A report was received by town council at last nights Town of Greater Napanee town council meeting by Town of Greater Napanee Integrity Commissioner, Laura Dean. Napanee mayor Marg Isbester contravened the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (MCIA) after failing to declare a pecuniary interest at the October 27, 2020 Council meeting while discussing and approving the development of land by a builder with connections to her son.
During the meeting, after the report was made and councilors asked a few questions to the Integrity Commissioner, Isbester made a statement before council.
Isbester went on to say from the filling of the report on the MCIA she declared a conflict of interest on anything to do with this property and will continue to do so.
Isbester said within the application there were two other allegations, which some of council touched on, that just aren’t included within any application. They were the allegations that she was charged with contradictory to section 5.2 of the MCIA, both dealing with allegations as follows; that she attempted to influence town staff and others in decisions on the marketing of heritage park in such a way that a developer with ties to the mayor’s son and with the same, quoting – “would have an advantage in acquiring the property, knowing that her son stood to declare pecuniary benefit, direct or indirect, from the sale and development of Heritage Park as a residential subdivision, contrary to section 5.2 of the MCIA.” The second allegation was that she “attempted to influence town staff, council members and others in decisions of the sale of Heritage Park and honest development as a residential subdivision knowing that her son, my son, had an interest direct or indirect in a four acre parcel of land adjacent to Heritage Park and a second seven acre parcel of land across Camden Road from Heritage Park, and stood to gain a pecuniary interest, a benefit direct or indirect from the sale of the development of heritage park as a residential subdivision contrary to 5.2 of the MCIA.” She says in both cases there was no evidence or insufficient evidence of those allegations.
Deputy mayor Max Kaiser asked what their next steps are, to which Dean replied in saying a recommendation has been made and there are no further actions council can take.
You are able to view the full report here, or watch a replay of the council meeting on the town’s YouTube channel. The presentation begins at the 4:56 time stamp on the Regular Session of Council for September 14, 2021.