A claim from Cr Lee Vandervis that CCTV video of his interaction with a customer services staff recorded sound, and therefore proved he wasn't shouting, is incorrect, the Dunedin City Council says.
This comes after a council spokeswoman yesterday confirmed independent investigator David Benham, of Wellington, would investigate the code of conduct complaint filed against Cr Vandervis.
The complaint was that Cr Vandervis had shouted at a staff member working in the council's customer services reception area, inside the Civic Centre building, during an exchange over a disputed parking ticket.
Mr Benham is the former chief executive of Greater Wellington Regional Council and now the chairman of the Otago Regional Council's audit and risk subcommittee.
After the council declined to release video footage of the incident, citing the need to protect privacy and avoid prejudicing the investigation, Cr Vandervis himself posted the video of his interaction with the customer services representative on social media.
His words cannot be heard, but he can be seen waggling his finger at the staff member and a passing person can be seen stopping to watch the interaction for several moments before continuing on their way.
He notes in a post on his Facebook page there is audio with the video recording which picks up some words from the front desk, but is not close enough to record his words.
"The audio track of the video is enough to confirm that I did not raise my voice excessively or shout as alleged," he says in the post.
However, the DCC issued a further statement this afternoon, refuting Cr Vandervis' claim.
The CCTV footage contained no audio at all, the DCC spokeswoman said.
Due to technical difficulties, Cr Vandervis and the council's independent investigator had been unable to play the CCTV video on their devices.
To provide Cr Vandervis with a copy, a council staff member had played the CCTV on her computer and filmed the screen on her iPhone. A copy of the iPhone video was then provided to Cr Vandervis.
The audio that could be heard was background noise captured by her iPhone, not the CCTV footage.
"The CCTV system does not capture sound," the DCC spokeswoman said.
The iPhone video had also been provided to Cr Vandervis in confidence, she added.
The Otago Daily Times earlier asked for a copy of any video or audio recording of the incident, after learning earlier this week another complaint had been filed against Cr Vandervis - his 12th so far this term.
Cr Vandervis was happy for the footage to be released, but Mr Benham asked for it to be withheld while his investigation was carried out ''and on that basis we are withholding the information'', the spokeswoman said.
Cr Vandervis has ignored ODT requests for comment on the latest incident, but posted an explanation - and an email to Dr Bidrose complaining about the ticket - on social media.
A council spokeswoman, responding to the request yesterday, said there was no recording of Cr Vandervis' earlier exchange with the parking officer who issued the ticket to him.
That appeared to suggest the parking officer did not feel the need to activate their body camera.
The subsequent exchange between Cr Vandervis and the staff member inside the Civic Centre reception was captured by a CCTV camera, which recorded video only and not audio.
It was not yet known exactly how long the investigation would take, but the findings were expected to go to the new council to consider, the council spokeswoman said.
Mr Benham would report back to council chief executive Sue Bidrose, who would prepare a report - including Mr Benham's full report - for the full council, excluding Cr Vandervis, or a code of conduct committee to consider.
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Comments
What happens if Vandervis gets elected Mayor?
He will be sitting infront of 14 councilors that cant stand him. Anything he proposes gets voted down if it had merit or not. As history shows Vandervis will jump up and down and Council meets will be a joke. He will try this and that but he will not regain control of the Council or his emotions.
Fairly much a forgone conclusion that it will never work.
Nonsense, half of mayor candidates named Vandervis a second preferred mayor after themselves according to recent news.
Plus it seems like there are many yes people in council who don't have their opinion. And even if they do, then how do you know that they will be re-elected this time?
Kezza, your comments only display your ignorance of local government. There may be fourteen different Councillors sitting around the table by mid-October. And Vandervis has got an excellent chance of having at least half the membership of the new Council with similar values to his own, namely to stop wasting money and treating a city council as an appropriate place to carry out Green Party and extreme socialist policies with a budget intended for the efficient and affordable running of a city. If you imagine that city councils work with the Mayor acting as a kind of a team coach who rouses all the other Councillors to play the game exactly his way and vote in exactly the same way as him, then you are wrong. A city council is more like a jury and every Councillor must act independently to contribute to the best possible decisions.
