Not for sale: Town hall group given 12 months to transition to ownership

Administrator | Dec 12, 2025 | Comments 0

– Municipality of Prince Edward County photo

By Sharon Harrison
Several council members had a change of heart when it came to the sale of the Wellington Town Hall – something they had initially voted to declare surplus and put up for sale at the Nov. 25 committee of the whole meeting in a tied vote (a tied vote loses).

In an about turn of events, council voted 8-4 at Tuesday’s council meeting to allow the community group, the proposed Wellington Town Hall Foundation, to proceed with its proposal to take over the building in its entirety from the municipality.

The group will work with municipal staff to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the terms and conditions for a phased transition of ownership and stewardship of the building. Once the MOU is signed (expected to come before council at the next feasible meeting), the group will then have 12 months – they had originally asked for 24 months – to secure ownership and have a functioning and operational building.

The recorded vote saw councillors Phil St-Jean, Bill Roberts, Brad Nieman and David Harrison opposed (councillors Phil Prinzen and Kate MacNaughton were absent).

“We want to emphasize that this proposal is to work with the staff on a development of an MOU and get it back to council as quickly as possible, so that we can purchase the building and get it off the books within the 12 months,” clarified Sarah Bobas who is with proposed Wellington Town Hall Foundation, clearing up an apparent earlier misunderstanding.

Wellington councillor Corey Engelsdorfer said he was looking to re-consider the original motion that council had voted on (Nov. 27) that would have seen the town hall put up for sale.

“There is no doubt that a sale could ultimately be a fiscally responsible decision, but that said, this proposal provides cost savings, it meets the needs and wants of the community, and it does it quite quickly,” expressed Engelsdorfer, who said he just wants to see the building used.

Several deputations were heard at the meeting including from Bobas and Christina Zeidler, with the proposed Wellington Town Hall Foundation, along with Joanna Green and Peta Hall of the Wellington Community Association. Five comments from members of the public were also received, those comments in favour of saving the town hall from sale.

Back at the podium after their deputation two weeks ago, Zeidler and Bobas clarified several points in particular that arose from the earlier meeting, such as the 25 per cent asset management footprint reduction in the next 10 years, and having the building off the municipality’s books within 12 months.

Opposition to the change of mind of some of his fellow councillors came from councillor Phil St-Jean who spoke to why the building shouldn’t be transferred, and should be declared surplus and put on the open market.

He said the single biggest reason is that it would remove some future costs from future budgets, but he also addressed the capital sustainability reserve in particular, as well as the building reserve, not being properly funded.

“By giving away the building, because that is what a nominal fee means, $2 in legal terms, we are not benefitting the entirety of the municipality as we are supposed to be thinking about… the greater good, the greater whole,” shared St-Jean. He reminded that the capital sustainability reserve leaves a closing balance of $61,243.

“What happens if we have a roof problem, where do you get that money? The funding to assist with unforeseen problems, as well as the ones that we are planning to cover, we need to think about that, we really do,” he added

He also reminded that the Wellington Town Hall was appraised at approximately $400,000 a couple of years ago.

“$400,000 would go an awful long way to supporting all of the other facilities that are just as important that have considerable requirements for asset management planning and future repairs.“

“If we don’t put this on the market, and we hand it over to this group, I think we are short-selling the entire community if we do not put it on the market and see what we can get for it,” he said.

Bobas added clarification saying, “…the dollar value in a private sale is not the prevailing mandate of the asset management plan as we understand it, nor the direction given to the EOI (expression of interest) working group,” stated Bobas, “…the proposal represents concrete momentum on the asset management plan to reduce operational load and divest of costly assets”.

Councillor Sam Grosso spoke to the purchase price being a nominal price, where he asked what the price would be, or rather what the offer would be.

“We said a nominal fee because we didn’t want to throw the process off by throwing a number out, so obviously a nominal fee means a nominal fee,” confirmed Bobas. “We can look at precedents from Baxter Arts for that, but that is part of an MOU process, but we are not looking for the market value: the nominal fee is the nominal fee.”

St-Jean further reminded that whatever happens, the building will not be lost.

“It is not going to get torn down, it is historically protected, we just enacted an HCD (Heritage Conservation District) in Wellington… there is no threat of the building going away.”

St-Jean concluded by saying, if the proposal cannot be achieved within the 12-month timeframe, he wanted the original motion to sell the property to be re-introduced. The clerk responded: “Declaring the building surplus will always be a viable option… it’s a consideration that will always be on the table”.

In her deputation, Green expressed how the residents of Wellington were dismayed last week to learn that the committee of the whole had voted to declare the Wellington Town Hall building surplus, and to prepare it for sale.

“It is fervent hope that after hearing from residents, stakeholders and other concerned parties during the course of this evening’s council meeting, council will see fit to reverse that decision,” said Green.

“Through a robust, sincere and authentic process, initiated and implemented by the municipality, it has been determined that the community does not want to see the town hall sold off or demolished,” she expressed.
[Author note: demolition was never an option: as a designated heritage building within a designated heritage area, the Wellington Town Hall cannot be demolished, by anyone].

“Residents of Wellington have spoken loud and clear: they cherish this building and they want their town hall to be protected, preserved and celebrated for its history and beauty.”

She told council how the solution to the town hall conundrum is staring them in the face.

“The proposal by the Wellington Town Hall Foundation would release the municipality from the financial burden posed by ownership of the building, while allowing the community to benefit from a vibrant community hub,” said Green. “It’s a no-brainer solution and a win-win for all parties concerned.”

Member of the public Penny Morris said the committee of the whole tie vote indicates considerable support for the Wellington Town Hall proposal. She also noted that putting up a for sale sign has no guarantees, especially with this building which needs work.

“Please re-consider putting a for sale sign on the front lawn and give this well-organized, highly-skilled, experienced and passionate group just 12 months to develop the MOU and decide if they really can realize their dream,” shared Morris.

She said not only would this take the property off the County’s books, “this project has huge potential for a much more cohesive Wellington community and will result in a vibrant place of activity offering who knows what”.

Member of the public and former County councillor Monica Alyea had this to say to council:

“I have to say, just get out of the way, just get out of the way, get out of the way, and let them do it!” exclaimed Alyea. “You guys get out of the way, and if the people want to make it happen, they have to make it happen.”