> Grimsby mayor can’t be forced to pay invoices: legal opinion /Pg 3 > Lincoln looks for truck route alternatives Pg 3 > Condo residents upset over towed vehicles Pg 5 > Rose Cottage adapting to COVID impacts Pg 9 Thursday, April 15, 2021 Vol. 9 Issue 49
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Petition seeking intervention takes off By Tristan Marks NewsNow An online petition seeking a provinceled investigation into administrative issues at the Town of Grimsby was launched last week, clicking by the 1,000 milestone Monday. Grimsby resident Mark Kossek posted the petition after losing “all confidence” in the majority of Grimsby council members and the municipality’s chief administrative officer, Harry Schlange. The petition asks Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff and Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé “to begin an immediate and independent investigation” into the hiring practices and activities of Schlange. It also asks that an
investigation delve into possible conflict of interest regarding Schlange’s relationship to Coun. Dave Kadwell. Kossek said he hopes this action from the community will prompt the provincial officials to research and consider a recall mechanism for municipalities. “If you’v e lost all confidence in your municipal council, there should be recall legislation,” Kossek said. He added that, without the accountability a recall mechanism could offer - a situation such as Grimsby council’s where five councillors regularly control the agenda on key issues - councils have a “four-year fiefdom in front of them.” The petition points to the recent firing of long-time, respected Town employees as
After going live last Wednesday, an online petition created by resident Mark Kossek went by the 1,000 signature milestone just after 2 p.m. on Monday. Kossek said he would have been happy with a couple of hundred signatures, but the response shows how serious current Town of Grimsby issues are for the general public. just the latest in a series of actions taken by Schlange that are “causing significant and potentially irrevocable damage to the Town of Grimsby”. It also notes how “simple administrative tasks have gone wanting while major structural and policy issues have mushroomed up
at every turn” during his tenure. Kossek noted in the petition that former CAO Derik Brandt, who was fired more than two years ago, was still an official signing officer for the municipality as recently as this month. Kossek alleges this issue is all the more
damaging since the group of councillors which has become known as the “Grimsby 5” (G5) and Schlange appear to coordinate their actions away from public’s sight. “There’s no transparency or accountability coming from those guys and they ran on that,” Kossek said of
now-councillors who campaigned on those traits in 2018. “And as for Harry, we didn’t vote for that guy. In his 12-page contract, all but two lines are redacted.” This latter comment refers to an employment contract which was recently released See PETITION, Page 2
Bentley calls biodigester law suit “publicity stunt” By Mike Williscraft NewsNow It has been a long time since anyone heard an iota about the Town of Grimsby’s civil suit filed against former biodigester management, but former mayor Bob Bentley said on the weekend that should change. In a social media discussion with Grimsby resident Ursula Pelissero about the current state of Grimsby council, Pelissero noted problems did not start with the current incar-
nation around the council table. “Town council certainly has its problems, exacerbated by (CAO Harry) Schlange. (But the past town council also had its blemishes, particularly the millions lost due to the Biodigester decision.),” noted Pelissero. Bentley said he was eager to correct the public record. “When the publicity stunt lawsuit is done, you will see the town did not lose any money in that project as the taxpayers did not invest any
so save your uninformed opinion and I will speak publicly once it is over,” said Bentley. While Pelissero said, “I will look forward to that,” Bentley went a step further suggesting a phone conversation so he could enlighten her regarding details of a forensic audit conducted on the biodigester which racked up about $18 million in debt and operating losses before being sold off to recoup some deficit. “Give me a call anytime as the de-
tails of the forensic audit and sale of digester should be public as a town owned facility. A directed snow job from people with an agenda that will definitely cost the town. Ask your reps. They know they have no case and were fooled into launching it by misinformation,” claimed Bentley. The tactic of claiming taxpayers had not lost anything in the biodigester debacle is not new. See LAW SUIT, Page 3