Gimli council is down to four members after Coun. Andy Damm resigned last month.
Council reported that Damm had “submitted” his resignation on Jan. 24.
That leaves the municipality with Mayor Kevin Chudd, Deputy Mayor and Coun. Kurt Reichert, and councillors Richard Petrowski and Thora Palson until the next election this fall.
The Express reached out to council and the municipality, asking if they could share Damm’s resignation and for a confirmation that the mayor does not know the reason why Damm resigned, as reported by a large media outlet last week. Council and the municipality declined to answer the emailed questions.
In a brand new initiative called a “Council Meeting Recap” that was started on Jan. 26 and posted on the RM’s website, council noted that Damm submitted his resignation and also stated that council will not hold a byelection to replace him.
“Under The Municipal Act, Council may choose whether to hold a byelection when a vacancy occurs late in the term and quorum remains. With the next general election scheduled for October 2026 and quorum still intact, council passed a resolution not to hold a byelection, allowing the vacancy to remain until the general election,” states the recap.
The Express reached out to Damm for comment.
Other council news:
• Council is looking to hire a new chief administrative officer.
• Council had appointed D.J. Sigmundson to the CAO position last year in mid-December to replace former interim CAO Valorie Unrau, who had applied for the position.
The Express asked the RM and council a number of weeks ago why it was looking for a new CAO when it just hired Sigmundson in December.
“D.J. was hired to help the RM through a transition period and to lead the process of recruiting the next permanent CAO,” said communications manager and council spokesperson Christine Payne, responding by email to a number of Express questions. “A recruitment plan helps ensure the search is organized, fair and focused on finding the right long-term leader for the municipality.”
Council put together a recruitment plan and is currently advertising for a new CAO. It will start reviewing applications Feb. 6, according to its advertisement for the position.
A CAO is responsible for the overall leadership and administration of a municipality including staff. The CAO works closely with a mayor and council, advising council of its responsibilities and legal requirements, and ensures an RM complies with Manitoba legislation, among other high level duties.
• The RM is seeking applications for a contract position of senior election official for the municipal election in October. Applicant review starts Feb. 12.
• Council passed a resolution at its Jan. 12 meeting to accept ownership of the Arnes Lutheran Church, recognizing its historical and cultural significance.
The church’s volunteer board resigned last year and asked the RM to take ownership of the municipally designated heritage site.
“This acceptance is conditional upon approval by a judge of the [Manitoba] Court of King’s Bench, as required by law,” said Payne. “The RM will now begin the necessary court application process.”
• Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Gimli Curling Club, outlining terms of “cooperation and facility access for upcoming events,” said Payne. The RM forwarded the MOU to the club for its signature. Applicable facility rental fees are included within the MOU.
• At an in-camera session during its Jan. 12 meeting, council passed a resolution accepting the findings of an independent investigation involving Mayor Kevin Chudd. The investigation concluded he committed several transgressions.
Council voted to suspend the mayor without loss of pay.
“The resolution included acceptance of the independent investigator’s summary report, which remains confidential as required by law, a full review of the RM’s Code of Conduct and related policies to reflect best practices, mandatory respectful‑workplace and conflict‑resolution training for all council members, a requirement that the mayor issue a formal apology to the complainant, facilitated by the CAO, and a seven‑day suspension of the mayor from all mayoral duties, effective Jan. 16–22, 2026, without loss of compensation,” said Payne. “… Council has taken action based on an independent investigation under the RM’s Code of Conduct bylaw.”
• The Jan. 12 agenda of council that was initially posted publicly subsequently disappeared but has since been restored after a button that makes meeting agendas/minutes live was found to have been “inadvertently checked.”
• During council’s Jan. 21 committee of the whole meeting — which Payne said provides council with opportunities to review information, ask questions and explore options — council reviewed a training plan to strengthen governance practices.
“Council‑wide training is a proactive, preventative measure to strengthen governance practices. Municipal councils function as a collective decision‑making body, and the training is intended to ensure that all members are aligned on best practices related to respectful workplaces, conflict resolution and effective decision‑making moving forward,” said Payne. “This approach is common in governance matters and is designed to support a healthy, functional council, improve processes and help prevent future issues — not to assign blame to councillors who were not subject to discipline.”
