The six-seat board of Flin Flon's city council will have two empty chairs this summer.
Former councillor Guy Rideout stepped down from his post earlier this year. A byelection for his spot, previously scheduled before the COVID-19 shutdown, has been delayed by provincial government decree until after the outbreak is over.
Leaving council temporarily is councillor Colleen McKee. McKee was approved to have a leave of absence until this fall to tend to health issues.
With four councillors and Mayor Huntley remaining, council sits close to losing quorum. Council needs at least four people - including Mayor Huntley and three councillors or four councillors, with one taking over as deputy mayor - to hold a meeting. When asked if he was concerned over the recent changes, Huntley said he was not.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think any of us have really extensive travel plans, given everything that’s going on,” Huntley said.
“We’ll be able to meet. Four is quorum, so we can afford to have a person gone.”
Huntley added that council would be able to bring in any councillor unable to physically be at a council meeting through technology. Huntley cited COVID-19 changes and councillor Karen MacKinnon, who took part in all council business while stuck during lockdown with family in Cape Breton, as reasons for his optimism.
“If there’s one thing COVID-19 has done for us, it’s got us all much more comfortable with the technology to meet from a distance. Karen participated pretty fully through the whole time she was gone.”
