Despite health concerns taking him away from city council meetings, Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier told Sudbury.com he has never stopped doing the work.
Contacted by phone on Oct. 31, he said he’d been taking calls from residents throughout the day, on either side of a mid-day medical appointment.
“I answer my phones all the time,” he added. “My phones are steady, and email steady. That, I can do.”
Montpellier’s poor attendance record is outlined in the latest city council attendance report, which has been tabled as information for their Nov. 7 meeting.
Montpellier attended seven of 15 city council meetings and none of the 14 closed city council meetings that typically take place prior to regular meetings.
“It’s a very uncomfortable room, so basically, if it’s for my health,” Montpellier explained of missing closed meetings.
He was also absent from all nine finance and administration committee meetings, all three closed finance and administration committee meetings, three of four nominating committee meetings, all seven special city council meetings and both closed special city council meetings.
Despite these absences, Montpellier told Sudbury.com that he has been fulfilling his role as a city council member.
“I’m doing every inch, other than sitting there at council,” he said. “Some of the councillors are keeping me up to date on what's happening at the meetings and how it will go.”
Montpellier said that medical concerns resulted in his spending some time in a wheelchair, and that he has since shifted to a walker and now carries a cane. He still visits the hospital regularly and receives home care.
He has caregivers assist him in attending meetings when he is able, which he prioritizes based on what’s on the agenda and meeting his colleagues on city council encourage him to attend.
Montpellier told Sudbury.com he has no intention of stepping down, and would continue serving his community on city council as best he can.
Until recent medical concerns arose, he said that his meeting attendance was always stellar.
The only prior criticism he said he’d received on a similar front came a few years ago for not being part of many committees of city council.
“My constituents prefer I spend time dealing with their issue than coming to some committee meeting,” he said, adding that he would continue doing so.
Apart from Montpellier, attendance at meetings has been fairly clean so far this year.
The only other part of the attendance rundown that sticks out are the eight “partial” appearances by Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini, who typically attends meetings virtually. A common occurrence during these meetings is the city clerk calling on Vagnini for votes which are not lodged due to his virtual presence disappearing.
The attendance report notes that Vagnini resigned from the Community and Emergency Services Committee effective Feb. 3.
The only Community and Emergency Services Committee Vagnini attended was held on Jan. 16. Vagnini also resigned from the Emergency Services Committee in March 2021.
A city spokesperson clarified to Sudbury.com that there is no minimum attendance requirement for members of city council.
However, The Municipal Act states that the office of a member of council becomes vacant “if the member is absent from the meetings of council for three consecutive months without being authorized to do so by a resolution of council.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
