Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano answers questions after a presentation to the Algoma Public Health Board of Directors during their meeting on Wednesday night.

Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano was brief in his presentation on Wednesday night to the Algoma Public Health Board of Directors. The mayor was originally going to pose the questions of how former interim Chief Financial Officer Shaun Rootenberg was hired and clarification of letters sent to the agency earlier in the spring. Provenzano says he got the answers he needed in the Graham Scott report, and added the responsibility is on him as the city leader to step in and resolve situations of governance like the ones at APH…

Provenzano lauded APH interim CEO Sandra Lacle and interim Chief Medical Officer of Health Doctor Penny Sutcliffe for leadership and management that the agency needed during this time. He also reiterated credit to the front line staff at Algoma Public Health, saying that the city recognizes and values the work that the staff does. It was announced at last night’s meeting that Bruni and Vice-Chair Janet Blake had resigned from the board, leaving at least two positions open per the report’s recommendations that members appointed prior to the 2014 Municipal Election voluntarily resign. When asked about if a city councillor should be on the board because of the city’s financial contribution of 25 percent to APH, Provenzano responded that this is not necessairily the case…

Provenzano is open to Scott’s suggestion that there does not have to be a councillor on the Algoma Public Health board. Even though board members can be appointed, this does not translate into having a city councillor there. Bruni and Blake were replaced by Lee Mason and Ian Frazier for the rest of 2015, through election prior to the start of the meeting on Wednesday. With two positions still to be filled on the board, Provenzano talks about how that will happen…

One other issue that was discussed by Provenzano is the yet to be released KPMG report related to this situation. It was announced that while board members want the document to be released, contractual obligations to KPMG are not allowing that information to be public. The board has contracted with a lawyer to ‘work with the process’. Provenzano informed the board that the city will assist if there is anything it can do to help speed up the release of that report.