Sightseeing cruise, palace visit paid for by region
Taxpayer funds used to cover costs of excursions on days off during summer Europe trip
Visits to the Palace of Versailles in France (seen here), and the Sagrada Familia Basillica in Spain were paid for by the region during a trip to Europe in July by regional councillors and staff, with those expenditures approved by finance and works staff. According to regional policy, only business-related expenses can be claimed.
By Graeme McNaughton/The Oshawa Express
A number of visits to tourist destinations were approved and paid for by the Region of Durham during a trip to Europe last summer by regional councillors and staff.
According to documents obtained by The Oshawa Express through a Municipal Freedom of Information and Privacy Act request, regional staff signed off on covering the costs for trips such as a trip for two to the Palace of Versailles, a 17th century French palace located in a wealthy Paris suburb, a sightseeing cruise for three in Paris and a trip and audio guides for nine at the Sagrada Familia Basillica, a 19th century Catholic basilica in Barcelona.
Nine representatives from the region — Roger Anderson, Durham’s regional chair; Councillors Nester Pidwerbecki, Colleen Jordan and Jack Ballinger; Cliff Curtis, then the region’s commissioner of works; Garry Cubitt, the chief administrative officer for the region; Mirka Januszkiewicz, director of waste management; Craig Bartlett, manager of waste operations; and Peter Veiga, waste services supervisor – were in France and Spain in early July 2016 to investigate anaerobic digestion, which sees compost used to generate biofuel. The cost of the trip, according to an estimate provided by the region’s travel agent prior to excursion and previously reported on by The Oshawa Express, was just over $90,000.
A business plan for such a facility in Durham Region, with a proposed budget of more than $40 million, is expected to come before council this spring.
The Sagrada Familia Basillica in Spain.
Seeing the sights
Two of the trips found by The Express took place on July 2, a day without any planned trips to any anaerobic digestion facilities, with an itinerary of the trip marking it as a “day at your leisure.”
The first was claimed by Veiga, and included two tickets to the Palace of Versailles. On that day, there were also claims filed for a rental car, road tolls for the highways between Paris and the palace and gas for the rental car. The total cost of the excursion, according to Veiga’s expense report, was just over 217 Euros, or the equivalent of CAD$341.51.
The other expense that day was claimed by Bartlett, and was for a sightseeing cruise for three people, which cost 45 Euros, or CAD$66.75.
Another expense was claimed for July 7, the day that the group arrived in Barcelona. As was the case with July 2, there were no trips planned to anaerobic digestion facilities on this day. On this date, Veiga claimed nine audio guides for the Sagrada Familia Basillica, which cost 198 Euros, or the equivalent of CAD$296.72.
However, while these trips were claimed by Bartlett and Veiga, this does not necessarily mean that they took part, and only that they paid for them.
“Regional staff acted as hosts and guides to the councillors participating on the delegation. In carrying out that responsibility they incurred expenses, sometimes on their own behalf, sometimes on behalf of others,” Susan Siopis, the current works commissioner for the Region of Durham, told The Oshawa Express in an emailed statement.
“This was understood in advance of the trip to be their role and responsibility. No matter who submitted the claim, all expenses incurred are allocated to the members of the delegation as appropriate.”
Siopis also says that these expenses were reviewed and approved by staff.
“These trips were not tours of waste related facilities, however, that does not mean that they are not properly the subject of reimbursement. Some of the expense claims involved group activities, as such; the expenses were approved as appropriate,” Siopis states.
“The files related to the expenses incurred by this delegation has been reviewed. The policy was properly applied where applicable, and discretion was applied on a case-by-case basis for those expenses that fell outside of the policy. Expenses that occurred related to this delegation were deemed reasonable given these circumstances. A detailed outline of all expenses was submitted, reviewed and signed off by the Commissioner of Works, and then submitted to the Finance Department for further review and payment.”
According to the policy cited by Siopis, only business-related expenses can be claimed for reimbursement.
Requests sent to Bartlett and Veiga for comment were not returned prior to press time.