The recommendations from that meeting included referring the investigation report to the Integrity Commissioner to determine if Councillor Beros also violated the Council Code of Conduct. The Integrity Commissioner concluded that its investigation could not proceed after the complainant did not respond to requests for an interview. These findings were presented at the Council Meeting on February 22, 2016.

While the Integrity Commissioner was unable to proceed with its independent investigation, the findings of the investigator under the Respect in the Workplace Policy still stand. The Respect in the Workplace Policy and the Council Code of Conduct are two separate polices.

The Respect in the Workplace Policy states that “employees and Members of Council are entitled to work in an environment that is free from any form of harassment, abusive conduct, discrimination or workplace violence.”

This is a matter Council takes very seriously. As Members of Council – it is our responsibility to uphold the policies that guide our conduct and protect Richmond Hill employees. Any breach is not acceptable. The public portion of the meeting can be viewed online at RichmondHill.ca/Meetings.