Pole cat Friday, May 2, 1997 — North Shore News — 3 Conilicting interest leads to discipline N. Van District empioyee’s freelance work stepped over the line By tan Noble News Reporter jan@nsnews.com A North Vancouver District employee freelancing as a drafter has been disciplined for contravening the district’s conflict-of-interest policy, says Mayor Don Bell. The case centres around a district homeowner who said his wife paid $800 to a district employee to correct or make another set of plans for an addition to his East Balmoral home. Ivan Mecek, who would not name the district emplovee, said the first set of architect’s plans he sub- mitted in October 1996 to the district was not acceptable. “We applied for something and one &low inside got involved and since he was involved I kind of stepped to the side because it was to be done, you know, in sort of a secret way, let’s put it that way,” said Mecek. “This is when we should have deen real- ly told straight out that we cannot build, not that something can be done about it.” According to a statement issued by Bell, a plan- checker in the peemits department had prepared the plans for a $650 design and drafting fee. Those plans were submitted in November by the owners and they were reviewed and accepted by a second-plan check- er. Bell commented generally on district policy. “If it was found” that an employee ae fact accepted remuneration for work in the area of his responsibility at the municipality (that) would be contrary to our conflict of interest guidelines,” said unclear, said Mecek. A series of events has led to a stop-work order on Mecek’s renovation and Mecek depending on council for a development variance permit ¢o continue his work. . . Mecek’s original plans called for an extension of six feet (1.8 m). The plans thar were approved reduced that to an addition of 1.6 feet (.5 m), said Bell. He added that when construction began, the lans were not followed and six feet instead of 1.6 eet were added on to the house. Mecek said his wife, who dealt with the hall, was under the impression the district had given the cou- le what they had asked for — a six-foot extension. The lans, he said, were not clear. “We insisted we wanted six feet so we could install a five-foot sliding door on the side of it. That was the whole purpose. If I knew at thar time that we wouldn’t get a considerable extension like six foct... we wouldn’t start building,” he said. . Mecek said the framing and forms for the six-foot addition were approved by district inspectors who had copies of the plans. “Why wasn’t it brought to my attention at that point that I was doing something wroug? Isn’t that what district inspectors are for?” he asked. Bell said approvals were given by building inspec- tors that were not in keeping with the approved plans. Bell said he’s been told the first approval was made in error. The second inspector was merely there to make sure the extension was properly framed, not to inspect the extension’s size, said Bell. It was not until one neighbor complained about the bylaw-breaking size of the 194-square-foor (18 sq. m) addition that Zistrict inspectors placed a stop- work order on the joo. SPIKE the cat was into his third rain-soaked day on a hydro pole Bell. before he was rescued from his precarious perch. Drivi _By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com NORTH Shore Driving School manager Neil Lockhart was a hot-tem- pered ex-convict who — smoked. His employer Josephine Sally Briton testified that she didn’t hire peovle with Lockhart’s attributes. “I needed him because he was knowledgeable... I couldn’t run the truck division,” said Briton on Monday in North Vancouver provincial court. Lockhart worked for Briton and her husband Bryon Briton for 15 years. Lockhart was a truck driving instructor, trusted bookkeeper and manager at North Shore Driving School. He quit his job in 1994. Lockhart also had an affair with Josephine Briton for several years while employed at North Shore Driving School, according to court information. Lockhart was a key Crown wit- ness against the Britons and the driving school this month in North Vancouver provincial court. The Britons and the driving . school were charged last year wit! evading $56,197 in tax on $263,109 of unreported income, according to the national revenue department. The offences were alleged to ‘Hobby’ revenue disputed in trial By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter NORTH Shore Driving School co-owner Byron Briton was doing a favor for several municipalities when he installed dual-con- trol steering wheels on their vehicles. Briton, 63, testified on Tuesday in North Vancouver rovincial court that he viewed the installations as a bby for which he was reimbursed. A Revenue Canada auditor viewed Briton’s efforts differenly. The auditor contends thar Briton, working in association with the name “Twin Steer Custom Dual Control,” was