Marchy Bruni explains how Shaun Rootenberg got hired

Algoma Public Health Chair Marchy Bruni has disclosed new information about the controversial 2013 hiring of Shaun Rootenberg as the health unit's interim chief financial officer.

The disclosures are contained in a letter sent last week by Bruni to Mayor Christian Provenzano.

Last month, the mayor complained that APH wasn't answering City Council's questions related to the hiring of Rootenberg, who did time at Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst after pleading guilty to multiple counts of fraud involving more than $2 million.

Here's Bruni's description of the process followed by APH in retaining Rootenberg's services:

• Recruitment advertising for the vacant business administrator position was posted with the Sault Star and on the Algoma Public Health and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada websites with a closing date of August 2, 2013. Interviews were conducted up until September 27, 2013. In the end this recruitment effort was not successful.
• A request for proposals (RFP) was issued on October 22, 2013. The RFP requested temporary assistance as well as a permanent candidate. The proposals received were more expensive than anticipated.
• A second round of recruitment took place in November with advertising in the Sault Star, Algoma Public Health's website and Workopolis with a closing day of November 16, 2013. APH's procurement policy for consultant/contracted service providers that was in effect at the time did not explicitly require a criminal reference or reference checks.
• RHulse26 Consulting provided APH with the services of a temporary/interim chief financial officer who started with APH on November 25, 2013. APH's procurement policy for consultant/contracted service providers that was in effect at the time did not explicitly require a criminal reference check or reference checks.
• Following interviews in November, a candidate accepted the permanent chief financial officer position on December 4, 2013 and commenced employment on January 27, 2014. As an employee of APH, references and a criminal reference check were required and were provided. 

Bruni also addressed two other issues at the request of Mayor Provenzano:

What steps are being or have been taken by the board of Algoma Public Health to ensure that no employee information was accessed, obtained or retained by the interim chief financial officer?

The interim chief financial officer (CFO) position was not delegated or provided with:

• Signing authority.
• Access to the computerized payroll system.
• Privileges to access the server where T4 information is maintained, or
• Keys to access cabinets were employee personnel files are maintained.

In addition to the safeguards noted above, there is no evidence of access to employee social insurance numbers.

There is no evidence of access to banking information.

The interim CFO has had no access to APH staff information or facilities since departure from APH; no Internet access, no email access, no swipe card access, and no key access.

If a new process is proposed, what deficiencies in the previous process have been identified and how many said deficiencies have been addressed?

At its March 2015 meeting, the board amended its procurement policy, lowering signing authority thresholds by role.

Board approval is now required for any expenditure greater than $50,000.

As its May 2015 meeting, the board further amended its procurement policy to include explicit language related to criminal reference checks for consultants/contracted service providers.

This will align the procurement policy for contractors/contracted service providers with Algoma Public Health's employee/staff hiring processes.

The board and management of APH are committed to ensuring institution and maintenance of appropriate controls and financial oversight.

(PHOTO: File photo of Marchy Bruni at Sault Ste. Marie City Council. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)