By JOSEPH B. NADEAU

WOONSOCKET — Mayor Susan D. Menard was weathering yet another City Hall controversy Tuesday, this time over reports she has audio-visual recording equipment installed in her office.

The equipment, located in a cabinet behind Menard’s desk, was put in place three years ago to assist Menard and members of her administration with preparing presentations they occasionally make to New York bond rating firms and city-related financial firms, Menard said Tuesday.
While installed and operational, Menard maintained she never used the gear to tape any visitor to her office. In fact, she says she hasn’t had an opportunity to operate the system at all.
 “I’ve never used it. It’s been in my office three years and this is all much ado about nothing,” she said.
The City Council raised questions about the equipment during Monday night’s meeting at Harris Hall after learning about its existence during a special meeting last Friday.
The Friday session represented the latest chapter in an ongoing dispute between Menard and members of the council interested in investigating City Hall operations under her tenure.
Menard was elected to a record seventh term last November but has faced a series of battles with the council over her administration’s operation of the police department and other city agencies since that time.
The disputes culminated with Menard’s announcement on March 7 she would retire early and turn over the reins of her administration to City Council President Leo T. Fontaine sometime in June.
That forthcoming step has apparently not ended the legal posturing between the two sides, nor has it stifled revelations of new concerns such as the mayor’s recording equipment.
The council sparked the recent battles by hiring an attorney to gather information about topics such as City Hall employees’ use of city computer equipment, the appropriateness of tasks performed as part of regular duties, and former Human Services Director John R. Dionne’s receipt of paid health care benefits after his retirement.
Menard’s attorney, Glen Whitehead, in turn moved to seek sworn statements from three members of the Council —  Fontaine, John F. Ward and William D. Schneck — about their interests in the investigation.
Council members learned during Friday’s meeting that Whitehead would be seeking written documents, e-mails, meeting notations, accounting records and any other information councilors may have generated relative to their planned probe of City Hall.
During that discussion, the council also learned of the existence of Menard’s recording system, City Councilwoman Suzanne J. Vadenais noted Monday night.
Vadenais asked Public Works Director Michael Annarummo what funding had been used to purchase the system and whether it was part of the Homeland Security work done in City Hall several years ago.
“We have questions because we didn’t know it was there,” Vadenais said.
Annarummo responded that those questions would have to be answered by the mayor. Vadenais then asked that the Council draft a letter to Menard seeking a listing of the costs and funding sources for the AV gear.
Vadenais also chided Menard for trying to stop the council from conducting its investigation into issues at City Hall. “We need to stop playing games here,” Vadenais said. “All we want is facts and all we want is answers.”
On Monday night, Fontaine also noted Menard’s interest in having the Council deposed.
He said such a step would help run up the city’s legal bills even as it struggles to make up for shortfalls in state aid and arrive at a balanced municipal budget.
Quoting a conversation with the mayor, Fontaine said Menard indicated the matter could be resolved without further legal exchanges if the council’s questions could be asked and answered in a workshop forum.
“Hopefully that takes place and hopefully that follows through because it is time for the city to stop wasting money on this,” Fontaine said.
As to the recording equipment, Menard said Tuesday she showed Fontaine the recording system while giving him a transition tour of her office two weeks ago, explaining its purpose at that time.
“That was two weeks ago and now this has become a big issue,” she said. The recording system and the ongoing dispute over the council investigation are just more of the “politics” that have surrounded her final term in office, Menard said.
“This is all nonsense because I ran again in November when other people wanted to be mayor,” she said.
The controversies will only end when she retires, Menard said.
Asked whether she still intends to make that move, the mayor replied, “Absolutely.”
“I cannot put up with this nonsense any longer,” Menard said. “If they want me out of here because they think they can come in and do a better job, so be it.
“But I will do it when I’m ready,” Menard said, still declining to set a date for when she will step aside.
Menard said that before she goes, she plans to complete work on the city’s new budget and also get the city’s new middle schools under construction.
“It will be in the next couple of months,” she said of her departure.