Wasaga Beach deputy mayor: I went to the OPP
Wasaga Beach’s deputy mayor says she took her concerns about the direction the municipality was taking to the Ontario Provincial Police in 2016.
Nina Bifolchi also said she approached the Ontario Ombudsman.
She made the comments during a July 10 special council meeting, during discussion on the non-binding letter of intent between the town and Fram Building Group.
She said she went to the OPP out of “my concern for the taxpayers, the future of our town, and the need to share information.
“The concerns I shared with them that day, and since, are now being realized,” she said.
The OPP has not yet responded to Simcoe.com’s request for a comment.
The statement caught other councillors by surprise — with a couple of councillors demanding Bifolchi explain herself.
“Today is the first day I’ve heard the comment that the OPP anti-rackets squad has been approached … I find that quite disturbing and I’d like to get more information,” said Coun. Bill Stockwell. “I find it hard we just hear that and leave it hanging there without some further information.”
Bifolchi declined to comment further, other than to state that as a resident and a member of council, “I can go to any higher level to share concerns … I’m not accusing anybody. I took my concerns to them because I felt the need to share it with them.”
Mayor Brian Smith requested she provide “full disclosure” of her comments to the chief administrative officer “so the rest of council, staff, and the town’s legal team can review (them).
“I think it’s a very broad statement that implicates many folks, including this whole council, staff, the legal team and the developer,” he said.
Otherwise, said the mayor, comments about going to the OPP were “white noise.”
“To make an accusation that perhaps there is something underhanded happening here is quite frankly uncalled for and is irresponsible, and it is unacceptable in my personal opinion,” Smith said. “I would invite anyone to look into process to do so because I’m confident … that nothing happened (that was) underhanded. I believe wholeheartedly in what we’re doing.”