Rideau Lakes council reviews Integrity Commissioner reports
RIDEAU LAKES — It was back to the drawing board for Rideau Lakes councillors on Oct. 14, albeit virtually.
Coun. Dustin Bulloch moved to shift the Integrity Commissioner (IC) items to the end of the agenda, noting that debate on these reports had consumed the entire Oct. 6 meeting, which was ultimately called off by the CAO for staff safety as tensions rose.
“I’d like to move that we deal with this item at the end of the meeting,” Bulloch said. “The last meeting was completely taken over by these Integrity Commissioner reports, and it ended with staff walking out. I think we should get through the rest of the business first.”
Councillors voted against deferring the discussion and proceeded to address it at the top of the meeting.
Members first considered Coun. Ron Pollard’s IC reports, voting to impose a combined 105-day suspension of pay, a significant increase from the penalties recommended by the township’s Integrity Commissioner, Ellen Fry.
Fry investigated two complaints against Pollard (IC-35536-0425 and IC-35607-0625), both filed by the same complainant. In a report dated Sept. 8, 2025, Fry found Pollard had contravened the township’s Code of Conduct in two areas.
In the April complaint (IC-35536-0425), Fry determined that Pollard voted in March 2025 to impose penalties on Couns. Paula Banks and Jeff Banks in cases where the IC had found no breach. She concluded this action treated colleagues inappropriately and brought council into disrepute, contrary to sections 6.10.1 and 5.3(ii) of the Code of Conduct. Fry recommended a seven-day suspension.
In the June complaint (IC-35607-0625), Fry found that Pollard shared communications from the IC with the mayor and another councillor, contravening section 6.2.6(i), which requires such correspondence to remain confidential. Fry determined the disclosure was made in good faith to obtain legal advice and did not recommend a penalty.
Council voted to increase the first penalty from seven days to 90 days without pay, and to impose a 15-day suspension for the second complaint, bringing Pollard’s total suspension to 105 days.
“This is very important,” Paula Banks said during debate. “It brought liability to the township. He’s a seasoned politician, and we should go with the 90 days.”
Bulloch disagreed, saying council should not exceed the IC recommendations.
“Imposing further penalties beyond that is a conflict of interest,” he said.
Both motions for the extended suspensions passed 5–3, with Mayor Arie Hoogenboom and Couns. Dustin Bulloch and Marcia Maxwell opposed. Deputy Mayor Deborah Ann Hutchings and Couns. Paula Banks, Jeff Banks, Sue Dunfield, and Linda Carr voted in favour.
At the Oct. 6 meeting, Carr had indicated she would support Pollard, noting he had helped her during a previous matter before the IC. Her vote in favour of the increased penalties on Oct. 14 marked a reversal from that earlier position.
Pollard declared a conflict on both items and did not participate in the votes.
Hoogenboom receives public reprimand
Mayor Arie Hoogenboom will receive a public reprimand after council discussed four IC reports against him during the Oct. 6 meeting.
It was then that Paula Banks asked whether the mayor could be removed from his seat on County Council as a reprimand.
CAO Shellee Fournier read correspondence from the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, confirming that removal was not permitted because “all heads of council make up County Council.”
Following that clarification, council proceeded with a public reprimand, as recommended by Fry. Jeff Banks asked that the county’s written clarification be included in the reprimand motion to document council’s request for direction.
Fry’s report (IC-35605-0625, dated Sept. 8, 2025) found that Hoogenboom breached confidentiality under section 6.2.6(i) of the township’s Code of Conduct by publicly stating he was under investigation. She recommended a reprimand with no financial penalty.
The other three reports against the mayor covered a range of Code of Conduct breaches, including participating in a penalty vote where no contravention had been found, sharing confidential information with other councillors while preparing a legal defence, and making an inappropriate personal remark toward a councillor. Council voted to increase two suspensions from the recommended seven and three days to 90 days each, resulting in a total of 180 days of lost pay.
Rideau Lakes council has now dealt with the seven Integrity Commissioner reports from Oct. 6 and 17 others since 2023. The township has not yet released the total cost of the investigations.
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