Mayor suggested Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini damaged a pipe in the underground parking garage at Tom Davies Square
In the end, it all came down to a couple of inches.
Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini has been exonerated – once again – by the authorities after being accused of causing property damage at Tom Davies Square.
“The police have finished their investigation,” he said. “I will not be charged.”
Vagnini has always maintained he “didn’t hit the pipe.”
During question period earlier this month – which often follows council meetings – Mayor Brian Bigger asked Vagnini to explain what happened on May 2 in the underground parking garage at Tom Davies Square. The challenge by Bigger seemed to come from nowhere, as councilors were discussing something completely unrelated.
“Coon. Vagnini, did you enter the Tom Davies Square garage with a trailer, and destroy public property and leave the scene of an accident?” Bigger asked. “Please answer.”
At that point, Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti called a point of order and argued the mayor’s allegations had no relevance to the discussion underway.
“Ethically, when people do damage to property, they should report it and pay for the damages,” Bigger continued.
While he was accused of striking a pipe hanging from the ceiling of the parking garage, Vagnini argued it never happened, but he said he was willing to pay for any damages. He was incensed by Bigger’s allegations.
“Where does that come from, out of the blue? You just like taking shots at Vagnini every time I turn around?” the Ward 2 rep asked the mayor during question period. “I’m not running for mayor, so you should have me on your side.”
The Star took a trip into the underground parking garage. The pipe in question is insulated; there was a small hole in the insulation where it appears to have been torn; and there were several colors of paint on the insulation, indicating contact with several vehicles. But none of them belonged to Vagnini.
“I can say, on that same pipe, there is red paint, black paint and you can tell other vehicles have scratched or run underneath and pushed up that pipe,” Vagnini said. “My charity trailer is silver, but there was no silver on the pipe. I was very cautious.”
While the clearance of the underground garage is 6-feet-6-inches, there are no clearance signs outside the garage on Minto Street. There is only one old, decrepit yellow sign near the ticket wicket, raised about six feet high, but the letters are peeling away and it is difficult to discern what is written.
“If people are guessing at that, one inch makes a difference,” Vagnini said. “That being said, the police came over and measured the trailer and distances, they took pictures of the top of the trailer. I asked the officer if he saw any damage to the top of the trailer. He said no.”
Vagnini said the corners of the trailer were likewise free of damage.
“Once I got inside the underground parking, I was very cautious because I knew I would have to go through (exiting onto Paris Street),” he said.
Vagnini has been questioned about why he was driving around with a trailer in the first place. He was dropping off clothing and food donations, and said he did not want to drive back to Lively, where the trailer is stored, before returning to city hall to file his nomination papers for October’s municipal election.
He could not wait a day. It turns out, Vagnini has a few superstitions.
“That was the opening day for registration for the next election and I’ve always put my papers in at 2:22 pm, representing Ward 2,” he said.
Kelly Brooks, a spokesperson for the city, confirmed the Greater Sudbury Police Service was following up. Vagnini said the mayor’s office requested the investigation.
“After reviewing video recording of the area, the damage was believed to be caused by a motor vehicle,” Brooks said earlier this month. “Greater Sudbury Police were contacted to investigate and are currently following up.”
Vagnini has asked several times, to different city staff, to see the video of the alleged incident. He was told he would need to file a freedom-of-information request (he has not bothered). As of May 26, he still had not seen any video evidence of his trailer hitting the pipe.
Vagnini has gotten friendly with a couple of police services in 2022. Earlier this year, the North Bay Police Service investigated the Ward 2 councilor after he was accused of threatening Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc.
The complaint stemmed from a phone call Vagnini made to Leduc after a meeting in January. Tensions had been high between the two councilors for some time. They culminated shortly after Leduc was in his colleague’s home for a town hall meeting, which was broadcast via Facebook.
While Leduc was in Vagnini’s home, he and Erin Vagnini, the councilor’s daughter, interacted. While neither Vagnini nor his daughter would elaborate on what took place, she said the interaction left her feeling uncomfortable.
Once Vagnini found out Leduc had called Erin in September 2020 seeking information about his health, the Ward 2 councilor decided to step in.
“I took it upon myself to call Coun. Leduc, and I said ‘I don’t want you around my daughters; I don’t want you to talk to my daughters; and I want you to stay away from them completely or I will take it further and bring it to court’,” Vagnini said.
At the end of March, Vagnini announced he had been exonerated by the North Bay Police Service and would not be facing charges.
Twitter: @marykkeown
Facebook: @mkkeown