Regional Councillors in Niagara will meet behind closed doors in a special session this afternoon at 3:00 to view the long awaited Ombudsman's report into the tainted hiring process involving former Chief Administrative Officer, Carmen D'Angelo.
The Ontario Ombudsman's office launched a formal investigation August 30th of 2018 after it was revealed D'Angelo was given confidential information about other candidates and provided questions and answers prior to his interviews with the hiring committee in the Fall of 2016.
In addition, the report will investigate the lucrative contract extension that then Regional Chair Alan Caslin unilaterally granted to D’Angelo in 2017, which the Chair admitted to after initial denials.
Subsequent to the 2018 municipal election, the newly elected Regional Council voided D’Angelo’s contract. That matter is before the courts.
The Ombudsman’s draft report will only be seen on Thursday by the Regional Council Members, who will not be able to retain copies and will have to sign strict non-disclosure agreements.
The only staff present in the closed door session will be the Regional clerk and solicitor.
Under the Ombudsman's Act anyone who could be impacted by the report can be provided the draft and allowed to provide a response.
Conceivably, Caslin and D'Angelo could both see the document before it is released to the public.
Regional Council will have until November 21st to provide a formal response.
It is unknown when the Ombudsman's office will make the report available to the public.