The mayor of Cookshire-Eaton, Sylvie Lapointe, pleaded guilty to one of the 21 breaches of the code of ethics that weigh against her, and not guilty for the others, during her recent appearance before the Commission municipale du Québec. She is awaiting hearings set for December 17 and January 14, concerning Judge Joseph-André Roy’s opinion on sanctions, if he considers them necessary.
Ms. Lapointe admitted her guilt on Count 19, namely: “On or around September 14, 2020, having used or allowed the use of the resources or services of the municipality (two employees of the Public Works Department), for personal purposes or for purposes other than activities related to the exercise of their functions, namely for the movement of equipment from the Manoir de l’EAU VIVE, failing to meet the obligations stipulated in Article 4 of the Code.”
Ms. Lapointe admitted to pleading guilty “to asking two city employees for help to move a stove that was very heavy at the Manoir de l’EAU VIVE.” She says she asked the owner of the Subway and the janitor for help, but to no avail. “We had to be quick because in the afternoon they were coming to collect it. I went back to my office and saw two guys through my patio door. I thought, I could ask them for help, between good neighbours. I called the director of public works, René Lavigne. He said, ‘yes, I am sending them to you.’ They came, maybe four guys. I had completely forgotten that I was wearing the mayor’s hat. This one, I pleaded guilty because I shouldn’t have done it. For the other 20 breaches, I pleaded not guilty,” added the mayor.
She also mentioned the breach that she was notified about, of having cones installed to secure an area between the Town Hall and the Manoir de l’EAU VIVE. “For Phase II of the Manoir, we had to drill a borehole to check the condition of the ground, and there was heavy machinery. For the municipality as much as for the protection of people and for the Manoir, I had asked René Lavigne to place cones so that no one passed by there. It’s a question of safety. This is one breach and the other is because I asked for them to be removed.” Ms. Lapointe pled not guilty to these breaches, maintaining that her gesture was motivated by a concern “of safety as much for the city, as for the people of the Manor or passersby.”
“For the other 18 breaches, they say I was in a conflict of interest because I attended meetings a few times that talked about the Manoir, such as for easement, for parking or for a waiver. I pleaded not guilty to that, because for me it’s not a conflict of interest.” The mayor pointed out that several people testified, including one of the owners of the seniors’ residence. Ms. Lapointe mentioned that the latter would have specified that she had not participated in the various actions of the residence, whether it was the preparation of plans and other steps. “I was really like a simple employee, no bonus, nothing, neither a shareholder nor a leader. I was just a simple director.” Ms. Lapointe recalled that an investment of this magnitude of a few million dollars is not common in Cookshire-Eaton, while specifying that she had never taken part in a vote concerning the Manoir de l’EAU VIVE. She added that she has withdrawn from discussions about the Manoir as of September 2020.
Note that the hearings were spread out over a four-day period. The director general of the municipality, Martin Tremblay, the councillor, Louise Gosselin, the director of public works, René Lavigne, the councillor, Michel Mercier, as well as Steven Hallé, designer, promoter and co-owner of the Manoir de l’EAU VIVE residence, appeared before the commission. Ms. Lapointe testified at the very end of the hearings, just before the pleas.
The mayor, as of this writing, is awaiting the opinion about sanctions relating to the count she pleaded guilty to; a hearing is scheduled for December 17. If applicable, a hearing is scheduled on January 14 for the other breaches to which she has pleaded not guilty. The mayor said she drew a lesson from this experience, in particular to be more vigilant.