FORT FRANCES – On Monday, Fort Frances councillors will discuss a report on the conduct of Coun. David Kircher.
The administrative report put together by David G. Boghosian, the integrity commissioner for Fort Frances, was started on Feb. 13 when he was directed to investigate Kircher for possible code of conduct violations.
Town clerk Gabrielle Lecuyer sent Boghosian an extensive package of documents related to the investigation, the report said, which included mostly email exchanges with Kircher.
The concerns related to Kircher’s use of municipal email, his circumventing of the chief administrative officer, and his implication of bad faith actions by members of administration and council.
According to the report, on several occasions Kircher improperly used the Fort Frances email system to send emails to all of council requesting a decision or action that should have taken place in a council meeting.
The report said Kircher was advised of this improper use by the clerk and interim CAO on several occasions and Boghosian also spoke with Kircher.
“In spite of this coaching Councillor Kircher continues to improperly use the email system exposing council and administration to liability for holding closed meetings without proper notice and in contravention of the closed meeting bylaw,” the report said.
Kircher’s actions are “causing an erosion of trust between administration and council, this erosion of trust can and will affect the efficiency of council in working with administration to get things done for the community and may cause staff to consider whether they wish to continue working for the municipality,” the 30-page report said.
The report contains four recommended sanctions.
Those sanctions include suspending Kircher’s remuneration as a councillor for 55 days and that Kircher be formally reprimanded for his inappropriate dealings with confidential information.
Sanctions also include that Kircher publicly apologize to Coun. John McTaggart for his conduct, Fort Frances should hire a workplace facilitator to work with councillors Kircher and McTaggart and council as a whole in the discretion of the facilitator – with the goal to restore mutual trust and respect among council members.
A request for comment from Kircher and Mayor Andrew Hallikas on Saturday was not returned.
