FAQ - Baie-D’Urfé’s Town Hall Renovation

Published on February 19, 2021

Baie-D’Urfé’s Town Hall Renovation

We would like to thank the many citizens who have sent us their questions, comments and suggestions regarding the Town Hall Renovation.

We have taken the time to read and discuss all of your letters, and have chosen to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to provide you with the Town's position on the important issues/themes that have been raised. Further more, many questions were technical in nature, such as the choice of materials and type of siding. The answers to these questions will be shared with you as the project evolves.

 

 

FAQ

 

  • Will there be enough parking space for Council meetings?

Yes. As it has been the case in the past, citizens will be able to park at Town Hall, as well as on Morgan and Carrière . In addition, it will be possible to use the Boating Club parking lot if necessary.

 

 

  • Projects generally tend to cost more than expected. Did you include contingencies in your $2.7 million estimate?

Yes. There is a 25% margin of flexibility included in the cost estimate, which is higher than normal to incorporate any unexpected extra costs due to COVID-19.

 

 

  • Why not turn the building into a community centre?

The terms of Mr. Morgan’s deed of donation of the Town Hall requires that a suitable Town Hall be maintained on the current site. If this condition is not met, the property could be transferred to the heirs of the Morgan family.

There are currently three other municipal buildings that are accessible to the community and have availability for an increase in activities and events: the Red Barn, the Fritz Community Centre and the auditorium of the Whiteside Taylor Centre.

 

 

  • In order to reduce the scale of the renovations, have you considered the possibility of employees working remotely?

The renovations will be modest. Given the small size of our municipality and the important role of each of our employees, we are considering returning employees back to our buildings to work as the pandemic situation dissipates. We have been able to maintain services to our citizens during the pandemic, but it has come with many challenges, including delays to our citizen services. We believe that the physical presence of our employees allows us to offer a better service to our population.

 

 

  • Why not transfer as many employees as possible to Public Works and limit the scale of renovation at the Town Hall?

It is already anticipated that there will be fewer employee offices at the Town Hall after the renovation is completed. Some employees will have to be relocated to Public Works. In addition, the existing Public Works building has limitations, as it is a former car dealership that was converted by the Town in the 80’s. The second floor, for example, has no windows and currently functions as a storage area. In addition, this building also serves as one of our emergency facilities, has spaces allocated for two of our local volunteer groups - Rescue Squad and Vcops - who provide key services in our community. This building will require major work in the coming years.

 

 

  • Will I be able to access the veranda directly from outside?

This enclosed space located at the rear of the building is an integral part of interior space. It is only accessible from the inside and will be limited to employees during the Town Hall’s opening hours. It may, however, be possible to access it on a scheduled basis with prior reservation or to the public during special town functions, in a manner similar to any of our other town buildings.

 

 

  • Is it possible to have a shaded area to enjoy the park behind the building?

An outdoor development project, that may include a gazebo or an infrastructure providing shade, will be proposed after the building is completed and we are looking at the landscaping of the project.

 

 

  • Is it possible to access the washrooms directly from outside?

A door giving access to the washroom from the outside is already included in the plans. We will evaluate the possibility of providing direct access to citizens once the building has been constructed.

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