HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-10-10, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013. PAGE 9.
Legal counsel to be sought for CH integrity issue
By Cheryl Heath
Special to The Citizen
Central Huron Council is holding
off on appointing an Integrity
Commissioner following some
heated comments delivered during
its Oct. 1 session.
Councillor Brian Barnim said he
was deeply disturbed to see that the
appointment of an Integrity
Commissioner was on council's
agenda. "How did this happen?"
asked Barnim.
Central Huron Chief
Administrative Officer Peggy Van
Mierlo-West said the
recommendation came after council
adopted a Code of Conduct in July.
Since then, she said, two complaints
have been lodged, and the Integrity
Commissioner would be entrusted to
investigate the matters.
Barnim questioned how the
Integrity Commissioner was hired,
to which the CAO noted there is a
policy in place that allows senior
administrators to make decisions up
to a given dollar amount.
Barnim insisted it is up to council
to decide whether an Integrity
Commissioner is hired.
The CAO said administrators do
have some discretionary dollars for
consulting fees. She said the issue is
the complaints.
"I am about to make it three
because you do not have authority to
do this. You did not have the
approval to do this. Why are you
sending him a $2,000 retainer?"
asked Barnim.
Barnim told the CAO
confidentiality has been broken on
the matter. "You've broken the
confidentiality of this already.
You've gone to someone who is
unapproved and yes, I have spoken
to a lawyer," said Barnim.
Councillor Alison Lobb expressed
support for the recommendation.
"From my perspective, I'm happy,"
she said.
"You keep sticking up for things
that don't make sense," chastised
Barnim.
Councillor Alex Westerhout said
his concern is council was supposed
to review complaints. "I do think this
was done inappropriately,"
he said.
Barnim asked if more than just the
mayor had reviewed the two
complaints and when the CAO said
she knew of two, he replied: "It was
not supposed to go to you so thank
you for confirming that."
While Mayor Jim Ginn said an
Integrity Commissioner should
comment on the matter, Deputy -
Mayor Dave Jewitt said as soon as
you have council choose an Integrity
Commissioner, confidentiality has
been broken. Barnim said he is
angered by the $2,000 that appears
to be given to the proposed
commissioner as a retainer.
"We know we're starting at
$2,000," said Barnim.
While the CAO said the $2,000 is
to review the matter and that any
investigation after that is on an
hourly rate, Barnim called the
situation a "farce."
Mayor Ginn said staff have the
authority to handle such matters and
the "bottom line is we need
an appointed Integrity
Commissioner."
Councillor Marg Anderson asked
about the prices of other Integrity
Commissioners to which the CAO
noted they are all in the same
ballpark and only one, Greg Stewart
who already works with the
municipality on some matters, does
not request a retainer.
Councillor Westerhout said a legal
opinion on the matter should be
heard before a commissioner is
appointed while Barnim asked who
would be paying the commissioner
who has begun investigating.
Meanwhile, Councillor Dan
Colquhoun said he could not support
the appointment because it was not
vetted first.
In a recorded vote, requested by
Barnim, council voted against hiring
the Integrity Commissioner with
Councillors Barnim, Colquhoun,
Westerhout, and Anderson opposed
and Ginn, Jewitt and Lobb in
support of the recommendation.
Huron East looks to
have LED discussion
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
After a letter from Brussels
resident John Lowe and discussion
at a recent level of service meeting,
Huron East Councillor David
Blaney wants all of Huron
East under a new LED streetlight
plan.
The letter from Lowe came with
specific reference to Brussels and its
inadequate streetlighting. The
discussion went even further when
the topic was raised at Huron East
Council's Sept. 24 level of service
meeting.
At council's Oct. 1 meeting,
Blaney made a motion to bring LAS,
a subsidiary of the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to
make a presentation on the
feasibility of an LED streetlighting
plan. Blaney said he picked LAS
specifically for its affiliation with
AMO and past experience with the
company.
The motion was eventually
expanded to include LAS, or any
other company, a change which
councillors agreed to.
Due to current municipal staff
workload, however, Chief
Administrative Officer Brad Knight
said it is unlikely that the
presentation can take place before
the end of the year.
The motion was then tailored to
meet staff's timeline. MacLellan
said that the presentation, which will
take place at a public meeting,
should happen sometime in the first
quarter of 2014.
Knight said that he and other staff
members would be meeting with
LAS in the next few weeks,
privately, to discuss a number of
issues and that the seeds for the
meeting Blaney wants could be
sown then.
Council passed the motion and the
date of the presentation will
be announced at a future
meeting.
gave >i 2eaa
Let everyone know about
your new bundle of joy!
Call for prices and details
519-523-4792
or 519-887-9114
The'
Citizen
Councillor Burkhard Metzger was
absent.
During a later question period,
Mayor Ginn told The Citizen he was
not sure where council's decision
will leave the two complaints that
have been lodged. He said legal
counsel will likely need to be
consulted. When asked whether it
would be difficult for council to
review complaints that may be about
peers, Ginn noted the current policy
states that the mayor and
deputy -mayor should first review
them.
An Integrity Commissioner would
automatically come into a scenario
where a complaint was lodged
against the mayor or deputy -mayor,
which Deputy -Mayor Dave Jewitt
earlier noted was a confidentiality
breaker in itself.
The CAO's report noted the
appointment of an Integrity
Commissioner will ensure all
complaints are answered in an
efficient manner with the
appointment requiring a resolution
from council each time one is
used.
Getting dolled up
While the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority's annual fall colour tour featured a birds of
prey demonstration and a self -guided tour of the grounds, it also featured face -painting, which
Ana Gibbons, right, was more than happy to take advantage of. Danielle Dobbyn did the
painting as, despite Sunday's weather not co-operating, the tour was well attended. (Jim Brown
photo)
See histories and historic
photographs on the
Huron History section
of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca
Manicures
C 406 Mill Street
(corner of Dinsley & Mill),
Cv0191457,*
ssen" tials
Blyth
` 519-523-4793
www.spaessentials.com
Wingham and District
'\ Hospital Foundation
Dear Loyal Donors,
•
•
Health Care
esr) (r> C,. (F
Her
11YCE
THANK YOU! Your generous support of the CKNX Healthcare Heroes
Radiothon over the past ten years has raised more than $900,000 for the
Wingham & District Hospital Foundation.
We hope to continue this great tradition of generosity at this year's Radiothon.
With your continued support we know we will be able to meet our 2013 goal.
Kind Regards,
Russ Taylor, Board Chair
Wingham & District Hospital Foundation
2013 Radiothon Goal:
$90,000
for the purchase of
an Operating Room Table and Stretchers
Donations can be sent to:
270 Carling Terrace, PO Box 1228, Wingham, ON, NOG 2W0
CKNX Healthcare Heroes Radiothon
October 19, 2013
Listen live from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
101.7 The One, AM920 and 94.5 The Bull