Factually Correct

At another "Special" Meeting of Council on Tuesday , three Bylaws were passed. Christopher Cooper, Town solicitor, was appointed Acting Clerk of the Municipality. Former Clerk, Lucille King , after thirty years in municipal service, "retired" nine months into a five year contract with the Town of Aurora, having given three weeks notice.

The Town's previous Clerk, Bob Panizza. gave the town nine months notice of his intention to retire. His purpose was to provide sufficient time to recruit a replacement and have a person
in the job with sufficient time to absorb the corporate culture and operating affairs of the town. .

Mr. Garbe. Chief Administrator and Ms Boychuk,were also appointed to act as Deputy Clerks.

The Clerk's office is pivotal to the municipal operation. Everything swirls around it. That the job can be accomplished on a shared basis by the town solicitor even for a short period is not conceivable

There are no alternatives. There are no other resources.

The town solicitor's office was vacant for almost a year before it was filled. Some candidates withdrew from the competition The legal department functioned for a year with the help of external legal services.

Mr. Gutteridge submitted his resignation the day Mr. Garbe started in the office of Chief Administrative Officer. Immediately following his introduction to Mr. Garbe a one-sided exchange took place apparently with the Mayor. Mr Gutteridge's resignation immediately followed.

Mr. Gutteridge gave three months notice. He stayed until the budget was completed.

No recruitment took place. Instead Mr.Garbe announce Mr. Dan Elliot's appointment on a twelve month interim contract.

A couple on months ago, I made a request to Mr. Cooper to receive the legal costs for the two and a half years of the term. I was politely informed I would receive them. Would I mind if Mr.Cooper spoke to Mr Garbe first. No, I said. But I would mind if I did not receive the figures.

A few days later, I was again informed the figures were forthcoming , but they would take a couple of days to put to-gether. I knew that was not so. But my intent was to receive information. not create confrontation. I let it pass.

Next there was a presentation of an interim finance report in a council meeting. Councillors expressed great appreciation and the Treasurer was highly commended. Before the report was received, a resolution by Councillor Wilson seconded by Councillor MacEachern directed the Treasurer on a method of reporting legal expenditures.

Subsequently. I received an e-mail from Mr. Cooper. In view of the resolution passed by Council he would be unable to provide figures for legal costs as requested.

At Tuesday's General Committee Meeting, on a motion to receive the recent decision of the Integrity Commissioner, Councillor Wilson noted people were asking questions about legal costs. He stated he accepted the Director's decision and the question of cost should be answered.

The Mayor was authorised by resolution to write her own statement, "to clarify" matters surrounding the Integrity Comissioner's decision.

The mayor is not known for writing independent statements. A solicitor is often involved.

The resolution will be ratified at Tuesday's Council meeting. Maybe Councillor Wilson's intention for costs to be shown will be included.

I don't know if I dreamed it last night or heard it in the melee of information coming at me yesterday, but I believe George Rust D'Eye has been appointed Integrity Commissioner to the City of Hamilton.

Mr. Rust D'Eye is the solicitor who provided a Code of Conduct solution to Auora Council
in 2007 for the problem of a never-attempted-to-be- proven leak of information from an in-camera meeting three months after the decision was made and long after it should have been reported out in public..

That's the one when we refused to sell land we had for sale to the Region to establish the Regional Police Headquarters in Aurora. They offered the appraised value of the land. I told you about that already.

Mr. Rust D'Eye recommended the solution because it provides for penalties to be imposed on elected representatives. The Mayor has several times indicated Mr. Rust D'Eye helped to write the Code of Conduct.