city of GUELPH integrity commissioner, ROBERT J. SWAYZE
COUNCIL REPORT
Notice: Municipal Integrity Commissioners provide investigation reports to their respective municipal council and, in most cases, make recommendations for imposition of penalty or other remedial action to the municipal Council. Therefore, reference should be made to the minutes of each particular municipal council to obtain information about the particular council's consideration of each report. When possible, a link to the relevant municipal council minutes is provided.
Please find below the link to the corresponding council decision.
http://guelph.ca/wp-content/uploads/council_minutes_0909131.pdf (see page 4)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY. 3
Purpose of Report: 3
Council Action: 3
BACKGROUND.. 3
REPORT. 3
CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLAN.. 4
DEPARTMENTAL CONSULTATION.. 4
ATTACHMENTS.. 4
SUMMARY
Purpose of Report:
To advise Council that the Complainants have each accepted an apology from Councillor Laidlaw and they have withdrawn their complaint.
Council Action:
To: Review and receive this report.
BACKGROUND
Council at its meeting of On June 27, 2013, received a preliminary report from me on two complaints I received against Councillor Maggie Laidlaw which indicated that I had jurisdiction over the complaints and was about to commence an inquiry. The complaints were from two members of staff which alleged that she contravened the Code of Conduct for Council and Local Boards (the "Code") in writing E-mails and making statements to the Committee of Adjustment which amounted to abuse, bullying, intimidation and falsely injured their professional and ethical reputation. The complaints were from Grant Ferguson and Don Kudo both professionals in the Guelph engineering department. Since the date of that report I received a third complaint arising out of the same incidents, from Janet Laird, the Executive Director of Planning, Building, Engineering and Environment. This complaint was supportive of the two engineers who report to her and it added a further ground in that the Councillor used her influence contrary to the Code. I decided to consider the third complaint together with the other two.
REPORT
The statements by Councillor Laidlaw were part of her advocacy on behalf of her constituents on Yorkshire Street in a case before the Committee of Adjustment concerning parking on a road allowance contrary to by-laws of the City. She derived no personal advantage from her actions or statements. However she has admitted to me that she made an error in judgement in using the word "ridiculous" in a public meeting describing the situation which Mr. Ferguson quite understandably took as applicable to him as the staff member involved in the case and responsible for road allowances. She also erred in E-mails referring to unsubstantiated information she received from a neighbour about Mr. Kudo, who by coincidence lived on the same street. She falsely stated that he was also parking on the same road allowance without any enforcement action. Mr. Kudo was certainly justified in filing his complaint. She has given and I have reviewed, three apologies to the Complainants which I am satisfied are sincere. All three complainants have accepted them and withdrawn their complaints, putting an end to this matter.
CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLAN
This report supports strategic goal 5: "A community-focused, responsive and accountable government".
DEPARTMENTAL CONSULTATION
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
None.
Prepared and Recommended By:
Robert J. Swayze
Integrity Commissioner
519-942-0070
Robert Swayze
Integrity Commissioner