qathet Regional District board will consider a request for a formal apology to a delegate who appeared at a recent regional board meeting.
At the Thursday, December 12, committee of the whole meeting, directors considered the request from Kim Barton-Bridges, who, as a delegate before the November 28 regional board meeting, was offended by an exchange with Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne.
Barton-Bridges, in an email to the regional board, stated she was requesting a formal apology for the way she and her delegation were treated by Gisborne during the meeting.
“It is appropriate for the board to acknowledge that this behaviour is inappropriate and unacceptable,” stated Barton-Bridges.
At the November 28 meeting, during discussion of a regional water study, Barton-Bridges took exception to questions from Gisborne, who asked about what qualifications she had and whether she was a hydrological engineer.
At the committee of the whole meeting, chief administrative officer Al Radke said there was a motion to receive the correspondence from Barton-Bridges before the committee. He said it would be appropriate to deal with the motion and then make a motion to actually write the letter.
City director George Doubt said he did not think receiving the letter and not reacting was an appropriate choice.
Committee of the whole carried a motion to receive the letter and then Radke suggested a motion to respond to the letter through director Gisborne.
Area A director Patrick Brabazon said the request was for the board to respond. He said the director could respond but the board was going to have to do something.
Radke said he believed the first offer should be made to Gisborne.
Doubt said he believes he has seen a letter Gisborne wrote to Barton-Bridges after the board meeting and it did not seem to be an apology.
“The citizen is owed an apology by director Gisborne and I would make a motion that director Gisborne apologize for his communication at the meeting,” said Doubt. “It has cast a bad shadow on the board. The board is being asked for an apology and director Gisborne owes that person an apology.”
Doubt moved that the committee of the whole recommends the board offer the opportunity to director Gisborne to apologize for comments he made to Barton-Bridges on November 28.
Gisborne said the comments he made during the board meeting were an attempt to provide clarification for what was before the board. He said board chair Brabazon indicated Gisborne could only ask questions of the delegate.
He said he wanted the opportunity to explain his position on this issue and what was actually being voted on.
Committee chair Sandy McCormick asked Gisborne to focus on the motion that was before the committee.
Gisborne said it was inappropriate for Brazabon to restrict him to only asking questions at the board meeting.
“Ms. Barton-Bridges is correct that the apology should come from the board,” said Gisborne.
Brabazon said what had been heard is evidence that there will be no proper apology from Gisborne.
“We’ve made an effort; we’ve asked him to apologize,” said Brabazon. “It’s quite clear to me that he’s not going to in any sense of the term that we understand what an apology means. He’s not going to say ‘I’m sorry.’”
Gisborne interjected and said: “I’m sorry. I said it right there.”
Brabazon said Gisborne could apologize or not apologize, but Barton-Bridges had asked for an apology from the board and he said he thinks the board should direct such an apology.
Gisborne said he never indicated he would not apologize for his actions.
Radke said the motion before the board was for Gisborne to offer an apology. The committee carried the motion that Gisborne write a letter of apology.
Brabazon then moved that the committee of the whole recommends the board issue a formal apology to Barton-Bridges for conduct that occurred at the November 28 meeting. The committee carried the motion.
Brabazon said what happened that night is not a singular issue. He added that it has led to considerable concern among the public, among other directors and staff.
Brabazon said he was going to move that the committee of the whole recommends the board, in response to public concern and a respectful workplace, direct staff to prepare a full and complete report regarding the conduct of director Gisborne in consultation with legal counsel, including sanction options and proposed resolution of censure, if necessary.
Brabazon said if the motion carried at the board level, staff will go to the regional district’s legal counsel regarding what options it has in the face of what he considers a flagrant violation of the norms of conduct.
“All this motion says is that staff will get to the legal counsel and tell us what our options are,” said Brabazon.
Gisborne said that during the past year, there have been numerous instances of violations of board procedure by Brabazon against him.
“I’ve sat here quietly and tried to work as best I can with this board,” said Gisborne. “I have been, in some cases, taken aside by director Brabazon and told to sit here and be quiet. I find that incredibly disrespectful for the position I was elected to.”
McCormick directed Gisborne to speak to the motion.
Area C director Clay Brander said the motion was not about meting out punishment; it was just about seeking information.
Gisborne said if this was just about getting information, why was it directed at him specifically?
Brabazon said the motion arose out of the conduct of director Gisborne.
“This has arisen out of a particular incident and so the response is going to be directed at the conduct of the director during that night,” said Brabazon. “Of course it will extend to any conflict we have with directors, but right now, we are dealing with this one. This issue has arisen because of the conduct of director Gisborne with a member of the public, who was surely entitled to basic respect and didn’t get it that night.”
The committee carried Brabazon’s motion for staff to prepare a full and complete report in consultation with legal counsel.
