Prince Edward County Council will receive a first quarter update from Chief Administrative Officer Marcia Wallace at its Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday afternoon.
The report will focus on the key activities and challenges faced by the municipality in the first three months of 2024.
Wallace says construction activity may have been down during the first quarter but there is still interest in building.
There were 120 building permits representing a construction value of $22.2 million issued in the first quarter of 2024. This is down 33% from the first quarter of 2023, which staff say is attributable to higher interest rates.
But planning application volumes remain steady with as many files closing as new ones
opening – and resulting in more than 80 active applications in progress.
Also in this quarter, staff fielded a staggering 700 planning inquiries.
Short-term accommodations remain a popular business venture in Prince Edward County.
The County currently has approximately 820 licensed STAs.
Wallace’s report shows the municipality granted 21 new licences and 193 renewals for short-term accommodations, resulting in revenue of just over $100,000.
Also in the first quarter, staff addressed 228 by-law complaint investigations related to STAs and other by-law matters.
Fourteen fines were issued representing a total of $32,000.
Another topic Wallace will touch on is environmental sustainability.
The report indicates more waste is being kept out of the landfill in Prince Edward County showing the municipality achieved a 57% waste diversion rate in 2023.
Wallace calls it a promising statistic as this is up from the municipal average of 38% over the last eight years.
Wallace also notes that some electric vehicle charging stations were installed at the Wellington District Community Centre and the Prince Edward Community Centre in Picton in the first quarter.
The charging stations were grant-funded, and the locations are being further enhanced with picnic tables, umbrellas, and waste receptacles.
Staff continue to apply for other funding to establish more charging stations throughout the County.
Prince Edward County Committee of the whole meets at 1:00 p.m. Thursday at Shire Hall in Picton.
