Councillor Peter Cuddy removed from library board

London Coun. Peter Cuddy has been removed from the library board after an extensive absence, CTV London's Daryl Newcombe investigates.

London Coun. Peter Cuddy isn’t saying why he missed three consecutive meetings of the London Public Library (LPL) Board— resulting in his removal from the council-appointed position.

On Jan. 24, Chair of the board Brian Gibson sent a letter to council’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) notifying members of the board’s unanimous decision to declare Cuddy’s seat vacated.

“Peter Cuddy has missed the last three consecutive meetings of the London Public Library (LPL) Board — Oct. 24, 2024, Dec.5, 2024, and Jan. 24, 2025, and therefore meets the criteria for disqualification from the Board.”

According to Section 13(c) of the Public Libraries Act, a board member automatically loses their seat if they are absent from meetings of the board for three consecutive months.

Gibson tells CTV News that Cuddy notified the board when he missed the meetings, “Regrets were sent. We can’t disclose the reasoning behind [the absences].”

However, Cuddy did not seek prior authorization from the board to be exempted from the three-meeting rule.

“No request was made to myself as chair,” Gibson confirms.

During a brief email exchange with Cuddy on Wednesday he was asked by CTV News why he missed the meetings.

He did not provide an answer.

The letter urges the quick appointment of a new board member to fill the seat Cuddy abandoned, “We therefore request that Council fill this vacancy as quickly as possible as having a full Board is essential in fulfilling the Board’s obligation to Council, LPL staff, and all Londoners.”

Gibson explains, “We’re responsible for key things such as setting (the) budget, hours of our branches, branch openings/closures, renovations, adding in new high level services, and the budget dedicated to those services.”

Cuddy was also appointed by council to sit on the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Board and the Middlesex London Board of Health.

A review of minutes taken at the December meetings of those boards confirm he attended both.

Next week’s SPPC meeting has been cancelled, so choosing Cuddy’s replacement on the LPL Board might be delayed until the Feb. 22 meeting and a formal appointment at the March 4 meeting of city council.

“The next public library board meeting of the Board of Directors is Feb. 20. We are working closely with the clerk’s office and awaiting their direction,” says Gibson.

Cuddy’s disqualification leaves Coun. Sam Trosow and seven members of the public on the library board.