Smaller space, continued services: Napanee Council supports amended Southeast Public Health lease

Residents will continue to have access to local vaccine clinics and well water testing after the Council of the Town of Greater Napanee approved an amended lease that will allow Southeast Public Health (SEPH) to remain in the community with a significantly smaller footprint.

Council was presented with a report at a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, recommending support for an amendment to SEPH’s lease at 99 Advance Avenue that would reduce the amount of space occupied, while maintaining core Public Health services. The report was prepared by Jessica Walters, Executive Services; and Chris Brown, Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture.

Councillors raised questions about the long-term implications for Public Health services in Napanee, but ultimately supported the staff recommendation to approve the amended agreement and authorize the mayor and clerk to execute it.

In December 2025, Southeast Public Health announced plans to close several rural offices as part of a broader effort to reduce operating costs. The Town of Greater Napanee subsequently received notice that SEPH intended to terminate its lease at 99 Advance Avenue, effective March 31, 2026.

Following further discussions, the Public Health organization indicated it was exploring ways to continue delivering services in rural communities while reducing expenses. Town staff met with SEPH representatives on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, resulting in a proposal to reduce its footprint in the municipal building by approximately 75 per cent, according to the municipality.

Because the lease is based on square footage, the reduced space would result in a comparable reduction in rent. Under the amended agreement, SEPH would continue to offer public vaccine clinics using the main floor conference room, maintain a public well water sample drop-off fridge in the lobby and staff a reception desk on days when Public Health events were held in the building, and provide information and instructions for accessing virtual services.

Staff noted the amendment would affect both municipal operations at 99 Advance Avenue and lease revenue, prompting the request for Council’s endorsement.

Financially, the report stated the Town’s draft 2026 budget did not include lease revenue beyond March 31, 2026, based on the original termination notice. If the amended agreement proceeds, monthly rent would drop from approximately $1,825 to about $430 for the final 20 months of the lease term.

The Town's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Matthew Grant told Council the proposal represented a significant reduction in space.

“This represents a significantly reduced footprint within the building — essentially a room for vaccine storage and a front reception area,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Brian Calver questioned what would happen after the amended lease ends. 

“So they’re proposing to reduce the rent to about $400 a month for the remainder of the lease,” he said. “What happens when that lease expires? Were they still planning to pack up and leave at the end of March, or is the intention to continue beyond that?”

Grant said that SEPH would be treated like other tenants, with an option to negotiate a lease renewal toward the end of the term if both parties agree.

“That’s quite a reduction,” Calver later added. “I have nothing against the Health Unit. I understood they were planning to pull the pin and leave, and now they’re looking to stay under amended terms.”

He said he was comfortable supporting staff’s recommendation.

Grant said Town staff would review the vacated rooms to determine whether they could be repurposed for municipal use or leased to another tenant.

Walters emphasized that, from a community perspective, maintaining a smaller Public Health presence in the municipal building would preserve local access to essential services, even at a reduced scale.

“Staff believe this is in the best interest of the community, as it would allow the continuation of vaccine clinics, the well water testing fridge, and other Public Health services,” she said.

Grant also noted that Southeast Public Health would continue to have access to the building’s large communal meeting room to run vaccination clinics. 

“Residents would not have to travel to Kingston for vaccines, which is a direct benefit of maintaining a presence here,” he said.

Councillor Bill Martin raised concerns about potential impacts on municipal staff and the broader regional use of the services, saying, “My concern is that if the space isn’t staffed five days a week, municipal staff could end up taking on some of [SEPH's] role when residents come in with questions."

Martin also questioned whether Napanee taxpayers were bearing costs for services used by surrounding communities: "I don’t want our residents to lose services, but I don’t have to be happy about that aspect of it."

Grant responded that the primary benefit of the arrangement would be for Napanee residents. 

“I don’t believe we’re necessarily subsidizing services for other municipalities,” he said. “The primary benefit is maintaining local vaccine clinics, which will largely serve Napanee residents.”

In closing, Mayor Terry Richardson commented, “It’s encouraging that the Health Unit recognizes the importance of maintaining a presence in our facilities" --- as the alternative would have been the complete loss of local Public Health services locally.