City Corporate Services Manager Testifies at Skakun Trial

Thursday, October 28, 2010 11:30 AM

Prince George, B.C. – “I was stunned” that is how City of Prince George Corporate Services Manager Kathleen Soltis said she felt when she saw the Kitty Heller report posted on the CBC in August of 2008.

Testifying at the trial of Brian Skakun, Ms. Soltis said she believed the report she saw on the website was a copy of the one she had prepared for a closed session of City Council. She said the report for Council had been marked “Attachment 4”, the same marking appeared on the report that was on the website.

Soltis told the court it is not normal practice for City Staff to present such reports to Council as the employee information is considered very private. In this case, the presentation was a result of a request from Councillor Brian Skakun who asked for the report to be presented to Council because he had been hearing concerns about some complaints circulating in the RCMP detachment.

Soltis testified that following the presentation of the report in the closed session, Councillor Skakun “Left the room abruptly, he didn’t seem pleased with the discussion” said Soltis.

The report looked at the complaints of two civilian employees at the RCMP detachment. The complaints focused on two managers, and the report concluded the complaints against the two managers were unfounded, it did make comment on the “perceived” conflict of interest because of the romantic relationship between one manager and the Officer in Charge of the detachment it also said the managers had not violated the City’s “Code of Conduct.”.

Soltis said Council called for a review of the City’s code of conduct and decided not to make revisions to address a perceived conflict because of concerns it could violate human rights.

Councillor Skakun is accused of breaching the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy act in relation to the leak of the Heller report.

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Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 11:30 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: newly retired on October 28 2010 12:29 PM

For thosse that are interested in this Heller report, you can still access it on CBC.

Posted by: bitter on October 28 2010 6:35 PM

I am stunned,that the City did not address the problem when it should have. Brian is going to be the Black Sheep in all of this but there is a whole hurd around him, but he will be taking the hit because he had the Guts to try to do something.

Posted by: Runner46 on October 28 2010 9:46 PM

Without prejudice.

Where is it written that you can break the trust of the public from an oath that you swear when you become an elected official?

That is the basis of this trial, not what people are/were doing purportedly behind closed doors in their own homes. That in fact is a separate issue that needs to be addressed by management, not the courts.

Posted by: supertech on October 28 2010 11:58 PM

The truth in this story is: democracy has died in BC. What does the City od PG have to hide from us? We are not building atomic bombs here. I do not believe there should be any closed door subjects the City Council has to deal with. Secretive meetings will be assumed anti-democratic by the populace because the information will be passed on to only a select few, allowing then to achieve monetary gain. This trial is a mockery of democracy and the installation of kangaroo court; all over a 2000 dollar fine for a misdemeanor by someone (we don't even know who). This is another spend, spend item on Council's list. Drop it and grow up, then fix the potholes and make the sewage go away (which is really your mandate).

Posted by: econ101 on October 29 2010 8:06 PM

The truth is. Someone released a confedential report....which contained private + personel information. There's no damn way it should have happended. No one has the right to release such documentation. Period!

Posted by: bitter on October 29 2010 10:33 PM

IF things had been looked into by the City and something done about it, we would not be where we are today.Period!