A city council is more like a jury and every Councillor must act independently to contribute to the best possible decisions....
How has that been going for Vandervis???
Not so well at all...
Kezza, of course Vandervis didn't vote against every single decision and supported many, they simply didn't make it into news because it's boring.
An opposite example when consensus was reached is notorious merging of DCC and ORC which Vandervis backed strongly, but this decision was never enacted and swept under the rug. I can't speculate but it smells like at least some important deals are being made behind closed doors, so much for transparency and consensus.
While public dissatisfaction with current council grows, multiple complaints are being filed against strongest candidate from opposition on election year, what a coincidence. Whether they all genuine or not, DCC should have more important things to do than hiring a consultant from Wellington for this particular one.
And if they investigate the matter themselves they are slammed for being biased or having a hidden agenda.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Running for mayor but can not figure out a parking meter, then berates a Council employee.
Any rational person would just shrug their shoulders and admit they screwed up bit not Vandervis, he takes it all to a new level. Shaking his finger at someone... he's a current Councilier....
The legal fees against him if elected Mayor will be stagering....
Vandervis demonstrates again and again that he is not fit to hold public office, let alone the mayoralty. It will be a disaster if he is voted in as mayor, and if he is returned as a councillor then the dysfunction and division will go on and on. This ratepayer, for one, is fed up with his histrionics. At times he has had valid points to make, but it's the way he goes about it. Enough.
IMHO nothing wrong in that Video, Sound was rubbish but suspect it was from the camera that took the video. If Cr Lee Vandervis was throwing his toys out the cot and stamping we would have seen it, and the other lady at the desk would have should have at stepped in. Sure there was some body gestures as he explained what had happened but that is normal especially when people don't get things. To answer Kezza's question above, no matter what Mayor Dunedin has there will always be councillors who are sandals and swap sides to be the Mayors best friend so it will not be a joke, things will get done and I think for the better if Cr Lee Vandervis is Mayor. In a previous job I have seen the 2/IC be a total idiot but when they get to be the boss they change for the better and are more relaxed.
Come on mate... You are saying that Vandervis will chill out if elected mayor???
That's beyond a joke, if anything he'll throw his toys out of the cot even more when he's not getting his way.
Nothong wrong with that video?
A Councilier berated a council employee in public.
The basic fact that everyone needs to grasp is Vandervis was not in the right he screwed up. He could not understand a parking meter instructions.
Any reasonable person steps up and learns from that. Not Vandervis he shakes his finger raises his voice, writes an email to the CEO and demands that it is cancled.
It is without question his own fault without a doubt! Man up Vandervis and stop the poor me!
Quit the propaganda Kezza, you are too transparent..
The guy will cost this city millions in legal costs. That's a no brainer and I for one do not want to cover that cost.
Come on how can anyone vote Vandervis this little man who picks on woman imagine him being in the top job and by the time he upsets all the woman staff and they take him to the employment court it will cost us the rate payers millions I often think would he ever pick on a man no he wouldnt he knows he would get a smack . Come on Dunedin vote anyone but him.
Just a simple enquiry. Who leaked this compalint to the media and what action is being taken to discipline staff who do this?
Well let's remember he was disputing a parking ticket! Most people would feel some sympathy for him and the poor woman in that situation. Nobody wins in that contest.
Oh no the sky is going to fall because Vandervis shook his finger.
This supposed 'complaint' coming this close to election is designed to influence the election.
In short it's a bit suspect.
Don't waste your vote on someone that will be removed from the running post investigation. The evidence is stacking up against him and it's only a matter of time. He should fall on his sword and endorse someone else in the race.