November 22, 2023, in-person engagement session

A recording of the Vittoria Properties in-person engagement session presentation on November 22, 2023, at the Vittoria and District Community Centre is available below.

Questions and Answers

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback, asked questions, and attended the in-person engagement session. The following questions were asked by residents online and at the in-person session.

Q1: I attended the town hall meeting in Vittoria last night. I want to thank the staff for their time and for giving an informative presentation. It’s a tough job to please everyone and stay within budget. Hopefully a plan can be created to keep the old Town Hall so that the residents can enjoy the building. Some of the comments of the local people who spoke were not helpful and the staff handled the inappropriate and misinformation as best they could. Again, thank you for your time.

A: Thank you for your comment and feedback.

Q2: I think the issue of the town hall in Vittoria should be dealt with separately as it quite a different issue and impacts more than just green space use.

A: Thank you for your comment and feedback.

Q3: What happened to the beautiful curtains, stage floor and piano that were in the Vittoria town hall building?

The county leased the building and since then these parts of the building appear to be missing. If these were stolen there should be a police report made or if the renter/lessee took them they should be made to return them.

What is the County doing to find or restore these important fixtures in the Vittoria Town Hall building?

A: In 2020, Norfolk County issued a Call for Submissions (CS-CSS-20-03) to prospective proponents to submit Proposals from community partners and/or operators interested in operating or supporting select community assets to reduce the taxpayer support for facilities. As a result of this Call for Submissions, a License Agreement was signed which provided the Licensee permission to complete building renovations/improvements to all non-heritage designated building components, at their cost, to improve the functionality of the space. A full stage renovation was included as part of the building renovations, however, was not fully completed due to the discovery of the larger building issues.

Q4: Why was no maintenance done on the windows of the Town Hall. They were maintained for 130 years and in the last 20 there was no maintenance and now we have to pay $300,000. to repair them?

A: Norfolk County owns and maintains 250 buildings. The portfolio of Norfolk County facilities is aging rapidly and the general condition of County facilities is deteriorating. With very limited resources, required maintenance in some facilities must be deferred to address building deficiencies in other areas in the portfolio.

Q5: When will the next public meeting(s) take place?

A: Public feedback will be compiled into a report and taken to Council. If Council takes action on a piece of property in Vittoria, another meeting will be scheduled at that time.

Q6: Why hasn’t Norfolk County taken care of the building (Vittoria Town Hall)?

A: Please see question 4.

Q7: Is a vacant parcel of land able to become a food forest?

A: Staff and council would be open to various ideas and options regarding vacant properties.

Q8: Will traffic/water studies and sustainability reports be part of the process if Council decides to sell surplus land to a developer?

A: Yes - planning, building, environmental and GIS staff and other pertinent departments would investigate and be part of the process.

Q9: Can there be a second opinion on the amount of work needed to be done on certain buildings (Vittoria Town Hall) and can a local contractor be hired to assess the hall and provide an estimate?

A: There are protocols that must be followed as a municipality. The county, by law, cannot simply give work to a local business, we must follow a competitive process based on the Provincial Municipal Act.

Q10: Has the fate of any buildings or lots already been decided?

A: No. A report based on staff and public feedback will go to Council, at which time a decision on the properties and buildings will be made.

Q11: Could the community fundraise for the repairs needed for a County building in question?

A: If there is a community effort to raise money for the repairs, staff will be willing to speak with the group in hopes of crafting an agreement.

Q12: Can work on buildings in questions be done all at once or in stages?

A: Yes, however work is recommended to be done in an effort to keep costs lower than if done in portions.

Q13: Do building reviews take into account community impact and history?

A: Yes, Norfolk County staff and Council will take into account what these properties and buildings bring to, and mean to, their towns before making any recommendations and decisions.

Q14: What is the real estate value of the current Vittoria Town Hall?

A: Those numbers would be determined by a real estate appraisal, which at this time has not been completed.

Q15: Why not take money needed for building studies and put it into the Town Hall?

A: Should a property be put up for sale for development, part of the process would require a geotechnical study. No funding has been set aside for Norfolk County to do that study at this time. If any additional properties are declared surplus and sold, that could generate funding for required studies.

Q16: Could a community group take responsibility for renting and covering expenses with the Vittoria Town Hall?

A: Norfolk County is willing to work with any local group that may have ideas for the future of the hall.

Q17: 300K was allocated to repair Vittoria Town Hall? What has happened to that money?

A: Due to the extensive additional building repairs required to repair the Vittoria Old Town Hall, the $300,000 capital project was cancelled, and a new, more comprehensive capital project has been included in the 2024-2033 Capital Plan in 2025 for $1,000,000 to complete the initial necessary structural and building repairs

Q18: What happened to all the furniture and things inside the Vittoria Town Hall when it was leased out? (piano, backdrop, curtains)

A: Same answer as Q3. All unused furniture and accessories have been kept in storage or relocated.

Q19: Where can community members go with suggestions or possible solutions?

A: Community members can make a deputation to Council, and contact members of staff to have their ideas heard.

Q20: Why look at selling land that could be used in the future?

A: Staff would not suggest selling land that could be of better use in the future. Staff takes into consideration a number of factors, most notably the need for local infrastructure in considering deeming certain properties surplus.