![]() Officer B was just under 80 years old when interviewed for the job. The role was described as physical demanding, with Mr Demeo telling investigators, “The site supervisor needed to work 10-12 hour days, six or seven days a week… site supervisor spent a significant amount of time in a vehicle, which involved getting in and out and inspecting and supervising works.” While he had not formally declared a conflict of interest, Mr Demeo told investigators, “All of the leadership team including the current CEO and knew from an early stage that and I had worked together before.”Īnother issue the Ombudsman found with the appointment of Officer B related to medical fitness. However, her name was crossed out and ‘not available’ was written in Mr Demeo’s handwriting.” On the panel the report states, “Council’s selection documentation named council’s former HR coordinator as the third member of the panel. The Ombudsman found further issues with the employment of the person report describes as Officer B. Mr Demeo then chaired the selection panel of two despite council policy being that three people should be on any hiring panel. In July 2016 it’s alleged that Mr Demeo hired the former colleague on a $160,000, 18-month fixed term contact to work on the Ballarat West Link Road Project.Ī former council employee who reported directly to Mr Demeo told the Ombudsman the infrastructure and environment director has identified someone for the job “least three to six months prior to the role being advertised.” The second hiring case relates to the recruitment of a site supervisor that Mr Demeo had worked with during his time at the City of Greater Geelong. The 80-year-old site supervisor The Ballarat West Link Road project was overseen by a site supervisor who the Ombudsman found was linked to Mr Demeo from his time at the City of Greater Geelong. In total the contractor was paid over $385,000 for his work for the City of Ballarat. Officer A’s company was subsequently designated an approved supplier and undertook further work for the City of Ballarat until 2018. It would have to be a major project for a director to sit on a panel … We’re not paying him a small fortune to sit on tender panels,” the city’s procurement officer told the Ombudsman. “Very rarely would a director sit on a panel. Ms Glass found that Mr Demeo has taken part in the tender panel, something one council officer described as “very rarely” happening. Subsequently, 16 tenders for the work were received, nine accepted, one of which was for the previously engaged Officer A’s company.Īt first Mr Demeo told investigators he was not involved in the selection of the successful tenders, however during inquiry the Ombudsman presented evidence to the contrary. When spending for the green bin roll out went over the budgeted amount, the City’s procurement officer advised Mr Demeo that the remainder of the work would need to go to tender. Subsequently Mr Demeo told the Ombudsman that his relationship with Officer A “is demonstrably a professional colleague relationship with friendship which is normally/reasonably associated with work colleagues”. He said he ‘didn’t have time’ for that course of action.”ĭuring the investigation, Officer A told the Ombudsman “he and Mr Demeo were ‘sort of friends’ at Geelong Council, and they ‘didn’t stop being friends’ when they worked together at Ballarat council.” ![]() But he did not recall contacting any agencies for an estimate. At interview, he said a recruitment agency would have charged an additional $50,000 to $100,000 for the project. The Ombudsman found “no evidence Mr Demeo sought other quotes for the work. Officer A had significant prior involvement with Mr Demeo from their time together the City of Greater Geelong council. In one case a contractor, known as Officer A in the report, was brought into manage the City’s 2015 green waste bin roll out. In each case Mr Demeo made no conflict of interest declaration. In Ombudsman Deborah Glass’ report it’s alleged Mr Demeo “was improperly involved in recruiting three friends and former colleagues to positions at council.” The report by the State Ombudsman is highly critical of the City of Ballarat’s former director of infrastructure and environment Terry Demeo, especially in relation to hiring practices, tender process, and the use of a municipal credit card. ![]()
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