By Lachlan Labere MARKET NEWS Staff Mar 28 2007 http://www.saobserver.net/
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District has disclosed the findings of a lengthy and costly investigation into harassment allegations involving a board director and district staff. CSRD board chair Marty Bootsma opened the March 15 regular board meeting by bringing details behind the investigation and its conclusion out of camera. Bootsma stated that on Nov. 1, 2006, at the annual general meeting in Sorrento of the Shuswap Volunteer Fire Department, South Shuswap director Ted Bacigalupo made “inappropriate comments,” to three regional district employees. “It came to the board’s attention by a letter of complaint by a staff member that director Bacigalupo made inappropriate comments towards CSRD staff members during an open public meeting,” said Bootsma. “The inappropriate remarks were directed at CSRD staff who were upholding the policies and bylaws of the board of directors. These remarks were perceived by the recipients to be abusive.”
Upon receipt of the complaint, Bootsma explained, the board proceeded to address the matter under the CSRD’s discrimination and harassment policy and, with legal advice, initiated an investigation into the incident. “The investigation found that director Bacigalupo did not act in a discriminatory or a harassing way, but did act in an inappropriate manner with his comments,” said Bootsma. “The board accepted the findings of the investigator, which resulted in the foregoing statement of censure.” In response to Golden director Jim Doyle’s inquiry into the cost of the investigation, CSRD administrator Alan Kuroyama said that while all the invoices are not yet in, he expects it will cost somewhere between $25- and $30-thousand. After the meeting, Bacigalupo would not comment on the specifics of the incident, which he said are still in camera.
However, he did have issue with the investigation process, stating that through a more immediate and direct approach, the CSRD could have arrived at the same conclusion at less cost to himself and taxpayers. “If the complainant had initially approached management and myself and said, ‘look, we don’t appreciate what was said or how it was said, why don’t we talk about this right now,’ get it off the table, get it over with, apologies issued, end of discussion,” said Bacigalupo. “But to make it a legal matter right from the outset, obviously it turned out to be a laborious process, it took five months, and at great expense, not only to the taxpayers but to me personally because I’ve also incurred several thousand dollars of legal expenses.” Bacigalupo said three weeks passed after the Sorrento meeting and he hadn’t been approached by the CSRD management or the board regarding the harassment complaint. “At that point, well, it was already a legal matter and it kind of limited how much dialogue there could be between the affected parties,” said Bacigalupo.
Bootsma reiterated after the meeting that the board had determined the investigation necessary to objectively deal with the harassment complaint. “I don’t believe we have a choice; we have a harassment policy and a legitimate complaint was made,” said Bootsma. “Yes, we did get a legal opinion to get it investigated by a third party, an outside party that was objective, so there would be no personalities involved. “The board made the resolution, and we’d just like to put this behind us and carry on.”
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