Three people are getting layoff notices from the municipality. The concern is over how those layoffs were determined and how the three people getting laid off first heard about the situation.

During the June 16 teleconference committee of the whole session of council, there was a lengthy in-camera portion that involved discussion of a personnel matter. When council members came out of the closed session, Mayor Paula Assaly then asked for approval of directive on the personnel issue discussed during the closed-door portion of the meeting.

The issue concerned laying off three municipal employees. A recorded vote was taken with councillors Raymond Campbell, Robert Lefebvre and Yves Paquette opposed.

Chief Administrator Daniel Gatien warned council that it was making a mistake voting on the directive because it was making the layoffs public knowledge, even without the names being mentioned, before the employees themselves had even received a proper written notice. Mayor Assaly argued that the vote was based on a directive from the closed session.

The mayor later confirmed that Kim Maurice, aquatics supervisor at the Robert Hartley Sports Complex, and Martin Desrosiers with the municipal infrastructure department, were two of the three staff members laid off. The sports complex is closed until at least September during the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The layoff of Maurice has prompted one Hawkesbury resident, Sandy Vachon, to launch an online petition demanding council reconsider its decision.