(CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Medicine Hat council to consider confidential whistleblower phone line

Apr 19, 2024 | 5:39 PM

The City of Medicine Hat could launch an external confidential complaint phone line if council on Monday approves an update to the whistleblower policy.

If the proposed changes to the Whistleblower Policy and Procedures #8049 are approved, the city will begin a “request for proposal” process to find a third party for the phone line.

The city’s People Services division will also commence a change management plan to ensure all employees are trained and familiar with the policy and start working on a robust employee code of conduct.

It’s common to find whistleblower programs at other Alberta municipalities, such as in Calgary and Wetaskiwin.

The whistleblower policy comes forward two weeks after council asked staff to research options for the complaint process for alleged code of conduct violations.

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Also on the agenda is Mayor Linnsie Clark’s request for various city expenses.

For 2020-2023, Clark asked for the number of city employees paid or reimbursed for living expenses and the basic terms of all severance agreements, including precise sums.

In the request, the mayor asks for a detailed accounting of all funds reallocated by the city manager in 2023 and the top staffer’s itemized expense and “P-Card” statements.

Clark also requests itemized expenses and “P-Card” statements from each managing director, the staff in charge of the city’s different divisions.

The mayor is seeking the staff turnover statistics from 2020 to 2023, by month, as well.

In the written statement, Clark does not outline why she is asking for the information but she has consistently called for more transparency.

Clark was stripped of her mayoral powers in March by council after a group of seven councillors found she broke the code of conduct an a tense exchange with the city manager at an August 2023 meeting.

The full council agenda can be found at MedicineHat.ca and the meetings are streamed live on the city’s YouTube channel.