Neepawa plans mayoral byelection

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This article was published 14/12/2011 (5369 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Following the resignation of Neepawa Mayor Ron Forsman, town council will call a byelection “as soon as it can possibly be done,” deputy mayor Lisa Pottinger told the Sun.

“I understand in my capacity as deputy mayor I step up for now,” Pottinger said. “The first order of business is to call a byelection.”

Citing health concerns, Forsman issued a press release on Monday that announced he was stepping down as Neepawa’s mayor, only one year into his four-year term.

“I regret that I cannot fulfil my obligations and my vision for the town of Neepawa that so many of you were so supportive of,” Forsman’s press release stated, as reported in the Neepawa Banner.

“I thank you for the opportunity to have served as mayor. The current circumstances have negatively impacted my health and well-being. I therefore submit my resignation as mayor of the Town of Neepawa.”

Forsman could not be reached for further comment yesterday to clarify which “current circumstances” he was referring to, but his press release said he would give a more complete statement in the coming weeks.

However, Pottinger said she was not entirely surprised by the mayor’s resignation, given how much he has done for the community over the years.

Forsman has served the Neepawa for 26 years, first as a councillor and more recently as the mayor.

“Ron has a big heart; that’s easy to see by the amount of concern he has for everything that goes on,” Pottinger said. “And someone who operates at that capacity for that long, begins to show signs. Ron, in his caring for people, forgets to care for himself.”

The town has been dealing with some difficult issues over the past few years.

Most pressing has been the ongoing housing crunch in the community, made more difficult with the addition of foreign workers at the nearby HyLife Foods hog processing plant, all of whom need a place to live.

Council’s plan to turn the community’s vacant East View Lodge into a 52-suite housing complex hit a snag recently when Health Minister Theresa Oswald stopped the Assiniboine RHA’s sale of the structure to a developer for $1, and instead put the building up for public tender.

There were no takers, and the unheated building sits empty and in danger of falling into disrepair if it sits through a harsh winter.

Pottinger says the province has indicated they will have a meeting with the Town of Neepawa before the new year with regard to the East View Lodge property.

“They know our priority is housing. We want to move forward. What steps have to occur for that to happen, that’s what we need to discuss.”

Other issues before council include the hiring of a new CAO to replace former CAO Allison Bardsley — who resigned in a disagreement with council, according to the Neepawa Banner. And last summer, the paper reports that operations and maintenance director Gerry Irving was let go.

But Pottinger said any suggestion that these issues have caused an undue amount of stress on the mayor and council is not true.

“I think there’s some misconceptions that tension is mounting,” she said. “That’s not the case. Standard operations as they exist are stressful. Intense service comes with a price, and Ron’s health and well-being are that price right now.

“It’s obvious to see his heart is for his community and if he can’t operate at the capacity he wants to operate at, that will just frustrate him and due to health concerns and well-being, I completely support Ron’s decision to step away from public life.”

When reached by phone, Coun. Dean Dietrich declined to comment on Forsman’s resignation, saying he had not seen the official letter of resignation yet.

“We’re having a meeting this evening, a special meeting in council,” Dietrich said Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve been called to deal with that and a few labour and human resource items. So I can’t speak to it.”

However, Pottinger said it was unlikely that Tuesday’s special council meeting would result in the Neepawa council calling a byelection. Last night’s special council meeting was originally called to discuss labour issues in camera.

“Out of camera, we have some resolutions to pass that will come out of the in-camera sessions. I would have to say no, the byelection is not going to be called at tonight’s meeting.”

Other Neepawa councillors could not be reached in time for comment.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be held on Dec. 20.

» mgoerzen@brandonsun.com