Alfred and Plantagenet Township Council has adopted a resolution authorizing the indefinite absence of Ward 1 Councillor Benoit Lamarche.
On February 3, a report prepared by Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Michel Potvin presented to council indicating Lamarche had been absent from council meetings since November 24, 2025, for medical reasons.
The report explained that under the township’s Procedural Bylaw, a resolution is required to authorize a councillor’s absence if the councillor has been absent for more than three regular council meetings, otherwise the seat becomes vacant. However, under the Municipal Act, a council seat becomes vacant if the councillor has not attended a meeting for three full months. Potvin acknowledged there is a discrepancy between the bylaw and the provincial legislation, but the Municipal Act has precedence over the bylaw.
If no resolution authorizing Lamarche’s absence had been adopted, his seat would have become vacant on February 18, 2026, because the last meeting he attended was on November 18, 2025.
The resolution adopted by council recognizes that Lamarche’s absence is fully justified and reasonable, and that his absence be authorized with pay, for an indefinite period.
Potvin explained that resolution was required to maintain Lamarche’s status as a councillor.
