Reprimand Recommended for Mayor of Napanee in Second Integrity Commissioner Report – Kingston | The Canadian News

The mayor of Napanee is again the subject of a report by the integrity commissioner, this time, for allegations of threats and harassment.

A report written by Laura Dean recommends that Mayor Marg Isbester be reprimanded by the council in connection with one of two complaints issued against her in June this year.

This comes on the heels of another report presented to the council in mid-September, which found that Isbester did not mention a potential conflict of interest related to his son’s property. In that case no reprimand was suggested.

However, Dean found that this time, in at least one case, it was clear that the mayor violated the city’s code of conduct.

According to the report, Isbester made a comment about the burning of the home of a person with whom he had a contentious relationship. She admitted to making these statements, including repeating it twice at a fire station, the report noted.

“The Mayor’s response expresses concern about the ‘harm’ caused by the public comments made by (the plaintiff) on personnel issues in the fire department. The mayor’s response says that her comments about the house fire (of the plaintiff) were made ‘in jest and in support of our firefighters,’ ”the report says.

Isbester told Global News it was withholding comment until after the report was presented to the council, but Dean notes that the mayor has apologized for the comment made to the plaintiff.

“No matter what, jokingly or seriously, as a member of the council I should not have said anything about the burning of houses to (the complainant). For that I apologize. “

Dean considered it important to note that the Mayor questioned the motives of this particular plaintiff, saying that they may have political ambitions, and that the purpose of the complaints was “to discredit her and cause substantial expenses to be incurred by both her and the Town.”

Prior to the integrity commissioner’s earlier report, the city of Napanee and the former mayor were charged with irregularities in certain land transactions, both of which were cleared up in a KPMG investigation.

Despite Isbester questioning the plaintiff’s motives and apologizing for the statement, Dean found that a reprimand was warranted for repeating the statement at the fire station.

“We understand that (the plaintiff) has openly criticized the mayor and the people and that the mayor believes that many of these criticisms are unjustified. In any case, the mayor must take into account that she occupies a position of influence and is, at all times, a representative of the municipality, ”said Dean.

Even so, the commissioner did not go so far as to request a suspension of payment, another option allowed when such infractions are detected.

Dean did not recommend any sanction for another complaint, despite finding the complainant’s version of events credible.

According to the report, on December 24 of last year, a resident saw scraps of wood being dumped on a property in front of his. This property is owned by Isbester’s son, Andrew Isbester. The land owned by Andrew was the main point of contention in the latest integrity commissioner proceeding presented just under two weeks ago.

On Christmas Eve, the report said the resident called by law but was unable to contact officials due to the holiday, so he opted for OPP and then the mayor.

The mayor came to the property to discuss the matter and learned that his son was the owner of the property where the wood was dumped.

According to his version of events, presented by Dean, Isbester contacted the complainant after verifying with her son that he had authorized the spill. She said that “he would often allow wood debris to be left there, but if he obstructed traffic, he would direct one of his employees to remove the materials or he would remove them himself.”

The complainant was concerned about how the scrap wood could impede snow removal. Isbester claims the resident expressed concern that the property would become “a disaster.”

During the call between the mayor and the neighbor, they both agreed that things heated up. The whistleblower claims that the mayor got very angry and said the following: “If you let it be known that Andrew is involved in this, I will go after you with everything I have.”

Isbester denies making any threats, but says he does not remember the exact words he said during the call. Dean said Isbester admitted that his words got “spiky” and that they may have sounded “quite unchristmas”, but that he said he “certainly didn’t make any kind of threat.”

Despite finding the plaintiff’s version of events credible, Dean said the context of the incident kept her from recommending sanctions in this matter.

“With respect to (the complaint), while we are of the opinion that the mayor likely made rude and perhaps hostile comments that constituted a threat to (the complainant) on December 24, 2020, given the circumstances, such conduct, although not excusable, it should be considered in the context of a rainy Christmas Eve call, COVID-19, in which your child’s behavior was at stake ”.

Dean will present his report to the council on Tuesday, where councilors will have a chance to vote on the recommendation to reprimand Isbester.

Global News has not been able to confirm the identities of the two whistleblowers. Dean has not yet responded to a request for comment.