CFN – Back on March 5th Mayor Bob Kilger issued a press release. It was very clear.
Mayor Kilger issues statement regarding decision not to participate in recent in camera discussions
Mayor Bob Kilger issued the following statement today regarding his decision to not participate in discussions at two in camera meetings of City Council regarding personnel matters:
“There was an in camera meeting of City Council on February 19th regarding personnel matters. The same matters were also briefly discussed during a portion of an in camera meeting on February 11th. I did not attend the February 19th meeting and I recused myself from a portion of the February 11th meeting while these matters were discussed because I wanted to obtain independent legal advice as to whether I was in a conflict of interest. If I was in a conflict of interest situation with respect to the matters discussed at these meetings, the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act states that, because I was absent from the one meeting, I must declare that conflict at the next regular meeting of Council.
On this question, I sought and have received independent legal advice from the national law firm of Blake, Cassels & Graydon. The advice I have received is that I am not, and have not been, in a conflict of interest situation with respect to the matters discussed at these in camera meetings.
Accordingly, I did not have a conflict of interest declaration to make at the City Council meeting of February 25th.
While I accept my lawyer’s advice that there is no conflict of interest, I do not intend to participate in any of Council’s future consideration of these specific matters because I would like Council to deal with these matters with as few complications as possible.”
Mayor Kilger will not comment any further given the confidential nature of these matters discussed at in camera meetings of City Council. For clarity purposes, this information will also be included in the meeting minutes of February 25th, 2013.
If you jump to the 1:38 mark of the video below you can hear Mayor Kilger state the above.
Tuesday night saw council hold a special meeting into the report by Stephen Fournier.
Part two
Q&A after the meeting;
It was a stunning heavily lawyered process that is a feeble attempt to whitewash the Whistleblowing cases against the Mayor who still is refusing to declare his Conflict of Interest.
Essentially this exercise was of limited scope with no teeth. Mr. Fournier was clear that the public should have knowledge that these in camera meetings were occurring in relation to Whistleblowing. The Municipal Act however only forces motions and decisions to be in minutes and not a detailed collection of what took place.
When you have an open meeting media and the public have an opportunity to observe what’s said and by whom. In camera meetings do not have that transparency or accountability and the bottom line is:
Who is protecting the public’s interest?
Talking off camera Mr. Fournier said he’d never seen as many lawyers as in this investigation and that’s the root of the problem with this whole situation. The Mayor and Council have been spending monies furiously with high end lawyers like Ford firm hawk Will McDowell while the Whistleblowers have to spend their own funds.
Even the media is frozen out as the City is still refusing to be accountable and answer basic questions such as giving a GLOBAL SUM on how much they’ve spent on legal bills and settlements.
Even as to whether the mayor is paying his own legal bills, CAO Norm Levac coyly stated that they city had not been billed for services; not that they would not pay for the Mayor’s legal bills.
So why was Mayor Kilger sitting atop his perch at the special meeting when he said he would not participate in any further deliberations connected to the Whistleblowing cases which Mr. Fournier’s report clearly was about?
We will be updating this shortly. In the meanwhile you can vote in our poll and post your comments below.
His Toronto $1000/hr lawyer must have exonerated him, Kilger cannot be trusted,he is a liar!
The emperor has no clues…..
A paid private investigator just opens the can wider.
Nero fiddles while Rome burns…..
Unfortunately guilt or innocence is overshadowed by the cloud of doubt and mistrust of a council and mayor that have made a mockery of transparency and accountability.
All that has transpired has been at the expense of a public who continues to pay on several levels. Diane Shay is part of that public.
Tragically despite sweeping the dirt under the carpet and trying to create the appearance that all is well, it simply is not, except maybe in the minds of those who the public elected to protect their interests. Lack of clarity will keep the rumour mills churning though time will attempt to wipe the slate clean through failing memories.
And so history in Cornwall repeats itself. Sickening.
I was fortunate enough to be at the special meeting on Tuesday and was surprised to see Mr Kilger chairing this meeting after the comments he made earlier. After Stephen Fournier finished his presentation and left he was immediately followed out by Cornwalls two true journalists from the Journal (Greg K.) and CFN (Jamie G.)while the other faithful clique journalistic wannabes stayed firm in their seats as I did just to hear the reaction from council as to their reaction from Mr Fournier’s presentation. After the presentation on wrongdoing and whistleblowing it seemed outrageous for me to see council preparing for and needing a group hug as it came across that council was more interested in damage control for themselves before the next election in October next year then to deal with the issue at hand. My impression from what was said by council was we f’d up , we didn’t know what we were doing but we promise with a plan and training we want to do better over the next 18 months so please Cornwall forgive and forget our actions from the past that will hurt Cornwall for years to come. Shame! Shame! The next municipal election is sure to be very exciting.
Well said Gary. Does it surprise you that this weasel and his clique would have it any other way? We, the people of Cornwall MUST continue with our quest to get rid of all these idiots…save a couple. It is unfortunate that this may not happen until the next election, but that is the time for the citizens of Cornwall to stand up and make your vote count. Please Kilger…release us from your B.S.