Thursday December 23, 2021
What Ottawa is Talking about – 23 December 2021
▪️Councillor Rick Chiarelli has won his appeal against council in the worst possible way. The College Ward councillor was investigated by the City's integrity commission and found to have violated the City's harrassment policies against female staff members and job applicants. Chiarelli sued. The court found that City Council showed bias against Chiarelli and threw away Council's decision to dock nine months of his pay. The court then fined Chiarelli nine months worth of pay on its own. They also awarded $20,000 from the City to Chiarelli in legal costs, to be paid once Chiarelli pays $40,000 to the Integrity Commissioner in costs. [Ottawa Citizen]
▪️Rideau-Vanier councillor Mathieu Fleury wants a Lowertown church to stop charging for parking. The Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall tore down two heritage buildings twenty years ago and has been operating a temporary parking lot ever since. Neighbours want the Archdiocese to be developed or sold to someone who will build there. A new three year permit to operate the lot has been requested, Fleury is in favour only if the Archdiocese does not make revenue from it, encouraging it to make a decision. [CBC]
▪️In an unsurprising move, the City has postponed all winter recreational programmes for two weeks. Before and After School programs will continue to be offered as planned and pools and rinks remain open but at 50 per cent capacity. [City of Ottawa]
