Council to vote on Chiarelli's 9-month pay suspension

Ottawa city council will decide Wednesday whether to mete out one of the harshest penalties of its kind ever imposed in Ontario againstCoun. Rick Chiarelli, accused of inappropriate behaviour toward femalejob applicants.

• Chiarelli should face harshest penalty for alleged misconduct, integrity commissioner says
• Integrity commissioner's damning report 'unfair,' says Chiarelli
• IN HER OWN WORDS: 'I cannot let any other woman go through a process like this'

Council will consider a damning report by integrity commissioner Robert Marleau, who found Chairelli violated the code of conduct in his comportment during three job interviews behaviour Marleau said qualifies as harassment under several city policies.

Chiarelli has denied all allegations.

Marleau is recommending council approve the harshest penaltyavailable: suspending Chiarelli'ssalaryfor 90 days for each complaint, for a total ofmore than $79,000.

Council is likely to approve the recommendation unanimously. Mayor Jim Watson told reporters Monday that he supports the sanction, and many other councillors have told CBC they plan to vote in favour.

WATCH: How the mayor planned to vote

Mayor supports salary suspension for councillor accused of inappropriate behaviour

4 years ago

Duration 0:49

Mayor Jim Watson says he supports the integrity commissioners suggestion of sanctions against Coun. Rick Chiarelli, who is accused of behaving inappropriately toward several female job applicants.

The mayor and other councillors are also expected to comment on the report, and on whether harsher penalties should be available when it comes to elected officials who are found to have behavedinappropriately.

Currently, councillors cannot be forced to resign.

Councillors could also learn more about when the integrity commissioner expects to release a second report on allegations against Chiarelli, this one based on formal complaints from two former employees.

Related to the Chiarelli allegations, which were first reported by CBC last fall, council will also considernew hiring guidelines for councillors' assistants, as well as additional protection for political staffers.

• Political staffers fear speaking up, councillors told

During an earlier committee discussion, councillors heard that councillors' assistants are worried they'll lose their jobs if they speak out.

Secret update on LRT legal disputes

The last council agenda before the summer break has traditionally been a hefty one, and this year's mid-July meeting is no exception. The meeting is starting at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than usual.

Wednesday will also see abehind-closed-doors update to councillors on the city's ongoing legal and financial dispute with Rideau Transit Group (RTG), the builders of the falteringConfederation Line.

The city hasn't paid the consortium since last November, when it sent a$4.5-million chequeto RTGfor September service. In March, the city issued RTG a formal letter of default, claiming the consortium hadn't lived up to its obligations in the contract.

This will also be the first time council can discussas a groupthe Transportation Safety Board's move to launch a formal investigationinto several cracked wheels on the Alstom Citadis Spirit trains that run on the Confederation Line.

RTG has told the city it will have 15 trains running on Aug. 4, even though service has been sporadic this month,with as few as seven trains operating at a time.

It's unclear what the public will be told about the in-camera discussion regarding the LRT contract.

Bylaws, by-electionand boundaries

Among the other items on Wednesday's busy agenda:

• The temporary bylaw for mandatory masks in indoor public spaces, as well as a related bylaw amendment to relax restrictions for commercial patios and outdoor pop-up retail spaces during the pandemic.
• The city clerk's recommendation that a byelection to fill the council seat forCumberland ward, vacated five months ago after former councillor Stephen Blais became the MPP for Orlans, take place on Oct. 5.
• Approving the five options for redrawing ward boundaries, which are to go out for public consultation in the fall. Considering one councillor called the current options "a slap in the face,"expect a detailed discussion on this item.

In addition, there are several motions on the table, and there could be more added at the last moment.

One, from Coun. Mathieu Fleury, calls for the province to considerthe concentration of pot shops in one area when approving new licences for cannabis retailers. The motion is in response to concerns there are too many cannabis retailers opening in the ByWard Market.

Check cbc.ca/ottawa for updates and follow our city hall reporters @KatePorterCBCand @jchianellofor up-to-the-minute updates.