conducting a business whose financial information should have been reported for tax purposes. Briton and his wife Josephine Sally Briton are charged with 18 counts of tax evasion involving $263,109 of unreported income over a five-year period ending in Byron Briton made dual-steering changes to vehicles in his British Properties home for his own company and for bylaw enforcement and other vehicles owned by the municipalities of West Vancouver, North Vancouver City and Langley. The Crown produced unnumbered invoices relating the municipal vehicle changes that contained the names of North Shore Driving School, Twin Steer and pay- ments made to Byron Briton. have occurred between 1988 to 1993. The Britons have pleaded not guilty to chat the full financial picture could not be the 18 tax-related charges. The Crown alieges that Lockhart with- known. Briton testified that she brought the held cash received from the Burnaby truck ledgers to her home after a year to allow for office of the driving school for Joscphine Briton as she directed. The Crown alleges that the cash never more space in the office at 1821 Lonsdale Ave. Josephine Briton denied she had asked made it into the main North Vancouver Revenue Canada Investigator Christina Mao office ledger, but was noted in the trucking over for Christmas dinner when Mao was division books only. Josephine Briton, the Crown alleges, kept auditing the company in 1994, “I offered her my home to work in com- the Burnaby truck office books at her home fort, but she refused,” said Briton. on Chartwell Drive in West Vancouver so Briton denied the Crown’s allegations As it turns out, the plan-checker’s plans were ol owner takes the stand “J didn’t need a record to say if I received the money. I either got the money or I didn’t. I’m not running a business here,” Briton testified to Crown lawyer Lyndsay Smith’s questions about the lack of a paper trail relating to Twin Steer. According to invoices entered as evidence, a vehicle conversion cost about $3,500 and repairs about $400. The Crown stated that Briton took in more than $11,000 in 1993 for dual-steering projects that were not reported on income tax papers. Under question from his lawyer Bob Breivik, Briton denied assertions made by his former employee of 15 years, Neil Lockhart, concerning confrontations and che alleged use of misappropriated cash from the dri- ving school. “Ble (Lockhart) was fond of say- ing, in the form of blackmail, that if he should ever leave the company, we'd really be sorry. He’d really make things tough for us,” testified Briton. Briton said that in hindsight he should have fired Lockhart early into his employment. He said the driving school manager had “temper tantrums.” Briton stated that Lockhart was stealing money from the driving school and “pretending” he was handing it over to the Britons. The Crown suggested that Lockhart was not fired because he rmed an important function for the Britons in the alleged misappropriation of cash from the school. “I am nor a thief,” said Byron Briton. The trial continues. . cards. that the driving school co-owner appeared to See Plans page 5 cockroaches ail over the place.” Briton denied she said that to dissuade the auditor. She said at the time there was a moose or rat disease epidemic and that her employees were concerned about the disease problem. When questioned by her lawyer, Bob Breivik, Josephine Briton testified that she took the pages of the Burnaby truck office ledger to her Chartwell Drive home after a year “for security purpos- es.” According to testimony of Revenue Canada investigator Mao, Josephine Briton said she did not keep the trucking divi- sion “ledgers because she had the student record cards. Briton testified she could not recall saying that to the auditor. “I didn’t lie to her,” testified Briton under questioning from the Crown. Briton maintained that her ini- tials appeared on the ledgers because she was spot-checking information for the student record She testified she did not check the money cooperate with the auditor, but was really entries on the sheets. trying to dissuade her from doing a thor- ough investigation. Briton maintained in her testimony that driving school] student record cards, estimat- Said Crown lawyer Smith, “You are in business to make money?” “Yes,” replied Briton. Briton testified that she didn’t know that ed at taking up several boxes, could be there was money missing from the company checked against the main ledger for accuracy until after she was charged. She testified that she knew about a year of all the company’s financial entries. Crown lawyer Smith said that Briton did after he was hired that Lockhart had been in not give the auditor the student record cards, _ prison for a crime, but she did not find out but told her they were in the Lonsdale until about 15 years later that Lockhart was office’s basement where “there were rats and _ jailed on a heroin charge.