Norfolk County is moving out of the Robinson Administration Building in Simcoe and relocating services elsewhere.
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County officials, in a statement issued Thursday afternoon, announced that it is closing the in-person ServiceNorfolk service counter at the Robinson Street building as of April 2.
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Officials also announced that the county administration building at 50 Colborne St. S. would reopen on April 2 with in-person customer service available on the first floor.
The statement did not include any explanation about the moves.
However, access to the Robinson Street building became an issue in mid-March when the elevator and automatic door openers were not working. A sign highlighting the problem was still posted at the Robinson St. entrance on Thursday.
Another sign told visitors the fire alarm system and emergency lighting were not working due to a partial loss of power. Visitors were told to yell “fire” in the event of a fire and to leave the building immediately.
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Yet another sign informed visitors that the building’s elevator service was impacted by a partial power outage.
All three signs were dated March 12 and March 13.
The county moved some departments into the building in mid-2015. Previous reports stated the county has a 15-year lease and pays about $900,000 a year for the space. That amount goes up to almost $1.5 million in the final five years of the agreement.
The county leases about half of the 65,000-square-foot building.
The property is the site of a former canning factory that sat vacant for about 20 years.
In response to questions about the move Jarah Stefek, the county’s supervisor of corporate communications, said Norfolk County is a tenant of the Robinson Street building and any questions about the building should be directed to the landlord.
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Stefek said “the office re-locations will enhance the county’s ability to provide customer service to the residents of Norfolk County.”
ServiceNorfolk’s business hours in Simcoe will remain the same, with the in-person service counter open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm The doors on Talbot Street South will be open for customers to enter during business hours, county officials said in the statement.
As part of the shuffle, the county’s building, planning and zoning departments are moving to the Gilbertson Administration Building at 12 Gilbertson Dr. as of April 2.
Staff will be available for in-person customer service at the service counter shared with the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit and Haldimand-Norfolk Social Services and Housing, county officials said.
The in-person building, planning and zoning service county on the second floor of the Robinson building will be closed as of April 2.
As well, the asset management, engineering, and environmental services departments are also moving to 12 Gilbertson Dr.
ServiceNorfolk will continue to offer in-person service at the Delhi Administration Building (DAB), at 183 Main Street of Delhi in Delhi, Tuesday to Thursday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
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