BURST“There were no grounds to terminate me,” says a North Saanich director of planning fired by the district this week in the wake of an internal investigation.
Council announced Tuesday (Oct. 13) it was firing Felice Mazzoni, hired for the role in 2023, after an independent investigator determined a “breakdown in trust” caused staff work issues district-wide.
North Saanich said the district received multiple complaints regarding Mazzoni – who is also running for mayor in the municipal election – under its Respectful Workplace Policy, and hired a contractor to conduct an independent investigation, the district said in a public release.
There was a breakdown in the workplace stemming from the interactions of two individuals, one being Mazzoni, according to the four pages (with redaction) of a Poole Consulting report that were released.
“The breakdown in trust between these employees translated into a tendency of the complainants and the respondent to record, catalogue and fixate on even relatively minor incidents involving each other, rather than approaching each other directly or letting small annoyances roll off them and moving on,” the report reads.
“Although his conduct did not amount to a breach of the policy or law, the respondent’s conduct was contrary to the district’s expectations of its managers in several instances, as outlined in my findings. In my view, most of the concerning conduct stemmed from/related directly to what can be described as the respondent’s poor leadership skills and qualities, including but not limited to a lack of effective, empathetic, and respectful communication skills.”
Mazzoni notes the portion of the report released itself says he did not violate law or district policies regarding respect in the workplace.
“In June, when I was notified of the report, the district provided me with a very brief summary of the findings. This is the first time I’ve seen any portion of the report itself – the district informed me that I was not entitled to a copy of it, for reasons of confidentiality,” Mazzoni said in a statement to the Peninsula News Review. “I was cleared of all complaints against me, and I have done nothing to violate the law or district policies regarding respect in the workplace. There were no grounds to terminate me.”
The report also says Mazzoni’s evidence was at times internally inconsistent or inconsistent with evidence of other participants and documents. “Although I did not find this was due to dishonesty, but rather a lack of understanding and self-awareness, I found this to be troubling for a person in his position.”
The negative interactions have an impact on the department as a whole and the district, including issues between Mazzoni and the CAO and another director, according to the report.
“In my view this makes it even more important that the district address these issues promptly and decisively,” the report reads.
The district said it attempted to negotiate a “departure agreement” but did not receive a response. Mazzoni refutes the district’s statement that it had previously offered coaching, which he declined.
“I would have been very happy to work with a mutually agreeable coach. I did not receive a response from the district,” Mazzoni said. “My priority, during my time working for the district and now, is to protect the place we call home from the relentless pressure to densify.”
A mayoral candidate in the Oct. 17 general election, Mazzoni said he remains steadfastly proud of the work done on the official community plan, alongside key members of the planning department.
“I am also proud of the significant steps I took, both internally and externally, to resist efforts to bring density to North Saanich through the expansion of the Urban Containment Boundary. I admit that I may not have shown sufficient empathy in responding to efforts which were contrary to council’s direction, and which would have irreversibly changed the nature of North Saanich.”
Endorsed by North Saanich Strong, he’s hailed as an award-winning municipal planner and community leader with more than 30 years of experience.
“I am also a firm believer in continuous personal improvement,” he said. “If elected, I will look forward to any recommendations the municipal advisor may have, including with respect to governance and internal communications.”