Inside Shire Hall

Mayor Peter Mertens’ term will end at the end of this month. On December 1, Robert Quaiff will be sworn in as the County’s new mayor.

Peter Mertens looks back on four years in the mayor’s chair

Peter Mertens easily summons a list of achievements when asked to look back upon his past four years as mayor: A top-to-bottom restructuring of the municipal organization; a stronger, more responsible financial platform, and a proactive initiative to encourage the development of housing designed for seniors as they age. He also points to the important advocacy role the County has played, with other municipal leaders, in promoting the Eastern Ontario agenda at Queen’s Park.

But there were disappointments too. Mertens regrets he wasn’t able to get a Code of Conduct bylaw passed in his term as mayor. He worries that by ignoring calls for greater openness and accountability, County council has eroded its credibility with senior levels of government and with its own people. He is profoundly disappointed that the term elapsed without an agreement to do something about the size of council, a rejection, he says, of the expressed will of voters.

PROACTIVE STEPS
Last week, the first bit of earth was dug to begin the construction of a 144-unit residential development on land near the HJ McFarland Memorial Home in Picton. This facility has been designed to encourage an active senior’s lifestyle, while easing residents’ transition to a variety of assisted living forms. It is housing that is much needed in Prince Edward County. Rather than wait for the market to solve the problem, Mertens, along with his senior staff,developed a strategy to attract this kind of development— with a view to spurring investment surrounding McFarland Home.

The Age-in-Place plan was developed and presented in a variety of forums. Never before had the municipality marshalled its resources to proactively elicit private sector investment to address a community need. Dozens of developers, builders and investors looked at the plans. Ultimately, Nautical Lands group stepped up—the concept and timing was ideal.

The strategy was controversial. Critics complained that it was wrong for the municipality to encourage development—that it diminished the County’s objectivity in assessing the suitability of the project. And there were missteps. McFarland Home residents complained when the original plan located the development on their front lawn.

No one could dispute, however, that a variety of housing was needed in Prince Edward County to ensure that more people could live out their days in their community of choice or birth.

With plans altered, and most of the objections addressed, work is now underway to see this strategy bearing fruit.

“After two years of planning and hard work, I am pleased that construction has begun and that this vision will become a reality,” says Mertens.

RESTRUCTURING
Mertens was a councillor and a member of the audit committee when the County’s finance team was enhanced by the additions of Susan Turnbull (commissioner) and James Hepburn (treasurer).

He has overseen massive improvements in the way the County scrutinizes and reports on its performance and financial position since then. But with greater visibility and clarity into the workings of the organization came a growing awareness of its fragile state.

“We were on an unsustainable track,” says Mertens.

He initiated a top-to-bottom restructuring of the County’s business—looking at every service, every job, to ensure it was relevant to the current needs of the community, and that the right skills and experience were delivering these services.

“We consulted with the community to understand what they wanted, and what they could do without, from their municipality. We realigned the County’s workforce from top to bottom. We rebuilt the organization with a focus on customer service—proactively solving small issues rather than reacting later to big problems. We also put our shoulder into rebuilding reserves.”

It was not glamorous or high profile work. It was a painful and mostly thankless task. Change of this kind is hard.

“It is one of the most difficult things a municipality will ever go through,” says Mertens. “It hadn’t been done since amalgamation.”

“Many of our staff knew that fundamental change was needed, but when change comes, that knowledge doesn’t make the task easier.”

But Mertens knew it had to be done. It had been put off far too long.

“We needed to address our structural issues and fix those. We needed a stronger platform upon which to build.

“Now that we are on the other side—the view is largely different. Our staff is taking advantage of training programs and job enhancement programs. They see a career path ahead of them, with the opportunity to advance and to improve job skills. Together, we have made the organization a more progressive and fulfilling place to work.”

ADVOCACY
Despite a common interest in the withering battle to resist the province’s inclination to download its financial headaches upon municipalities, it is only recently that leaders of rural and urban Eastern Ontario communities have begun to band together to bring a unified message to Queen’s Park policymakers.

Mertens has used his time as mayor to foster greater collaboration between the Warden’s Caucus and the Mayors’ Committee.

“We have a lot in common,” says Mertens. “There will always be differences between rural and urban Ontario, but the fact is that we are linked in many ways in terms of employment, education, entertainment and recreation.
“Four years ago, there was very little dialogue between the mayors’ group and the wardens’ group. We were able to act as a bridge, and in doing so, we have amplified our shared message.”

Mertens points to a $180 million federal and provincial investment in rural high speed broadband Internet service in eastern Ontario as a successful outcome of this collaboration.

“Ninety-five per cent of Eastern Ontario residents now have access to high speed internet services,” says Mertens.

The group has written five white papers identifying and quantifying pressing issues in this region, and has presented them to the appropriate ministries and government agencies.

“Ultimately, I believe this lobbying will lead to increased funding for our growing infrastructure needs in Ontario,” says Mertens.

OUTLOOK
He leaves office confident that Prince Edward County is in a good place.

“I am extremely optimistic for the County’s prospects,” says Mertens. “We are on the threshold of a another leap forward. We need to manage growth to preserve the qualities and values that make the County special. But I see many opportunities to pursue the things we are good at: an attractive lifestyle, a vibrant and innovative agriculture, natural beauty, water. All one needs do is to look at the investments made here in the wine sector, in the accommodation sector and in the revitalization of our urban centres. In 2014, we welcomed more visitors to the County than we have ever done before.”

He says Prince Edward County has become synonymous with progressive thinking and governance.

“I’ve had the opportunity to travel across the province as mayor,” says Mertens. “Everywhere I go there is instant name recognition. People know that Prince Edward County means innovation, excitement, investment and an attractive lifestyle.

“This has come about because of hard work by a lot of people,” says Mertens. “I am proud to have served for and with the people of Prince Edward County these past eight years.”