A pending out of court settlement has been put on hold, as Prince Edward County council has decided to seek a second legal opinion in regards to their ongoing dispute with Picton Terminals.
Council debated the move during closed session, before the open session of Tuesday’s council meeting. Upon entering open session, councillor Kate MacNaughton moved that they get a second opinion on the case, before moving forward with the settlement. The motion passed 8 to 4.
“I’m happy with the outcome,” said councillor MacNaughton. “I think we’re in a very dangerous place right now, regardless of which direction we go as a community, and I really want to make sure we get it right. So taking a little bit of extra time is the right thing to do.”
The decision was met by a large crowd of residents, filling the available seats in the council chamber and requiring extra chairs be brought out. The crowd took to both deputations and public comment to praise councillors for aborting the settlement deal, and encouraging them to keep up the battle.
The legal issues with the terminals stems from a zoning dispute, which began in 2020.
Due to the pending consultations, plans to approve a bylaw to enact the settlement were scrapped.
