Cornwall Ontario releases partial cost of Whistleblowing Scandal of Kilger Council – June 13, 2013

City Legal firms WBCFN – The city of Cornwall has issued a statement with some of the costs from Fitzygate, the scandals attributed to actions from former CAO Paul Fitzpatrick and his relationship with former Glen Stor Dun Lodge manager Donna Derouchie and his chicanery with Mayor Kilger over the two Whistleblowing cases.

In the interest of transparency, the City of Cornwall is releasing a full breakdown of the costs associated with two whistleblower complaints dating back to 2012.   The costs related to these two matters are as follows:

The first whistleblower complaint was originally filed on March 20th, 2012. As per the City’s Whistleblower Policy, the complaint was subject to a thorough review, and it was found to be unsubstantiated by a qualified, experienced and independent outside investigator.

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The second whistleblower complaint was filed on May 31st, 2012. The matter was investigated and a report was completed and provided to City Council. The matter has since been placed before the Ontario Superior Court where it is now the subject of an ongoing proceeding. The figures outlined above represent the costs incurred by the City up to May 23rd, 2013.

Cornwall Media Release 2 The cost breakdown also includes expenses related a pair of investigations conducted by Stephen Fournier, the City’s Closed Meeting Investigator, regarding the handling of the whistleblower matters in in-camera meetings of City Council. In his findings, Mr. Fournier concluded that it was appropriate for City Council to handle these matters in-camera, as per section 239 of the Municipal Act. Mr. Fournier  also concluded that the City could provide a slightly higher degree of specificity in its general description of a matter to be considered in an in-camera meeting.

The reports from Mr. Fournier can be read in their entirety on the Council meetings page of the City website (www.Cornwall.ca).

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The City of Cornwall put into place a detailed Whistleblower Policy in 2007. It is a fundamental principle of the process that the individuals involved and the nature of the complaint are kept confidential. As a result, the City cannot release the details of the persons involved or the complaint.

This report was prepared by Ms Maureen Adams, Financial Services General Manager.

It should be noted that this document does not include any of the monies spent on settlements and is not a full accounting of the GLOBAL SUM of costs related to these incidents.   The city has refused multiple requests from CFN to provide numbers including settlements to date.

Nor does the chart above name monies to the firm of Will McDowell who is repping the city in the Hickley case and is reported to bill at over $1,000 per hour.   The release also doesn’t state if the city has been billed up to date.

You can post your comments below and we will be updating as more info becomes available.

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11 Comments

  1. I don’t think settlement monies should be added to this… as it is my assumption that those settlement monies were negotiated as part of their employment contracts.

  2. And “In the interest of transparency…”- we are served with a fraction of information. We are able to see this fraction of information, thanks to the insistence of CFN.
    “The matter has since been placed before the Ontario Superior Court..” – and we the taxpayers are notified 1 year later…sick.

  3. Jason must be bored to bother giving his two cents here….I would value that he does.

    @admin – you seem to take too much interest in what the Standard-Freeholder does or does not do, why care about that, you will appear more astute just by reporting good facts as you have done today.

  4. Author

    Jack perchance you should as the Freeholder that as I’ve been on their cover twice recently and seem to be a regular in Claude’s column…

  5. No, Jason, the only one who had such an employment contract was Mr. Menaugh. Ms. Derouchie, with the City for less than 10 years and would only have fallen under Employment Standards and received, in my opinion, way above the norm and we still don’t have all the details. According to reports, Mr. Fitzpatrick would be able to retire with full pension as of January 2013 so they paid him full salary, etc., etc., as leave until that date kicked in. Those are settlements outside any employment contracts. Also according to employees and Council, Mr. Menaugh’s contract was set and they signed on to it. Why would it take months to settle with him if there wasn’t even extra added to keep him from speaking out. So now that one should also be given to the public, “in the interest of transparency.”

  6. Infantile distraction by the city. Is Kilger growing a beard?

  7. Jamie, would I be correct in thinking that the use of “partial” is your doing and not the City’s because their release refers to a “full breakdown?” You are most definitely right, by the way, but they are only going back to 2012. I again believe, by all reports, that this full breakdown “in the interest of transparency” should include all costs since the first whistleblower sought protection at the beginning (2008?) Previous reports seemed to reference at least another +$300,000. Full breakdown?? Ms. Adams, I don’t think so. Too many legal firms missing and up-to-date billing not even put in as a sub-note. Great Zeus, Council–it is no longer a hole you have actually buried yourselves.

  8. Author

    yes Pizoli, but when other media just give council the whitewash and print their release as though it were an utter and complete record what is the public to think? Will McDowell alone isn’t listed and his travel time alone is monstrous.

  9. Great story…….$200000 spent for nothing when true professional could have dealt with it internally at no cost to the tax payers, yet cowards covered things up to the point of where we are today.

    What about the $200000 plus given to the man who started this Mr. Fitzpatrick? what about Ms. Derouchier and her almost $150000? what about Menaugh and his $300000 add in the rest Ms. Adams did not tell??

    How dare the city say it was just $200000 and how dare a counselor (Ms. MacDonald) go on record to say it was money well spent? This is what Cornwall is faced with, people who are elected to work for the public and our best interest running to serve their own agenda and cover ups because of a pathetic leader in Mayor Bob Kilger.

    How dare any one of you continue to lie, you are all a disgrace to Cornwall and should all be totally ashamed of what you have done and continue to do.

  10. I just can’t help but return to the Judith Allen expenses for a report that Council is too embarrassed to release and yet promote as proving the allegations were “unsubstantiated” This investigation started around July 2012 and a final report went to Council in January 2013. The Ottawa Citizen ran a full article on Ms. Allen on January 20, 2013. Ms. Allen was in kidney failure since 2010 and she herself did not expect to survive because of family history. A selfless donor came into play and Ms Allen received her transplant in the Fall of 2012. Although I wish her a long and happy life does anyone else see the misjudgment in the decision to hire her in the first place? Was there a selection process or was Council just told she’s the one? With the rigors of multiple years of dialysis, pre- and post- surgery medications, anti-rejection drugs and recovery itself I myself could never be certain any report was worth almost $76,000 [at our expense] with so many days and weeks missing nor should it be relied upon. And according to an individual who was part of the investigation, Gowling was the law firm only Ms. Allen reported to or sought information from and they were never to be the City’s advisors. End result, this investigation cost in excess of $154,000. Way to go Council–Run Forrest Run!

  11. I would love to be a little fly on the wall or even here as me on CFN when the real figures come out and see all the heart failures around when the sheeple find out the real truth. I think that if the sheeple had any real pride they will become a linching mob after Bare Ass and his clique. If you folks think that your taxes are high now just give it a while until you hear the real truth. The paramedics will be mighty busy the day that the truth comes out because many will have heart failure. In other words you haven’t seen anything yet. LOL LOL.

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