City council meets Monday. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Medicine Hat’s mayor makes expenses request, whistleblower policy comes before council

Apr 22, 2024 | 5:55 PM

Medicine Hat’s sanctioned mayor will ask for a set of staff expenses, a proposed whistleblower policy will be considered and a first reading will be heard to make changes to the unsightly property bylaw during Monday’s city council meeting.

READ:

• Council delays mayor’s expense ask after explanation filed last minute
• Council to call for ‘civility’ amid employee social media abuse

Linnsie Clark, who had her mayoral powers taken away by council last month after it found her guilty of misconduct, will once again bring forward her ask for information that details seven separate requests.

The written inquiry for inclusion does not include any item to be voted on but is instead an apparent move to bring the specific expenses into the public spotlight.

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It asks for the number of city employees paid for reimbursed for living expenses, the amount of cash paid out on severance payments and staff turnover statistics for every month from 2020 to 2023.

Clark in the written inquiry also requests a detailed accounting of all funds reallocated by the city manager in 2023.

At an August 2023 meeting, Clark said City Manager Ann Mitchell restructured city hall without formal consent of council and said she broke the administration bylaw in doing so.

That exchange led to a code of conduct complaint by Coun. Shila Sharps and a third-party investigation that concluded there was evidence Clark had broken the code’s rules.

Council will get formally introduced to a proposed whistleblower policy that

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.

A first reading of the unsightly property bylaw will also come before council Monday night.

Read the full agenda at MedicineHat.ca.