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Frank Dunedin city councilman Lee Vandervis, who is in trouble again after allegedly pointing fingers and yelling at a fellow councilman, has responded to his accusers.
In an extraordinary statement, he alleged that the Code of Conduct complaint against him was an attempt to “quell my initial complaints of abuse of positions of mayors and deputies and of due process.”
He kept calling people out for not doing his job, including a media outlet, “it’s the obvious pattern of my behavior in the public interest.”
The latest incident occurred after a city council meeting on July 28 and prompted three councilors, Deputy Mayor Christine Garey, Steve Walker and Marie Laufiso, to file complaints.
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They described seeing Vandervis walk up to Garey and speak to her in a loud, aggressive tone, and turn red in the face.
Vandervis walked over to Garey and pointed his finger at his. The complaints said that Garey told him: “Don’t talk to me like that councilor.”
The plaintiffs alleged that Vandervis continued to yell at Garey, prompting Walker to intervene.
They alleged that Vandervis later said: “I will point the finger at whoever I want.”
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
Cr Lee Vandervis and Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins.
This is not the first time concerns have been raised about Vandervis’ behavior. He was censured by the council last year for an argument over a $ 12 parking fine.
That Code of Conduct complaint was filed on behalf of a member of the council’s customer service staff, who claimed he was “loud, aggressive and intimidating” during the September 13 incident.
Councilors voted unanimously to accept that finding, and a written censure was issued.
In the latest incident, attorney Steph Dyhrberg wrote in a Code of Conduct report that the three complainants described Vandervis’ behavior as “aggressive, intimidating, very threatening and exaggerated.”
Vandervis, who opposed Dyhrberg’s appointment for alleged bias over an earlier complaint, emailed an apology to Garey and other councilors on July 29.
“I didn’t mean to make a scene when I complained to you last night … and I shouldn’t have let it escalate,” he wrote.
Dyhrberg held face-to-face interviews with the complainants, but Vandervis refused, opting for the communication to be made through his attorney.
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
Cr Lee Vandervis, center, at a Dunedin City Council meeting.
All interview notes were sent to Vandervis’s attorney, but no response was received.
A draft of the report was also sent to Vandervis, but he responded with only a read receipt.
In the draft report, Garey said she was afraid Vandervis would hit her, but felt she had to stand her ground.
She believed that he was angry at her decision against her point of order in the meeting beforehand.
John Kirk-Anderson / Stuff
The Dunedin City Council will discuss whether to censure Councilman Lee Vandervis at its next meeting.
Garey said he did not accept her apology, citing her loudness rather than her loss of control.
Garey said Stuff He did not want to comment further on the incident until his colleagues “have spoken out on this very serious matter at Tuesday’s council meeting.”
Walker described the incident as “a horrific male assault,” while Laufiso said the emailed apology was “pathetic.”
Other councilors and a staff member also witnessed the incident.
Dyhberg confirmed the complaints and said Vandervis had behaved “in an aggressive, rude and manner that anyone would have found intimidating.”
He had been “very unprofessional and threatening,” which affected Garey’s perception of safety at work.
She concluded that the incident violated the council’s Code of Conduct, saying it was likely to discredit Vandervis and the council’s introduction.
Vandervis would have the opportunity to address the council at its meeting on Tuesday, before a decision was made on whether there had been a violation of the Code of Conduct and, if so, the resulting sanction.
Sanctions could include a letter of censure, a request for an apology, a vote of no confidence, loss of privileges, suspension from committees, and an invitation to resign.
