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IGLULIK
In what is described as a "mistake," Iglulik hamlet council voted to remove the assistant senior administrative officer (ASAO) from his position in May before backtracking and asking him to come back.

Celestino Uyarak said he received an apology letter from hamlet council on June 11, stating it had made a mistake in voting to remove him from his position on May 11. About a month later, council asked for forgiveness and asked whether he would return to his job. He was back in the ASAO's chair on June 25.

Uyarak attributed the removal to a misunderstanding between council and administration about how the hamlet moving its offices to a new building would affect staffing. Mayor Nicolas Arnatsiaq would not comment.

"The council realized they had made a terrible mistake," said Uyarak. "I enjoy my position. I enjoy helping people and, rather than making a farce, I will forget whatever the council made and I'll get back to my job. All is forgiven. I will be here for many years to come."

Uyarak started working at the hamlet as the recreation co-ordinator in 2008 before being promoted to assistant senior administrative officer on Dec. 1, 2010.

Uyarak explained hamlet council made a motion at its regular meeting on May 11 to remove him out of the ASAO position, something he said himself and Brian Fleming, the senior administrative officer, had no idea was coming. Both attended the meeting.

"We were quite surprised when the council made that motion," said Uyarak. "Rather than me jumping up from my chair, making phone calls right away, I wrote a letter to council prior to June 7 council meeting."

Uyarak said he wrote a resignation letter to council on May 23, effective June 1, asking for compensation and contacted a corporate lawyer.

Hamlet council dealt with his letter at its regular meeting on June 7, determining it had made a mistake making the original motion, writing an apology letter asking for forgiveness and asking him to come back, said Uyarak. He added he received the letter when he met with the mayor and senior administrative officer and June 11.

Uyarak said he will be financially compensated for the time he was off.

He added he and the community are happy he's back.

"I made it clear to the mayor I will come back the way I usually do at 8:30 in the morning, like nothing ever happened," he said. "I will just take this letter as a vacation annual leave and once I come back, there will be no hard feelings. We will pretend this never happened, this motion was never made."

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