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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 46 Issue 27
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.05% 3 Year GIC - 2.25% 5 Year GIC - 2.55% Daily Interest 1.55%
Friday, July 5, 2013
Integrity commissioner to be appointed in response to harassment complaints by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - As the result of harassment allegations, council here has adopted an official code of conduct for municipal councillors and is planning to appoint an integrity commissioner to enforce the code. Council adopted the code of conduct at the June 25 meeting and it is anticipated a recommendation to appoint a commissioner will be dealt with at the regular meeting on July 9. CAO Patty Sinnamon told the Community News that development of the code, which is effective July 1, was in reaction to two harassment complaints heard by council during the latter part of 2012. Sinnamon said she could not divulge the source of the complaints, which were “dealt with confidentially� but did confirm that one complaint was “internal� and the other was an external complaint from “an outside organization.� She said the complaints were heard in a closed meeting of council. However, councillor Mike Downey confirmed the external complaint originated from the Wellington County planning department. He said the allegations of harassment stemmed from the actions of “at least two councillors� at the Oct. 9 regular council meeting, during which a county planner took part in a discussion about the impact of changes to the township’s comprehensive zoning bylaw on minimum distance separation (MDS) regulations for rural building lots. Downey said he was unaware of any allegations of harassment until the Dec. 11 meeting, when Wellington County CAO Scott Wilson and county human resources director Andrea Lawson attended an in-camera session of Mapleton council. “They said they had done a
full investigation and said we definitely were guilty, at least two councillors - wouldn’t name names - but there was at least two of us that were guilty.� Downey said, “there was absolutely nobody from our council who was spoken to other than maybe (Mayor) Bruce Whale,� during the investigation. “We’re being painted as guilty without a trial,� he said. Downey said the allegations came out of a council meeting he considered “open public dialogue� and that neither he nor any other Mapleton councillor had “any outside contact with any county staff or anything like that, at all.� Wilson declined to discuss harassment allegations when contacted by the Community News and said the county was not involved in Mapleton’s decision to adopt a code of conduct. “I don’t know anything about a code of conduct in Mapleton,� he said. “If Mapleton passed a code of conduct they did so of their own volition.� The code was developed with the assistance of human resources consultants Ward and Uptigrove. Sinnamon said the consultants fee for preparation of the code and “conflict resolution training� was $10,000 plus HST. Council meeting agendas indicate consultant Ben Cornell, of Ward and Uptigrove, met with council at in-camera sessions on Dec. 11, 2012 and Feb. 21, 2013. On Dec. 11, the agenda indicates the meeting with the consultant involved, “education or training the members of council, board or a committee,� and listed the topic as “Workplace Violence and Harassment Bill 168 Respectful Workplace.� Other items on the in-camera agenda for Dec. 11 included the presentations from Wilson and Lawson, and a separate
presentation by Sinnamon. The session was held in-camera under “personal matters about an identifiable individual.� On Feb. 21, Cornell attended a meeting held in-camera due to “personal matters� and “education and training.� In a report to council on June 25, Sinnamon explained the Municipal Act permits the appointment of an integrity commissioner who reports to council and is responsible for performing, in an independent manner, functions assigned by the municipality with respect to application of the code. Members of council can ask the integrity commissioner for advice, Sinnamon explained. “Generally this is to ensure that members of council have available a resource to assist them in determining how to comply with the requirements of the code,� she said. Council, any member of council, or members of the public can ask the commissioner to launch an inquiry and, if necessary, an investigation into an alleged contravention by an individual member or members of council. The executive summary to the code states councillors are expected to:
 - act in the common good (public interest); - act in good faith at all times and demonstrate honesty and integrity; - be professional, civil and respectful in all dealings with the public, staff and all other stakeholders; - comply with all applicable statutes and policies; - avoid conflicts of interest and undue influence; - respect the decisions of council;
 - maintain confidentiality; - be accountable and transparent with all stakeholders; - be respectful of others’ time, interests and personal apContinued on page 3
Family Farm Award goes to Whale clan
MAPLETON – The Whale family of Clovermead Farms here is one of 35 Ontario families recognized by the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) and BMO Bank of Montreal for their outstanding contributions to the Ontario agricultural sector. Clovermead Farms, run by Bruce and Deborah Whale and their son Korb, is a 475-acre dairy and cropping operation. In 2012, the Whales added an anaerobic digester to turn the methane produced by Continued on page 2
Canada Day fun - A volleyball tournament at ABC Park in Drayton was part of the fun on Canada Day in Mapleton. photo by Patrick Raftis
Main St. W. Palmerston
World War Z Rated 14A
116 minutes long
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Fastpitch fundraiser - The Hill United Chiefs, ranked second in the world by the International Softball Congress, came to Moorefield on June 26 to play the South Perth All Stars in a game to raise funds for Moorefield Park improvements. About 200 people attended the event, which opened with a youth game between the Palmerston Marlins Squirt girls and the Belmore Sting boys U-12 squad. TOP: Shortstop Josh Brohman of Drayton, third from left, with his South Perth All Star teammates during the announcement of the line-ups. ABOVE LEFT: Daphne Culp takes a lead off first base during the youth game. ABOVE RIGHT: Mapleton softball stars Victoria Rumph, left, of the Canadian national women’s softball team, and Lydia Kalbfleisch, who will pitch for the Canada’s entry in the Maccabi Games in Israel this summer, teamed up to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. photos by Patrick Raftis
Fun fastball fundraiser showcases Moorefield Ball Park improvements MOOREFIELD - A fun fundraiser filled the stands at the Moorefield Ball Park for some top-flight fastball action on June 27. The Hill United Chiefs, ranked second in the world by the International Softball Congress, took on the South Perth All Stars in a game to raise funds for Moorefield Park improvements. The event opened with a youth game between the Palmerston Marlins Squirt girls and the Belmore Sting boys. The intent of the exhibition was to promote the game of softball in the community and “showcase the beautiful facility that Moorefield Community Park has returned to,� said Mapleton public works director Larry Lynch, who chaired the organizing committee for the event. Township parks staff, under the leadership of manager Jim Grose, and the Moorefield Athletic Association have
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worked very hard to upgrade lighting, fencing, playground facilities and turf in an effort to “bring some softball glory back to a gem of a location to play the game,� added Lynch, who is also a coach with the Hill United team. About 200 people attended the event, with many young players seen sporting their club colours and chasing players for autographs. The early evening U-12 gender battle between the Palmerston Marlin Squirts and the Belmore Sting boys went to the boys in a well-contested encounter. The feature game between the South Perth Men’s League All-Stars and the Hill United Chiefs provided plenty of excitement. The Chiefs led off their half of the first inning with a home run by catcher Mark Johnson and built a solid 3-1 lead behind the strong pitching performance of Aus-
tralian ace Adam Folkard. The All Stars tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh and the game ended on one pitch in the bottom of the frame, with another Australian, Nick Shailes, hitting a walk off blast over the right field fence to secure the 4-3 victory. The organizing committee estimates about $500 was raised and will go to signage improvements at the park. “It was a beautiful night to share a game loved by this rural community for many generations,� Lynch stated. “There was an excitement ... in the air, smiles on the faces of fans and players alike and just an electric atmosphere in a historic facility. It was our hope to revive some memories of games gone by in showcasing some great young local talent and some great international stars. I think it’s safe to say it was a double header sweep in Moorefield.�
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