Councillors to vote on leave for Rick Chiarelli
Doctor recommends that embattled councillor be off until Nov. 1 1
City council will decide on Oct. 23 whether College Coun. Rick Chiarelli should be allowed a medical leave of absence.
Council on Wednesday received a brief update from the city clerk and city solicitor on the Chiarelli matter, with Mayor Jim Watson putting colleagues on notice that they’ll be asked to vote on Chiarelli’s leave request at the next meeting.
Clerk Rick O’Connor said his office was in contact with Chiarelli this week and on Tuesday the councillor provided updated medical documentation.
Chiarelli’s doctor recommended a medical leave until Nov. 11, O’Connor said.
Chiarelli has also notified the clerk’s office he won’t be attending meetings scheduled between now and Nov. 11.
There are two council meetings scheduled in November: Nov. 6 and Nov. 27.
Chiarelli didn’t appear at council or committee meetings in September and hasn’t attended one so far in October.
The Ontario Municipal Act says a council member vacates a seat when he or she misses three consecutive months of meetings.
In order to keep his job for another three months, Chiarelli would have to attend a meeting in November, or receive authorization from council to be on a leave of absence.
Chiarelli asked council for a leave starting Sept. 25 after presenting medical documentation to the mayor and clerk, but council on that date put the request aside to give the clerk more time to check in with Chiarelli.
City solicitor David White said council can say yes or no to Chiarelli’s request for leave.
The duty-to-accommodate provision under the Ontario Human Rights Code isn’t in play with the Chiarelli matter.
It applies only in the context of employment and councillors aren’t employees of the municipality, White said.
Chiarelli has not been seen at city hall ever since allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward his office staff and potential new hires surfaced in early September.
Since then, more women, both named and unnamed, have come forward in the media to share their stories about their time working with the longtime Nepean councillor.
The city’s integrity commissioner is investigating.
Chiarelli released a lengthy statement last week saying he has “never treated a member of my staff (including job candidates) in a sexually harassing, discriminatory, or inappropriate ‘gender-based’ fashion.”
He has not disclosed the medical condition that’s keeping him away from his job.
Council has assigned councillors Allan Hubley and Scott Moffatt to assist with constituent issues in College ward while Chiarelli is away. jwilling@postmedia.com twitter.com/JonathanWilling