Cost of Bertol lawsuit, if settled, should be made public, ex-city councillor says

This letter is to the mayor and council of the City of Iqaluit.

I have previously served on Iqaluit City Council for three terms, and during these nine years there was a strike, senior staffs were terminated, including a senior administrative officer, and the administration and council faced legal and labour challenges.

During this time the city was never found by the courts to be liable.

In January of this year, I was surprised to hear on CBC radio news that the city’s planner had been terminated. As I have had the opportunity to work with Ms. Bertol over several years, I was aware of the quality of work done by the city’s planning department.

As an example, the planning department had been acknowledged for initiatives in “green planning,” with national and international awards.

I am even more surprised now to read in Nunatsiaq News of the accusations made towards both senior City staff and Council, and I’m greatly concerned with the possibility of compensation up to $700,000 being paid to Ms. Bertol.

The accusations made in the suit by Ms. Bertol are substantial and extremely concerning. A court of law will determine if the allegations of “bullying”,” harassment” and “demeaning behaviour” are founded and if the dismissal is unfounded, time will tell.

In the event that the city should decide to settle this issue with Ms. Bertol, before a court has made a decision, it will be an acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the city.

Any settlement made by the city on behalf of the rate payers deserves to be made public.

In the event that the city is found liable or the city decides to settle out of court with Ms. Bertol, the mayor and council have an obligation to take corrective action, as city staff will need to be supported and protected from senior staff.

I am asking the mayor, on behalf of the council, to reassure the residents of Iqaluit that we will be fully informed in due time of the resolution of this lawsuit and what corrective actions are taken if the city is liable or chooses to avoid a decision of the courts.

Glenn Williams
Iqaluit

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