Wawa Municipal Council discussed several items in a pair of back-to-back meetings this week.
The meetings began with Deputy Mayor Pat Tait reading a tribute to longtime municipal worker Marc Liard, who died last weekend...
Wawa Municipal Council then heard a presentation from Beverly Boyd of Wawa and Area Victim Services on a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan - public sessions on the draft are planned before it is finalized - and discussed topics including the filling of potential Council vacancies.
While there is no vacancy at this time, Clerk Cathy Cyr said advice was requested, noting Council has two main options: a byelection or an appointment, though there are many methods to determining an appointment, such as requesting expressions of interest or simply choosing a new councillor, perhaps the runner-up from the last election.
Cyr noted a byelection "may appear to be the best choice" by allowing the public to choose through a democratic process but it could take more time than an appointment and would cost about the same as an election, which could pose a particular issue next year, as the next municipal election will be held in October 2022.
As there is no current vacancy, the report was only for information, with no decision made.
In a separate item, Cyr also noted plans are to reopen Council meetings for limited public attendance with rules such as masks required, starting next month - they will still be livestreamed on the Municipality's YouTube channel, however.