Belleville Council has accepted the findings of a Belleville Integrity Commissioner’s report regarding an alleged violation of the Municipal Act.
Last week, Belleville’s Integrity Commissioner David Boghosian found that City Council violated the Municipal Act when it voted in a secret closed session on March 23 to declare the city-owned Jane Forrester Green Space property on 31 South John Street surplus.
The 0.85 hectares of land at the end of South John was then slated to be transferred to the abutting private land owners at no cost to the buyer.
The IC found that the resolution concerning the property passed in camera at that meeting should not have been voted on in camera and should have been conducted in open session.
Council voted to unanimously rescind its in-camera resolution to designate the land surplus during the open session of its May 11 meeting, but the IC is recommending the Procedural By-law be updated to prevent recurrence.
Coun. Kelly Henderson spoke at council’s meeting on Monday, saying she appreciated the recommendation of the IC and looks forward to seeing revisions to the policy that deals with the acquisition and disposition of city property.
“I’ve had some assurances from the manager of realty and property services Diane McFarland, the director of corporate services and people Marie Doherty and CAO Matt MacDonald, and I feel confident that we will be resolving this and we shouldn’t see it happen again,” she said.”
The original complaint was filed by a Belleville resident who said they were concerned about the transparency and accountability of Belleville Council’s processes and procedures, particularly surrounding land acquisitions and dispositions.
The horseshoe is expecting to receive a report outlining amendments to the city’s procedural by-law at a future meeting.
