No apology will be issued by Rideau Lakes Mayor Arie Hoogenboom and Councillors Marcia Maxwell and Ron Pollard.
Deputy Mayor Paula Banks put a motion on the floor requesting one from the trio, who alongside since-resigned Councillor Joan Delaney, voted to impose 15-day pay suspensions on her and Councillor Jeff Banks following an Integrity Commissioner’s report.
Paula Banks turned her back during a delegation from Wendy Alford, the spokesperson for community watchdog Rideau Lakes Grassroots Group on November 4th, while Fry found Jeff Banks in violation of the code of conduct for his behaviour towards Hoogenboom on November 12th, discussing the Alford delegation.
Ellen Fry’s report recommended only an apology for the Banks’ actions, and an outside lawyer later said council exceeded its authority by applying penalties when no fault was given.
The pay suspensions were repealed in a unanimous vote.
Hoogenboom, who attended the April 7th council meeting virtually, feels there was no need to apologize for what he called an unintentional error.
Councillor Debroah Hutchings felt otherwise.
Jeff Banks said he didn’t care about hearing an apology.
Both Jeff and Paula Banks took issue with comments made to the media by Hoogenboom and Delaney regarding the tension among council.
Hoogenboom spoke to myFM following his decision to take a pause, and Delaney commented on her reason to resign.
They also spoke to other local media organizations about the divide among council. Delaney penned an open letter to taxpayers in the March 20th edition of the Review-Mirror.
Paula Banks feels the duo have violated the code of conduct in that regard as well as possibly the Municipal Act.
Jeff Banks says their reputation have been tarnished and there’s been heated confrontations with members of the public, as well as Rideau Lakes Grassroots Group members.
The motion requesting an apology was defeated in a tie. Councillors Linda Carr, Sue Dunfield, and Hutchings voted in favour. Councillors Maxwell, Pollard, and Mayor Hoogenboom opposed. Both Banks’ abstained from voting.
Story by Grant Deme