North Bay Deputy Mayor Sheldon Forgette has received official notice from the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board that he is no longer eligible to serve on its board.
A statement released by DNSSAB last month indicated that “The removal of a member from the board for missing three consecutive Board meetings is a directive of legislation under the DSSAB Act.”
Based on the by-laws of the corporation and the DSSAB Act, the board is looking for someone to fill the seat.
Forgette maintains he has phone records proving he attended one of the meetings in question via teleconference.
The Deputy Mayor was given a deadline of noon on Friday, June 29 to present his documentation proving it.
“I did not make that deadline. I was busy doing work in the community. I think my work in the community is more important to me than clearing my name,” said Forgette.
“I believe that was the day I was bringing around a Special Olympian who had lost his job. I was bringing him around town to do some job marketing, and to me, I thought that was more important than meeting a deadline. I think that was what I was doing that day. It’s hard to remember off the top of my head.”
Forgette admitted he did, in fact, receive the phone records he was waiting for in the mail last week, prior to the Friday deadline.
“I’ve got a lot of commitments, I’m a director on Big Brothers, Big Sisters I’ve got two young children, I’ve got a wife, I’ve got city council and a business. What I’m trying to do right now is basically find people to take care of certain things for me because I’m in the middle of working on something.”
Tuesday afternoon, the Deputy Mayor met with DNSSAB to discuss the situation.
“I pulled the evidence from my pocket which was phone records displaying that I was, in fact, part of the teleconference that day, and I also apologized for the comments I made in the media. And I told them it was either a technology or administrative error. I told them I understand accidents happen, and they are going to investigate the matter further,” said Forgette.
“The CAO is saying he will need about two or three days, and at the end of the day, worse case scenario, if the CAO can’t fix the record properly, then I will have no choice but to petition city council to reappoint me.”
Forgette provided a copy of the letter he received from the board which states that the board has reviewed its teleconference phone logs; absences noted in the approval of the board minutes, the official signed roll call logs, circulated minutes, and signed motions.
It also reads that Forgette did not request any correction to the minutes circulated by the Board.
“I have faith in the people on DNSSAB and I have faith in the people at city hall that they will make it right. They just needed the proof that I was on the call. Basically, I dialed into the meeting about eight minutes after two o’clock. The meeting was scheduled to start around two. I realize that this doesn’t look good, but I am ready to work, and I do want to work.”
