Heated Cassellholme discussion spills over into council meeting

Following a five-minute pause in the discussion late in Tuesday's regular meeting of North Bay City Council, Mayor Al McDonald ruled against a point of order raised by Coun. Dave Mendicino regarding comments made by Coun. Mark King he felt were personal in nature.

Mendicino had interrupted King's response to the former's position on the effectiveness of the Cassellholme Board of Management in the redevelopment saga of the long-term care facility.

"I didn't hear Coun. King call your integrity into question, Coun. Mendicino. I did hear him disagree with what you said. I didn't hear anything that would impugn your integrity," McDonald declared.  "You're more than welcome to debate the issue, I just ask for respect around the table." 

It was only a matter of time before the stress related to the proposed $122-million redevelopment reared its ugly head in an open meeting. Coun. Chris Mayne is also the Cassellholme Board Chair and King is its Vice-Chair. Mendicino has aligned himself with Deputy Mayor Tanya Vrebosch, who is also a board member. Vrebosch, who observers of the Cassellholme process will note, has taken a defiant, almost lone-wolf stance on the board, often questioning its direction and procedures.

Vrebosch sought — and received — unanimous support from fellow members for the same motion that had been previously endorsed by the mayors of the Cassellholme partner municipalities and the board itself. 

See related: North Bay, East Ferris lead meeting as Cassellholme partners talk redevelopment financing

And: Cassellholme board grants time extension — 'hard deadline' remains

"Cassellholme was not perfect in this process and nobody can ever say that we were because we were behind on a lot of things," the Deputy Mayor told her colleagues. "The overall message is we are lobbying the provincial government to take on their share of the Cassellholme redevelopment portion. 

"If they don't agree to pay their share up front that they provide a guarantee for its share of the project costs and the province assumes the interest costs on its payments over the next 25 years. That's the ask."

Mendicino opened his comments by reaffirming the support for the project while questioning the financing side of the deal.

"We are doing our fiduciary duty as councillors for the taxpayers of the City of North Bay by saying to the Board of Management of Cassellholme, 'We cannot accept the financing options that you've put in front of us and realistically move ahead with the other capital projects that need to get done, and the other demands on our budget,'" advised Mendicino. 

"How important is the redevelopment of Cassellholme to the City of North Bay, to this Council?" he asked. "We've basically put everything else on hold until we figure this out."

See also: Robertson: It's Cassellholme over community centre

Then, Mendicino added, "I wish the board of management had done more lobbying with the province. It sounds very much like they stopped that months ago. And, kudos to Mayor McDonald and Mayor Rochefort and all the other mayors for stepping up."

This was followed by King's retort and the point of order ruling: "I'm tremendously disappointed by Coun. Mendicino's comments that the Cassellholme board has not been lobbying the provincial government," King stated. "That's not even anywhere near truthful."

At this point Mendicino interjected to McDonald he was "not going to allow Coun. King to do this again and put the onus back on us. The Chair of Cassellholme made comments quite a while ago that the MPP could not do anything and there have not been discussions for months. So, if you want to challenge me, Coun. King, go ahead, but that tactic doesn't work.

"He's questioning my integrity, Your Worship. These are factual comments based on what we've seen come out over the recent months and the board itself saying they are done their lobbying. They put this financing option in front of us months ago and have not done any lobbying. It's quite clear, the mayors have to do it now.

"It's a tactic that is used regularly. We make a comment — a fact — and it's thrown back in our face like we don't know what we're talking about," Mendicino added.

Following Mayor McDonald's ruling, King continued by defending the work done over the past six to seven years by the board and summarized some of its lobbying efforts.

"What's disappointing is to suggest somehow the Cassellholme board has created this situation and that's not at all correct. That's not correct. Quite frankly, when does the borrower make the rules for the borrowing?" King asked. 

"We really only — as of 5 p.m. Tuesday — have one viable option for the financing of Cassellholme. There's no debate on this issue. That's it. There have been constant stones thrown at the board. Every effort has been made to make this work. There has been no other solution, when those stones are thrown at the board, how else this can be financed. No one's come up with an option."

King also referenced talk of a potential deal with Caisse Populaire that "is now not an option." 

As far as suggestions the province might pay its portion upfront, King asked, "Do you not think the board of Cassellholme has not tried to do that? We've been at this for years and done everything possible."

Mayne said discussions with lender Infrastructure Ontario as recently as Monday reveal "their position remains unchanged. It's a municipal responsibility. These are standard contracts they issue across the province."

The draft agreements from IO are going out to the municipalities and must be signed by all within two weeks, he added. At a meeting with the partners, Mayne observed "some of the comments have turned more realistic. It's going to be a challenge for smaller municipalities to afford but they realize they need to make the effort, this project needs to move forward."

See also: Opinion: The Cassellholme project – Ten years in the making

And: Opinion: Cassellholme, build it; they are already here

Vrebosch made clear, "I sit on the Cassellholme board and I agree with Coun. Mendicino. I agree more could have been done. We could have done something differently."

The Deputy Mayor is holding out hope new Minister of Long-Term Care Rod Phillips might see the situation differently.

"I hope the province is listening loud and clear that we need your help," Vrebosch summed up. "This is a health issue. Long-term care health, which obviously falls onto the provincial government. You guys need to take ownership and make a commitment towards health."