The zoning amendment would have allowed hens on both urban and rural lots, with those with rural residential properties being allowed to have more hens.
Some councillors around the horseshoe had concerns about how the by-law would be enforced when it came to things like the cleanliness of coops and the proper care of hens.
Council opposes changes to Municipal Elections Act
Prince Edward County has added its name to the growing list of municipalities opposed to a new provincial bill.
Councillor Kate MacNaughton brought the resolution forward citing Bill 218, Supporting Ontario’s Recovery and Municipal Elections Act 2020, would reduce options available to municipalities during elections.
The bill would prohibit the use of ranked balloting and would also extend nomination day until the second Friday in September.
Clerk Catalina Blumenberg called the extension of the nomination period “an operational challenge”, especially for larger councils like theirs.
The resolution passed and will be circulated to all Ontario municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO).
