College ward community associations pen letter calling on Chiarelli to resign

The presidents of four College ward community associations are calling on Coun. Rick Chiarelli to resign after he was found to have violated the city's code of conduct by its integrity commissioner.

On Wednesday, Ottawa city council voted unanimouslyto accept the report and recommendation of the commissioner and impose the harshest penalty available suspending Chiarelli's pay for 270 days, the equivalent of more than $79,000.

Chiarelli has been accused by several woman of sexually inappropriate behaviour during job interviews, allegations that were first reported on by CBC.

He has denied all the allegationsand launched a judicial review of integrity commissioner Robert Marleau's findings,arguing these sorts of complaints aren't within his jurisdictionand that council was biased toward him.

"Itreally reflects really badly on us if this isthe kind of person representing us," said Lynwood Village Community Association president Tristan Maack, who spearheaded the letter, which wassent to media and localMPPs.

The letter asks Chiarelli to resign and if he doesn't, it urgesMPPs Lisa MacLeod and Jeremy Roberts to consult with Ontario's minister of municipal affairs to legislate his removal.

"The city council has said, basically, they're disgusted by behaviour but then College ward residents, if we want a stop sign, we're supposed to go talk to this guy? That doesn't make sense to me," Maack said.

Agreement not unanimous

The Centrepointe Community Association was listed as having signed the letter, but that was done prematurely, somethingMaackapologized for.

The majority of the association's executive hasnow voted against asking for Chiarelli's resignation.

"Some [have] expressed the opinion that the hit has already occurred," said president Ron Benn, referring to the decision to dock Chiarelli tens of thousands of dollars, as well as the blow to hisreputation.

Even so, Benn said he wants Chiarelli to think long and hard abouthow effective he can be as the councillor for College ward, given his recent health issuesand the censure by his fellowcouncillors.

"It'snot just that the councillor has lost their respect. It's that the others around council chamber may be inclined to completely ignore him," said Benn. "In which case, the residents of College ward are collateral damage."

Others in the community, meanwhile, do not agree with the letter at all or the findings in Marleau's report.

"I don't know if that was a fair and unbiased report," said Nancy Wilson, vice president of the City View Community Association, whose president did sign the letter.

"I don't know if I believe all of these things that are happening. So I'd like to see a fair trial where Coun.Chiarelli canbe interviewed, and it's something that's done in a court of law."

Wilson said she thinks the community should have been polled before her association signed on to the letter.

Legislation difficult

Chiarelli has not commented directly on the integrity commissioner's report,but his lawyers have argued that it was unfair as it was completed without Chiarelli's participation due to his open-heart surgery and subsequent health complications.

The integrity commissioner reported he attempted to interview Chiarelli multiple times.

Two more reports regarding Chiarelliare expected in the coming days, another from the integrity commissioner and an internal workplace harassment policy complaint.

MacLeod has discussed the issue with Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, but his office hasn't indicated that he's willing to pass or even discuss legislation to remove a councillor from office for bad behaviour.