Bridge ‘witch hunt’ heats up Region meeting
Calls for taskforce to be disbanded amid accusations and finger-pointing
Accusations and finger-pointing were met with calls for the Burgoyne Bridge Task Force to be disbanded, as concerns about missing data related to the $100million bridge were lobbed back and forth by Niagara Region council Thursday night.
Although data including email and information pertinent to the design of the bridge data back to 2008 has been provided by the city, Niagara Falls regional Coun. Selina Volpatti, who heads up the Region’s taskforce looking into cost overruns on the bridge project, said she has unanswered questions regarding missing data from 2011 and 2012.
“One of the things that came out of the taskforce meeting that I’d like to emphasize is that staff persons knowingly withheld key Burgoyne Bridge financial information from both committee and council, during the design phase,” Volpatti alleged.
“What’s the truth in the matter here? What’s happening? Where are these tapes?” she said. “Despite these events, I realize that we have to have these tapes in order that this investigation be complete.”
She also alleged that St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik told members of both regional and city council, as well as a former MP that he was in possession of a data stick and hard drive with Burgoyne Bridge information on it.
“We’ve never seen that data stick,” she said. “It remains a mystery to me as to why these tapes are not available.”
Sendzik has previously denied any mention of the data stick, calling it a conspiracy theory.
“Let me be clear, without the 2011 and 2012 tapes, it is impossible to verify whether any 2011 or 2012 data contained in the 2013 tapes was deleted. We need those tapes,” Volpatti said.
Sendzik said the taskforce has devolved into a witch hunt.
Recalling a recent taskforce meeting, he said numerous questions were asked about the missing data, although no one was available to answer those questions.
“Instead of requesting the information, it was just asking questions for the sake of asking questions, which seemed like a witch hunt. That’s what it came down to and that’s not how we should be operating as a taskforce.
“This is what it’s become. It’s become these accusations, it’s become finger pointing, it’s become let’s talk about previous mayors and other staff that worked for the city.”
Instead, he said the Region could have set up a process to look at the facts.
Sendzik also reminded Chair Alan Caslin about a meeting in September, when he said St.
Catharines IT staff said he was working with the Region to retrieve the data files.
“Do you remember the response I got?” Caslin asked. “Your IT fella said, ‘No luck’”
“Sorry, that was not the response Mr. Chair,” Sendzik replied.
“I’m not making this up,” Caslin said.
“Yeah, I’m not making it up either Mr. Chair,” Sendzik told him.
St. Catharines Coun. Tim Rigby called for the taskforce to be disbanded.
He agreed that there were issues with retrieving some of the data files, but said “information that would pertain to the audit” has been retrieved and provided to the auditor.
Rigby said he was disturbed that Volpatti and Grimsby Coun. Tony Quirk sent St. Catharines a letter, “outlining what they expect” from the city.
That letter, he added, was sent on regional letter head without the authorization of council.
“I don’t know why that was done . ... When it goes out as official, I think that’s wrong. I think it’s time that we start to respect what council’s position is. And council is the one that makes the final decision on these items,” Rigby said.
“I would move that this committee be terminated at this time and that all future information comes directly to council, and council itself makes the determination,” Rigby said.
Sendzik asked Caslin how he is dealing with the issue, that a chair of a taskforce sent a direction to a city without having any kind of feedback or approval from regional council.
“Mayor Sendzik, you’re on that taskforce. Why didn’t you ask that question?” Caslin asked him.
Sendzik said he left the meeting before it ended, “because it turned into a sideshow.”
“What is the process? We have a taskforce that’s sending out information to municipalities without having approval from regional council? We’re not even following our own processes. So who’s running the show?”
Sendzik said there has been cooperation between the city and region “since the beginning, and yet there’s this illusion that there’s corruption going on.”
“I would agree with Coun. Rigby,” he added. “I would say disband the taskforce.”